Thief River Falls, Minnesota

Thief River Falls has a humid continental climate (Dwb) with warm to hot summers and cold to severely cold winters.

As of the census of 2010, there were 8,573 people, 3,802 households, and 2,141 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,707.8 inhabitants per square mile (659.4/km²). There were 4,061 housing units at an average density of 809.0 per square mile (312.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.0% White, 2.1% African American, 1.9% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 1.0% from other races, and 2.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.2% of the population.

There were 3,802 households, of which 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.0% were married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.7% were non-families. 36.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.81.

The median age in the city was 37.6 years. 22.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.9% were from 25 to 44; 24.3% were from 45 to 64; and 17.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.7% male and 52.3% female.

As of the census of 2000, there were 8,410 people, 3,619 households, and 2,091 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,760.0 inhabitants per square mile (679.5/km²). There were 3,931 housing units at an average density of 822.7 per square mile (317.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.56% White, 0.27% African American, 0.95% Native American, 0.67% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.62% from other races, and 0.90% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.63% of the population.

There were 3,619 households, out of which 27.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.2% were married couples living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.2% were non-families. 35.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.84.

Old Carnegie library, Main Ave

United Methodist Church, downtown

In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.4% under the age of 18, 11.7% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 18.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,759, and the median income for a family was $40,908. Males had a median income of $30,332 versus $20,785 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,489. About 8.0% of families and 12.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.3% of those under age 18 and 15.7% of those age 65 or over.

Thief River Falls is situated on the junction of two rivers, Red Lake River from the east-southeast and the Thief River from the north. The proximity to forests and shipping made Thief River Falls ideal for logging. In the late 19th century the Great Northern Railway was built, and in 1904, the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railway (“Soo Line”) passed through on its route from Saint Paul to Winnipeg. Branches were later built to Drake, North Dakota, and Duluth, Minnesota. The Minnesota Northwestern Electric Railway, an electric-powered passenger train, ran from Thief River Falls to Goodridge between 1914 and 1940.

Today, the river and rails still power the local economy with tourism and shipping. Canadian Pacific Railway and Minnesota Northern Railroad now occupy tracks through town. To this day, Soo Line engine 1024 rests outside city hall (formerly the Soo Line Depot).

On Tuesday, August 21, 2007, the Empress Express (Canadian Pacific 2816) spent the night in front of the historic Soo Line depot in Thief River Falls. Thief River Falls Radio reported that the classic steam engine was built in 1930, and the 45 ticketed passengers were to leave for Glenwood, Minnesota, on Wednesday morning.

Arctic Cat, Inc. can trace its roots to former Polaris Industries founder Edgar Hetteen who left Polaris in 1960 and started Polar Manufacturing in Thief River Falls. Shortly after changing name to Arctic Enterprises, the new company produced snowmobiles. Arctic Cat purchased several boat manufacturers including Spirit Marine which produced the first Wetbike in 1978. A few snowless winters in the early 1980s bankrupted the 20-year-old company, which closed its facilities by 1982. In 1984, Arctic Cat was reborn under a new company name, Arctco, which was changed to Arctic Cat in 1996.

Digi-Key Electronics is one of the largest electronics distributors in North America. The company started in 1972 with Dr. Ronald A. Stordahl's interest in ham radio, which led him to assemble and sell digital electronic keyer kits to other ham radio operators for sending radiotelegraph messages. This device was called the Digi-Keyer.[11] As a testament to how Digi-Key has distributed parts literally "around the world", electronic components it sold are inside satellites now orbiting the Earth.

Steiger Tractors were invented by Douglas and Maurice Steiger from Thief River Falls during the 1950s. The brothers built their first tractor the winter of 1957–58 after seeing a need to cover their ground more efficiently. After designing and building the tractors on their farm for six years, the brothers opened a production facility in Fargo, North Dakota. A new plant built in 1974 could produce a new tractor every 18 minutes. Steiger produced many models of tractor with the main feature being the horsepower. Ford chose Steiger to manufacture the Ford tractors of the late 1970s and early '80s. As the farm economy slumped in the late 1980s, Steiger had trouble selling tractors. Steiger filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1986, and was soon after sold to Tenneco, parent company of J. I. Case. Case IH continued to produce and sell Steiger tractors while introducing its own lines of 4wd tractors. Case still produces Steiger tractors at the Fargo, North Dakota, facility.[12]

Routes located within the city of Thief River Falls:

• U.S. Highway 59
• Minnesota State Highway 1
• Minnesota State Highway 32

The city and surrounding community is served by Thief River Falls Regional Airport. Daily flights to and from the airport are provided by Denver Air Connection.

Licensed stations to Thief River Falls:

• KTRF 1230 AM (News/Talk)
• KKAQ 1460 AM (Country music, primarily rebroadcasts KKDQ FM)
• KSRQ 90.1 FM "Pioneer 90.1" (NCTC College radio/Independent Public Radio)
• KQMN 91.5 FM (Minnesota Public Radio classical music)
• KTRF-FM 94.1 FM "The Falls" (Adult Hits from Thief River Falls studios)
• KKDQ 99.3 FM "North Country" (Country music)
• KNTN 102.7 FM (Minnesota Public Radio news)
• K300AS 107.9 FM "Your Q FM" (translator of KKEQ 107.1 of Fosston)

Radio stations from Grand Forks and Crookston are also accessible to residents.

Since the city's foundation in 1896, LaBree Avenue has been a cornerstone of community life. Many of the businesses that were born in Thief River Falls were started on LaBree. The city's Chamber of Commerce holds an annual "Crazy Dayz", which is a "bargain day" of sorts on LaBree. Also, each fall, the city closes the street and hosts the "Great American Block Party", during which vendors line the street and live music is performed.

Thief River Falls is home to an 18-hole golf course situated along the Thief River north of the city.

Three miles north, two miles west of town, the "Trap Club" provides Trap on Mondays and Thursdays, Sporting Clays, on Wednesdays, HS Trap on Tuesdays (during the MN HS season) and can also provide events for any organization.

The city is along several regional snowmobile trails reaching northern Minnesota, including the Wapiti Trail, which leads to Fourtown and Grygla. Other trails lead to Greenbush, Warren, and Red Lake Falls, to name a few.

The city's River Walk lines the rivers from one end of town to the other and connects several parks including the dam, Red Robe Park, and the Northland Woods.

The Pennington County Historical Society, which was organized in the 1930s, is responsible for maintaining the Peder Engelstad Pioneer Village. Officially opened in 1976, the museum and village provide a living history of Thief River Falls. Peder Engelstad Pioneer Village, named after a local Norwegian immigrant, consists of 19 buildings with over 25,000 individual items on display. Buildings include seven late 19th century log houses; a Swedish Lutheran church, built in 1916; two railroad building depots and two cabooses; a one-room schoolhouse dating back to 1908; five original stores (including a blacksmith shop, general store, and beauty and barber shops); a restored two-story home; a large farm and an auto machinery building; and a museum.[13]

Hockey is a popular sport in Thief River Falls, much like the rest of Minnesota. The city has three arenas: Ralph Engelstad Arena, the Huck Olson Memorial Arena, and the old Thief River Falls arena located downtown. Since 2016, the city has been home to the Thief River Falls Norskies, which plays in the Canadian-based Superior International Junior Hockey League.

The "Mini" Ralph Engelstad Arena, Thief River Falls, Minnesota.

Thief River Falls, along with Grand Forks, North Dakota, hosted the 2005 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships between December 25, 2004, and January 4, 2005. The Ralph Engelstad Arena hosted the Thief River Falls games, one of which was broadcast on sports network, ESPN.

The Pennington County Fairgrounds in Thief River Falls is the host to an annual Professional Bull Riders Touring Pro Division (TPD) bull riding event. The TPD is the minor-league system of the PBR.

The celebrated American playwright Lee Blessing’s work, Thief River, premiered in 2000 at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center in Waterford, Connecticut. It subsequently ran Off-Broadway in New York in June 2001 to mixed reviews, and later had a longer run in San Francisco. The Wall Street Journal called it "an old fashioned gay love story - one where love is upstaged by shame, secrecy and social defiance." It is the story of Gil and Ray, who at age 17 were secret lovers in what one reviewer called "a small homophobic Minnesota town in the '40s"—presumably Thief River Falls. The plot portrays a love between these two men that spans 53 years. As stated by another reviewer, "The play attempted to show what it would be like to be a gay man in a small town in the late '40s, when two men kissing would have been a revolutionary act."[14] The play most recently ran in Chicago in early 2007, where it was called "the definitive work capturing the homosexual experience in the rural American Midwest over the last 50 years.".[15] The specific Minnesota connection of the play is unstated, but playwright Blessing grew up in the Twin Cities area and attended Minnetonka High School before leaving for Reed College in Oregon in the late 1960s.