Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Eveleth

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
A−History
History · Eveleth

Eveleth dates to 1893, and 54% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 81% of U.S. towns · #19 of 273 in Minnesota. What drives it

4 places in town are on the National Register. Below: 2 old photos and papers, maps from 1951 on, and the census since 1900.

1893founded
4on the National Register
54%homes built before 1940
2old photos & papers
25famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Eveleth began

When was Eveleth founded?

1893

Eveleth dates its founding to 1893 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1900.

First census: 2,752 in 19002020 census: 3,493133 years

How historic is Eveleth?

A−

More historic than 81% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1895.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Eveleth’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Eveleth is more historic than 81% of U.S. towns, #19 of 273 in Minnesota. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.

A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Eveleth’s overall grade.
Founding era1893, from Wikidata: founded 1850–1899, an older era than 37% of U.S. townsC+Homes built before 194053.6% of homes (±8.7) · typical MN town 8.1% · U.S. 8.4%A+National Register4 listings, 11.6 per 10,000 residents · typical MN town 2.1 · U.S. 2.4B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 81%
NewerOlder
Minnesota towns of 2,500+ (273)Ahead of 93%

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 Eveleth’s 11.6 sits above most of its state (78% of Minnesota towns have fewer) while its 4 listings outnumber those of 68% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±8.7 points). Two sources give 1893.

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 Eveleth’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 2 old photos are in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.Old housesHalf of Eveleth’s homes were built before 1938.Boom and bustPeaked at 7,484 in 1930; 3,493 people lived here in 2020.Famous sons and daughtersMark Pavelich, Nick Begich and 23 more were born here.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Eveleth’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
2 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewMore Hospital: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
The story

How Eveleth came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Eveleth.

Read it all →

The Village of Eveleth was platted on April 22, 1893, originally about 1 mile (1.6 km) southwest of the present location, on land then included in the Adams-Spruce Mine (Douglas Avenue between Jones and Monroe Streets). The community was named after Erwin Eveleth, a prominent employee of a timber company in the area. In 1895, iron ore was discovered beneath the village site and a post office was established. Eveleth first established its post office on February 9, 1895, with P. Ellard Dowling as commander-in-chief. Eveleth also had its first paper, The Eveleth Star, the same year. In 1900, the village moved to its present location. It was incorporated as a city in 1902. When the city expanded, it annexed portions of Fayal Township, including the former unincorporated communities of Alice Mine Station (in the Alice Location south of downtown) and Fayal. With further expansion, Eveleth an…

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

People over time

Eveleth, census by census

02,0004,0006,0008,0001900192019401960198020002020Peak: 7,484

Peaked at 7,484 in 1930; 3,493 people lived here in 2020.

13 censuses, 1900–2020.

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

Timeline

Eveleth, 1893 to 1958

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1893
    FoundingEveleth is established
  3. 1895Post officeThe Eveleth post office opens
  4. 20th century
  5. 1900In the archiveMore Hospital
  6. 1905BuiltW. Bailey House is built
  7. 1915Born hereFrank Brimsek is born here
  8. 1918BuiltEveleth Recreation Building is built
  9. 1930CensusPopulation peaks at 7,484
  10. 1932Born hereNick Begich is born here
  11. 1932Born hereWillard Ikola is born here
  12. 1950In the archiveJohn Mayasich
  13. 1951On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  14. 1958Born hereMark Pavelich is born here
By decade

Eveleth, decade by decade

2 decades in the archive, from the 1900s to the 1950s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1900s1 item
More Hospital1900More Hospital
1910s–1940snothing 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
1950s1 item
John Mayasich1950John Mayasich
1960s–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
Essling Apartments After collapse of cornice2025Essling Apartments After collapse of corniceCommercial conversion to residential2025Commercial conversion to residentialCliffs, United Taconite sign, Eveleth, Minnesota-022025Cliffs, United Taconite sign, Eveleth, Minnesota-02Cliffs, United Taconite sign, Eveleth, Minnesota-012025Cliffs, United Taconite sign, Eveleth, Minnesota-01Building converted into apartments, Eveleth, Minnesota-022025Building converted into apartments, Eveleth, Minnesot…Building converted into apartments, Eveleth, Minnesota-012025Building converted into apartments, Eveleth, Minnesot…725 Jackson Street2025725 Jackson StreetWorld's Largest Hockey Stick2017World's Largest Hockey StickW. Bailey House2014W. Bailey HouseHotel Glode2014Hotel GlodeEveleth Manual Training School2014Eveleth Manual Training SchoolEastRangeAcademy2009EastRangeAcademyWorlds Second Largest Hockey Stick2007Worlds Second Largest Hockey StickIron mine-Eveleth2006Iron mine-Eveleth
On the map

Eveleth on the map, 1951 to 1983

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

Eveleth on the 1951 USGS mapEveleth on the 1969 USGS mapEveleth on the 1983 USGS map1951Eveleth sheet · 1:24,000

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

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.

More Hospital
Retake this viewMore Hospital, 1900

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

Retake this view · +15
On the National Register

4 historic places in Eveleth

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
4
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
4
each building in a district counts
first listed
1980
Church of the Holy Family (Catholic)
Church of the Holy Family (Catholic)W. Bailey House, built 1905Eveleth Recreation Building, built 1918Hotel Glode
Buildings

Architectural styles listings

Gothic1
Queen Anne1
Church of the Holy Family (Catholic)Gothic
W. Bailey HouseQueen Anne · Built 1905
Eveleth Recreation BuildingBuilt 1918
Hotel GlodeBuilding

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

Famous people

25 famous people were born in Eveleth

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

See all →
Mark PavelichAmerican ice hockey player · b. 1958
Nick BegichAmerican politician · b. 1932
F
Frank BrimsekAmerican ice hockey goaltender · b. 1915
Willard IkolaAmerican ice hockey player · b. 1932
John MayasichAmerican ice hockey player · b. 1933
J
John MatcheftsAmerican ice hockey player · b. 1931
Places that used to be

Old corners, places now gone and burying grounds

Eveleth’s post office has been open since 1895.

Hamlets and corners on the map
De ForestGenoaSnowden
Gone or out of use
Adams PitmineFayal Number Two PitmineHull-Nelson MinemineSpruce MinemineVirginia Minemine
1cemetery inside Eveleth
Eveleth

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). 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.

Fayal TownshipIts storyC−LeonidasIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townVirginia18 historic placesAClinton TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townGilbert1 historic placeBMountain IronIts storyC

Questions about Eveleth’s history

What year was Eveleth founded?

In 1893, according to Wikidata. Eveleth’s post office opened in 1895, and the census of 1900 counted 2,752 people here.

How does Eveleth rank for history?

Eveleth is more historic than 81% of U.S. towns, #19 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.

What is on the National Register in Eveleth?

4 listings: 4 buildings, among them the Church of the Holy Family (Catholic) (listed 1980, the first).

How old are the homes in Eveleth?

54% of Eveleth’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±8.7 points), against a typical 8.1% for a Minnesota town; the median home was built in 1938.

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 (15), the Library of Congress (1), Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (4), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.