Thomson Township, Carlton County, Minnesota

Esko is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Thomson Township, Carlton County, Minnesota, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 2,082.The community is between Cloquet and Duluth at the junction of Interstate 35 and County Road 1 (Thomson Road). Esko is six miles east of Cloquet and 16 miles southwest of Duluth. Carlton County Road 61 serves as a main route in the community. Most Esko residents are descendants of Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish immigrants who settled the area during the early 20th century. The nearby community of Thomson also has a large Scandinavian presence. Most students in kindergarten through 12th grade attend classes at Winterquist Elementary School and Lincoln High School of Esko. Esko is well known for its successful high school sports teams.

Harney is an unincorporated community in Thomson Township, Carlton County, Minnesota, United States. It lies between Cloquet and Duluth. Harney is located 6 miles east (northeast) of the city of Cloquet; and 15 miles southwest of the city of Duluth. North Cloquet Road, Marks Road, and Harney Road are three of the main routes in Harney. Canosia Road and Carlton County Road 61 are nearby. The community of Esko is adjacent to Harney.

The Midway River is an 18.8-mile-long (30.3 km) river located in southern Saint Louis County and northeast Carlton County, Minnesota, United States. It is a tributary of the Saint Louis River and flows northeast to southwest. The Midway River rises in the central part of Hermantown, then flows through Midway Township and Thomson Township, before flowing into the Saint Louis River southeast of Cloquet. Midway River was named from the fact it lies at the midpoint between Fond du Lac and a series of falls on the St. Louis River.

Thomson was a city in Carlton County, Minnesota, United States, located along the Saint Louis River. The population was 159 at the 2010 census.On November 5, 2013, a vote to authorize the consolidation of Thomson and nearby Carlton passed with a 95% approval. Thomson is adjacent to Jay Cooke State Park and is located on the Willard Munger State Trail. Minnesota Highway 210 and Dalles Avenue are two of the main routes in the community. Thomson is located seven miles southeast of the city of Cloquet; and 18 miles southwest of the city of Duluth.

Thomson Dam, also known as the Thomson Hydro Station or Thomson Water Project, is an embankment and concrete gravity dam on the Saint Louis River near the town of Thomson in northeastern Minnesota, United States. It consists of a 1600-foot (488 m) long primary structure and multiple supplementary dams which, together with precambrian rock outcrops known as the Thomson formation, impound the river to create Thomson Reservoir. The tallest dam in the complex is 51.6 feet (16 m) and the longest is 3500 feet (1067 m). A series of gate houses, a canal, forebay, and underground penstocks supply a hydropower plant located 3 miles away in Jay Cooke State Park. With an installed capacity of 72 MW and an annual generation of approximately 280 GWh, the Thomson project is the largest hydroelectric facility in the state.

Otter Creek is a stream in Carlton County, Minnesota, in the United States. It is a tributary of the Saint Louis River. "Otter Creek" is probably an English translation of the Ojibwe-language name.

Scanlon is a city in Carlton County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 987 at the 2020 census.Interstate 35 and Carlton County Highway 45 (CR 45) are two of the main routes in Scanlon. Other main routes include Washington Avenue (CR 16) and County Road 61 (CR 61). Scanlon is located immediately east of the city of Cloquet; and 18 miles southwest of the city of Duluth.

The Little River is a 2.1-mile-long (3.4 km) stream in Carlton County, Minnesota, United States. It is a tributary of the Saint Louis River.

Jay Cooke State Park is a state park of Minnesota, United States, protecting the lower reaches of the Saint Louis River. The park is located about 10 miles (16 km) southwest of Duluth and is one of the ten most visited state parks in Minnesota. The western half of the park contains part of a rocky, 13-mile (21 km) gorge. This was a major barrier to Native Americans and early Europeans traveling by canoe, which they bypassed with the challenging Grand Portage of the St. Louis River. The river was a vital link connecting the Mississippi waterways to the west with the Great Lakes to the east. Today Minnesota State Highway 210 runs through Jay Cooke State Park. The 9 miles (14 km) of the route between Carlton and Highway 23—which include the park—are designated the Rushing Rapids Parkway, a state scenic byway.The park is named for Pennsylvania financier Jay Cooke, who had developed a nearby power plant, which is still in use. The Grand Portage trail and three districts of 1930s park structures are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Carlton High School is a public high school located in Carlton, Minnesota, United States. The school operates under the Carlton Public School District, housing grades 6 through 12. It serves a population of approximately 350 students. The school competes athletically in region 7A of the Minnesota State High School League; its colors are blue and white, and its mascot is the Bulldog.

The Carlton County Courthouse in Carlton, Minnesota, United States, is the county seat of Carlton County, Minnesota. The county seat was originally located in Cloquet, with a jail located at the town of Northern Pacific Junction. In 1890, residents of Northern Pacific Junction raised funds to build a courthouse, which was a two-story brick building with a high-pitched gable roof. The current building took about two years to build, being completed in 1924. It is a three-story building with cream-colored brick and stone.The Carlton County Vidette praised Clyde Kelly, the architect, with these words: "Unquestionably, the man who assumes the responsibility of being the architect for a building like this is entitled to great consideration. To him is left the superintending of the placing of every stock and stone in the building ... to make the structure as perfect as possible."

Cloquet High School (CHS) is a high school in Cloquet in the U.S. state of Minnesota. Operated by Cloquet Public Schools, it serves approximately 700 students; a typical graduating class has 160 to 200 members. It has existed for over 100 years. The current building was built in 1969, with the old building then being turned into a middle school. That building was built in 1921 replacing an earlier school destroyed, along with much of the town, in the 1918 Cloquet fire.It serves almost all of Cloquet and all of Scanlon.