Sartell, Minnesota
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History
Sartell got its start as a small town on the Mississippi River, relying on lumber and a paper company for its existence. The present site of the city was originally dubbed "The Third Rapids" as it was the third set of rough waters that French fur traders encountered as they traveled north from St. Anthony Falls in Minneapolis.
One of the first people to settle in the fedgling town was Joseph B. Sartell who arrived in 1854 and worked as a millwright at a local sawmill. In 1877 he opened a flour mill at the nearby Watab River, and in 1884 he started the Sartell Brothers Lumber Company with his sons.
In 1905, construction was begun on both the Watab Pulp and Paper Company as well as on the Sartell Dam across the Mississippi near the "third rapids". Both projects were completed in 1907 with the dam having claimed the lives of seven workers. Watab Pulp and Paper would be renovated and expanded through the years, passing through multiple ownerships and eventually emerging as International Paper's Sartell mill, the city's largest employer.
It was in 1907 that residents of the town decided it was time to incorporate. Several influential people felt the town ought to be named "Wengert" after a local businessman. Another man lobbyied to have the town named "Oberly" after himself. However, because of his many relatives and generous contributions to the community, the town was incorporated as "The Village of Sartell" in honor of Joseph B. Sartell. From 1907 until 1973 there was a Sartell on nearly every City Council, the most prominent being Ripley B. "Rip" Sartell who was mayor for 31 years.
The town continued to grow slowly and developed a number of businesses and a "downtown" on the east side of the Mississippi along US Highway 10. In the 1960’s the highway was re-routed, greatly contributed to the demise of the downtown area. The laster construction of a new bridge over the Mississippi in the early 1980’s replaced the remaining businesses. This and Sartell’s nearby location to St. Cloud, Minnesota’s major retail center account for Sartell's lack of a traditional "downtown".
Because residents wanted to educate their children locally, Independent School District #748, Sartell-St. Stephen, was created in 1969. Despite not having a downtown the city continued to grow and the pace of the growth increased in the 1970’s. From 1970 to the present, the city’s population has grown from 700 to over 10,000.
Government
Sartell's city council consists of a mayor and four council members elected at-large to represent the community and legislate citywide policy. They possess the authority to pass and enforce ordinances, establish public and administrative policies, create advisory boards and commissions, and manage the city's financial operations including preparing a budget, auditing expenditures, and transacting other city business as required by law. The City Council also appoints a City Administrator who overseas the day-to-day operations of the city and implements the policies of the Council.
Geography
MNMap-doton-Sartell.png
Location of Sartell, Minnesota
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 15.9 km² (6.1 mi²). 15.3 km² (5.9 mi²) of it is land and 0.6 km² (0.2 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 3.75% water.
The city is situated on the Mississippi River with the surrounding undeveloped property composed mainly of woodlands and farmland.
Recreation
The Mississippi River that flows through the city affords many recreational opportunities to local residents. These include boating, jet skiing, swimming, fishing and water skiing. During winter, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing and ice fishing are popular on the surface of the frozen river.
City recreational facilities include 24 parks, miles of paved walking pathways, playgrounds, a bike lane, tennis courts, baseball and soccer fields, ice rinks, a disc golf course and a wading pool.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there are 9,641 people, 3,443 households, and 2,513 families residing in the city. The population density is 630.9/km² (1,633.9/mi²). There are 3,531 housing units at an average density of 231.1/km² (598.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 97.42% White, 0.29% African American, 0.17% Native American, 1.21% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.21% from other races, and 0.69% from two or more races. 0.87% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 3,443 households out of which 46.4% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.6% are married couples living together, 9.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 27.0% are non-families. 20.4% of all households are made up of individuals and 8.0% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.75 and the average family size is 3.23.
In the city the population is spread out with 32.0% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 35.5% from 25 to 44, 15.5% from 45 to 64, and 8.7% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 31 years. For every 100 females there are 95.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 91.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $52,531, and the median income for a family is $61,056. Males have a median income of $39,834 versus $27,476 for females. The per capita income for the city is $22,667. 4.0% of the population and 3.0% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 4.7% of those under the age of 18 and 8.3% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Economy
Sartell's largest employers are International Paper, which operates a paper mill in the city, and DeZurik Water Controls, whose valve production plant is located in Sartell.
The city also plays host to a number of small businesses including restaurants, salons, retailers and gas stations.
External links
- Sartell official website (http://www.sartellmn.com)
- Google Maps (http://maps.google.com/maps?q=sartell,+minnesota&spn=0.120678,0.210457&t=k&hl=en) - Satellite photo of Sartell
- TerraServer (http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?T=1&S=13&lat=45.621416&lon=-94.208516) - Aerial photo of Sartell from 1991
- Map Quest (http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?latlongtype=decimal&latitude=45.621416&longitude=-94.208516&zoom=7) - Map of Sartell
- International Paper Sartell Mill (http://www.internationalpaper.com/Paper/Paper%20Products/C_and_SC%20Stand%20Alone%20Pages/C_and_SC_Sartell_Mill.html)
- DeZurik Water Controls (http://www.dezurik.com/)
