Floodwood, Minnesota

1,770 miles

Floodwood Winter,
by Christine Bass

March 16 –The village of Floodwood started as a logging center, then it became a center for dairy farms.  In Floodwood, as in the surrounding counties, the workers were strong proponents of co-operative economics.   There was a farmers’ cooperative which bought and sold their products collectively, at wholesale prices, through the society.  

Floodwood Creamery Cooperative, 1948

 The Floodwood Creamery Cooperative was organized by dairy farmers in 1911.  During the 1930s, this tendency toward cooperative economics led the county to be a major stronghold of the Farmer-Labor Party, which aimed to create a cooperative commonwealth in Minnesota.  This party then merged with the Democrats to become the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party.  In the mid-20^th century, Floodwood supported the creamery cooperative, another farmers' cooperative, and a credit union.  Today all that remains of the cooperative past in Floodwood is the credit union.

Today Floodwood has about 528 residents.  It’s described as a bedroom community, since many of its workers commute to larger towns in the area, even to Duluth, which is nearly 50 miles away.  

The town of Floodwood has been luring summer visitors by creating an annual Catfish Days festival, and then naming itself "The Catfish Capital of the World", although numerous other towns also claim that title.

Floodwood Winter, by Christine Bass:  http://cbassart.com/works/723913/floodwood-winter

Floodwood Creamery Cooperative info:  https://libarchive.d.umn.edu/?p=creators/creator&id=410

Floodwood Creamery Cooperative image:  http://www.lakesnwoods.com/FloodwoodGallery.htm

catfish image:  http://www.honeybadgerbikerblog.com/?p=411