Sauk Rapids, Minnesota
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Image:Sauk rapids sign.jpgSauk Rapids is a city located in Benton County, Minnesota. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 10,213.
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History
Sauk Rapids was originally little more than a forest of oak, maple and basswood trees along the Mississippi River until the first home was constructed there in 1851. The house that started it all was a large mansion named Lynden Terrace erected by W.H. Wood. Soon other settlers followed and the town was named Sauk Rapids after the rapids just below the Sauk River's mouth on the Mississippi. Soon a general store was built, then a hotel, and a large jail.
In 1856 the county seat moved to Watab, then returned to Sauk Rapids in 1859. A new courthouse was built, but then finally in 1897 the seat moved to Foley where it currently resides. In 1917 the courthouse burned. The first settlers organized a Congregational church that was soon followed by a Methodist, an Episcopalian and a Lutheran church. The first paper outside of St. Paul was the "Sauk Rapids Frontiersman". It started in 1854. In 1876 the first bridge was built, but then destroyed later in 1876. It was rebuilt in 1879. A flour mill was erected in 1875, then destroyed in 1886. In 1874 Sauk Rapids was the end of the line for the local railroad. All the settlers from as far away as the upper Red River Valley brought their produce there to ship it. A six-horse stage coach made bi-weekly trips between St. Cloud and Crow Wing. The first school was built in 1886.
Until 1886 Sauk Rapids was one of the most important cities in Minnesota. It stood a good chance of becoming even more so, but on April 14th at approximately 4:00 PM a tornado struck the town. The twister swept through the heart of the city, destroying all of the stores. In Sauk Rapids alone, 44 people were killed and several hundred were wounded. The event was a great setback for the city, and though it has rebuilt since then it never regained its former prominence in state-wide affairs.
Geography
Image:MNMap-doton-Sauk Rapids.png According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.5 km² (4.8 mi²). 11.8 km² (4.6 mi²) of it is land and 0.6 km² (0.2 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 4.99% water.
Neighborhoods
North Side: this part of the city is on the northeast side of the city. It consists of mainly middle class. Most of the houses are kept well and it is one of the smaller neighborhoods of Sauk Rapids. There is a small Neighborhood located with in the North side called the High View because of the Street names. Also one the lowest income neighborhood is located on the north side. It is a large clump of apartments. This area has one of the highest crime rates in Sauk Rapids.
South Side: this is one of the oldest parts of Sauk Rapids. Some of the houses are fair condition considering their age. Others have taken to decay and seem to fit in more with their age. Some of the houses are over 100 years old. The Benton County Fair grounds are located in the South Side. This is also on of the higher crime areas in Sauk Rapids.
East Side (Downtown Area.): this area of the town is located up the hills from downtown. This is one of the biggest areas of Sauk Rapids. It also holds one of the oldest schools in the St.Cloud area known as Hillside. Most of these homes are in the same situation as the south side homes.
Pleasant View Area: These are newer home in the central area of Sauk Rapids. This area is dotted with parks and newer homes. This is known as a middle class neighborhood. It is possibly one of the largest neighborhoods.
Uptown: these are the newer homes located east of Highway 10. They consist of lower to high-class homes. This is a very fast growing part of the town. The main part of this area is Sauk Rapids High School.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 10,213 people, 3,921 households, and 2,599 families residing in the city. The population density was 862.9/km² (2,234.1/mi²). There were 4,017 housing units at an average density of 339.4/km² (878.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.11% White, 0.57% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.78% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.23% from other races, and 0.96% from two or more races. 1.08% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 3,921 households out of which 37.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.1% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.7% were non-families. 26.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the city the population was spread out with 28.1% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 33.4% from 25 to 44, 17.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 91.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $45,857, and the median income for a family was $53,938. Males had a median income of $36,074 versus $24,657 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,510. 4.9% of the population and 2.8% of families were below the poverty line. 4.5% of those under the age of 18 and 10.2% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.