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ItascaWeb.com Guide to Bena, Minnesota
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| City of Bena |
2004 (estimated) |
2000 |
1990 |
1980 |
1970 |
Change 1990-2000 |
| Population | 112 | 110 | 147 | 153 | 169 | -25.2% |
| Households | 53 | 48 | 52 | 53 | n/a | n/a |
| Median household income | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
History:
Bena, a city adjoining the most southern bay of Lake Winnibigoshish, in T. 145N, R. 28W, sections 26, 27, and 34, on the Leech Lake Reservation; incorporated as a village on November 14, 1906. It had a station of the Great Northern Railway in section 27, and its post office was established in 1898, with Ernest Flemming, owner of the hotel and dealer in general merchandise and heavy hauling, as postmaster. Its name is the Ojibwe word meaning "a partridge," spelled binT in Frederic Baraga's Dictionary of the Ojibway Language. This game bird species, formerly common throughout the wooded region of this state, is the ruffed grouse, called the "partridge" in New England and in Minnesota, but less correctly known as the "pheasant" in the middle and southern states. Henry W. Longfellow used this word in his Song of Hiawatha: "Heard the pheasant, Bena, drumming."
Courtesy of the Minnesota Historical Society
HERE THE PARTRIDGE FINDS A REFUGE
Bena (1,311 alt., 319 pop.), on the south shore of Winnibigoshish Lake, in the heart of the Chippewa National Forest and on an Indian reservation (see Cass Lake). Its name is a Chippewa word meaning "partridge." For centuries, Indians have lived between Leech and Winnibigoshish lakes, a region celebrated for its fishing and hunting. During the era of early fur trading, a number of posts were established in the area. When lumbermen began after 1850 to log off the surrounding pine, there is supposed to have been a settlement of some kind at the site of Bena. In 1890, the foreman of a lumber camp settled here, and the first store was opened 1898.
Loggers and devastating fires depleted the wooded areas. In 1902, the Minnesota National Forest, now the Chippewa National Forest, was established to protect the remaining stands of virgin timber, and with the reforestation project the small settlement grew. The Bena Townsite Company platted and incorporated the village in 1910. Development has been slow, since there is no basic industry and the population is predominantly Indian. Farming has developed to some extent. The soil is suitable for raising potatoes and other root crops. Logging is carried on only under the supervision of the United States Forest Service.
Bena, an entrance to a vast lake and wilderness region, is an outfitting point for tourists and fisherman. Winnibigoshish, its name Chippewa for "miserable wretched dirty water", is one of the largest lakes in Minnesota and offers excellent fishing. Good roads lead from Bena to the many near-by resorts.
The WPA Guide to the Minnesota Arrowhead Country, 1941
| Winnibigoshish Historical Center |
1510 US Highway 2 NE Bena, MN 56626 |
(218) 665-2585 |
Courtesy Minnesota Historical
Society
Government:
| Bena City Hall | Bena, MN 56626 | (218) 665-2261 |
Map:
Courtesy of
Google Maps - Click Map to Enlarge or Zoom
Bena is part of Cass Lake - Bena Independent School District #115. Students are bussed to Cass Lake.
Every child is important at Cass Lake - Bena Elementary School. Teach staff have individual classroom plans that recognize positive student contributions and behavior. As a school, we also provide many opportunities where students can be recognized and rewarded for positive contributions and behavior.
| Bug O Nay Ge Shig School | 15353 Silver Eagle Drive
NW Bena, MN 56626 |
(218)
335-3000 (800) 265-5576 |
| The Bug O Nay Ge Shig School was founded in 1975 in Cass Lake, Minnesota as an alternative school to serve 35 Ojibwe students from Leech Lake Reservation. The school was started in response to parents' concerns that public schools were not meeting the students academic and cultural needs. The school was named in honor of Bug O Nay Ge Shig, a local Ojibwe who lived in that area at the turn of the century. Since that time, the school has transformed its role into a magnet school which serves Native American students living on or near Leech Lake Reservation. After 25 years, the Bug O Nay Ge Shig now Serves more than 200 of various tribal backgrounds. It is operated by the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe and governed by the Bug O Nay Ge Shig School board. It is located in the Chippewa National Forest in North central Minnesota and is now a K-12 school that provides open enrollment. | ||
Churches:
| Bena Alliance Church | 121 State Highway 8 Bena, MN 56626 |
(218) 665-2344 |
| St. Anne's Catholic Church | Bena, MN 56626 | N/A |
Businesses:
| Becker's Resort | 17048 Wild Rice Drive
NW Bena, MN 56626 |
(218) 665-2268 |
| Lake Winnibigoshish is the fourth largest lake in Minnesota, noted for its excellent walleye, northern & perch fishing. The state record Muskie has been taken out of Winnibigoshish. The uninhibited shoreline is beautifully wooded with pine, birch, oak, and maple trees. There is deer, duck and grouse hunting in seasons. Resident and non-resident fishing licenses are available on site. We also offer a full line of tackle, outboard motors, gas, boat & pontoon rentals, excellent fish cleaning facilities (fish cleaning available), freezer service, and ice. Our ultra modern, four season cabins have 2 or 3 bedrooms and are fully furnished. They include built-in ranges and ovens, microwaves, refrigerators, color television, dishes, and cooking utensils. Bed linens are provided, but guests are asked to furnish their own towels. Cabins are clean and attractive with comfortable furniture and stand at the edge of the Mississippi River where they command a picturesque view and receive every cooling breeze. Cabins are well spaced for privacy. | ||
| Bena City Hall | Bena, MN 56626 | (218) 665-2261 |
| Big Fish |
456 US Highway 2 NE Bena, MN 56626 |
(218) 665-2333 |
| The Big Fish Supper Club is on Hwy. 2 just outside of Bena, Minnesota, about halfway between Bemidji and Grand Rapids. The restaurant itself is in a normal building beside the fish. At one point, there was a hamburger stand inside the fish's belly, but that's long since been closed. Now it's just a roadside oddity. Fun tip: you can stand inside the mouth and pose for a picture. They only put the teeth in during the summer, though. | ||
| Big Winnie Bar | Bena, MN 56626 | (218) 665-2265 |
| Big Winnie Trading Post | 1526 US Highway 2 NE Bena, MN 56626 |
(218) 665-2565 |
| Big Winnie Cafe | 122 State Highway
8 Bena, MN 56626 |
(218) 665-2377 |
| Chain of Lakes Cabins |
2290 US Highway 2
NW Bena, MN 56626 |
(218) 665-2217 |
| Cherney's Resort | 13887 6 Mile Lake Road
NE Bena, MN 56626 |
(218) 665-2271 |
| Denny's Resort | PO Box 8 Bena, MN 56626 |
(218) 665-2222 (888) 665-2298 |
 Denny's
Resort is a thirteen acre, year around resort located conveniently
in the Chippewa National Forest where you can see native wildlife
such as the American Bald Eagle, deer. ducks and occasionally bears
(oh, and fish too).Enjoy a scenic ride by car, boat, bike or even hike to absorb the spectacular summer days or nights and the other beautifully colored seasonal settings. These are a few things you can start your vacation with in the "Northwoods" of Minnesota on or beside our 60,000 acre lake! |
||
| Four Seasons Resort | 952 River Drive NW
Bena, MN 56626 |
(218) 665-2231 (800) 525-0457 |
 We
offer the best of the river, the best of the lake, and the best
vacation you can take! Our accommodations include modern, fully
furnished housekeeping units plus a campground with complete hookups
designed for your convenience. For those desiring a vacation from
cooking, we also have complete dining facilities. We have
everything the fisherman needs: tackle, live bait, licenses, gas,
oil, boat and motor rental, a concrete boat ramp for ease in launching
your boat, covered docks, a lighted, screen fish cleaning house,
and a guide service - all you have to do is catch the fish ! See
Rates for more information and packages. |
||
|
Iowana Beach Resort Email: vacation@iowanabeach.com |
14877 Iowana Beach Road
NW Bena, MN 56626 |
(218)
665-2311 (877) 665-2311 |
| Iowana Beach Resort is nestled into the Chippewa National Forest on the shores of beautiful Portage Lake in Northern Minnesota, midway between Grand Rapids and Bemidji Minnesota. With only two resorts on the lake and little residential development here, guests find a relaxing atmosphere in which to enjoy nature. Iowana Beach Resort is an angler's paradise offering excellent fishing on Portage Lake as well as close proximity to world-class fisheries like Lake Winnibigoshish and Leech Lake. | ||
| Johnson Lumber Co | 15149 W Winnie Road
NE Bena, MN 56626 |
(218) 665-2368 |
| Lake Country Communications | Bena, MN 56626 | (218) 665-2579 |
 |
||
|
McArdles
Resort |
1014 W Winnie Road NW Bena, Minnesota 56626 |
(218) 665-2212 (800) 535-2398 |
 We
are located on the mouth of the Mississippi River entering Lake
Winnibigoshish. From our natural harbor you can travel mile
after mile and view Lake Winnie's virgin shoreline. Lake Winnibigoshish
is one of the finest Walleye, Perch and Northern Pike lakes in the
state. This lake is a great producer of fish. As a general rule,
the best time to fish is: Walleye - May to the first week in July
and Mid August until freeze up. Northern Pike - July through October.
Large Perch bite well all year! During the summer, on our well kept
grounds, you will find the heated swimming pool for our registered
guests. Also overlooking the waters edge is our dining room with
reservations served at designated hours. Snowmobilers can enjoy
miles of groomed trails in Minnesota wilderness while the ice fisherman
and his family can enjoy catching Lake Winnie's famous perch |
||
| New Leech Lake Campground | 12962 Sunset Beach Road
NW Bena, MN 56626 |
(218) 654-3785 |
| Nodak Lodge | 15080 Nodak Drive Bena, MN 56626 |
(218)
665-2226 (800) 752-2758 |
 Nodak
Lodge is located on Lake Winnibigoshish in the heart of the Chippewa
National Forest in northern Minnesota. A visit to our resort
puts you on over 58,000 acres of prime fishing water and in the
center of 660,000 acres of national forest waiting for you to explore!
We are a full service resort open year round ready to help you meet
all your recreation needs whether it be fishing, hunting or simply
a long overdue family get-a-way! If you are looking for a
place to relax, a new fishing or hunting spot, or would like to
introduce the family to the beautiful Minnesota north woods, we
can help make your trip a comfortable one with memories to last
a lifetime. |
||
| Northstar Resort |
584 Northstar Drive
NE Bena, MN 56626 |
(218) 654-3330 |
| Safari Imports | 987 River Drive NW Bena, MN 56626 |
(218) 665-2224 |
| Sunset Beach Resort | 14703 Portage Road NE Bena, MN 56626 |
(218) 665-2324 |
| Portage Lake is a 60' deep, 1500 acre lake located in the heart of the Chippewa National Forest. You won't find the lake crowded with other people or a lot of boats. There are just two resorts and 12 private homes on its 7.5 miles of shoreline. It is about 4 miles from your cottage door to two of Minnesota's largest lakes - Winnibigoshish and Leech Lakes. If you so desire, we will make arrangements for you to take a guided launch trip there. You won't need a guide to catch fish on Portage Lake, as we have the correct bait and the right tackle and information and will send you in the right direction. Portage Lake is occasionally stocked with northern pike, and the DNR stocks it with walleyes on a regular basis - over 10 million in the last 5 years. You will also catch crappies, perch and largemouth bass. | ||
| Winnibigoshish Historical Center |
1510 US Highway 2
NE Bena, MN 56626 |
(218) 665-2585 |
 Lake
Winnibigoshish Water Level Data
US Army Corp of Engineers hydrologic data, Lake
Winnibigoshish Dam near Bena, MN. |
Aerial photo courtesy of the
Department of Natural Resources Landview
Topographical Map: [click photo to enlarge, zoom in or zoom out]
Topographic photo is courtesy of
Microsoft's Terra Server
and the US Geological Survey
