Big Lake, Minnesota might as well be called “Big Lakes,” for there are two large, connected lakes that center this country town of 10,000: Lake Mitchell and the city’s namesake itself, Big Lake. This exurb is far enough outside the “big city” and its suburbs to indulge in everything pure nature has to offer – crisp, clean water and air, vast woodlands, diverse wildlife and peace and quiet, while still a reasonable distance from Minneapolis’ and St. Paul’s hustle and bustle. In under an hour, via US-10 and I-94, commuters find themselves at their desks, on the job or just taking in the Twin Cities for a day of shopping or a night on the town.
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History
In the late 1840’s, settlers began moving into the Big Lake area. The village was not incorporated until fifty years later (1898), when residents finally numbered 150. It’s never been a big town – the population here remained under 1,000 until 1970. As late as 1990, only 3,000 called Big Lake home. For most of its history, Big Lake township was primarily a summer getaway for affluent city dwellers. Years before electric refrigeration, Big Lake supplied those dwellers and city businesses with ice from the lakes.
Like much of Minnesota itself, Big Lake has a long railroad history. The defunct Great Northern and Northern Pacific Railways of the late 1800’s once stopped here. Today, those railroads and others still exist, having merged to form the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway.
Parks and Recreation
Big Lake city not only has 600 acres (.94 sq mi) of water, but another 200+ acres of parkland and greenways, much of which borders the lakes and local rivers. Over 20 area parks feature playgrounds, picnic areas, gardens, trails, ball fields, grills, volleyball and basketball courts, horseshoe pits, boat launches and fishing piers. But that is just the beginning. The enormous Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge (30,700 acres) and less large Sand Dunes State Forest (11,400 acres) are just a half hour northeast of Big Lake.
Also just outside the city is the Carefree Country Club for camping, tennis, 18 holes of golf and more.
Every June, Big Lake celebrates “Spud Fest,” a great, four-day homage to the potato, with activities galore, a carnival, a parade, sporting events, pageants and all the potato-themed food one can eat (naturally).
Schools
Big Lake has its own school district, ISD 727, which is comprised of two elementary schools (Independence and Liberty), one middle school, a high school and a technical institution. Just outside the city limits is the Montessori Charter School.
Major Employers
School District 727 is Big Lake’s largest employer, followed by a number of local businesses in the construction, health care, metalworking, food service and retail industries, as well as local government. Not far away in Minneapolis-St.Paul, some of the biggest corporations in the country call home. Target, U.S. Bancorp, Xcel Energy, Ameriprise Financial and Ecolab are just some of the firms that are headquartered in the Twin Cities. Cargill, one of the largest private companies in the world in terms of revenue, has an office in Big Lake itself.
Constituent Populace
After over 100 years, Big Lake’s population finally reached 10,000 with the 2010 Census. It is an increasingly popular place to live, especially for younger people. The median age was noted as 29.5 and the median household income as $63,000.
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Aaron Dickinson