Thief River Falls

Lore & Background

Thief River Falls marked the limit of navigation on the Red Lake River. The eponymous town site was established in 1887 and later incorporated as a city in 1896. In the Treaty of Old Crossing of 1863, the Moose Dung's Indian Reservation was established on the west bank of the Thief River, at its confluence with Red Lake River. This Indian Reservation was dissolved in 1904 and their population incorporated as part of the Red Lake Band of Chippewa. The city is located at the confluence of the Red Lake and Thief rivers. U.S. Highway 59 and Minnesota State Highways 1 and 32 are the three main routes in the community. Thief River Falls is located approximately 70 miles south of the Canada–United States border and 52 miles northeast of Grand Forks, North Dakota, in the northwest region of Minnesota. The city has a humid continental climate (Dwb) with warm to hot summers and cold to severely cold winters.

Reader's Guide

Thief River Falls is situated on the junction of two rivers, Red Lake River from the east-southeast and the Thief River from the north. The proximity to forests and shipping made Thief River Falls ideal for logging. In the late 19th century the Great Northern Railway was built, and in 1904, the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railway (“Soo Line”) passed through on its route from Saint Paul to Winnipeg. Branches were later built to Drake, North Dakota, and Duluth, Minnesota. The Minnesota Northwestern Electric Railway, an electric-powered passenger train, ran from Thief River Falls to Goodridge between 1914 and 1940. Today, Canadian Pacific Railway and Minnesota Northern Railroad occupy tracks through town. Soo Line engine 1024 rests outside city hall (formerly the Soo Line Depot). Thief River Falls is home to Thief River Falls Public Schools, operating a high school (Lincoln High School), middle school (Franklin Middle School), and elementary school (Challenger Elementary School). Benefactor Ralph Engelstad, who was raised in Thief River Falls, built an $11.5 million hockey arena for the high school hockey team, called Ralph Engelstad Arena.

Did You Know?

• Arctic Cat was originally founded as Polar Manufacturing in Thief River Falls in 1960 by Edgar Hetteen, who had previously founded Polaris Industries.
• Digi-Key Electronics started in 1972 when Dr. Ronald A. Stordahl assembled and sold digital electronic keyer kits to ham radio operators.
• Steiger Tractors were invented by Douglas and Maurice Steiger from Thief River Falls, who built their first tractor in the winter of 1957–58.