Rainy River, Ontario

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The Canadian town of Rainy River is situated on the Ontario-Minnesota border, along the Rainy River opposite Baudette, Minnesota, USA and southeast of the Lake of the Woods along Highway 11. It has a population of 1000.

Incorporated as the town of Rainy River in 1904, the actual community was first formed around 1898 by a group of lumbermen for the Beaver Mills Lumber Company. The small village took the name Beaver Mills until it was incorporated as a town, at which point it took its new name from the river on whose shores they had settled.

The town grew rapidly because of the thriving lumber industry, and bolstered by the Canadian National Railway route through the town. However, in 1910, a forest fire originating in northern Minnesota swept north and destroyed most of the town. The mill industry relocated as a result, contributing to a drop in population from more than 4500 people to its current 1000. However, due to the railroad and the growing hunting/fishing tourism industry, the town remained established.