City of North Branch
North Branch is a city in Chisago County, Minnesota, United States, at the junction of Interstate 35 and Minnesota State Highway 95. The population was 10,125 at the 2010 census. It is named for the north branch of the Sunrise River, which flows through the city.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 36.04 square miles (93.34 km2), of which, 35.60 square miles (92.20 km2) is land and 0.44 square miles (1.14 km2) is water.
History
North Branch became a township in 1861, and incorporated in 1881. In 1901 North Branch split into a village covering the more densely populated downtown area and a township covering the rest of the former village. The township later incorporated as the village of Branch in 1961. The two cities talked about a potential merger for years, beginning in the late 1970s. The first public referendum on the issue was held in 1984, and failed. A second referendum was held on September 13, 1994, and passed. The two cities officially merged on November 14, 1994.
Notable people
- William J. Duffy – (1916–2013), jurist and legislator. Duffy served in the Wisconsin State Assembly 1949–1950, and was elected a Wisconsin Circuit Court judge for Brown County, Wisconsin serving until his retirement in 1992. Born in North Branch.
- Janet Johnson – Minnesota state senator
- Mark Koran – member of the Minnesota Senate
- Jon Lucivansky – NFL official 2009-2018
- Doug Mahnke – comic book writer
- Anne Neu – member of the Minnesota House of Representatives
- Rick Olseen – former member of the Minnesota Senate
- Matt Patrick, producer
- Becky Pearson – one-time LPGA Tour winning golfer and two-time winner of the Minnesota Junior Girls State Championship.
- Lee Quillen – former professional baseball player for Chicago White Sox
- Richard Warren Sears – telegraph operator and founder of Sears, Roebuck and Company
- Maynard W. Tollberg – sailor
In fiction
North Branch is the hometown of the character Tulip Olsen in the Cartoon Network animated show Infinity Train.
References:
“North Branch, Minnesota” │ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Branch,_Minnesota