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Bena
Big Winnie General Store
Big Winnie General Store
Location of Benawithin Cass County, Minnesota
Location of Bena
within Cass County, Minnesota
Country United States
State Minnesota
County Cass
Area
 • Total 0.51 sq mi (1.32 km2)
 • Land 0.51 sq mi (1.31 km2)
 • Water 0.01 sq mi (0.01 km2)
Elevation
1,309 ft (399 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 143
 • Density 283.17/sq mi (109.33/km2)
Time zone UTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
56626
Area code(s) 218
FIPS code 27-05104
GNIS feature ID 2394131

Bena (/ˈbnə/ BEE-nə) is a city in Cass County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 143 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Brainerd Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Big Fish Supper Club & Resort
The Big Fish and the Big Fish Supper Club

A post office called Bena has been in operation since 1898. Bena is a type of bird mentioned in the poem The Song of Hiawatha. The Ojibwe word bina' is the word for partridge, a very common bird in this area.

Both the Big Fish Supper Club and the National Register of Historic Places listed Big Winnie General Store are landmarks associated with the city of Bena.

From 1901-1911, the Bena Boarding School, an American Indian residential school, operated in Bena. Hundreds of Native American students were brought to the school.

Late in World War II, a logging camp manned by prisoners of war was located at the site of an old CCC camp near Bena. Two German POWs escaped from the camp in 1944 for a short period.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.50 square miles (1.29 km2), all land. Bena is located along U.S. Highway 2 and Cass County Road 8.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1910 179
1920 205 14.5%
1930 145 −29.3%
1940 319 120.0%
1950 331 3.8%
1960 286 −13.6%
1970 169 −40.9%
1980 153 −9.5%
1990 147 −3.9%
2000 110 −25.2%
2010 116 5.5%
2020 143 23.3%
U.S. Decennial Census

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 116 people, 43 households, and 24 families living in the city. The population density was 232.0 inhabitants per square mile (89.6/km2). There were 60 housing units at an average density of 120.0 per square mile (46.3/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 19.8% White, 69.0% Native American, and 11.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.9% of the population.

There were 43 households, of which 37.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 18.6% were married couples living together, 20.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 16.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 44.2% were non-families. 41.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.79.

The median age in the city was 30.5 years. 32.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.5% were from 25 to 44; 23.3% were from 45 to 64; and 12.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.3% male and 51.7% female.

Education

It is in the Cass Lake-Bena Schools district.

The tribal K-12 school Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig School has a Bena address but is not in the city limits.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Bena (Minnesota) para niños

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