Tower, Minnesota is a small city on the shores of Pike Bay, on Vermilion Lake in the northeastern part of the state. It is in the Arrowhead region of Saint Louis County.
Tower was incorporated as a village in 1889, making it the oldest city north of Duluth.
The city owes its establishment to the Soudan Mine, which began as an open pit iron mine in 1882 and switched to underground mining operations around 1900. Owned by the US Steel Corporation, the mine remained in operations until 1962 and is now the Soudan Underground Mine State Park, a small section of which extends into the city's northeastern limits.
The village of Soudan was established in 1885, to serve mining employees, and was situated entirely on land owned by the Minnesota Iron Company, and later the US Steel Corporation. There was ever only one business in Soudan, currently known as SOS, for Soudan's Only Store. The unincorporated community of Soudan has a population just under that of Tower, and has its own post office.
As the mining operations expanded, Tower was created to house other employees of the mine.
The first white settlers in the region were probably the George E. Wheeler family, an Indian agent, and his wife, who taught school on the reservation. Another early settler was George R. Stuntz, an explorer and guide, who was employed by the government to survey the township. He surveyed the Tower townsite for the Minnesota Iron Company in 1882.
John Owens came in April of 1882, charged with building a sawmill for the Minnesota Iron Company. He became the first construction contractor in Tower, working on buildings for the mining operations. The first independent contractor was O.W. Saunders.
Other early settlers included Andrew Bystrom, William Holter, M. Kellow, and Ted Wheeler.
The village was named for Charlegmane Tower, Senior and Junior, mining and railroad investors who were involved in the founding of the mine and the extension of the Duluth and Iron Range Railroad to the region.
Soon after the village was platted, the Minnesota Iron Company built a boarding house for its employees, which later became the Pioneer Hotel. A railroad depot was erected, and a post office was opened in a log hut southwest of the depot. John Anderson was the first postmaster. A schoolhouse was built in 1885, with A.W. Jones serving as its first teacher. The Vermilion Iron Journal began publication in 1888.
The Tower Brewery was opened in the 1890s, on the site of what later became the Iron Ore Bar. The Vermilion Hotel was built in the early 1900s.
The unincorporated community of Tower Junction is just east of Tower, while Peyla is about four miles southwest. The unincorporated community of Wahlsten is five miles south of Tower, and the city of Virginia is about twenty miles beyond that. The Vermillion Lake Indian Reservation is west of Tower, across Pike Bay.
The West Two River cuts across a small portion of the southwest corner of the city, and the East Two River crosses the southern part of Tower.
Most of the city is rural, with its population concentrated in the southeastern portion. Minnesota State Highways 1 and 135 are the chief routes through the city, while the rural northern part of the city is accessed by Hoodoo Point Road.
Tower and the Embarrass Valley, to the south, are the coldest inhabited locations in the lower 48 states, based on average winter temperatures.
The focus of this category is on the city of Tower, Minnesota, although those in nearby Soudan may be listed here as well. Municipal or other government agencies located in Tower or Soudan can be listed in this guide, as well as local businesses, schools, churches, organizations, and individuals.
Recommended Resources
Incorporated in 1889, Tower is the oldest city north of Duluth. The official municipal website offers a profile of the city, council information, meeting minutes, ordinances, and cemetery records, as well as a guide to city departments, the Tower Civic Center, HooDoo Point Campground, schools, and the city marketplace. City forms and applications are available through the site, and a photo gallery is displayed.
http://www.cityoftower.com/
Featuring a 173-room resort, a recreational vehicle park, marina, golf course, five dining options, and a casino offering slot machines, blackjack, poker, and video poker, the resort is situated on Bois Forte Road in Tower, Minnesota. Rooms, resort specials, policies, and amenities are highlighted, along with hours and menus for each of its restaurants, a calendar of events, and online bookings.
https://fortunebay.com/
Located just west of Tower, Minnesota, on the southern shores of Pike Bay, in Lake Vermilion, the year-round cabin resort is close to opportunities for hiking, biking, hunting, downhill and cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, and other outdoor activities. A map shows the location of the resort, each of its cabins is highlighted, including costs and check-in policies, and a gallery of photographs and a webcam are also available.
https://www.glenmoreresort.com/
Situated in northwestern Tower, Minnesota, on the southern shores of Lake Vermilion, the campground features about seventy reservable campsites and twenty-seven other seasonal sites. Offering electrical and water hookups for those who desire it, as well as primitive sites with no amenities. Directions, a map of the campground, rates, an availability chart, and online reservations are featured.
https://hoodoopointmn.com/
The Tower, Minnesota congregation meets at its facilities on Spruce Street. Currently affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the congregation has its roots in 1888, when the first Swedish service was held in a private home. A history of the church is set forth, and a statement of its mission and beliefs is posted to the site. The church’s pastor is introduced, and its congregational and community services are discussed.
https://www.towerlutheran.com/
The family-owned company, based in Tower, Minnesota, produces its own line of KUUMA sauna stoves and vapor-fire furnaces. Its wood-burning furnaces and sauna stoves, and electric sauna stoves are highlighted and made available for purchase here. Descriptions, specifications, customer testimonials, and special offers are featured. A support forum is included, in which questions are asked and answered.
https://www.lamppakuuma.com/
Located on the west bank of the East Two River, with direct access to Lake Vermilion, in Tower, Minnesota, the Marjo was built in the 1950s and has retained a retro flavor, offering basic, comfortable rooms at an affordable price. Open year-round, the motel is ten minutes away from the Tower-Soudan Vermilion State Park. Area attractions, nearby places to eat, and local services are discussed, and contacts are posted.
https://www.marjomoteltowermn.com/
Open year-round, the resort is situated on Lake Vermilion, in Tower, Minnesota, offering nine units available for rent. The Main House was built in 1920, while the Caretaker’s Cottage was built in 1933, the Boat House in 1941, the Butler’s Bungalow in the late 1940s, and the others later. Photos of the grounds and buildings are put forth, along with directions and a map, policy information, prices, and special offers.
http://www.lakevermilionresort.net/
The Timberjay newspaper chain includes the Tower-Soudan Timberjay, the Ely Timberjay, and the Cook-Orr Timberjay, serving northern Saint Louis County, Minnesota, offering local and regional news, opinion, sports, and outdoors reporting, and serving as the official newspaper for the cities of Tower and Ely, and the townships of Bearville, Breitung, Embarrass, Field, Kugler, Leiding, and Vermilion Lake.
http://www.timberjay.com/
Tower Harbor Shore is a planned 20-unit sustainable townhouse project in Tower, Minnesota. Artist sketches of planned interiors and exteriors are featured, along with a scaled site plan, details of proposed future phases to the development, which will include additional townhouses and a condominium apartment building. Floor plans and elevations include the building layout, 2-bedroom units, 3-bedroom units, and 3-bedroom plus units.
http://towerharborshores.org/
Affiliated with Saint Louis County Schools (ISD 2142), the Tower-Soudan School is situated on North Second Street in Tower, Minnesota, where it offers a public school curriculum for PK-6th-grade students. Featured is a student handbook, registration policies and a registration form, Directions to the school are given, and notices of school closings, events, and announcements are given, and its strategic plan is published to the site.
https://www.towersoudanschool.net/
Authorized through the Audubon Center of the North Woods as a free public school, the grade 7-12 charter school is located in Tower, Minnesota, where it offers a junior/senior high school curriculum with a concentration on environmental education and learning through experience. Its location is shown on a map, a district report card is posted, and its application and attendance policies are featured.
http://www.vermilioncountry.org/
The real estate company has its main office in Tower, and additional offices in Cook and Virginia, Minnesota. Specializing in northeastern Minnesota real estate, the company represents buyers and sellers in real estate sales, as well as real estate appraisal and consulting on residential properties. Available property is highlighted, and general information about the Lake Vermilion region is included.
https://www.vermilionland.com/
Vermilion Penguin Snowmobile Club
The recreational membership organization has been active since 1966, responsible for grooming more than sixty miles of trails, staking sixty miles on Lake Vermilion, and in cooperation with more than fifty private landowners, maintains the Iron Ore Trail between Tower and Embarrass. Membership policies, a calendar of club ride events, trail conditions, and a photo gallery are featured.
http://www.vermilionsnowmobiling.com/
