Solway

History

Solway was settled in 1899 during a period of logging and railroad development in northern Minnesota. Its name may refer to the Solway Firth between England and Scotland, although the origin is not certain. The community grew near major timber operations and served as a center for logging camps between Red Lake, Itasca, Bagley, and other sites. At its peak, Solway had a hospital, jail, bank, saloons, hotels, a blacksmith shop, livery stable, mercantile store, newspaper, train depot, fire department, and post office. A post office called Solway has been in operation since 1898. Buildings connected to this period include the former Solway Mercantile Store, built about 1899 and later occupied by JD's Outpost; Solway Lutheran Church, built in 1921; the Old Solway School, built in 1937 after two earlier school buildings burned; and the Solway Town Hall. Logging drove Solway's growth from the late 1880s to about 1905. Lumber operators including Sumner Bagley, Albert and George Lammers, and T. B. Walker worked in the surrounding pine forests, while Fletcher Walker later managed operations in Solway. The Lammers logging camp processed 60 million logs during one summer, sending timber down the Clearwater River to sawmills and markets across the country. Estimates state that more than 4 billion board feet of lumber were cut in the Solway area. Swedish immigrants began settling in nearby Lammers Township in 1898, followed by families from Norway and Denmark. These settlers farmed, worked in logging camps, and supported the region's economy. As accessible timber declined and logging activity shifted, Solway's population and business district decreased.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land. Solway is located within Lammers Township geographically but is a separate entity. It is 13 miles west of Bemidji, along U.S. Highway 2 and Beltrami County Road 5.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Gene Dillon Elementary School
  Elementary · BEMIDJI · 695 students · 15.1:1 ratio
• SOLWAY ELEMENTARY
  Elementary · SOLWAY · 160 students · 14.5:1 ratio
• PAUL BUNYAN CENTER
  Other · BEMIDJI · 96 students · 6:1 ratio