Pine City, Minnesota


Pine City is a city in Pine County, Minnesota, in east central Minnesota. Pine City is also the county seat of Pine County. A portion of the city is located on the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation. Founded as a railway town, it quickly became a logging community and the surrounding lakes made it a resort town. Today, it exists in part as a commuter town to jobs in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area.

History

The Dakota Indians were the first in the area. With the Ojibwa expansion, the area became a mixture of the two. By the early 19th century, the area became predominantly Ojibwa. They trapped and hunted on the land and traded furs at the nearby trading posts. With the Treaty of St. Peters of 1837, dubbed the "White Pine Treaty", lumbering began in the area. Lumbering, though, was limited by access to the available waterways.
In the late 19th century, European settlers came to the Pine City area, which was still heavily forested with thick stands of white pine, some of the largest in the state. When the railroad arrived in Pine City so began a logging expansion. Pine City prospered and grew into a city that had everything needed to serve residents, farmers, and the fast expanding lumber industry. Pine City was platted in 1869. The city was incorporated in 1881.
When Buchanan County was merged with Pine County in 1861, the county seat was consolidated to Pine City because it was already well-established. Because of its location on the far southern edge of Pine County, there have been attempts over the years to move the county seat to more centrally located Hinckley and Sandstone. However, being the most populous city in the county, Pine City always prevailed as the county seat.
In 2005, the city became the first in rural Minnesota with an annual gay pride event, East-Central Minnesota Pride, and one of only two rural communities to hold such an event in the United States. A book capturing Pine City's history in vintage photos was written as part of the Images of America series and became available in 2010.

Timeline

Pine City is reached as a day trip for tourists from the Twin Cities who enjoy the downtown's specialty stores and restaurants as well as a nearby casino and recreational opportunities, including the scenic St. Croix River valley. Also, a local historical site situated along the Snake River, the Snake River Fur Post, has become a tourist draw; it was used by British fur traders nearly two centuries ago.
Pine City is also home to two golf courses, the Pine City Country Club, a nine-hole, par 36 public course that opened in 1971, and Pokegema Lake Golf Course, a course located just west of town.
The Pine County Fair takes place in Pine City each year in late July/early August. A highlight of the fair is a three-night demolition derby that is one of Minnesota's largest, drawing several thousand spectators each evening. The five-day event is a free gate fair and also features free on-site parking.
The Initiative Foundation named Pine City "Outstanding Community" of 2009 and the NAMM Foundation identified it as one of the "Best Communities for Music Education in America" for 2010, 2011 and 2012. In 2016, Movoto named Pine City one of "The 7 Best Towns in Minnesota for LGBT Families". It is also a participant in the Green Steps program by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of, of which is land and is water.

Climate

Below is a table of average high and low temperatures throughout the year in Pine City. Of note, Pine City's early years included historic temperature extremes as it was the site of three record-setting cold temperatures:
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Avg high °F 21 27 38 54 67 75 80 78 69 55 39 25
Avg low temperature °F 4 17 30 40 51 56 56 53 43 32 21 6

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 3,043 residents, 1,222 households, and 734 families in the city. The population density was 1,076.3 people per square mile. There were 1,275 housing units at an average density of 451.0 per square mile.

Racial makeup (2010)

95.58% White, 1.54% Native American, 1.22% Hispanic or Latino of any race, 0.74% Asian, 0.26% African American, 0.19% from other races, 0.03% Pacific Islander and 1.67% from two or more races.

Population statistics

The city has continued to grow since it was incorporated. In fact, it is one of only three small towns in Minnesota, along with Mora and Litchfield, to have never lost population. Much of the growth of the area occurs around the lakes in the neighboring townships, in Pokegama, Chengwatana or Pine City Township, and as of the latest census, the Pine City Zip Code had 9,348 residents.

Other demographics

There were 1,222 households out of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.8% were married couples living together, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.9% were non-families. 34.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the city, the population was spread out with 25.3% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 17.9% from 45 to 64, and 21.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,000 and the median income for a family was $37,000. Males had a median income of $30,000 versus $20,000 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,000. About 10.8% of families and 15.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.4% of those under age 18 and 14.1% of those age 65 or over.
Ancestry of Pine City residents is primarily German, Norwegian, Swedish, and Czech.

Diversity

After the Census 2010 count of same-sex partners in Minnesota, it was discovered that the Pine City area was home to some of the most concentrated same-sex coupled households of any rural area of the state.

Religion

While the largest religion in Pine City is none at all, with over half of the community unchurched, it is home to various churches of varying denominations, including:
ChurchDenomination
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
First Presbyterian ChurchPresbyterian Church
Grace Baptist ChurchBaptists
Hustletown Community ChurchNondenominational Christianity
Immaculate Conception Catholic ChurchCatholic
Journey North ChurchGospel, Evangelicalism
Kingdom Hall – Jehovah's WitnessJehovah's Witnesses
Living Hope Christian CenterAssemblies of God
Our Redeemer Lutheran ChurchEvangelical Lutheran Church in America
Pine City Evangelical Free ChurchEvangelical Free Church of America
Hands for Pine CityLutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ
South Pine Baptist ChurchBaptists
Zion Lutheran ChurchLutheran Church–Missouri Synod

Economy

Lakeside Medical Center is one of the largest employers, with 140 employees. MINPACK, Inc. has 130 employees, and Atscott Manufacturing, 100; both have their headquarters in Pine City. Other large employers in the community include Walmart, Product Fabricators, Inc., Broekema Beltway, ISD 578, Therapeutic Services Agency, Pine County, Community Living Options and Lake Superior Laundry.

Shopping

Pine City serves as a shopping hub for such surrounding Minnesota communities as Askov, Braham, Brook Park, Henriette, Hinckley, Finlayson, Rock Creek, Rush City and Sandstone, as well as Grantsburg, Wisconsin.
in Pine Plaza
In addition to a Walmart Supercenter, Pine City is home to three retail shopping centers: Pine Plaza, Evergreen Square and Northridge Center. Pine Plaza, located in the central business district, was Pine City's first shopping center. It is anchored by an old-fashioned drive-in A&W All-American Food Restaurant, one of the few remaining carhops in the state. Evergreen Square is anchored by Dollar Tree and is also home to such stores as Radio Shack, Great Clips, and Subway, as well as a M Health Fairview clinic. Pine City's newest shopping center is Northridge Center, located at the city's developing northern freeway interchange, home to a Verizon store, Ace Hardware, stores catering to outdoor enthusiasts and service-related enterprises.

Downtown

Pine City has one of the most evident downtowns between the Twin Cities and the Twin Ports, situated along the Snake River. Robinson Park is in the heart of it and forms the center of the town square, with the old train depot to the east, a library to the south and many mom and pop shops lining historic 5th Street on the west side of the park including a microbrewery named Three Twenty Brewing Co. On the north side is Pine City Scrapbooking Co., a scrapbooking store that has received national attention.

Financial

The following banks and financial/lending institutions have a presence in Pine City.
Pine City's growing arts community placed it on 2010, 2011 and 2012 lists of "Best Communities for Music Education in America". The high school band and musical theatre program built its reputation under the direction of Bradley Mariska, and musical ensembles at Pine City High School give free performances throughout the school year. In 2009, Pine Center for the Arts opened, which is a regional arts center offering a variety of educational and performance-based programs relating to theatre, music, visual art, literature, and dance. Classes and special events take place throughout the year. Community theater is active in Pine City, called the Heritage Players, which performs semiannually. The Pine City Arts Council sponsors a variety of annual events, most notably a free Friday night summer concert series held in Robinson Park and an art festival.

Major annual events

The following community and regional events are held in and around Pine City.

Spring, summer, and fall

The city has 12 city parks, which include two undeveloped parks ; two passive parks, manicured but lacking recreational equipment ; and eight active parks, with playgrounds and/or sports facilities, including:
The Pine City Pirates compete in town team baseball in the Eastern Minny League, which is part of the Minnesota Baseball Association. Amateur baseball has been a part of Pine City culture for years and has enjoyed many successes in the past. The Pirates had several state appearances including: 1950, 1952 B 2nd, 1953 B 3rd, 1961 and 1962. The team was defunct for a period before being revived in 2017.

Government

Pine City is located in Minnesota's 8th congressional district, represented for many years by Jim Oberstar, a Democrat and now represented by Rep. Pete Stauber. Pine City is in State Senate District 11, represented by State Senator Jason Rarick thanks to a 2019 Minnesota Senate District 11 special election held Feb. 5, 2019, to replace Tony Lourey as he was appointed by Governor-elect Tim Walz to be the State's next Commissioner of Human Services. A 2019 Minnesota House of Representatives District 11B special election is setup to replace Rarick, as he left the House to become senator.
A new courthouse and county offices were relocated from downtown to the north end of town in 2007. The former courthouse was renamed Pine Government Center in 2010 and now houses city government and other community organizations including the Chamber of Commerce.
MayorCarl PedersonJanuary 2019 to January 2021
At-largeMary Kay SloanJanuary 2019 to January 2023
At-largeGina PettieJanuary 2019 to January 2023
At-largeSteve OvickJanuary 2017 to January 2021
At-largeBrian ScholinJanuary 2017 to January 2021

The city's law enforcement agency is the Pine County Sheriff's Department, through contract, with 39 full-time staff including 23 sworn officers. The department has two K-9s, named Chewy and Chaos. Besides performing routine patrol duties, the department performs water, atv, and snowmobile patrol, and search and rescue functions.

Education

The Pine City Public Schools serve more than 1,600 area students through one PK–6 elementary school, a 7–12 Junior/Senior High School, which was named a U.S. News & World Report "Best High School", and the Pine City Area Learning Center. Pine City is also home to St. Mary's School, which serves preschool and K–6 students.
Pine Technical and Community College is a two-year institution that is part of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system and it offers technical and general education courses. Pine Tech's gunsmithing curriculum is one of the only programs of its kind in the country and draws students from throughout North America.
The Pine City Public Library is part of the East Central Regional Library. The ECRL holds nearly 400,000 volumes and serves over 65,000 cardholders in the region. Pine City is also home to the George E. Sausen Memorial Law Library, located inside the Pine County Courthouse.

Elementary schools

Newspapers

The major weekly newspaper in the area is the Pine City Pioneer, with a circulation of over 3,000. The Pioneer is owned by Kanabec Publishing and edited by Mike Gainor. Papers from the Twin Cities are also commonly read.

Television

Pine City receives TV signals from the Twin Cities. Channels include Twin Cities Public Television, WCCO 4, KSTP-TV, KMSP-TV, KARE, WFTC, and KSTC-TV.

Radio

and WCMP-FM are the two local Pine City stations. The rest are "fringe" stations from surrounding areas. Pine City also receives radio stations from the Twin Cities, St. Cloud, and western Wisconsin areas.
Station call signFrequencyTower locationFormat
WCMP 1350 AMPine CityClassic Hits
WCMP-FM100.9 FMPine CityCountry
WCMP-FM106.5 FMPine CityClassic Hits
KNOW-FM94.1 FMPine CityNews
WYSG96.3 FMHinckleyChristian music
W248AS97.5 FMHinckleyAdult Album Alternative
KSJN104.5 FMHinckleyClassical
KBEK95.5 FMMoraOldies and Variety
KMKL 90.3 FMNorth BranchChristian Contemporary
WLUP105.3 FMCambridgeSoft adult contemporary
WZEZ104.9 FMBalsam LakeSoft adult contemporary
WXCX105.7 FMSirenClassic Country

Infrastructure

Transportation

Mass transit

Presently, the Rush Line Corridor task force is studying the feasibility of rail service to serve area commuters and the Northern Lights Express passenger line is proposed to serve area residents as well as those traveling between the Twin Cities and Twin Ports. For travel within the city, there is local taxi service available.

Bus

Pine City is served by the Arrowhead Transit intra-county system. An intercity bus service called Jefferson Lines runs from Pine City to St. Paul or Duluth twice daily.

Major highways

Pine City is located along Interstate 35 between the Twin Cities and Duluth. The also passes through Pine City. The major highways include:

Rail

Pine City is located on rail lines owned by BNSF Railway and leased by St. Croix Valley Railroad.

Trails

There is a planned, non-motorized trail connecting the Twin Cities-to-Twin Ports areas called the James L. Oberstar State Trail, awarded federal and state funding to connect the Sunrise Prairie Trail, near North Branch with the Willard Munger State Trail, near Hinckley.

Health and utilities

Pine City's Lakeside Medical Center has a full-service clinic and nursing home facility. FirstLight Health System and Fairview each have clinics in Pine City as well. FirstLight provides a variety of health care services including: family medicine, obstetrics, orthopedics, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, pediatric therapies, cardiac rehabilitation, and Urgency Services. Its facility encompasses, and a freestanding emergency facility opened in 2015. Fairview Clinic offers mammography, sports medicine and other specialty services on-site. Pine City is also home to three chiropractic clinics and More Than Sprouts, a local market featuring organic and health foods.
Utility providers are regulated monopolies. East Central Energy provides electrical utilities to the community and is a co-op member of Great River Energy. Minnesota Energy supplies gas and US Cable provides cable television. The city treats and distributes water and several local businesses provide garbage removal and recycling services.

Notable people

The following list includes those who were either born in, or who have resided in Pine City: