Ely ( ) is a city in St. Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 3,268 at the 2020 census.

Located on the Vermilion iron range, Ely once had several iron ore mines. It is an entry point for campers and canoers into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Canada's Quetico Provincial Park wilderness area. The International Wolf Center and the North American Bear Center are nearby.

Ely's main street has nature outfitters, outdoor clothing stores, and restaurants. MN 1, MN 169, and County Road 21 (Central Avenue) are Ely's main routes. The city is south of the Canadian border and is within the Superior National Forest.

History

The first Europeans to explore the area were fur traders who made their way into the wilderness in search of furs. But it was the Lake Vermillion gold rush that brought the first large numbers of pioneers to the area in 1865. Although hardly any gold was ever found, it was discovered that the area did contain large deposits of iron ore. Thousands of new immigrants were arriving in America at that time, and many of them came to the area later known as the Minnesota Iron Range, looking for work.

When the Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway laid tracks extending the rails from Tower to Ely in 1888, Ely began mining operations with the opening of the Chandler Mine. Ore was shipped by rail to docks on Lake Superior in Two Harbors and Duluth. From there it was shipped by lake freighter for processing in Ashtabula and other points in Ohio.

That year the miners incorporated the town of Florence, population 177, near the east side of Shagawa Lake on a site now known as Spaulding. Florence was named after the daughter of the Chandler mine's Captain Jack Pengilly (also the town's first mayor). After ore was discovered farther west, the town relocated and subsequently changed its name to Ely. Since the name "Florence" was already in use by another village in Minnesota, "Ely" was chosen to honor of mining executive Samuel B. Ely, a big promoter of Vermilion Range ore who lived in Michigan. (He is not known to have visited his namesake town.) In 2020, The Ely Echo wrote: The name Ely stems from the "Isle of Eels," a wetlands near Cambridge, England. In historic times, those lakes swarmed with the slithery fish (similar to eelpout) that provided sustenance for ancestors of Samuel B. Ely. His clan arrived in the states (from Ely, England) in the 1600s (one ancestor was a close associate of George Washington). Samuel, a mining executive, financed the railroad to Ely in 1888 which launched our town. He embraced Ojibwe culture and applied native names to some of his mining projects, including Ontonagon (hunting river) & Ishpeming (heaven), Michigan. Samuel's great grandson, Courtland Ely III, was Grand Marshal at Ely's 1988 Centennial Parade, stayed with Schurkes at Wintergreen & was given keys to the city by Gov. Rudy Perpich (an Iron Ranger from Hibbing).

The original town site consisted of 40 acres. A man named McCormick opened the first grocery store in a small log building. A. J. Fenske built the first frame building in the fall of 1887; and he also opened a hardware and furniture store. The Pioneer Hotel was also built that year at the corner of Sheridan Street and Fourth Avenue. The first school opened in 1889 in a small frame building on Second Avenue; its enrollment was 112 during the first season.

According to a history written in 1910, "The first religious service was conducted by Father Buh, who came from Tower for that purpose, and the Catholic congregation erected the first church. The first Protestant minister was Rev. Mr. Freeman, who arrived in time to hold an Easter service in 1889, and located here permanently, organizing the Presbyterian church. There are now six churches, representing as many different faiths.

Soon other mines opened in Ely: The Pioneer Mine (1889), the Zenith (1892), the Savoy (1899), and the Sibley (1899). The Pioneer was by far the most productive, producing 41 million tons or 40% of the Vermilion Range's entire output. Eventually 11 mines opened near Ely. In 1967 the Pioneer mine closed. It is on the National Register of Historic Places and its offices house the Ely Arts & Heritage Center.

Originally the mining was an open-pit operation, but when the abundant ore was mined out, deep shafts were made to start mining underground. With the need for wooden support beams to keep the tunnels from collapsing and for lumber to meet the needs of the ever-expanding growth in the area, the logging and milling industries grew. Logging continues in the region, though on a limited scale and only for paper pulp—the major operations virtually disappeared by 1920 when the area's tree reserves were depleted."A Brief History of Ely" , Zenith City Online

Ely would not suffer the decline of other mining towns, as the nearby Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness would bring tourists and campers to the city, supplying the city with an annual summertime economic boost. In 2021, the Boundary Waters were closed for two weeks due to wildfires, however the city was able to quickly economically recover. In 2026, the city would be impacted by the nearby 2026 Minnesota wildfires.

Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of ; is land and is water.

Ely is north of Duluth, 117 miles southeast of International Falls, and north of the Twin Cities.

Environment Copper mining controversy

Since the 1960s, as Iron Range mines began closing, leaving only a few in operation, Ely, like many northern Minnesota communities, faced economic decline. Duluth, on the shores of Lake Superior, built a tourist trade that has helped to sustain its economy. Ely, seen as the gateway to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, developed a lively tourist trade, but due to environmental concerns the area there has been some controversy about a proposal to build a mining operation for copper just outside the BWCAW. The company involved, Twin Metals Minnesota, is operated by a Chilean company, Antofagasta PLC. It says it plans "to build modern mines that must go through a rigorous regulatory process before they can move forward", but environmentalists are concerned that runoff from the mining operation could damage the BWCA wilderness area. The copper deposits beneath the forests and lakes of northeastern Minnesota are encased in sulfide ore and when that is exposed it produces sulfuric acid, which has resulted in severe water pollution in copper mines in several western U.S. areas. June 23, 2010.

In October 2021, the Biden administration filed an application for a "mineral withdrawal" that will put a hold on the development of the mine proposal while the environmental impacts are studied. The Obama administration had launched a similar study, but 24 weeks into the 28-week study the newly elected Trump administration ended it, allowing the plans for the mining operation to continue. The completed study could lead to a 20-year ban on mining upstream from the BWCAW. The Trump mineral leases were judged illegal, and in January 2022 the Biden administration canceled two Twin Metals mineral leases. The Timberjay called the Biden administration's decision a "potentially fatal blow to [a] proposed copper-nickel mine."

Climate

On the Köppen climate classification, Ely falls in the warm summer humid continental climate zone (Dfb). Summertime is warm (sometimes hot) and wintertime is cold (sometimes severely) and drawn out, sometimes beginning in October and lasting well into April.

On February 13, 2021, Ely set a new daily record low for the city with an actual air temperature of -50F. This compares to the Minnesota record low temperature of -60F recorded near the town of Tower, MN on February 2, 1996.

Demographics

2020 census As of the 2020 census, Ely had a population of 3,268. The median age was 47.2 years. 15.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 26.3% 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 95.5 males age 18 and over.

0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 1,615 households in Ely, of which 17.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 33.7% were married-couple households, 24.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 34.2% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 46.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 21.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 1,961 housing units, of which 17.6% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 8.0%.

+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percent White 2,928 89.6% Black or African American 131 4.0% American Indian and Alaska Native 30 0.9% Asian 18 0.6% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 1 0.0% Some other race 25 0.8% Two or more races 135 4.1% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 65 2.0%

2010 census As of the census of 2010, there were 3,460 people, 1,681 households, and 814 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 2,022 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.9% White, 1.0% African American, 0.8% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.1% of the population.

There were 1,681 households, of which 19.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.1% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 51.6% were non-families. 45.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.93 and the average family size was 2.66.

The median age in the city was 45.3 years. 16% of residents were under the age of 18; 13.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.3% were from 25 to 44; 27.4% were from 45 to 64; and 22.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.7% male and 50.3% female.

2000 census As of the census of 2000, there were 3,724 people, 1,912 households, and 916 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 1,912 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.86% White, 0.86% African American, 0.54% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.30% from other races, and 1.26% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.67% of the population. 21.8% were of German, 12.2% Slovene, 11.7% Finnish, 8.7% Norwegian, 6.4% English, 5.6% Swedish and 5.4% Polish ancestry.

There were 1,912 households, out of which 21.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.6% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.9% were non-families. 39.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.05 and the average family size was 2.72.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 17.8% under the age of 18, 16.2% from 18 to 24, 21.6% from 25 to 44, 22.9% 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 101.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $27,615, and the median income for a family was $36,047. Males had a median income of $34,559 versus $18,833 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,855. About 9.5% of families and 14.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.9% of those under age 18 and 12.5% of those age 65 or over.

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