City Tour of Blaine


Blaine is no longer a small rural town like it started out as. Yet Blaine has still reserved its natural areas.

Until 1877 Blaine was considered to be part of the City of Anoka, Minnesota. Phillip Laddy, a native of Ireland, is recognized as the first settler in Blaine. He settled near the lake that now bears his name, Laddie Lake, in 1862. Laddy died shortly after his arrival and his survivors moved on to Minneapolis. He was followed by Englishman George Townsend, who lived for a short time in the area of Lever St. and 103rd Ave.

It was not until 1865 that Blaine’s first permanent resident, Green Chambers, settled on the old Townsend claim. Chambers was a former slave who moved north from Barren County, Kentucky, following the Civil War. In 1870 George Wall, Joseph Gagner, and some others settled in the area and it began to grow.

In 1877 Blaine separated from Anoka and organized as a Township of its own. That year the first election was held and Moses Ripley was elected as the first Chairman of the Board of Supervisors. Ripley, who had come to Minnesota from Maine, persuaded his fellow Board Members to name the new Township in honor of James G. Blaine, a senator and three-time presidential candidate from Maine. By the year 1880 Blaine’s population had reached 128.

While many of the other communities in Anoka County experienced growth due to farming, Blaine’s sandy soils and abundant wetlands discouraged would-be farmers and it remained a prime hunting area. Blaine’s growth remained slow until after World War II when starter home developments began to spring up in the southern part of town.

Blaine’s population went from 1,694 in 1950 to 20,640 in 1970. As the Minneapolis/St. Paul area began to enjoy rapid growth, Blaine’s wide open spaces became attractive to many people looking for the suburban life style just a short distance from both downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul.

With the development of Interstate Hwy. 35-W, State Hwy. 65, and State Hwy. 10, Blaine’s accessibility to the twin cities was greatly increased. Because of this, Blaine has become a very attractive location for business and residential development. The estimated population for Blaine in 1997 is over 44,000 people. Blaine has attracted many new corporate residents, such as the Aveda Corporation and Dayton Rogers Manufacturing. Blaine is also home to the National Sports Center, an Olympic class training facility, as well as home to a TPC golf course. It is also being considered as the location for a new sports facility to replace the Metrodome.(The new home for the Minnesota Vikings)


Blaine Links
City of Blaine
Centennial Schools