Hinckley, Minnesota Facts for Kids

Hinckley is a city in Pine County, Minnesota, United States. It is located where Interstate 35 and Minnesota State Highway 48 meet. In 2010, about 1,800 people lived there.

The name Hinckley comes from the Ojibwe language. Gaa-zhiigwanaabikokaag means "the place with many grindstones." This is because the city is located along the Grindstone River. Parts of the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation are also in or near Hinckley.

A very big fire, called the Great Hinckley Fire, happened here on September 1, 1894. More than 400 people lost their lives.

Many people think of Hinckley as the halfway point on Interstate 35. This is between the big cities of Minneapolis–Saint Paul and Duluth.

Exploring Hinckley's Location
- Roads and Rivers in Hinckley
- Fun Places Near Hinckley
Hinckley's Past: A Look Back
- The Great Hinckley Fire
People of Hinckley
- Hinckley's Population in 2010
Learning in Hinckley
Famous People from Hinckley
See also

Exploring Hinckley's Location

Hinckley covers about 3.83 square miles (9.93 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small part being water.

Roads and Rivers in Hinckley

The main roads in Hinckley are Interstate 35 and Minnesota State Highway 23. Highway 23 is also known as Highway 48 (Fire Monument Road) in some parts. Interstate 35 goes north and south, while Highway 48 goes east and west. Pine County 61 also runs through the center of Hinckley.

The city is located along the Grindstone River. The Kettle River is also close by.

Fun Places Near Hinckley

Hinckley is home to Grand Casino Hinckley. This casino is a sister to Grand Casino Mille Lacs. Many people work at the casino, almost as many as live in the city itself!

Camp Nathanael is another place of interest. It is located about 16 miles (26 km) east of Hinckley on Highway 48.

Hinckley's Past: A Look Back

The Hinckley Fire Museum and Hinckley water tower

The Ojibwe were the first people to live in the Hinckley area. They hunted animals and traded furs.

When European settlers arrived, the area was covered in thick forests. These forests had some of the biggest white pine trees in Minnesota. In 1869, the first railroad came to Hinckley. This started a big business of cutting down trees and building more railroads.

Hinckley was first called the Village of Central Station in 1885. It became the City of Hinckley in 1907. Both names came from Hinckley Township. The township was called Central Station by the railroads. This was because it was halfway between the cities of Duluth and Superior, and also between Minneapolis and St. Paul. Hinckley Township was named in 1870 after Isaac Hinckley. He was the president of a railroad company.

By 1894, Hinckley was a busy town. It had everything its people and the growing lumber industry needed.

The Great Hinckley Fire

On September 1, 1894, a huge firestorm destroyed Hinckley and many other towns in northeastern Minnesota. This event is known as the Great Hinckley Fire.

Today, the Hinckley Fire Museum tells the sad story of the fire and how the town recovered. The museum is in a restored railroad station downtown. This station looks exactly like the one that was there before the fire.

After the fire, people cleared the burned tree stumps. The soil was now rich with nutrients. Hinckley began to grow again by farming. People grew potatoes, fruits, and vegetables. There was also a strong dairy industry, with cows producing milk.

Over time, farming became less common in Hinckley. In 1992, the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe opened Grand Casino Hinckley.

People of Hinckley

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1890	618	—
1900	459	−25.7%
1910	673	46.6%
1920	673	0.0%
1930	682	1.3%
1940	873	28.0%
1950	902	3.3%
1960	851	−5.7%
1970	885	4.0%
1980	963	8.8%
1990	946	−1.8%
2000	1,291	36.5%
2010	1,800	39.4%
2020	1,904	5.8%
U.S. Decennial Census

Hinckley's Population in 2010

In 2010, there were 1,800 people living in Hinckley. There were 736 households and 409 families. The city had about 476 people per square mile.

About 33% of households had children under 18 living with them. About 31% were married couples. The average household had 2.44 people, and the average family had 3.05 people.

The average age of people in the city was 32.5 years old. About 28% of residents were under 18. About 14.5% were 65 years old or older. The population was almost evenly split between males (48.5%) and females (51.5%).

Learning in Hinckley

Hinckley is part of the Hinckley-Finlayson Public Schools district. This school district was created in 1994. It joined the Hinckley and Finlayson school districts together.

Famous People from Hinckley

Here are some people who were either born in Hinckley or lived there:

Boston Corbett — known for his role in the capture of Abraham Lincoln's assassin.

Hinckley, Minnesota facts for kids

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