Makinen is an unincorporated community

Unincorporated area

In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...

 in St. Louis County

St. Louis County, Minnesota

St. Louis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 200,226. Its county seat is Duluth. It is the largest county by total area in Minnesota, and the second largest in the United States east of the Mississippi River; in land area alone, after Aroostook...

, Minnesota

Minnesota

Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...

, USA

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

.

The community is located southeast of the city of Virginia

Virginia, Minnesota

As of the census of 2000, there were 9,157 people, 4,333 households, and 2,270 families residing in the city. The population density was 486.1 people per square mile . There were 4,692 housing units at an average density of 249.1 per square mile...

 on County Road 16.

U.S. Highway 53

U.S. Route 53

U.S. Route 53 is a north–south U.S. highway that runs for 403 miles from La Crosse, Wisconsin to northern Minnesota. It is the primary north–south route in northwestern Wisconsin, serving as a vital link between I-94 at Eau Claire, Wisconsin and the city of Duluth, Minnesota...

 is nearby.

Geography

Makinen is located at 47.3572°N 92.3675°W.

The center of town is located at the intersection of Wilson Road and Long Lake Road. The Makinen Post Office (ZIP code

ZIP Code

ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...

 55763), Makinen Community Center, and the Makinen Market are in this vicinity.

Markham

Markham, Minnesota

Markham is an unincorporated community in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States.The community is located between Biwabik and Duluth on Vermilion Trail .Markham is located within Colvin Township.-Notes:...

 and Palo

Palo, Minnesota

Palo is an unincorporated community in St. Louis County, Minnesota, United States.The community is located south of the city of Aurora on County Road 100 at Bodas Road.Vermilion Trail/County Road 4 and County Road 16 are nearby....

 are other nearby communities, from which some residents obtain mail service from Makinen.

County Road 16 takes a northern jog near the center of Makinen. This section of County Road 16 underwent re-construction and re-routing from 2006 to 2008. The former "corner" intersection has been rounded out so travelers on Couinty Road 16 no longer have to slow down as much.

Demographics

According to the U.S. Census Bureau FactFinder website, the population of Makinen in 2000 was 591 people. This appears to represent the U.S. Census Tract area [ZCTA], and not the actual ZIP Code area.

Demographics for Makinen are available at www.geoselector.com.

Education

Most students in grades K through twelve attend classes either in nearby Cotton

Cotton, Minnesota

Cotton is an unincorporated community in Cotton Township, Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States.The community is located 36 miles northwest of the city of Duluth at the junction of U.S. Highway 53 and County Road 52...

 or Aurora

Aurora, Minnesota

Aurora is a city in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,682 at the 2010 census.State Highway 135, County Highway 100, and County Highway 110 are three of the main arterial routes in the community.-Geography:...

. Other nearby communities include Eveleth

Eveleth, Minnesota

As of the census of 2000, there were 3,865 people, 1,717 households, and 971 families residing in the city. The population density was 611.0 people per square mile . There were 1,965 housing units at an average density of 310.6 per square mile...

, Gilbert

Gilbert, Minnesota

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,847 people, 842 households, and 495 families residing in the city. The population density was 156.7 people per square mile . There were 900 housing units at an average density of 76.3 per square mile...

, Biwabik

Biwabik, Minnesota

Biwabik is a city in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 969 at the 2010 census.Minnesota State Highway 135 and Vermilion Trail are two of the main routes in the city....

, Hibbing

Hibbing, Minnesota

Hibbing is a city in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 16,361 at the 2010 census. The city was built on the rich iron ore of the Mesabi Iron Range. At the edge of town is the largest open-pit iron mine in the world. U.S...

, and Virginia

Virginia, Minnesota

As of the census of 2000, there were 9,157 people, 4,333 households, and 2,270 families residing in the city. The population density was 486.1 people per square mile . There were 4,692 housing units at an average density of 249.1 per square mile...

.

History

Finnish farming developed next in the region to the west of McDavitt, in the townships of Lavell and Cherry. The most important Finnish clusters developed in Cherry (Alavus), Corbin, Forbes, Makinen and St. Louis River, while lesser numbers of Finns were scattered throughout the whole region. The village called Makinen got its name from John Makinen who, together with John Kovaniemi, kept a store and post office there from 1905 on.

According to several current residents, Makinen was founded in 1900 by John Makinen. The former name of the area was Corbin, however this name was not available to be used when the town was founded.

Makinen held a "Diamond Jubilee" celebration in 1975, and a Centennial celebration in 2000.

A historic Finnish pioneer farm is located in southeastern Makinen, once owned by Eli Wirtanen.

The Makinen Volunteer Fire Department moved from the lower level of the Makinen Community Center to the building that formerly housed Makinen Elementary School (#79).