Finland, Minnesota

Finland, Minnesota
Census-designated place
Signpost for the community of Finland
Finland Location in Minnesota Show map of Minnesota Finland Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 47°24′53″N 91°14′57″W
Country	United States
State	Minnesota
County	Lake
Townships	Beaver Bay, Crystal Bay
Area [1]
• Total	6.74 sq mi (17.46 km^2)
• Land	6.72 sq mi (17.40 km^2)
• Water	0.02 sq mi (0.06 km^2)
Elevation [2]	1,329 ft (405 m)
Population  (2020)[3]
• Total	215
• Density	32.00/sq mi (12.36/km^2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	55603
Area code	218
GNIS feature ID	656231[2]

Finland is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Crystal Bay and Beaver Bay townships, Lake County, Minnesota, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 195.[3]

Geography

The community of Finland is located 6 miles (10 km) inland from Lake Superior's North Shore and 39 miles (63 km) northeast of the city of Two Harbors. State Highway 1, County Road 6, and County Road 7 are three of the main routes in the community. State Highway 1 continues northwest from Finland 56 miles (90 km) to Ely.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the Finland CDP has a total area of 5.4 square miles (13.9 km^2), of which 0.02 square miles (0.06 km^2), or 0.41%, are water.[4] The Baptism River flows through the community. George H. Crosby Manitou State Park is located 7 miles (11 km) northeast of Finland.

The community is located within the Finland State Forest in Lake County.

History

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
2010	195		—
2020	215		10.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[5] 2020 Census[3]

A post office called Finland has been in operation since 1915,[6] and a cooperative general store was established in 1913, which is Minnesota's longest continuously operated store. The name of the town comes from the fact that a large portion of the early settlers were Finns.[7] The 1931 book Finlandssvenskarna i Amerika ('The Finland Swedes in America') describes the town's founding: "Two Finns, a Lindström and a Pelto, went out to the forest 40 miles north of Two Harbors a few years ago. They set about clearing forest and breaking ground. Later, a railroad was built through the new community and the place was named Finland."[8]

The visitor center is the former home of forest ranger and longtime Finland resident O. M. Eckbeck, who built it in 1927.[9]

The Lutheran church was struck by lightning on July 6, 2013, burning down as a result.[10] It was later rebuilt.

References

1. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
2. "Finland, Minnesota". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
3. "Explore Census Data". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
4. "U.S. Gazetteer Files: 2019: Places: Minnesota". U.S. Census Bureau Geography Division. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
5. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
6. "Lake County". Jim Forte Postal History. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
7. Warren Upham (1920). Minnesota Geographic Names: Their Origin and Historic Significance. Minnesota Historical Society. p. 294.
8. Silfversten, Carl J. (1931). Finlandssvenskarna i Amerika (in Swedish). Duluth. OCLC 1153916396., cited in "Finland". Jakobstads Tidning (in Swedish). No. 129. November 14, 1939. p. 3 – via National Library of Finland.
9. "Visitor Center". Finland Minnesota Historical Society. February 16, 2015. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
10. "Fire destroys Finland's only church". Star Tribune.