Guide to Newfolden Minnesota

Newfolden (city)	1970	1980	1990	2000	2010	2000-2010 Change
Newfolden (city)	1970	1980	1990	2000	2010	Actual	Percent
Population	390	384	345	362	368	+6	+1.66
Land Area (sq. mile)	1.00	0.93	0.89	0.89	0.89	0	0.00
Density (persons per sq. mile)	390.0	412.9	387.6	404.9	413.5	+8.6	+1.66
Housing Units	148	174	171	176	176	0	0.00
Households	--	161	155	160	156	-4	-2.50
Persons Per Household	--	2.39	2.23	2.26	2.36	+0.10	+4.42

Newfolden is a city in Marshall County, Minnesota, along the Middle River. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.89 square miles (2.31 km2), all of it land. The elevation is 1,096 ft (334 m) above sea level.

As of the census of 2010, there were 368 people, 156 households, and 94 families residing in the city. The population density was 413.5 inhabitants per square mile (159.7/km2). There were 176 housing units at an average density of 197.8 per square mile (76.4/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 97.0% White, 0.3% African American, 2.2% Native American, and 0.5% from two or more races.

There were 156 households of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.4% were married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.7% were non-families. 35.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 3.00.

The median age in the city was 33.8 years. 29.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 29% were from 25 to 44; 19.5% were from 45 to 64; and 15.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.2% male and 50.8% female.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

When the Soo Line Railroad decided to purchase land in a wooded area along the Middle River in 1903 for the establishment of a station and village, the decision provoked a bit of controversy among settlers who thought the station should be located in their little village of New Folden located two miles south - the settlement was in the center of New Folden township, had a post office and store and was popular meeting place for area residents.

The river and woods of the new site did, however, provide a more attractive spot for a village, and because the future townsite had been too wet for farming, the Soo Line could purchase it cheaply.

The Soo Line officially named most of its town sites and decided to name the new village "Baltic" in honor of the Baltic Elevators which were built along the Soo Line. The "foreign" name, however, was unacceptable to the Scandinavian community. Moving the post office to the new site, the village was named Newfolden - a shortened version of the often misspelled New Folden.

In 1904, the Soo Line purchased the swampy 160-acre homestead of Olaus (Oliver) Larson for $4,800. The purchase of an additional forty acres from Lewis Ekman was enough to complete the planned townsite.

In 1905, a Soo Line advertisement for the new town of Newfolden boasted a population of 180 and a number of businesses - a milling company, three merchandise stores, a lumber company, a livestock shipper, an implement dealer, two hotels, a restaurant, a "hard and soft drinks" establishment, a grist mill, a drug, confectionary and tobacco store and a bank.

Some of the new businessmen in Newfolden were outsiders, but many were area farmers who saw a business opportunity and took advantage of it. Within a year, the second Soo station north of Thief River Falls was surrounded by a thriving village. After the initial boom, the little community of Newfolden experienced a more gradual expansion.

Today's Newfolden has a population of approximately 345 people, and a number of businesses line its streets - gas stations, a hardware store, bar, cafe, a roofing company, grocery store, an insurance agency, bank, car wash and others. An elevator stands beside the railroad tracks. Several governmental offices are located within the city.

At the heart of the community is a Community Center which houses City offices and is attached to the fire hall of the volunteer fire department. Several churches, an elementary school, a new high school and streets lined with homes complete Newfolden's scenic picture.

Calling itself the "Rolling Pin Capital of Minnesota," Newfolden is home of the Lokstad rolling pin.

NEWFOLDEN, a city in New Folden Township, was incorporated as a village on February 8, 1916; it was first settled in 1882 but not developed until the Soo Line came in 1904. The city was originally named Baltic by the Soo Line for the numerous Baltic elevators along the line; however, residents requested the name be the same as their post office, and the name Baltic was given to another community in the township in 1884 and changed to Newfolden in 1896; another site of this name, located two miles south, had developed in 1886 with several stores and disappeared almost overnight when the railroad platted the "new" Newfolden in 1904. The post office began as Humboldt and operated 1884-96 in section 14 of New Solum Township, first located on postmaster Ole Olson Lie's farm in New Folden Township; the name was changed to Newfolden in 1896, and the post office moved to Oyve B. Bakke's store, at which time he became postmaster.

Courtesy Minnesota Historical Society

Street scene, Newfolden Minnesota, 1950s
LakesnWoods.com Postcard and Postcard Image Collection - click to enlarge

Visit The Newfolden Photo Gallery for more recent and historic area photos

Newfolden City Hall 145 E 1st Street PO Box 188 Newfolden, MN 56738 Phone: (218) 874-7135 Fax: (218) 874-7136 Regular Business Hours: Monday - Friday 8:30 am - 1:00 pm City Council Meetings: 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month at 7:00 pm
Title	Term Ends	Name and Address	Phone
Mayor	12/31/2022	Lori Warne 255 Holmaas Avenue Newfolden, MN 56738	(218) 874-8691
City Administrator	appointed	Tammy Hansen 145 E 1st Street Newfolden, MN 56738	(218) 874-7135 (218) 686-1180
Council Member	12/31/2022	Darin Jacobson 625 E 1st Street Newfolden, MN 56738	(218) 874-2884
Council Member	12/31/2022	Melissa Bjorgaard 102 E 6th Street Newfolden, MN 56738	(218) 874-2021
Council Member	12/31/2024	Mark Augustine 508 Brekke Avenue Newfolden, MN 56738	(218) 874-3033
Council Member	12/31/2024	Adam Gast 258 Carrol Avenue Newfolden, MN 56738	(218) 686-4991

US Post Office
120 S Main Street
Newfolden, MN 56738-9998
Phone: (218) 874-4155
Toll Free: (800) ASK-USPS

Regular Business Hours:
Week Days       8:00 am - 11:30 am
                        12:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Saturday           9:00 am - 10:00 am

Utility Type	Utility Name	Utility Phone
Electricity	City of Newfolden (city)	(218) 874-7135
Electricity	Red Lake Electric Co-op (rural)	(218) 253-2168
Natural Gas	n/a	n/a
Wastewater	City of Newfolden	(218) 874-7135
Water	City of Newfolden	(218) 874-7135
Telephone	Wikstrom Telephone Company	(218) 436-2121
Cable TV	n/a	n/a

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Newfolden Minnesota Community Guide