Two Harbors is a city and the county seat of Lake County, Minnesota, United States, along the shore of Lake Superior. The population was 3,633 at the 2020 census. Minnesota State Highway 61 serves as a main route in Two Harbors. Gooseberry Falls State Park is to the northeast. The city is home to a cargo shipping port for mined iron ore.
History
In the early years, Two Harbors consisted of two separate communities, Agate Bay and Burlington. The village of Burlington along Burlington Bay was platted in 1856 and first incorporated on May 23, 1857; it had a post office that operated from 1856 until 1862. The first residence constructed in Agate Bay was owned by Thomas Sexton (1854); it was a 14-by-16-foot shack. Early settlers lived in primitive conditions, common for both the area and time. Their homes were made of logs and had dirt floors. Their diet often consisted of homegrown vegetables and animals caught in the area (at that time there were many dense forests, so deer meat was not an abundant food source). The village of Agate Bay was founded as a construction camp when work on the new railroad began in 1883. The village of Two Harbors was platted in 1885 but not incorporated until 1888. Early transportation to the village was by boats under contract with the new Duluth and Iron Range Railroad, and by horse. It took one day to get from Duluth to Two Harbors. By 1886, the D&IR completed the Lake Division connecting Duluth and Two Harbors with passenger service that extended to Ely. Thirty-five logging camps were set up within the vicinity, one of them on Fourth Avenue. On February 26, 1907, the village reincorporated as the City of Two Harbors. The town's history is included in the Lake County Historical Depot Museum.
Whiskey Row By 1883, the Minnesota Iron Company had purchased all but four acres of Thomas Sexton's land around Agate Bay. Sexton leased his remaining four acres to merchants seeking to capitalize on the 600-man workforce arriving to build the Duluth & Iron Range Railroad. He divided his four acres into 32 lots. As with any frontier town of the day, it was a largely male population. The infamous four-acre plot earned the nickname "Whiskey Row" and was said to exist for the sole purpose of "relieving a man of his pay."
Contrary to popular myth, Whiskey Row was not destroyed by a fire in 1888. There was a fire, but it occurred before the first load of ore arrived in July, 1884; only seven buildings were damaged. It was reported that the merchants affected were in Duluth the next day purchasing materials to rebuild. Whiskey Row's demise occurred the following year.
The railroad rapidly expanded its rail and shipping operations and needed all of the shoreline for its new coal handling and storage facility. By 1885, the Minnesota Iron Company convinced Sexton to sell his remaining four acres along Agate Bay. The railroad then evicted the tenants and moved any of the salvageable buildings inland. There are several homes in "east" Two Harbors whose original structures were on Whiskey Row.
Railroad
Had it not been for the discovery of iron ore nearby, Two Harbors would not exist. The Minnesota Iron Company bought of land in order to build their railroad. In Agate Bay (Two Harbors), most of the land was bought from Sexton, who by that time had owned the land for 20 years.
Various locations were considered for the railroad terminus and shipping port, but Agate Bay was chosen because it was closer to the iron ore site and had a clay bottom bay, while most others were rocky.
As the track was being developed, the main transportation route was Lake Superior. This proved difficult when heavy loads such as railroad engines nearly sank the scows or tugs that carried them. The contractor John. S. Wolfe was told he would receive a bonus of $50,000 if the railroad was completed by August 1, 1884. Because that was a Friday, and construction workers had strong superstitions about Fridays, it became important that the construction be completed by July 31. On that day, the first iron ore cars left Agate Bay early in the morning, along with a caboose for President Tower to ride in on the return trip. The railway between Duluth and Two Harbors was completed in 1886.
The North Shore Scenic Railroad operates a six-hour excursion starting in Duluth that has a two-hour break in Two Harbors.
A 2-6-0 Mogul class steam locomotive with the first style of ore cars and caboose is on display by the historic Duluth and Iron Range depot.
A 2-8-8-4 Yellowstone class steam locomotive is on display at Two Harbors. It ranks among the largest steam locomotives ever built.
In the 1970s, as a part of the Minnesotan back-to-the-land movement, lesbian feminists began renting a cabin outside of Two Harbors which they called "Molly’s Cabin". The building served as a local lesbian community hub until 1981, when it burned down due to a propane refrigerator fire.
Mayoral recall In 2022, incumbent mayor Chris Swanson was recalled; over 86% of voters voted to remove him after a series of controversies. City Council President Ben Redden took over the mayor's duties pending a special election to choose a replacement.
Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.
Climate Two Harbors is 20 miles northeast of the city of Duluth. It is along Lake Superior, which contributes the two natural harbors for which Two Harbors is named, Burlington Bay and Agate Bay. The warmest month in the year is July, the coldest January. The record high temperature was in 1948, the record low in 1996. According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Two Harbors is in a region called the Laurentian Mixed Forest Province, which contains broad areas of coniferous forest, mixed hardwood, and conifer bogs and swamps. The region averages 21 to of precipitation per year and has an average temperature of 34 to .
Demographics
2020 census As of the 2020 census, Two Harbors had a population of 3,633. The median age was 42.5 years. 22.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 24.4% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 94.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 89.8 males age 18 and over.
0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 1,588 households in Two Harbors, of which 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 41.4% were married-couple households, 20.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 30.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 38.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 1,750 housing units, of which 9.3% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.1%.
+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percent White 3,409 93.8% Black or African American 7 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native 24 0.7% Asian 18 0.5% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0 0.0% Some other race 11 0.3% Two or more races 164 4.5% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 43 1.2%
2010 census As of the census of 2010, there were 3,745 people, 1,649 households, and 951 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 1,799 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.2% White, 0.2% African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 1.0% of the population.
There were 1,649 households, of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.5% were married couples living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 42.3% were non-families. 36.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.85.
The median age in the city was 41.3 years. 22% of residents were under the age of 18; 8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.9% were from 25 to 44; 25.1% were from 45 to 64; and 21.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.4% male and 52.6% female.
2000 census As of the census of 2000, there were 3,613 people, 1,636 households, and 953 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 1,631 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.06% White, 0.06% African American, 0.66% Native American, 0.11% Asian, 0.08% from other races, and 1.02% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 0.61% of the population. 19.4% were of Norwegian, 18.0% Swedish, 12.2% German, 9.6% Finnish, 8.0% Irish and 5.7% English ancestry.
There were 1,523 households, out of which 29.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.9% were married couples living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.4% were non-families. 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.86.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.0% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 21.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $37,708, and the median income for a family was $47,113. Males had a median income of $39,712 versus $29,076 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,793. About 7.2% of families and 9.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.7% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over. Industry Granite Gear, started in 1986, produces heavy-duty backpacks for the military and outdoors.
Former industries Cigar factories In 1900, John H. Kallin built Two Harbors Cigar Factory on the 100 block of 7th Street. The local trade alone required about 30,000 cigars each month. They came in eight regular brands and five specialty. In 1907 Ed Sorenson built Sorenson Cigar Factory. Neither factory is still in operation.
Universal Fiberglass In 1964 the abandoned DM&IR railroad buildings were used to open Universal Fiberglass. Producing three wheel mailsters for the United States Postal Service was their main contract, worth millions. Car fenders and like objects were also produced. When a fire caused enough damage that they could no longer fulfill their contract, the GSA shut them down. The property was sold at a public auction.
Bottling works Two Harbors Bottling works began in 1912. It offered flavors of pop such as cream soda, ginger ale, cider, and seltzer water. The company became especially known for its strawberry pop's unique flavor—a creamier and more natural one than the rest. This business is no longer running.
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