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St. Cloud, Minnesota

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St. Cloud, Minnesota
City
Buildings on 5th Ave in downtown St. Cloud
Buildings on 5th Ave in downtown St. Cloud
Official seal of St. Cloud, Minnesota
Seal
Nickname: 
The Granite City
Motto: 
mc whitebread! born an raise watching nascar is where i spend most of my days
Location in the state of Minnesota.
Location in the state of Minnesota.
CountryUnited States
StateMinnesota
CountiesStearns, Benton, Sherburne
Founded1856[1]
Government
 • MayorDave Kleis
Area
 • City30.9 sq mi (80.1 km2)
 • Land30.2 sq mi (78.1 km2)
 • Water0.8 sq mi (2.0 km2)
Elevation
1,030 ft (314 m)
Population
 (2010)[2]
 • City65,842
 • Density1,959.9/sq mi (756.7/km2)
 • Metro
189,148
Time zoneUTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP codes
56301, 56302, 56303, 56304, 56393, 56397, 56398
Area code320
FIPS code27-56896Template:GR
GNIS feature ID0650559Template:GR
Websitewww.ci.stcloud.mn.us
Red River cart at Saint Cloud
Downtown Saint Cloud, 2007

St. Cloud (/[invalid input: 'icon']ˌseɪntˈklaʊd/) is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the largest population center in the state's central region. The population was 65,842 at the 2010 census.[2] It is the county seat of Stearns CountyTemplate:GR. It is named after the city of Saint-Cloud, France (in Île-de-France, near Paris), which was named for the 6th-century French monk Clodoald.

Though mostly in Stearns County, the city also extends into Benton County and Sherburne County. One of the fastest-growing areas in the state, St. Cloud is surrounded by a small metropolitan area, with Waite Park, Sauk Rapids, Sartell, and St. Augusta directly bordering the city, and Foley, Rice, Kimball, Clearwater, Clear Lake, Rockville, St. Joseph, and Cold Spring nearby. With 189,093 residents at the 2010 census, the St. Cloud metropolitan area is the third-largest Minnesota population center, behind Minneapolis-St. Paul and Duluth-Superior, and slightly ahead of Rochester (with 186,011 residents). The population of Fargo-Moorhead is also larger than St. Cloud's or Rochester's, but most of that is in North Dakota, with only 58,999 residents in Minnesota.

St. Cloud is located 65 miles (105 km) northwest of the "Twin Cities" of Minneapolis-St. Paul along Interstate 94, U.S. Route 10, and Minnesota State Highway 23. The St. Cloud Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) is made up of Stearns and Benton Counties.[3] The city was included in a newly defined Minneapolis-St. Paul-St. Cloud Combined Statistical Area (CSA) in 2000, even though commuting criteria did not require mandatory inclusion. St. Cloud as a whole has never been part of the 13-county MSA comprising Minneapolis, St. Paul, Bloomington and parts of western Wisconsin,[4] although its Sherburne County portion is considered part of the Twin Cities metropolitan area by Census Bureau definition.[5]

The Mississippi River flows through the city, which owns and operates a hydroelectric dam that can produce up to 9 megawatts of electricity.[6][7] The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources designated a 12-mile (19 km) section of the Mississippi south of St. Cloud part of Minnesota's Wild & Scenic Rivers Program in 1976.[8] It has the 30 undeveloped "Beaver Islands", multiple channels and sandbars, and no major rapids, and is popular for day trips by canoe.[9]

History

Minnesota was organized as a territory in 1849. The St. Cloud area had been opened to legal ownership by non-Native Americans following treaty negotiations with the Winnebago tribe in 1851 and 1852.

St. Cloud was a waystation on the Middle and Woods branches of the Red River Trails between the Canadian border at Pembina and St. Paul. The cart trains often consisted of hundreds of ox carts; the carters would camp west of the city and cross the Mississippi in St. Cloud or in Sauk Rapids, just to the north.

The City of St. Cloud was incorporated in 1856. It developed from three distinct settlements, known as Upper Town, Middle Town, and Lower Town, that were established beginning in 1853.[10] The remnants of the deep ravines that separated the three are still visible today. Middle Town was settled primarily by Catholic German-Americans, who were attracted to the region by Father Francis Xavier Pierz. Lower Town was founded by settlers from New England and the mid-Atlantic states. Upper Town, or Arcadia, was plotted by General Sylvanus Lowry, a slave-holding Southerner from Kentucky. Lowry was St. Cloud's first mayor, serving only one year.

Lowry battled Abolitionist newspaper editor Jane Grey Swisshelm. At one point Swisshelm's newspaper office was broken into and the press thrown into the Mississippi River. St. Cloud's experience with slavery was brief. Nearly all of the Southerners left the St. Cloud area when the Civil War broke out. Lowry died soon after in 1865.

Stephen Miller served a two-year term as Minnesota governor beginning in 1864, the only citizen of St. Cloud to hold the office. Miller was a "Pennsylvania German businessman", lawyer, writer, active abolitionist, and personal friend of Minnesota Governor Ramsey. He was on the state's Republican electoral ticket with Abraham Lincoln in 1860.[11] With no previous military experience, Miller enlisted as a private in the Minnesota's First Regiment of Volunteers, and was promoted to lieutenant colonel and eventually "Brigadier General of Volunteers".[12] After fighting at Bull Run and in eight other battles, Miller became ill and later transferred to another unit, missing the regiment's famous defense at Gettysburg. His son Wesley, who had enlisted with his father, was killed in the battle.[13] While in military service, Miller also served as commander of Mankato's Camp Lincoln, where 38 Dakota men were executed for their role in the Dakota War of 1862.

Although he never attended college, as governor, Miller supported higher education, including the state "Normal" schools, one of which later became St. Cloud State University. In his final legislative address as governor, he made a strong but unsuccessful argument for a black suffrage amendment to the state constitution.

St. Cloud was named after Saint-Cloud, the Paris suburb, by John Wilson, a Maine native with French Huguenot ancestry. Wilson later said that his decision came from his interest in Napoleon, whose favorite palace was located in Saint-Cloud.

Steamboats once docked at St. Cloud, although river levels were not reliable. Granite quarries have operated in the area since the 1880s, giving St. Cloud its nickname, "The Granite City."

In 1917, Samuel Pandolfo started the Pan Motor Company in St. Cloud. Pandolfo claimed that St. Cloud would become the new Detroit for all the Pan-Cars produced. He was later convicted and imprisoned for attempting to defraud investors.[14][15]

St. Cloud was recently chosen to host the 2012 Can-Am Police and Fire Games.

5th Avenue c. 1910

Parks

The city maintains 95 parks, totaling more than 1,400 acres (5.7 km2) and ranging in size from 80 "neighborhood and mini parks" to 243 acres (0.98 km2). The largest developed park, Whitney Memorial Park, is the former location of the city airport. It features numerous softball, baseball, and soccer fields.

Transportation

St. Cloud is a regional transportation hub within Minnesota. Major roadways including Interstate Highway 94, U.S. Highway 10, and Minnesota State Highways 15 and 23 pass through the city.[16]

Bus service within the city and to neighboring Sartell, Sauk Rapids, and Waite Park is offered through St. Cloud Metro Bus which was recognized in 2007 as the best transit system of its size in North America. An innovative system gives transit buses a slight advantage at stoplights in order to improve efficiency and on-time performance.[17] The Metro Bus Transit Center in the downtown area is also shared with Jefferson Lines, providing national bus service.

Bus service links downtown St. Cloud and St. Cloud State University with the western terminus of the Northstar Commuter Rail line in Big Lake which in turn links to Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan light rail and bus services, providing end to end public transportation between the two metropolitan areas.

Several rail lines run through the city as well, which is a stop on Amtrak's Empire Builder passenger rail line.

St. Cloud is also home to St. Cloud Regional Airport, from which daily connecting flights to Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport were made on Delta Connection, operated by Mesaba Airlines, until January 1, 2010, when the service was discontinued.[18]

Education

The city of St. Cloud is part of the St. Cloud Area School District, which serves St. Cloud, St. Augusta, Clearwater, Waite Park, St. Joseph, and Haven Township. The district has eight elementary schools, a new K-8 school in St. Joseph, and two major public high schools, St. Cloud Technical High School and St. Cloud Apollo High School.[19] St. Cloud also has a major private high school, Cathedral High School. Both public high schools offer a broad selection of Advanced Placement courses, and rank high in the state in number of AP tests taken and of test takers.[20] St. Cloud Tech is the older of the two, opening in 1917, and is just west of downtown on the city's south side. Apollo opened in 1970 and serves the expanding north side of the city. Other high schools and secondary schools that serve the city of St. Cloud include St. Robert Bellarmine's Academy, St. Cloud Christian School, Immaculate Conception Academy, St. John's Preparatory School, and St. Cloud Alternative Learning Center. St. Cloud also has one of the most successful charter schools in the state, STRIDE Academy,[21] which is K-8. The nearby cities of Sauk Rapids and Sartell also have their own school districts and high schools, bringing the number of public high schools in the metropolitan area to four.

Colleges

The St. Cloud area is home to several higher education facilities, including the second-largest university in the state, St. Cloud State University. As of 2009, 17,686 students attend SCSU, including 1,905 graduate students. Other post-secondary institutions and campuses in St. Cloud proper include St. Cloud Technical and Community College (SCTCC), Rasmussen College, Globe University/Minnesota School of Business, and the College of St. Scholastica. Additionally, the College of St. Benedict (an all-female private Catholic liberal arts college) is located in nearby St. Joseph, while its all-male sibling school, St. John's University, is in nearby Collegeville.

Politics

The mayor of St. Cloud is Dave Kleis, who won reelection in 2008 after his only opponent, Ryan Fagan, abandoned a write-in campaign after receiving little public support. St. Cloud is in Minnesota's 6th congressional district, represented by Michele Bachmann (R). St. Cloud is partly in Minnesota House of Representatives district 15A, represented by Steve Gottwalt (R), and partly in 15B, represented by King Banaian (R). State Senate District 15 is represented by vice chair of the state capital investment committee John Pederson (R).

In the 2008 presidential election, Barack Obama and Joe Biden won 54% of the vote in the city, and John McCain and Sarah Palin 46%.[22]

Past mayors of St. Cloud include Sylvanus B. Lowry (1856), John L. Wilson (1857–58), E. O. Hamlin (1868), J. A. McDonald (1900), J. R. Boyd (1901), J. E. C. Robinson (1902–05 and 1906), J. N. Bensen (1905), David McCarty (1907), Louis Brown (1907), Hugh Evans (1908–09), D. H. Freeman (1910 and 1916–19), P. J. Seberger (1911–12), H. J. Limperich (1919), W. W. Matson (1920–24), J. Arthur Bensen (1924–28), James H. Murphy (1928–32, 1945–48), Phil Collignon (1932–45), Mathew Malisheski (1948–52), Lawrence A. Borgert (1952), George Byers (1953–60), Thomas E. Mealey (1960–64), Ed Henry (1964–71), Al Loehr (1971–80), Sam Huston (1980–89), Chuck Winkelman (1989–97), Larry Meyer (1997–2001), and John Ellenbecker (2001–05).

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 30.9 square miles (80.1 km²), of which 30.2 (78.1 km²) are land and 0.8 (2.0 km²) (2.62%) water. The city is bisected by the Mississippi River, and part of the Sauk River runs along its northern edge. Just south of downtown, near Technical High School, is the 7-acre, 35-feet-deep Lake George.

Adjacent communities

Climate

St. Cloud lies in the warm summer humid continental climate zone (Köppen climate classification Dfb), with warm, humid summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. January is the coldest month, with an average high temperature of 19 °F (-7 °C) and an average low temperature of -1 °F (-18 °C). July is the warmest month, with an average high of 82 °F (28 °C) and an average low of 58 °F (14 °C).

Climate data for St. Cloud, MN (St. Cloud Regional Airport)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 56
(13) 		58
(14) 		81
(27) 		96
(36) 		105
(41) 		102
(39) 		107
(42) 		105
(41) 		106
(41) 		90
(32) 		75
(24) 		63
(17) 		107
(42)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 18.7
(−7.39) 		25.7
(−3.5) 		37.7
(3.2) 		54.9
(12.7) 		69.0
(20.6) 		77.3
(25.2) 		81.7
(27.6) 		78.9
(26.1) 		69.0
(20.6) 		56.3
(13.5) 		37.2
(2.9) 		23.2
(−4.89) 		52.5
(11.4)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) −1.2
(−18.44) 		6.4
(−14.22) 		19.1
(−7.17) 		32.2
(0.1) 		44.1
(6.7) 		52.9
(11.6) 		57.9
(14.4) 		55.5
(13.1) 		45.7
(7.6) 		34.3
(1.3) 		20.4
(−6.44) 		5.5
(−14.72) 		31.1
(−0.5)
Record low °F (°C) −43
(−41.7) 		−40
(−40) 		−32
(−35.6) 		−3
(−19.4) 		18
(−7.8) 		32
(0) 		40
(4) 		33
(1) 		18
(−7.8) 		2
(−16.7) 		−23
(−30.6) 		−41
(−40.6) 		−43
(−41.7)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 0.76
(19) 		0.59
(15) 		1.50
(38) 		2.13
(54) 		2.97
(75) 		4.51
(115) 		3.34
(85) 		3.93
(100) 		2.93
(74) 		2.24
(57) 		1.54
(39) 		0.69
(18) 		27.13
(689)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 10.1
(26) 		7.2
(18) 		8.5
(22) 		2.9
(7.4) 		0.2
(0.51) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0.6
(1.5) 		9.1
(23) 		8.6
(22) 		47.2
(120)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 8.8 6.9 8.3 9.4 11.1 11.4 10.6 10.0 9.3 8.5 8.3 7.9 110.5
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 8.5 6.8 5.1 2.4 .2 0 0 0 0 .8 5.7 8.3 37.8
Source 1: NOAA (normals, 1971–2000)[23]
Source 2: The Weather Channel (records),[24]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18702,181—
18802,48213.8%
18907,086185.5%
19008,68322.5%
191010,60022.1%
192015,87349.7%
193021,00032.3%
194024,17315.1%
195028,41017.5%
196032,41514.1%
197039,69122.4%
198042,5667.2%
199048,81214.7%
200059,10821.1%
201065,84211.4%
U.S. Decennial Census

St. Cloud is the principal city of the St. Cloud Metropolitan Statistical Area, a metropolitan area that covers Sherburne, Benton and Stearns counties[25] and had a combined population of 167,392 at the 2000 census.Template:GR

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2010, there were 65,842 people, 25,439 households, and 13,348 families residing in the city. There were 27,338 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 84.59% White, 7.82% African American, 0.67% Native American, 3.67% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.77% from other races, and 2.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.42% of the population. Since 2000 these proportions have changed significantly, in part because of a continuing, rapid influx of immigrants from Somalia.

In the 2000 census, 27.3% of St. Cloud households had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.4% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.9% were non-families. 30.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the city the population was spread out with 20.8% under the age of 18, 24.1% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 17.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 101 females there were 101.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $37,346, and the median income for a family was $50,460. Males had a median income of $33,670 versus $23,759 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,769. About 5.0% of families and 13.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.0% of those under age 18 and 9.9% of those age 65 or over.

Culture

Sports

The city is home to

  • the Granite City Lumberjacks, a tier III hockey team.

Sites of interest

Business

St. Cloud is home to many businesses. According to the St. Cloud Chamber of Commerce, the city's largest employer is St. Cloud Hospital, followed by Coborn's and Electrolux Home Products.[27] Other notable companies based or with offices in St. Cloud include Gold'n Plump Poultry, ING DIRECT, and ePromos Promotional Products.[28]

Media

The main newspaper is the St. Cloud Times, a Gannett newspaper. The St. Cloud Diocese also publishes the St. Cloud Visitor, which serves the regional Catholic community.

Television station KPXM (channel 41), an "ion" network affiliate, is licensed to the city, though the signal also reaches the Twin Cities region. Low-power stations are: WCMN (channel 13) which is not always on the air, and K19BG (channel 19), a former TBN affiliate. Additional, St. Cloud State University students operate cable-only UTVS (channel 21), which includes local news.

Radio stations include:

AM
FM

Minnesota Public Radio began in nearby Collegeville at St. John's University.

Famous Former Residents

  • Gig Young, actor
  • Tom Petters is an American businessman and the former CEO and chairman of Petters Group Worldwide.[29] Petters resigned his position as CEO on September 29, 2008, amid mounting criminal investigations.[30] He later was convicted for turning Petters Group Worldwide into a $3.65 billion Ponzi scheme[31] and was sentenced to 50 years in federal prison. Petters was raised with six siblings in St. Cloud, Minnesota.
  • Reynold Philipsek, gypsy jazz guitarist
  • Jim Eisenreich, Major League Baseball player

Sister cities

See also

References

  1. ^ Dominik, John J. (1986). That You May Find Healing. St. Cloud, Minn: St. Cloud Hospital. p. 5.
  2. ^ a b "2010 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File". American FactFinder. U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census. Retrieved 23 April 2011.
  3. ^ "Area Definitions - Metropolitan Statistical Areas". Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. Retrieved 2009-10-03.
  4. ^ Metro Council website, Twin Cities Metropolican Area Geographic Definitions, "Definitions Used By The U.S. Census Bureau"
  5. ^ United States Census Bureau 2009 Metropolitan and Micropolitan Area components
  6. ^ City of St. Cloud, Public Utilities, Hydroelectric Services
  7. ^ John Weeks, The Bridges and Structures of the Mississippi River Headwaters, A Detailed Look At The Bridges, Dams And Other Structures On The Mississippi River In The Headwaters Region From Lake Itasca To Minneapolis First Edition — November 2007.
  8. ^ "The Wild & Scenic Mississippi River". Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 2009-10-03.
  9. ^ Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, "Mississippi River", "St. Cloud to Anoka"
  10. ^ 3 Towns Into 1 City, A Narrative Record of Significant Factors in The Story Of St. Cloud Minnesota.
  11. ^ John J. Dominik Jr., "Three Towns Into One City, St. Cloud Minnesota, 1976, St Cloud Area Bicentennial Commission, page 13
  12. ^ Minnesota Historical Society "Governors of Minnesota, Stephen Miller, Fourth State Governor"
  13. ^ First Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment, Stephen Miller.
  14. ^ "Pan History". St Cloud Antique Auto Club, Inc. 2007-01-01. Retrieved 2007-06-20.
  15. ^ "Automotive History Online, Pan Motor". Automotivehistoryonline.com. Retrieved 2011-11-06.
  16. ^ "St. Cloud, Minnesota". Google Maps. Retrieved 2007-05-19.
  17. ^ WCCO News, "System Helps St. Cloud Buses Stay In The Green", July 17, 2009.
  18. ^ "St. Cloud Airport Website". St. Cloud Airport.
  19. ^ "St. Cloud Area School District 742". Isd742.org. 2011-09-01. Retrieved 2011-11-06.
  20. ^ "AP Exams by School". Ohe.state.mn.us. Retrieved 2011-11-06.
  21. ^ "Home". Stride Academy. Retrieved 2011-11-06.
  22. ^ County of Stearns, Minnesota, election results.
  23. ^ "NCDC: U.S. Climate Normals" (PDF). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. October 2011.
  24. ^ "Monthly Averages for St. Cloud, MN". The Weather Channel.
  25. ^ Metropolitan statistical areas and components, Office of Management and Budget, 2007-05-11. Accessed 2008-07-30.
  26. ^ http://www.stclouddowntown.com/files/374.pdf
  27. ^ "Major Employers". St. Cloud Area Chamber. Retrieved 2011-11-06.
  28. ^ "ePromos Is Expanding to St. Cloud, Minnesota! » Promotional Products & Marketing Blog". Blog.epromos.com. 2011-04-07. Retrieved 2011-11-06.
  29. ^ Nicole Muehlhausen, BIO: Tom Petters, KSTP.com, September 24, 2008, Accessed October 8, 2008.
  30. ^ Tom Petters Resigns As Petters Group CEO, WCCO.com, September 29, 2008, Accessed October 8, 2008.
  31. ^ Hughes, Art (December 2, 2009). "UPDATE 2-Tom Petters found guilty of Ponzi scheme fraud". Reuters. Thomson Reuters. Retrieved December 10, 2009.
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