Ely

History

The first Europeans to explore the area were fur traders who made their way into the wilderness in search of furs. But it was the Lake Vermillion gold rush that brought the first large numbers of pioneers to the area in 1865. Although hardly any gold was ever found, it was discovered that the area did contain large deposits of iron ore. Thousands of new immigrants were arriving in America at that time, and many of them came to the area later known as the Minnesota Iron Range, looking for work. When the Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway laid tracks extending the rails from Tower to Ely in 1888, Ely began mining operations with the opening of the Chandler Mine. Ore was shipped by rail to docks on Lake Superior in Two Harbors and Duluth. From there it was shipped by lake freighter for processing in Ashtabula and other points in Ohio. The original town site consisted of 40 acres. A man named McCormick opened the first grocery store in a small log building. A. J. Fenske built the first frame building in the fall of 1887; and he also opened a hardware and furniture store. The Pioneer Hotel was also built that year at the corner of Sheridan Street and Fourth Avenue. The first school opened in 1889 in a small frame building on Second Avenue; its enrollment was 112 during the first season. According to a history written in 1910, "The first religious service was conducted by Father Buh, who came from Tower for that purpose, and the Catholic congregation erected the first church. The first Protestant minister was Rev. Mr. Freeman, who arrived in time to hold an Easter service in 1889, and located here permanently, organizing the Presbyterian church. There are now six churches, representing as many different faiths. Soon other mines opened in Ely: The Pioneer Mine (1889),…

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of ; is land and is water. Ely is north of Duluth, 117 miles southeast of International Falls, and north of the Twin Cities. Since the 1960s, as Iron Range mines began closing, leaving only a few in operation, Ely, like many northern Minnesota communities, faced economic decline. Duluth, on the shores of Lake Superior, built a tourist trade that has helped to sustain its economy. Ely, seen as the gateway to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, developed a lively tourist trade, but due to environmental concerns the area there has been some controversy about a proposal to build a mining operation for copper just outside the BWCAW. The company involved, Twin Metals Minnesota, is operated by a Chilean company, Antofagasta PLC. It says it plans "to build modern mines that must go through a rigorous regulatory process before they can move forward", but environmentalists are concerned that runoff from the mining operation could damage the BWCA wilderness area. The copper deposits beneath the forests and lakes of northeastern Minnesota are encased in sulfide ore and when that is exposed it produces sulfuric acid, which has resulted in severe water pollution in copper mines in several western U.S. areas. In October 2021, the Biden administration filed an application for a "mineral withdrawal" that will put a hold on the development of the mine proposal while the environmental impacts are studied. The Obama administration had launched a similar study, but 24 weeks into the 28-week study the newly elected Trump administration ended it, allowing the plans for the mining operation to continue. The completed study could lead to a 20-year ban on mining upstream from the BWCAW. The Trump mineral leases…

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  1,888
• Common Raven

  Corvus corax Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  1,627
• Red-breasted Nuthatch

  Sitta canadensis Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  1,235
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,232
• White-throated Sparrow

  Zonotrichia albicollis (J.F.Gmelin, 1789) · Aves
  1,107
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  1,043
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  1,007
• Red-eyed Vireo

  Vireo olivaceus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  903

Largest nearby schools

• WASHINGTON ELEMENTARY
  Elementary · ELY · 225 students · 12.5:1 ratio
• MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL
  High · ELY · 168 students · 14:1 ratio
• Memorial Middle School
  Middle · ELY · 149 students · 21.3:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.8 — 2026-07-02
  11 km NNE of Parkville, Minnesota
• M 2.5 — 2026-06-05
  5 km NW of Biwabik, Minnesota
• M 3.3 — 2026-04-30
  3 km SW of Babbitt, Minnesota
• M 2.6 — 2025-08-06
  6 km NW of Mountain Iron, Minnesota
• M 2.7 — 2025-07-02
  4 km NW of Leonidas, Minnesota
• M 2.6 — 2025-03-27
  4 km NNE of Virginia, Minnesota