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DHistory
History · Blaine

Blaine dates to 1877

More historic than 15% of U.S. towns · #254 of 273 in Minnesota. What drives it

Most of Blaine was built recently: 1% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1996. Below: 4 old photos and papers, maps from 1902 on, and the census since 1880.

1877founded
0on the National Register
1%homes built before 1940
4old photos & papers
8famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Blaine’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Blaine began

When was Blaine founded?

1877

Blaine dates its founding to 1877 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1880.

First census: 128 in 18802020 census: 70,222149 years

How historic is Blaine?

D

More historic than 15% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Blaine’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Blaine is more historic than 15% of U.S. towns, #254 of 273 in Minnesota. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.

D
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Blaine’s overall grade.
Founding era1877, from Wikidata: founded 1850–1899, an older era than 37% of U.S. townsC+Homes built before 19401.1% of homes (±0.5) · typical MN town 8.1% · U.S. 8.4%DNational RegisterNo listings counted · typical MN town 2.1 per 10,000 · U.S. 2.4C−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 15%
NewerOlder
Minnesota towns of 2,500+ (273)Ahead of 7%

Minnesota towns list about as much on the Register as the country (a typical Minnesota town has 2.1 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Blaine’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (23% of Minnesota towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.

NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1877.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D to C−. The pre-1940 share (±0.5 points) is firm at this size.

Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Blaine’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenOnly 4 old photos are in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 19026 editions of the USGS map, 1902 to 1993. Watch Blaine change.Famous sons and daughtersBrandon Bochenski, Matt Hendricks and 6 more were born here.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Blaine’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Blaine’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
3 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewGroup of men with a cross-cut saw, tool…: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
On the map

Blaine on the map, 1902 to 1993

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Blaine. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Blaine on the 1902 USGS mapBlaine on the 1955 USGS mapBlaine on the 1967 USGS mapBlaine on the 1972 USGS mapBlaine on the 1980 USGS mapBlaine on the 1993 USGS map1902White Bear sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Blaine.

Famous people

8 famous people were born in Blaine

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Brandon BochenskiAmerican ice hockey player · b. 1982
Matt HendricksAmerican ice hockey player · b. 1981
Jonny BrodzinskiAmerican professional ice hockey player · b. 1993
B
Brian LeonhardtPlayer of American football · b. 1990
Emily BrownAmerican ice hockey player · b. 1998
P
Pam SorensonAmerican mixed martial arts fighter · b. 1986
The story

How Blaine came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Blaine.

Read it all →

Phillip Leddy, a native of Ireland, was recorded in the 1857 census as having settled in the township of Anoka. He died in 1872 on land that later became Blaine. In 1862, he moved near a lake that now bears his misspelled name, Laddie Lake. Another early settler was the Englishman George Townsend, who lived for a short time near what today is Lever St. and 103rd Ave.

In 1865, Blaine's first permanent resident, Greenberry Chambers, settled on the old Townsend claim. Chambers was a former slave who moved north from Barren County, Kentucky, after the American Civil War. Around 1884, Chambers and his family moved to St. Paul.

In 1870, George Wall, Joseph Gagner, and others settled in the area and it began to grow.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

From the old history books

What they wrote about Blaine in 1905

Passages that mention Blaine, cut from the printed page as they were published.

After the war he returned to Minnesota, settling at Winona, where he remained eight years. He was marired to Julia Scloska November 27, 1865 ; came to Anoka in 1877, settling soon after on the farm where he now lives in the town of Blaine. Children: Celia, Francis (died Aug. i, 1893), John, Frank, …
History of Anoka County and the towns of Champlin and Dayton in Hennepin County, Minnesota1905 · page 257Read the page →
Read the text

After the war he returned to Minnesota, settling at Winona, where he remained eight years. He was marired to Julia Scloska November 27, 1865 ; came to Anoka in 1877, settling soon after on the farm where he now lives in the town of Blaine. Children: Celia, Francis (died Aug. i, 1893), John, Frank, Mary and Louis. Mr. Matushak has been prominent in the town in the direction and management of affairs, having acted as chairman of supervisors for a number of years.

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
In the fall of 1867 he moved to the town of St. Francis, where his father took a homestead. On March 4. 1868, his father was killed on the railroad near what is now Northtown. and the family lived in Fridley and hter in Blaine, of which town Mr. Lyons is still a resident. Feb. 23, 1886, he was marr…
History of Anoka County and the towns of Champlin and Dayton in Hennepin County, Minnesota1905 · page 251Read the page →
Read the text

In the fall of 1867 he moved to the town of St. Francis, where his father took a homestead. On March 4. 1868, his father was killed on the railroad near what is now Northtown. and the family lived in Fridley and hter in Blaine, of which town Mr. Lyons is still a resident. Feb. 23, 1886, he was married to Celia Matushak. They have two children, James Vincent and Ella May. Mr. Lyons served as assessor of the town of Blaine twenty years beginning in 1878. Served on the school board several

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.

Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

Timeline

Blaine, 1877 to 1993

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1877
    FoundingBlaine is established
  3. 1885In the archiveGroup of men with a cross-cut saw, tools and oxen, Blaine, ca. 1885
  4. 20th century
  5. 1902On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  6. 1905In the archiveSailing vessels in Drayton Harbor, Blaine, Washington, ca. 1905
  7. 1911In the archiveWashery of the Carbon Coal and Clay Co., Blaine, Washington, 1911
  8. 1927In the archiveWoman pointing to road sign with automobile in view, Blaine, Washington, 1927
  9. 1981Born hereMatt Hendricks is born here
  10. 1982Born hereBrandon Bochenski is born here
  11. 1990Born hereBrian Leonhardt is born here
  12. 1993Born hereJonny Brodzinski is born here
By decade

Blaine, decade by decade

4 decades in the archive, from the 1880s to the 1920s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1880s–1920s4 items
Group of men with a cross-cut saw, tools and oxen, Blaine, ca. 1885c. 1885Group of men with a cross-cut saw, tools and oxen, Bl…Sailing vessels in Drayton Harbor, Blaine, Washington, ca. 1905c. 1905Sailing vessels in Drayton Harbor, Blaine, Washington…Washery of the Carbon Coal and Clay Co., Blaine, Washington, 19111911Washery of the Carbon Coal and Clay Co., Blaine, Wash…Woman pointing to road sign with automobile in view, Blaine, Washington, 19271927Woman pointing to road sign with automobile in view, …
1930s–1990snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
Today14 recent
Air Quality Alert Sign2016Air Quality Alert SignBlaine City Hall2015Blaine City HallWalmart2013WalmartThe Village2013The VillageShoreview, MN - panoramio (6)2013Shoreview, MN - panoramio (6)Over 35W2013Over 35WLexington Ave2013Lexington AveSchwan Super Rink National Sports Center2011Schwan Super Rink National Sports CenterThe Velodrome, at the National Sports Center2010The Velodrome, at the National Sports CenterNational Sports Center2010National Sports CenterA long way from home2009A long way from homeWater tower in2008Water tower inNorthtownmall2007NorthtownmallMNMap-doton-Blaine2005MNMap-doton-Blaine
Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Group of men with a cross-cut saw, tools and oxen, Blaine, ca. 1885
Retake this viewGroup of men with a cross-cut saw, tools and oxen, Blaine, ca. 1885, c. 1885

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Blaine’s page.

Retake this view · +15
People over time

Blaine, census by census

05,00010,00015,00020,00025,00030,00035,00040,00045,00050,00055,00060,00065,00070,00075,0001880190019201940196019802000202070,222

Grew from 128 people in 1880 to 70,222 in 2020, more than tenfold.

15 censuses, 1880–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Blaine’s Wikipedia page.

Places that used to be

Old corners

Old hamlets and crossroads still carry their names on the map.

Hamlets and corners on the map
JohnsvilleOak Park

Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

LexingtonIts storyDCoon RapidsIts storyC−Circle PinesIts storyD−Spring Lake ParkIts storyDLino LakesIts storyDHam Lake1 historic placeCMounds ViewIts storyC−

Questions about Blaine’s history

What year was Blaine founded?

In 1877, according to Wikidata. the census of 1880 counted 128 people here.

How does Blaine rank for history?

Blaine is more historic than 15% of U.S. towns, #254 of 273 in Minnesota. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

How old are the homes in Blaine?

1% of Blaine’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 8.1% for a Minnesota town; the median home was built in 1996.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (18), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.