Wadena, Minnesota
| Wadena, Minnesota | |
|---|---|
| City | |
|
|
 Location of the city of Wadena within Wadena County, Minnesota |
|
| Coordinates: 46°26′22″N 95°8′14″W / 46.43944°N 95.13722°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Minnesota |
| Counties | Wadena, Otter Tail |
| Area | |
| • Total | 5.38 sq mi (13.93 km2) |
| • Land | 5.38 sq mi (13.93 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,352 ft (412 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 4,088 |
| • Estimate (2013) | 4,133 |
| • Density | 759.9/sq mi (293.4/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 56482 |
| Area code(s) | 218 |
| FIPS code | 27-67504 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0653712 |
| Website | www.wadena.org |
Wadena (/wəˈdiːnə/ wə-DEEN-ə) is a city in Otter Tail and Wadena counties in the State of Minnesota. It is about one hundred sixty miles northwest of the Minneapolis – Saint Paul metro area. The population was 4,088 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Wadena County.
The first permanent settlement at Wadena was made in 1871. The city is named after Chief Wadena, an Ojibwe Indian chief of the late 19th century in northwestern Minnesota. A post office has been in operation at Wadena since 1873. Wadena was incorporated in 1881. Four properties in Wadena are listed on the National Register of Historic Places: the Commercial Hotel built circa 1885, the Wadena Fire and City Hall built in 1912, the Northern Pacific Passenger Depot built in 1915, and the Peterson-Biddick Seed and Feed Company built 1916–1936.
On June 17, 2010, Wadena was hit by an EF-4 tornado that cut a quarter-mile-wide path of destruction through the town. The Wadena tornado was part of the largest single day tornado outbreak in Minnesota state history, 48 tornados were recorded that day. The tornado that struck Wadena was over a mile wide at its peak, packed winds of up to 170 miles per hour, and was on the ground for about 10 miles. At least 232 homes were damaged in the city accounting for roughly 30% of homes in the city. Though no one in the town was killed 34 people were treated for injuries at local hospitals. The Community Center was damaged "beyond repair", and the high school was also severely damaged. Both were later torn down and rebuilt. The city continues to recover with roughly 20 lots abandoned throughout the city. City officials are encouraging rebuilding by offering tax free land incentives. The Wadena Tornado was covered extensively on the December 1, 2010, episode of the Discovery Channel series Storm Chasers.
...
Wikipedia