TheNorthern League was a name used by severalminor league baseball organizations that operated off and on between 1902 and 1971 in the uppermidwestern United States andManitoba, Canada. The name was later used by theindependentNorthern League from 1993 to 2010.

The Northern League name represented four leagues in this time frame:

• First Northern League: 1902–1905
  • Northern-Copper Country League 1906–1907
• Second Northern League: 1908
  • Minnesota–Wisconsin League 1909–1911
  • Central International League 1912
• Third Northern League: 1913–1917
• Fourth Northern League: 1933–1971 (suspended operations 1943–1945 due to World War II)

The first Northern League operated between 1902 and 1905. Charter members were theWinnipeg Maroons,Crookston Crooks, Fargo, Devil's Lake, Grand Forks and Cavalier.^[1]

In 1906, the league merged with theCopper Country Soo League to become theNorthern-Copper Country League (1906–1907). A second Northern League was attempted in 1908, but did not finish its first season. The third Northern League appeared when the Central International League of 1912 expanded and changed its name in 1913. This third Northern League would last until 1917, when it was forced to disband due to a lack of players as a result of World War I.

The league did not re-emerge until 1933, when it began play with the Brainerd Muskies, Brandon Grays,Crookston Pirates,East Grand Forks Colts,Eau Claire Cardinals,Fargo-Moorhead Twins,Superior Blues and Winnipeg Maroons.^[2] The league did not operate between 1943 and 1945 because of a lack of manpower during World War II, and finally folded again in 1971.

While the Northern League in its various incarnations began as an independent loop in 1902, it joined organized baseball the following year. Under the oldMinor League Baseball classification system it operated at Class D (l1903–1905, 1908, 1917, 1933–1940) and Class C (1913–1916, 1941–1942, 1946–1962). As a Class and Class D league, it was equivalent to a Rookie-level league today. The league operated asClass A from 1963–1971 under the modern minor league classification system.^[3] When the league folded after the 1971 season, the remaining teams were theAberdeen Pheasants,Sioux Falls Packers,St. Cloud Rox andWatertown Expos.^[4]

Source:^[5][6]

• Aberdeen, South Dakota:Aberdeen Pheasants (1946–1971)
• Bismarck, North Dakota, andMandan, North Dakota:Bismarck-Mandan Pards (1962–1964, 1966)
• Brainerd, Minnesota:Brainerd Muskies (1933);Brainerd Blues 1935
• Brainerd, Minnesota &Little Falls, Minnesota:Brainerd-Little Falls Muskies (1934)
• Brandon, Manitoba:Brandon Angels (1908),Brandon Grays (1933)
• Cavalier, North Dakota: Cavalier (1902)
• Crookston, Minnesota:Crookston Crooks (1902–1905);Crookston Pirates (1933–1941)
• Devils Lake, North Dakota: Devil's Lake (1902)
• Duluth, Minnesota:Duluth White Sox (1903–1905, 1908, 1913–1916, 1934);Duluth Dukes (1935–1942, 1946–1955)
• Duluth, Minnesota, &Superior, Wisconsin:Duluth-Superior White Sox 1956–1959;Duluth–Superior Dukes 1960–1970
• East Grand Forks, Minnesota:East Grand Forks Colts (1933)
• Eau Claire, Wisconsin:Eau Claire Cardinals (1933);Eau Claire Bears (1934–1942, 1946–1953);Eau Claire Braves (1954–1962)
• Fargo, North Dakota: Fargo (1902–1905);Fargo Browns (1908)
• Fargo, North Dakota, andMoorhead, Minnesota:Fargo-Moorhead Graingrowers (1914–1917);Fargo-Moorhead Twins (1933–1942, 1946–1960)
• Fort William, Ontario:Fort William Canadians (1914–1915)
• Fort William, Ontario andPort Arthur, Ontario:Fort William-Port Arthur Canadians (1916)
• Grand Forks, North Dakota:Grand Forks Forkers (1902–1905);Grand Forks Flickertails (1913–1915);Grand Forks Chiefs (1934–1935, 1938–1942, 1946–1963);Grand Forks Dodgers (1964)
• Huron, South Dakota:Huron Phillies (1965–1968);Huron Cubs (1969–1970)
• Jamestown, North Dakota:Jamestown Jimmies (1936–1937)
• La Crosse, Wisconsin:LaCrosse Colts (1913)
• Mankato, Minnesota:Mankato Mets (1967–1968)
• Minneapolis, Minnesota:Minneapolis Millers (1913)
• Minot, North Dakota:Minot Why Nots (1917);Minot Mallards (1958–1960);Minot Mallards (1962)
• St. Boniface, Manitoba:St. Boniface Bonnies (1915)
• St. Cloud, Minnesota:St. Cloud Rox (1946–1971)
• St. Cloud, Minnesota &Brainerd, Minnesota: St. Cloud-Brainerd (1905)
• Saint Paul, Minnesota:St. Paul Colts (1913)
• Sioux Falls, South Dakota:Sioux Falls Canaries (1942, 1946–1953);Sioux Falls Packers (1966–1971)
• Superior, Wisconsin:Superior Longshoremen (1903–1905);Superior Red Sox (1913–1915);Superior Blues (1933–1942, 1946–1955)
• Virginia, Minnesota:Virginia Ore Diggers (1913–1916)
• Warren, Minnesota:Warren Wanderers (1917)
• Watertown, South Dakota:Watertown Expos (1970–1971)
• Wausau, Wisconsin:Wausau Lumberjacks (1936–1939);Wausau Timberjacks (1940–1942); Wausau Lumberjacks 1956–1957
• Winnipeg, Manitoba:Winnipeg Maroons (1902–1905, 1908, 1913–1917, 1933–1942);Winnipeg Goldeyes (1954–1964, 1969)
• Winona, Minnesota:Winona Pirates (1913–1914)

^[5][6]

• Ballparkwatch Northern League history
• An Informal History of the Northern League by Herman D. White

• Defunct professional sports leagues in the United States
• Defunct minor baseball leagues in the United States
• Sports leagues established in 1902
• Baseball leagues in Minnesota

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Use mdy dates from August 2020