Tower, Minnesota

History

The city was incorporated March 13, 1889, which makes it the oldest city in the Arrowhead region. It owes its establishment to the Soudan Mine, and was named after mining financier Charlemagne Tower. Tower is home to the Tower Train Museum; near the museum is McKinley Monument, the first erected in honor of former U.S. President William McKinley shortly after his assassination in 1901. President McKinley was in office from 1897 to 1901.

Tower set the Minnesota record for coldest temperature on February 2, 1996, when the temperature dropped to -60 °F (-51 °C). This was the lowest temperature ever recorded in the United States east of the Great Plains. Tower and the Embarrass Valley to the south are the coldest inhabited locations in the Lower 48 states, based on average winter temperatures.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.41 square miles (8.83 km²), 3.00 square miles (7.77 km²) is land and 0.41 square miles (1.06 km²) is water.

Tower has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb), with long, bitterly cold winters and humid and warm summers. January averages 5.0 °F or −15.0 °C, and lows reach 0 °F or −17.8 °C on 67 nights annually. Highs only reach the freezing point 18–19 days during December to February, and in combination with a seasonal snowfall of 67.2 inches or 1.71 metres, snow cover is thick and long−lasting. Spring, and more especially autumn, are short but mild transition seasons. July averages 63.9 °F or 17.7 °C, with highs reaching 90 °F or 32.2 °C on only 3.2 days annually, with only about four-fifths of all years seeing temperatures that high. Summer nights are cool despite the warm days, with the average window for freezing temperatures August 25 thru June 22. Precipitation averages about 27.77 inches or 705.4 millimetres per year, and is concentrated in the warmer months. The all−time record high temperature is 101 °F (38.3 °C), while the all−time record low is −60 °F (−51.1 °C), a range of 161 °F (89 °C).

Entertainment and sports

Fortune Bay Resort and Casino resides a few miles west of Tower. It is near Lake Vermilion, a well-known lake with tourists and locals alike. The casino is owned and operated by the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa.

Tower has a simple sports ground with simple bleacher stands, close by the Tower School. At Lake Vermillion, a run tournament is staged every year named after the lake.

Education

Tower is part of the St. Louis County school district based in Virginia, Minnesota. In town there is the Tower-Soudan Elementary School that serves students K–6. Students 7–12 are transported to other secondary schools nearby as Tower-Soudan does not have a secondary school at this point.

Outside of the district, Tower has a public charter school that serves students 7–12 called Vermilion Country School. Based in the old PowerRain building, this project-based secondary school was set up by parents and townspeople who advocated for a local secondary school. VCS just opened in 2013 and graduated their first 6 seniors in May 2014.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 500 people, 265 households, and 126 families residing in the city. The population density was 166.7 inhabitants per square mile (64.4/km²). There were 331 housing units at an average density of 110.3 per square mile (42.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.6% White, 2.4% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.2% of the population.

There were 265 households of which 20.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.5% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 52.5% were non-families. 45.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.89 and the average family size was 2.61.

The median age in the city was 48.4 years. 18.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.6% were from 25 to 44; 30% were from 45 to 64; and 24% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.8% male and 49.2% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there are 479 people in the city, organized into 233 households and 137 families. The population density is 176.8 people per square mile (68.2/km²). There are 295 housing units at an average density of 108.9 per square mile (42.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city is 97.70% White, 1.46% Native American, 0% Asian, 0% African American, 0% Pacific Islander, 0.84% from other races, and 0.00% from two or more races. 1.88% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. 31.4% were of Finnish, 13.7% Norwegian, 11.1% Swedish, 8.6% German, 6.6% Slovene and 5.8% Italian ancestry according to Census 2000.

There are 233 households out of which 20.2% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.9% are married couples living together, 6.0% have a female householder with no husband present, and 41.2% are non-families. 37.8% of all households are made up of individuals and 22.3% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.06 and the average family size is 2.69.

In the city, the population is spread out with 18.6% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 26.1% from 45 to 64, and 24.8% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 45 years. For every 100 females there are 93.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 91.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $26,429, and the median income for a family is $37,500. Males have a median income of $35,000 versus $21,875 for females. The per capita income for the city is $17,169. 10.7% of the population and 3.7% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 12.5% of those under the age of 18 and 10.9% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.