Brainerd Homes For Sale
Brainerd Housing & Community Info
The City of Brainerd, MN 56401 once a dense pine forest that served the Chippewa Indians as hunting grounds and blueberry fields.The area that would become Brainerd was first seen by white men on Christmas Day, 1805, LT. Zebulon Pike, U.S. Army, camped in the area for a day of rest and relaxation while exploring the source of the Mississippi River.September 19, 1871 the plat was signed and on September 25, 1871 it was filed for record in Crow Wing County. The name on the plat was BRAINERD.. The City was incorporated on 11/19/1881. The plat showed a square, two blocks long on each side in the center of town. It was marked GREGORY SQUARE. At the time, the president of the railroad company was John Gregory Smith. His wife was Anne Eliza Brainerd Smith. Since Mr. Smith objected to the proposed town names of “Smithville” and “Smithton,” his wife’s maiden name was chosen for the town name and Mr. Smith’s middle name was chosen for the town square.
The first settlers had wanted the name to be OCAMACUA, Indian for “The Crossing.” North/South streets were given numerical identification and East/West streets an alphabetical sequence of familiar tree names.The historic water tower was built over four years, from 1919-1922. It was the first all concrete elevated tank used by a municipality in the United States. The tower held 300,000 gallons of water drawn from three wells. The tower served until 1958 when a new 1 million gallon tower was constructed. The old tower was drained in 1960. It was added to the State Inventory of Historic Sites in 1972.
MORE BRAINERD FACTS & INFO
City Organized: March 6, 1873
Brainerd is located on the historic Mississippi River and lies 1226 feet above sea level.
Brainerd is the largest City located in Crow Wing County.
Brainerd has a current population of 13,590 citizens (2010 census).
Brainerd has had 40 Mayors since the town was established and is governed by a Home Rule Charter.
Brainerd has a Strong Council / Weak Mayor Form of Government. It is headed by a City Administrator and supported by a variety of department heads and supervisors.
Brainerd is in a geographical area, home to 492 lakes and 61 miles of the Mississippi River.
Brainerd history has been recorded in a book entitled, “Brainerd,” by Carl Zapffe.
If you traveled through the center of the Earth from Brainerd, you would emerge in the Indian Ocean, a little East of the New Amsterdam and St. Paul islands.
Area
City: 8.4 sq mi (21.9 km2)
Land: 8.0 sq mi (20.6 km2)
Water: 0.5 sq mi (1.2 km2) 5.57%
Elevation: 1,217 ft (371 m)
Population (2010): 13,590
Zip Code: 56401
Area Code: 218
The first settlers had wanted the name to be OCAMACUA, Indian for “The Crossing.” North/South streets were given numerical identification and East/West streets an alphabetical sequence of familiar tree names.The historic water tower was built over four years, from 1919-1922. It was the first all concrete elevated tank used by a municipality in the United States. The tower held 300,000 gallons of water drawn from three wells. The tower served until 1958 when a new 1 million gallon tower was constructed. The old tower was drained in 1960. It was added to the State Inventory of Historic Sites in 1972.
MORE BRAINERD FACTS & INFO
City Organized: March 6, 1873
Brainerd is located on the historic Mississippi River and lies 1226 feet above sea level.
Brainerd is the largest City located in Crow Wing County.
Brainerd has a current population of 13,590 citizens (2010 census).
Brainerd has had 40 Mayors since the town was established and is governed by a Home Rule Charter.
Brainerd has a Strong Council / Weak Mayor Form of Government. It is headed by a City Administrator and supported by a variety of department heads and supervisors.
Brainerd is in a geographical area, home to 492 lakes and 61 miles of the Mississippi River.
Brainerd history has been recorded in a book entitled, “Brainerd,” by Carl Zapffe.
If you traveled through the center of the Earth from Brainerd, you would emerge in the Indian Ocean, a little East of the New Amsterdam and St. Paul islands.
Area
City: 8.4 sq mi (21.9 km2)
Land: 8.0 sq mi (20.6 km2)
Water: 0.5 sq mi (1.2 km2) 5.57%
Elevation: 1,217 ft (371 m)
Population (2010): 13,590
Zip Code: 56401
Area Code: 218
