Bemidji Woolen Mills

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Bemidji Woolen Mills is a retail store and clothing manufacturer in Bemidji, Minnesota. The company sells clothing and other items geared toward the outdoor living in the north. In addition to their own products, they carry hundreds of items from more than 35 other manufacturers.

Bemidji, Minnesota City in Minnesota, United States

Bemidji is a city in Beltrami County, in north west Minnesota, United States. According to the 2012–2016 American Community Survey 5-year estimates, the United States Census Bureau estimates the total population of Bemidji as of 2016 to be 14,664, making it the largest commercial center between Grand Forks, North Dakota and Duluth, Minnesota. Bemidji houses many Native American services, including the Indian Health Service. The city is the central hub of the Red Lake Indian Reservation, White Earth Indian Reservation and the Leech Lake Indian Reservation. Bemidji lies on the south west shore of Lake Bemidji, the northernmost lake feeding the Mississippi River and as such is deemed "The First City On The Mississippi." Bemidji is also the self-proclaimed "curling capital" of the U.S. and alleged birthplace of Paul Bunyan.

Contents

The Bemidji Woolen Mills store is located in downtown Bemidji, Minnesota and the manufacturing plant, also in Bemidji, at an industrial park south of town. The company gained some notoriety as the supplier of 2012 Republican primary candidate Rick Santorum's sweater vests. [1]

Rick Santorum American politician

Richard John Santorum is an American politician, attorney, author, and political commentator. A member of the Republican Party, he served as a United States Senator from Pennsylvania from 1995 to 2007 and was the Senate's third-ranking Republican from 2001 to 2007. Santorum ran for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, finishing second to Mitt Romney.

Sweater vest sleeveless knit pullover

A sweater vest is an item of knitwear that is similar to a sweater, but without sleeves, usually with a low-cut neckline. They were popular in the 20th century, particularly in the 1970s in the UK, and are again growing in popularity in this century.

History

First generation American father and son, Ira P. Batchelder and Ira H. Batchelder, set out to produce the outdoor woolen apparel for the logging industry and created Bemidji Woolen Mills in 1920. The original target area was northern Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Minnesota State of the United States of America

Minnesota is a state in the Upper Midwest and northern regions of the United States. Minnesota was admitted as the 32nd U.S. state on May 11, 1858, created from the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory. The state has a large number of lakes, and is known by the slogan the "Land of 10,000 Lakes". Its official motto is L'Étoile du Nord.

Wisconsin A north-central state of the United States of America

Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States, in the Midwest and Great Lakes regions. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin is the 23rd largest state by total area and the 20th most populous. The state capital is Madison, and its largest city is Milwaukee, which is located on the western shore of Lake Michigan. The state is divided into 72 counties.

Today

After almost 90 years in business, Bemidji Woolen Mills continues to manufacture woolen apparel for the outdoor industry. In addition to the large store in downtown Bemidji, their large sewing and manufacturing facility is also located in Bemidji, south of town in the industrial park.

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