Blaine City

Anoka County, Minnesota

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Blaine City Hall is located at 10801 Town Square Drive NE, Blaine, MN 55449.
Phone: 763‑784‑6700.

Beginnings [1]

Phillip Laddy is recognized as Blaine’s first settler. Laddy, a native of Ireland, settled near what is today referred to as Laddie Lake, in 1862. At this time, Blaine was still considered as part of the City of Anoka. Laddy died shortly after his arrival, and his survivors traveled on to Minneapolis. A short time later, Englishman George Townsend briefly settled in the area where Lever Street and 103rd Avenue are located today. In 1865, Blaine's first permanent settler, Green Chambers, a former slave from Barron County, Kentucky, arrived in Blaine and settled on the former Townsend claim. George Wall, Joseph Gagner, and several others settled in the area in 1870, and the settlement began to grow.

In 1877, Blaine separated from the City of Anoka and became its own Township. Moses Ripley, a native of Maine, served as the first Chairman of the Board of Supervisors. He convinced other Board Members that the Township should be named Blaine in honor of James G. Blaine, a senator and presidential candidate from Maine. Three years later, the Township’s population had grown to 128.

While early growth in many Anoka County communities is attributed to farming activities, Blaine’s sandy soils and numerous wetlands made farming difficult. Therefore, the area was used mainly for hunting, and growth was slow. After World War II, starter home developments were constructed in the southern portion of Blaine and the City’s growth rate increased. In 1950, Blaine’s population was only 1,694. However, by 1970 the number of residents in Blaine had increased to 20,640. This growth continued as the Minneapolis-St. Paul area experienced rapid growth.

  1. City of Blaine, Minnesota, City of Blaine Comprehensive Plan Update, 2009, www.ci.blaine.mn.us, accessed May 2016.

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