PLEASE NOTE

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have not been meeting regularly or hosting any events. We are also in the process of transitioning to a new email address, so we apologize if your messages are not answered in a timely manner. Because of the size of our organization, we are not well suited to in-depth research questions, so we suggest contacting the Iron Range Research Center or the Iron Range Historical Society.
 Explore Eveleth's fascinating history with us!
The Eveleth Heritage Society created this new website to share the fascinating history of our beloved community. We hope you enjoy the stories and photos.  Click here  to learn more about our organization and how you can help us preserve and share Eveleth history. Please check back soon, as we try to continuously add more pictures and information. ​

Introduction to Eveleth

​​Eveleth  began with log cabins in a mining camp built in 1892. The village was platted in April 1893, and the first elections were held the following year. As Eveleth grew, the village built sidewalks, schools, a water works, an electric light system, businesses, and homes. To accommodate mining activity, nearly all of the buildings in town were moved up the hill at the turn of the 20th century.

Eveleth was incorporated as a city in 1902 and continued to grow, eventually reaching a peak population of 7,484 in 1930. At one time, seven school buildings, three movie theaters, three banks, ten churches, two railroads, two newspapers, two hospitals, and numerous restaurants, stores, and other businesses all served the city concurrently. Dozens of ethnic groups have made Eveleth their home in the past 125 years.

Eveleth has always been known for great hockey players and became home to the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 1973. The world's largest hockey stick is located downtown, and the Eveleth Hippodrome is a landmark arena in Minnesota.

The Thunderbird Mine opened in 1965 and is still the largest employer in town. U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone died in a plane crash south of Eveleth in 2002, and the 2005 film North Country, inspired the Jenson v. Eveleth Taconite Co.  court case, was partially filmed here.

We want your ideas!

Do you remember when Eveleth had two water towers? We have a piece of the old one! We're asking the public for suggestions on how and where to display it for all to enjoy. Contact us with your suggestions!
Water tower ball (small)
This metal ball once sat atop the water tower labeled "HOT."

Newspaper Digitization Project

The Heritage Society is seeking funding to digitize historical Eveleth newspapers up to 1923, and even further depending on copyright laws. Newspapers are an invaluable research tool, and digitization helps preserve the information and makes it accessible to anyone with internet access. Please consider making a donation to support this project!
​The Eveleth Newspaper Project:  Preserving Area History, by committee member Roger Kochevar