Morse Township is a township in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,213 at the 2010 census. State Highways 1 and 169 are two of the main routes in the township. Other routes include Saint Louis County Road 88, County Road 116, and County Road 21. The unincorporated communities of Burntside and Robinson are located within Morse Township. The city ofEly is located within Morse Township geographically but is a separate entity. The city of Winton is located within the township geographically but is a separate entity. Winton is located at the northeast edge of Morse Township.
History
Morse Township was named for J. C. Morse, a businessperson in the mining industry.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of ; is land and, or 16.29%, is water. The Burntside River flows through the west–central portion of Morse Township. The Dead River briefly flows through the north–central part of the township. The Shagawa River flows through the east–central part of the township. The Bear Island River flows through the southeast portion of the township. The Beaver River flows through the southwest part of the township. Creeks that flow through the township include Armstrong, Crab, Longstorff, and Johnson. Burntside Lake and Shagawa Lake are both located within the northern portion of Morse Township. White Iron Lake is partially located within the township. Part of Morse Township is located within the Superior National Forest. The southern 1/2 portion of the township is located within the Bear Island State Forest. Part of the township is also located within the Burntside State Forest. The northwest corner of Morse Township is located within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,229 people, 543 households, and 363 families residing in the township. The population density was 10.6 people per square mile. There were 1,117 housing units at an average density of 9.7/sq mi. The racial makeup of the township was 97.23% White, 0.08% African American, 0.81% Native American, 0.08% Asian, 0.24% from other races, and 1.55% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.14% of the population. There were 543 households out of which 24.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.5% were married couplesliving together, 2.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.1% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.79. In the township the population was spread out with 19.9% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 22.1% from 25 to 44, 34.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 114.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110.7 males. The median income for a household in the township was $36,944, and the median income for a family was $50,417. Males had a median income of $39,896 versus $29,688 for females. The per capita income for the township was $21,503. About 3.4% of families and 4.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.0% of those under age 18 and 3.6% of those age 65 or over.
