Location:
Babbitt is located in St. Louis County and is part of the Northeastern Minnesota
Region and lies approximately 100 miles from the city of Duluth. The total
area of the city is approximately 108 square miles or 69,231 acres.
Babbitt, a city in Babbitt Township (T. 60N, R. 12W),
section 18, was incorporated as a village on September 12, 1956; it was
named for Judge Kurnal R. Babbitt of New York City; the post office
began in 1920.
There
are 735 households out of which 21.5% have children
under the age of 18 living with them, 61.4% are
married couples living together, 8.7% have a female
householder with no husband present, and 27.8% are
non-families. 25.7% of all households are made up of
individuals and 13.9% have someone living alone who is
65 years of age or older. The average household size is
2.27 and the average family size is 2.67.
In the city the population is spread
out with 21.0% under the age of 18, 4.4% from 18 to 24,
21.8% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 28.7% who
are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 47
years. For every 100 females there are 96.7 males. For
every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 94.4 males.
The median income for a household in
the city is $33,229, and the median income for a family
is $37,137. Males have a median income of $38,214 versus
$24,531 for females. The
per capita income for the city is $18,853. 6.1% of
the population and 3.6% of families are below the
poverty line. Out of the total population, 8.5% of
those under the age of 18 and 1.9% of those 65 and older
are living below the poverty line.
The City completed a
$2.5 million renovation in the former Emanuelson School building.
It has been renamed the Babbitt Municipal Center and is complete
with fiber optics and geothermal heating/air conditioning.
It houses the City Administrative offices, the Council Chambers
and a conference room for meetings, the Public Library, the Police
Department, Assessor, Senior Citizens' Center, the Community Center
in the gymnasium with optional use of a catering kitchen and the
Babbitt-Embarrass Area Economic Development Association (BEADA).
The
Taconite State Trail stretches 165 miles from Grand Rapids to Ely
and intersects with the Arrowhead State Trail just west of Lake
Vermillion. Portions are paved for biking and in-line skating. The
remainder of the natural surface trail is used primarily for snowmobiling
in the winter. The trail goes through a few areas that have standing
water in the summer, however portions of the trail are suitable
for horseback riding, hiking, and mountain biking.
The Taconite Trail winds through forests of birch
and aspen intertwined with pine, leading the visitor by many isolated
lakes and streams. From Grand Rapids heading north, you see the
impact of the taconite and iron mining industry. The northern portion
of the trail terrain is rolling and tree covered as it winds through
state and national forest land.
Eight trail waysides and picnic facilities offer
scenic vistas of the hills, lakes and rivers of this area. The trail
also links three state parks: Bear Head Lake, Soudan Underground
Mine, and McCarthy Beach. The landscape in and around Bear Head
Lake State Park is very rolling and rocky.
The school was built
from 1959 to 1966. The 190,000 square foot brick building is in
very good condition. the building has a full sprinkler system and
is equipped with fire/smoke detectors. The building meets all the
ADA criteria. The school is one of the finest facilities in Minnesota.
The materials were the best available at the time and the building
is still very modern looking, as well as functionally up to date.
The school houses grades kindergarten to 12th grade. The student
- to - teacher ratio is 15 to 1. The school has a capacity of 1050.
Current enrollment is 520 and is expected to remain constant in
the near future. The school has a swimming pool, a 700-seat auditorium,
a gym and a library.
The Babbitt Steelworkers'
Credit Union is a member-owned, not-for-profit financial institution
established in 1960 to meet the saving and borrowing needs of its
members. In the year 2001 we celebrated 41 years of service to our
members, a milestone that makes us proud. As we enter the 21st century,
you have our pledge that we'll continue to serve you just as we
have in the past.
Birch Lake RV Park & Campground is located in
the Superior National Forest, 3 miles east of Babbitt, Minnesota.
The campground is very wooded, with spacious sites to accommodate
the large RV or a small tent. Big rigs are welcome! Most of the
campsites have full hookups, with water, electricity (20, 30, &
50 amp available) and sewer. Other sites have only water and electricity,
while the tent sites do not have any hookups. The campground is
located next to Birch Lake, with swimming & fishing activities.
The public swimming beach is within walking distance from the campsites
& the public boat landing is 1/2 mile from the campground for your
convenience. A fishing pier is located on the swimming beach, in
addition to playground equipment and a picnic shelter.
Black
Iron Rubber Co. (BIRCO) is an integrated rubber products manufacturing
company located in Babbitt, Minnesota. BIRCO specializes in producing
large sheet goods and high wear performance parts. BIRCO performs
compounding and molding to produce matting for a wide variety of
applications including anti-fatigue, fitness, agricultural, and
ballistic control. BIRCO has developed compounds to produce
high quality yet relatively inexpensive rubber products by combining
post-industrial virgin rubbers with post-consumer clean scrap rubber
materials.
Northshore Mining, which originally operated as Reserve
Mining Company, was the first taconite mining and processing facility
in North America when it opened in 1955. The facility was reopened
at reduced capacity in 1989 by Cyprus Minerals Company. Northshore
Mining Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cleveland-Cliffs Inc,
acquired Northshore in 1994. Cleveland-Cliffs subsidiaries also
manage four other iron ore mines in North America.
The
Taconite State Trail stretches 165 miles from Grand Rapids to Ely
and intersects with the Arrowhead State Trail just west of Lake
Vermillion. Portions are paved for biking and in-line skating. The
remainder of the natural surface trail is used primarily for snowmobiling
in the winter. The trail goes through a few areas that have standing
water in the summer, however portions of the trail are suitable
for horseback riding, hiking, and mountain biking. 
Black
Iron Rubber Co. (BIRCO) is an integrated rubber products manufacturing
company located in Babbitt, Minnesota. BIRCO specializes in producing
large sheet goods and high wear performance parts. BIRCO performs
compounding and molding to produce matting for a wide variety of
applications including anti-fatigue, fitness, agricultural, and
ballistic control. BIRCO has developed compounds to produce
high quality yet relatively inexpensive rubber products by combining
post-industrial virgin rubbers with post-consumer clean scrap rubber
materials. 
