East Grand Forks, Minnesota

East Grand Forks is a city in Polk County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 7,501 at the 2000 census. It is located on the eastern banks of the Red River of the North, directly across from the larger city of Grand Forks, North Dakota. The two communities make up the metropolitan area often called Greater Grand Forks or The Grand Cities. Many local residents abbreviate the town as EGF.

History

The famous Whitey's Bar and Cafe is a local institution. Located in the downtown area, Whitey's has been operating continuously since the 1930s and was once the center of East Grand Forks' reputation as a wild town akin to Chicago, Illinois during the days of Prohibition. Ripley's Believe It or Not once labeled a portion of the downtown area as the highest concentration of neon signage in the world.

Flood of 1997

East Grand Forks, along with Grand Forks, was heavily damaged by a major flood in 1997. The entire city was under a mandatory evacuation and almost no homes were spared damage. After the flood, several neighborhoods had to be demolished. The city has rebuilt itself and the once inundated downtown area now contains a number of new businesses including a Cabela's sporting goods store. A new system of dikes is currently being constructed to protect the city from future flooding. The land bordering the Red and Red Lake rivers has been cleared of developments and is now a large park known as The Greenway.

Geography

East Grand Forks is located in the fertile Red River Valley. The area around East Grand Forks is prime for agricultural uses. The Red River Valley used to be a part of glacial Lake Agassiz. This made the land fertile and very flat.

The Red Lake River divides East Grand Forks into two main sections. The main part of town, located north of the river, is the home of the downtown area as well as several residential neighborhoods. The area south of the river is known as "The Point." This is because the land forms a narrow point shape (almost peninsular) where the Red and Red Lake rivers meet. "The Point" contains more residential development.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.9 km² (5.0 mi²), all land.

Demographics

As of the census ² of 2000, there were 7,501 people, 2,929 households, and 1,933 families residing in the city. The population density was 579.2/km² (1,501.5/mi²). There were 3,108 housing units at an average density of 240.0/km² (622.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 90.97% White, 0.52% African American, 1.68% Native American, 0.33% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 4.47% from other races, and 2.01% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.53% of the population.

There were 2,929 households out of which 36.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.3% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.0% were non-families. 28.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.16.

In the city the population was spread out with 28.8% under the age of 18, 10.8% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 98.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $35,866, and the median income for a family was $47,846. Males had a median income of $33,134 versus $22,094 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,599. About 8.2% of families and 12.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.7% of those under age 18 and 8.6% of those age 65 or over.

Education

K-12

The East Grand Forks School District enrolls over 1,000 students at its 2 elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. There are also two private Christian schools. Sacred Heart School is a Roman Catholic elementary, middle, and high school. Riverside Christian School is a nondeominational Christian elementary school.

Higher education

The only higher educational institution in East Grand Forks is Northland Community and Technical College or "NCTC" for short, which also has a campus 50 miles northeast in Thief River Falls. It began in 1993 as Northwest Technical College, which has campus in other Minnesota towns, but eventually was bought by NCTC. The 2-year school has seen steady growth in enrollment in the past 5 years. Across the Red River in Grand Forks is the University of North Dakota.

Tourism

Most of the tourist activities can be found in neighboring Grand Forks, though EGF has a downtown shopping district consisting of a shopping center and Cabela's. After the Flood of 1997, where FEMA placed the area in the floodplain, is now a state campground. Because of Minnesota's state budget, it plans to give the campground to the city. The campground is a part of The Greenway. On the northern part of town is a private golf course, Valley Country Club.

Local Events

East Grand Forks has several annual local community events such as the Catfish Days and the Frosty Bobber fishing tournaments, Heritage Days, and arts and crafts shows. EGF also has other events shared with Grand Forks which the Potato Bowl parade and the First Night, a New Years celebration that's alcohol free. Catfish Days, a cat-fishing tournament in the summer, attracts people all over the United States and Canada, and is one of the largest fishing tournaments in the region.

Media

See main article: Media in Grand Forks, North Dakota for a list of newspapers, TV, and radio stations.

East Grand Forks has a local weekly newspaper, The Exponent. The regional daily newspaper is the Grand Forks Herald, printed in Grand Forks. The TV stations are either from Grand Forks or Fargo, while most of the radio stations are from Grand Forks or Thief River Falls. WDAZ is the only TV station in the area that produces local newcasts. Though KXJB, KVLY, and KBRR broadcast out of Fargo, North Dakota, they have some local-based content in their local newscasts. KBRR is based in Grand Forks and Thief River Falls, but rebroadcasts KVRR of Fargo. KXJB and KVLY are also based in Fargo, but have studios in Grand Forks. KCPM is also based in Grand Forks, but does not carry local newscasts. KGFE is part of the Prairie Public Television and PBS networks and also doesn't carry newscasts. The local Cable TV carrier is Midcontinent Communications.

External links

City of East Grand Forks official website
Northland Community and Technical College website
Grand Forks Herald - regional daily newspaper printed in Grand Forks, ND

Cities in Minnesota | Polk County, Minnesota | Grand Forks-East Grand Forks