Moose Lake, MN

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The City of Moose Lake is 40 miles south of Duluth and 100 miles north of Minneapolis/St. Paul conveniently located along Interstate 35. Built along a glacial valley between St. Paul and Duluth, the Northern Pacific Railroad was completed in 1870, and Moose Lake grew along the rail line and the shores of Moosehead Lake.

The village was incorporated on February 15, 1889. The logging industry boomed because of the railroads. A large mill was built on the lakeshore in 1874. At the turn of the century, farmers came into the area. As the logging industry was winding down, the railroads, needing more business, advertised in Europe for farmers to buy land from their government land grants. With the farmers came stores, lawyers, and the livestock business. Two more transportation routes were added after the turn of the century. The first state highway came through Moose Lake in the early 1900’s and brought garages and gas stations. A second railroad, the Soo Line, came through Moose Lake in 1909, running between Brooten and Superior. One of the greatest disasters in the state’s history took place on October 12, 1918, when a forest fire raced through northeastern Minnesota destroying nearly all of Moose Lake, Cloquet, and many other communities. After the fire, the resilient people rebuilt their homes and the towns. Dairy farming became the main industry.