Bloomington, Minnesota

Bloomington is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, and a southern suburb Minneapolis. As of 2004, it had a population of 85,442, making it the largest Twin Cities suburb, and the fifth largest city in the state5th Largest City, Bloomington - 5th Largest City in the State. It is the home of the United States' largest—and the world's most visited—shopping center, the Mall of America.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 99.4 km² (38.4 mi²). 91.9 km² (35.5 mi²) of it is land and 7.5 km² (2.9 mi²) of it (7.53%) is water.

There are three primary land types in the city. The northeastern part of the city is a sand plain, low hills dominate the western portion of the city, and the far south lies within the valley of the Minnesota River.

About 1/3 of the city is permanently reserved for park purposes, including two large natural areas -- the Minnesota River lowlands (controlled by the City and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service) and the Hyland Lake Park Reserve (controlled by the Three Rivers Park District).

Water bodies in the city include the Minnesota River, Long Meadow Lake, Bush Lake, Normandale Lake, Nine Mile Creek, and about 100 small lakes and ponds.

Demographics

As of the census ² of 2000, there were 85,172 people, 36,400 households, and 22,750 families residing in the city. The population density was 926.9/km² (2,400.5/mi²). There were 37,104 housing units at an average density of 403.8/km² (1,045.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 88.12% White, 3.42% African American, 0.35% Native American, 5.09% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.25% from other races, and 1.72% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.69% of the population.

There were 36,400 households out of which 25.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.2% were married couples living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.5% were non-families. 29.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.87.

In the city the population was spread out with 20.6% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 26.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 93.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $54,628, and the median income for a family was $67,135. Males had a median income of $42,924 versus $32,606 for females. The per capita income for the city was $29,782. About 2.3% of families and 4.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.2% of those under age 18 and 3.4% of those age 65 or over.

Population statistics

During the twenty years from 1950 to 1970, Bloomington saw an enormous growth in population adding more than 70,000 residentsHistory of Bloomington. In 1998, the population peaked and since then has begun to decline (partially due to the increased development of outer-lying suburbs). A 2004 estimate put the population at around 82,0002004 Population Estimate, Dataplace.org .

Population History
Year	Population	Number of people employed in Bloomington
1880	820
1900	1,085
1920	1,330
1930	2,645
1940	3,647
1950	9,902
1955	28,934
1960	50,498
1970	81,971	43,000
1980	81,831	54,000
1990	86,355	70,000
1998	88,375	98,300
2000	85,172	106,993
2004	82,000 (est.)	N/A

History

1800s

The history of Bloomington can be traced back to the days before Minnesota was officially admitted as a state of the union. In 1843, Peter and Louisa Quinn, the first European settlers (white people) to live in Bloomington, built a cabin along the Minnesota River, close to where Portland Avenue is now. The government had sent the Quinns to teach farming methods to the Native Americans and begin integrating them into the white man's culture.

Also in that year, Gideon Pond and his brother Samuel, both missionaries, established the Oak Grove Mission. Gideon and his brother did not have permission to be on the Native American’s land and they did not know their language. They only knew a few soldiers at Fort Snelling who had sent the Ponds to a Dakota Indian village to teach them how to plow a field. Operating from within the log cabin he built for his family to live, Gideon held church services, taught school, and taught farming to the Native Americans.

In 1849, William Chambers and Joseph Dean opened the Bloomington Ferry. This was an important business because, up until now, people didn’t have a way to cross the Minnesota River in Bloomington. The Bloomington Ferry remained operational until 1889, when the Bloomington Ferry Bridge was built and the Bloomington Ferry went out of business.

In 1851, the territory west of the Mississippi, including Bloomington, was opened to settlers. Settlers began settling in Bloomington, and in 1852, the Goodrich, Whalon, and Ames families came to Bloomington and settled close to the Ferry, near the Minnesota River. They named Bloomington after the city they were from, Bloomington, Illinois, which means flowering field.

By 1854, several pioneers moved there families to the new settlement and began commerce. The first hotel in Bloomington (which today has the most hotels of any city in the state), the Half-way House, was built and opened by John Baliff after he and his family moved to the new settlement. He got the name from the fact that it was built half way between St. Paul and Shakopee. Many famous people who traveled by stagecoach from Fort Snelling stayed there. The Oxborough family, who came from Canada, built a trading center on Lyndale Avenue and called it Oxborough-Heath. Although the original structures have long since vanished, the Cloverleaf Shopping Center can be seen on the spot of the old trading center, preserving its original use. The Baliff family opened a grocery and general store at what is today Penn Avenue and Old Shakopee Road, and Hector Chadwick, after moving to the settlement, opened a blacksmith shop near the Bloomington Ferry. Most of Bloomington’s early jobs were in farming, blacksmithing, and flour milling.

As more settlers began to move to Bloomington, it was clear that a public education system needed to be established to accommodate the growing population. In 1855, the first public school for all kids was opened in Miss Harrison’s house (an early pioneer). May 11, 1858 was a significant day for two reasons. First, the state of Minnesota was admitted into the union and officially became a state. But on that same day, Bloomington became a city, and the twenty-five organizers present at the meeting approved a $100 budget for the new city. When Bloomington became a town it was called Town of Bloomington, not Bloomington Township. The reason for this special name was because it was bigger than other townships, so it had to be given a special name. In 1859, the first real school building, the Gibson School, was built at France Avenue and Old Shakopee Road to accommodate the growing population. By 1880, the population had grown to 820 out of almost 800,000 in the state1880 Population Statistics, Minnesota's Population by decades. In 1892 the first town hall was built at Penn and Old Shakopee Road, and that building is still standing today.

1900s to 1930s

With the population reaching one thousand by 1900, Bloomington began to transform from a small village to a city. With the rising population came conflict among citizens over certain social issues. Among the major issues during this period were the parents unwillingness to dissolve the individual schools for a larger, consolidated school, and the fear of mounting taxes. By 1900 there were already six rural schools spread throughout the territory with over 200 students enrolled in grades first through eighth.

Shortly after the turn of the century, the first telephone service was installed throughout the city as the popularity in telephone communication was growing throughout the country. Several years later, automobiles began to appear around town as people began to replace the feeble horse and buggy with the more practical automobile (around the turn of the century Henry Ford applied the assembly line method to automobile manufacturing, greatly reducing the cost and making it more accessible to everyday people). By 1917, the school consolidation issue had been settled. That year voters approved the consolidation of the schools and a year later secondary education and school bus transportation began throughout the city.

1940s to 1950s

During the twenty years from 1940 to 1960, the city's population increased nine times that of the population at the turn of the century. During the 1940s the city's development vision was low-cost, low-density housing, each with their own well and septic system. This was in part due to the post World War II boom and subsequent birth of the baby boomer generation. In 1947 the first fire station was constructed and equipped at a cost of $24,000 and the Bloomington Volunteer Fire Department was established with 25 members.

The 1950's saw a considerable expansion to the city and its infrastructure, with the city shifting away from its small town atmosphere and feel. In 1950, because of the increasing population, the first elementary school, Cedarcrest, was built. It was evident that one consolidated school could no longer serve the growing population, and ten new schools would be built in this decade as the school system expanded to meet the needs of the citizens. In 1952 the first large business, Toro Manufacturing Company, moved to Bloomington. The significance of this can be seen in Bloomington today, which is home to hundreds of businesses of all types.

In 1953, Bloomington changed from a township to village form of government. This more approach to government was accompanied by open council meetings, land use plans and published budgets. The effects of this new form of government began immediately, first with the formation of the city police department (at a cost of $2 per taxpayer) and secondly with the first park land acquisition. Both Bush Lake Beach and Moir Park were established at a cost of one dollar to each residence. Today, over 8.5% of the city of Bloomington is devoted to city and regional parks and playgrounds. In 1956 the first city land use plan was initiated with the construction of interstate 35W (Minnesota) and Metropolitan Stadium.

In 1958, the city changed from a village government to a council-manager form. One of the first council adopted policies was the encouragement of commercial and industrial development, low-cost housing and shopping centers. Due to the rapid population increase during this time, police and fire departments go to a 24-hour dispatching system, and the fire department (now made up of 46 members) converts a garage into the second fire station.

1960s to 1970s

The 1960s saw accelerated school and business growth throughout the city. On November 8, 1960, Bloomington officially became a city as voters approved the city's organizing document, the City Charter. The city charter provides for a Council-Manager form of government in which the city council exercises the legislative power of the city and determines all city policies (see City of Bloomington Government). In 1967, a second and third official fire station were approved and built to more effectively combat fires in the increasing population. In 1968, Normandale Junior College opened with an initial enrollment of 1,358 students. It would not be until 1974 that the college would change to its present name, Normandale Community College, to reflect expanded courses of study.

From 1961 to 1982, the city of Bloomington was home to all the major sports teams of Minnesota. In 1961, after the completion of Metropolitan Stadium in 1956, both the Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings began regular season play. Although Metropolitan Stadium was originally built for the American Association Minneapolis Millers, a minor league baseball team, Metropolitan stadium was renovated and expanded for Major League Baseball and Football. The first Twins game was held on April 21 (Twins 3, Washington 5) and the first Vikings game was held on September 17 (Vikings 37, Chicago Bears 13). In 1967, with the expansion of the National Hockey League, the Metropolitan Sports Center was built near the site of the Metropolitan Stadium and the Minnesota North Stars began play later that year.

A number of new city buildings were constructed in the 1970s. In 1970 Jefferson High School, Bloomington Ice Garden rink one and a fourth fire station were built. In 1971, school enrollment peaked with 26,000 students, and the fire department had grown to a force of 105 men. It was not until 1974, after a six hour city council meeting, were women allowed to join the Bloomington Fire Department (the cities first female firefighter, Ann Majerus, would not join the department until 1984). In 1975 a second rink was added to the Bloomington Ice Garden and fifth fire station, and subsequent sixth in 1979, were also built.

1980s to present

The 1980s brought a radical change to Bloomington with the departure of the Minnesota Twins and Vikings. In 1982, the last baseball game was played at Metropolitan stadium (Twins 2, Kansas City Royals 5) as the Twins and Vikings moved to the newly constructed Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in downtown Minneapolis. In 1985, the Bloomington Port Authority purchased the 86-acre Met Stadium site and in less than two years approved first site plans for the Mall of America. Two years later, ground breaking took place for the new megamall, and in 1992 it was opened to the public. Today the Mall of America is the largest private sector employer in Bloomington, employing about 13,000 people. In 1993, the Minnesota North Stars hockey team moved to Dallas and a year later the Metropolitan Sports Center was demolished. In 2004, an IKEA store opened on the west end of the property, and the remainder of the site is planned to become the site of Mall of America Phase II. Under construction in 2005 is the Water Park of America, promoted as the largest indoor water park in the United States.

Local information

Bloomington is culturally split into two areas by US Interstate 35W. The highway creates a geographic barrier which carries through into most of the daily life and language of residents. The area west of I-35W is locally known as "West Bloomington," and the area east is called "East Bloomington." West Bloomington functions largely as a bedroom community—East Bloomington contains most of the industry, as well as lower-income housing, and the Mall of America. Lower income here, however, has to be taken into context as both median income and home prices in Bloomington are substantially higher than the average for the metro area it lies within. While according to the Census Bureau, Bloomington is one of the major cities of the Metro Area (formally the "Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington Metropolitan Statistical Area"), Bloomington is culturally and socially a suburb of the two larger cities, and few people refer to the area as anything other than "Minneapolis-St. Paul" or the "Twin Cities Metro Area."

Most locals will refer to themselves as either from "East" or "West" Bloomington, when they describe where they live. But the line between the two is somewhat blurry, with some residents claiming that the I-35W freeway is the boundary, with others staking claims to the boundary being farther west. Technically, the dividing line would most likely be construed as being at Nicollet Avenue, where the numbered east-west streets officially change designation between "West" and "East." The division between the two sides of the city is accentuated by the location of the two high schools, John F. Kennedy High School and Thomas Jefferson High School, in the east and west respectively. Although the two schools are only about a 5 minute drive away from eachother.

Bloomington's third high school, Lincoln High School, was sold to the Control Data Corporation in the mid 1980s. Now controlled by General Dynamics, it is used primarily for defense contracting work although Bloomington Public Schools is now a tenant.

Bloomington was the home from 1961 to 1981 for the Minnesota Vikings and Minnesota Twins at Metropolitan Stadium (now the site of the Mall of America), and the Minnesota North Stars at the Met Center from 1967 to 1993. The Twins and Vikings departed in 1981 for the newly constructed Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in downtown Minneapolis, while owner Norm Green skipped town in 1993, bringing the North Stars with him to Dallas, Texas.

The city is a longstanding favorite location for employers, hosting more than 100,000 jobs. Benefiting from its location near major transportation routes and the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, Bloomington is a major hospitality center with about 7000 hotel rooms.

City Government

Bloomington, Minnesota is governed by a seven member part-time City Council. Members include the mayor and six Council members, four of whom are elected from districts and two who are elected at-large. Members are elected to four year terms, except during redistricting when all district councilmembers have a two year term. Elections are non-partisan.

City operations are controlled by three interrelated entities - the City itself, the Port Authority, and the Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA). The Port Authority is responsible for managing development in the Airport South district, in which the Mall of America is located. The HRA handles low income housing in the city and manages the city's redevelopment activities. Membership on the boards of the Port Authority and HRA are controlled by the City Council.

The city's organizing document, the City Charter, was approved by voters on November 8, 1960.

for a list of city mayors (past and present) see List of mayors of Bloomington, Minnesota
for a list of city council members (past and present) see List of councilmembers of Bloomington, Minnesota

Government services

Fire Protection: Bloomington has one of the largest volunteer fire departments in the country with 150 firefighters. They provide fire protection that has resulted in a Class 3 fire rating. The department operates six fire stations and utilizes the latest in fire fighting equipment. The department has a total of 30 fire fighting vehicles including pumpers, hook and ladder and specialty units, all of which are equipt with opticom equipment, which automatically switches traffic signals to expedite emergency runs. The average response time is four minutes.

Police Protection: Public safety is protected by Bloomington's 110 officer police force. The officers have very sophisticated squad cars which help aid them in their round-the-clock patrol. Each squad car contains a computer-assisted dispatching center that contains a computerized records system, mobile digital terminals, which allow officers direct access to warrant information and state motor vehicle and drivers license records, and opticom equipment, which automatically switches traffic signals. The police force is also supported by three canine teams, a fully equipped bomb squad, and highly trained SWAT team.

Bloomington Public Health Division
Bloomington Parks and Recreation
Human Services: Bloomington Human Services helps to improve the lives of residents by identifying needs and problems. They provide services that are accessible to youth, families, older adults and people with disabilities.

Schools

Public schools

The 15 public schools in Bloomington are operated by Bloomington Public Schools. Governed by a seven member elected school board, public schools in the city have a good reputation for quality. Voters traditionally have supported the schools financially; in 1999 they approved the (then) largest school bond issue in Minnesota history, funding a $107 million school expansion and renovation project. Bloomington Public Schools Superintendent Gary Prest won the award for Superintendent of The Year for 2005 in Minnesota.

Private schools

Trinity School at River Ridge is located in Bloomington, near the Mall of America.
Nativity of Mary School is located on Lyndale Ave. It is associated with the Nativity of Mary Catholic Church and community.

Higher education

Normandale Community College is a two-year college, with 8,500 full and part-time students, that has been in Bloomington since 1968. It is part of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) system.
Northwestern Health Sciences University focuses on natural health care and patient research, in the areas of chiropractic, acupuncture, oriental medicine, and massage.

Trivia

In 1992, Bloomington and Izumi City, Japan, start a sister city partnership

External links

References

Cities in Minnesota | Hennepin County, Minnesota | Bloomington, Minnesota

Bloomington (Minnesota) | Bloomington, Minnesota | Bloomington, Minnesota

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