St. Cloud, Minnesota

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St. Cloud, Minnesota
Nickname: The Granite City
Location in the state of Minnesota.
Coordinates: 45°33′14″N 94°10′13″W / 45.55389, -94.17028
Country	United States
State	Minnesota
Counties	Stearns, Benton, Sherburne
Founded	1856[1]
Government
- Mayor	Dave Kleis
Area
- City	30.9 sq mi (80.1 km²)
- Land	30.2 sq mi (78.1 km²)
- Water	0.8 sq mi (2.0 km²)
Elevation	1,030 ft (314 m)
Population (2007)
- City	66,628 Source: www.emporis.com
- Density	2,156.25/sq mi (831.81/km²)
- Metro	3,502,891 Source: www.emporis.com
Time zone	CST (UTC-6)
- Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP codes	56301, 56302, 56303, 56304, 56393, 56397, 56398
Area code(s)	320
FIPS code	27-56896[2]
GNIS feature ID	0650559[3]
Website: www.ci.stcloud.mn.us

St. Cloud (IPA: /ˌseɪntˈklaʊd/) is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the major population center in the state's central region. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 59,107. It is the county seat of Stearns County^[4]. Though mostly in Stearns County, the city also extends into Benton County and Sherburne County.

It is surrounded by a small metropolitan area, with Waite Park, Sauk Rapids, Sartell, St. Joseph and St. Augusta directly bordering the city, are Foley, Kimball, Clearwater, Clear Lake, Rockville, and Cold Spring nearby.

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.^[5] 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 has never been part of the 13-county Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington-WI "Metropolitan Statistical Area," a more commonly used definition of large urban areas.^[6] The boundary between the two government-designated areas is unclear because Sherburne County is considered part of the Twin Cities metropolitan area.

The Mississippi River flows through the city, breaking into a series of channels just downstream from the St. Cloud dam, a city-owned structure featuring hydroelectric generators that can produce up to 9 megawatts of electricity.^{[7] [8]} The Mississippi's 30 "Beaver Islands" lie at the southern end of the city.^[9]

Contents 1 History 2 Popular culture 3 Transportation 4 Education 5 Politics 6 Geography 7 Climate 8 Demographics 9 Sites of interest 10 Media 11 Sister cities 12 See also 13 References 14 External links

[edit] 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. St. Cloud's experience with slavery was brief. Lowry and other 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 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 charge 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 C. 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]}

[edit] Popular culture

Courtroom scenes in the Disney Film The Mighty Ducks were filmed in St. Cloud.

Marshall Eriksen, of the TV show How I Met Your Mother, is originally from St. Cloud.

Juno, the 2007 film about teenage pregnancy, was partially set in St. Cloud. None of the shooting actually took place in the city, however.

The song "On A Bus To St. Cloud", by Gretchen Peters, is on Trisha Yearwood's 1995 album "Thinkin' About You".

Academy Award winner Gig Young was born in St. Cloud and once worked at the Paramount Theater as an usher.

In the movie 1408, St. Cloud is mentioned as one of the scariest places the protagonist has visited.

Director Stephen Sommers attended Cathedral High School in St. Cloud. He then attended college at nearby St. John's University.

[edit] 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 and Sauk Rapids is offered through St. Cloud Metro Bus, and there is a Greyhound Lines station downtown. Several rail lines run through the city as well, which is a stop on Amtrak's Empire Builder line. A commuter rail line running from the Twin Cities known as the Northstar Corridor will reach the city in a second phase.

St. Cloud is also home to St. Cloud Regional Airport, which makes daily connecting flights to Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport on Northwest Airlines.

[edit] Education

The city of St. Cloud is served by two major public high schools, St. Cloud Technical Senior High School and St. Cloud Apollo High School, along with one major private high school, Cathedral High School. St. Cloud Tech is the older of the two public high schools, opening in 1917, and is located 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, and St. Cloud Alternative Learning Center.

St. Cloud is also home to several higher education facilities, including the second-largest university in the state, St. Cloud State University. As of 2007, 17,892 students attend SCSU. Other post-secondary institutions and campuses in St. Cloud include St. Cloud Technical College (SCTC), Rasmussen College, and Globe University/Minnesota School of Business.

[edit] Politics

St. Cloud is in Minnesota's 6th congressional district, currently represented by Michele Bachmann (R). St. Cloud is partly in Minnesota House of Representatives district 15A, currently represented by Steve Gottwalt (R), and partly in 15B, currently represented by Larry Haws (DFL). State Senate District 15 is represented by Senate Assistant Majority Leader Tarryl Clark (DFL).

[edit] 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.

[edit] Climate

St. Cloud lies in the cool summer-type Humid continental climate zone (Köppen Dfb), with warm, humid summers and very 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).

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Avg high °F (°C)	19 (-7)	26 (-3)	38 (3)	55 (13)	69 (21)	77 (25)	82 (28)	79 (26)	69 (21)	56 (13)	37 (3)	23 (-5)
Avg low temperature °F (°C)	-1 (-18)	7 (-14)	19 (-7)	32 (0)	44 (7)	53 (12)	58 (14)	55 (13)	46 (8)	34 (1)	20 (-7)	5 (-15)

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^[2] of 2000, there were 59,107 people, 22,652 households, and 12,254 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,959.9 people per square mile (756.7/km²). There were 23,249 housing units at an average density of 770.9/sq mi (297.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 91.75% White, 2.37% African American, 0.72% Native American, 3.11% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.58% from other races, and 1.40% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.33% of the population.

There were 22,652 households out of which 27.3% 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 100 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.

[edit] Sites of interest

• Cathedral of Saint Mary, the largest church serving the oldest parish in the community, built in the 1920s in the Italian Romanesque style.
• The St. Cloud Central Business District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. St. Cloud is a Preserve America Community.
• Great River Regional Library, a six-county regional system serving 32 communities. The main library building in St. Cloud is scheduled to move to a new facility in July 2008.
• Munsinger Gardens and Clemens Gardens, extensive flower gardens dating from the 1930s. See Munsinger Clemens Botanical Society.
• Quarry Park, a unique public park that features 20 granite quarries, hiking, biking and ski trails. Part of the Stearns County park system.
• Paramount Theatre and Visual Arts Center, restored 1,700 seat theater, built in 1921. Rumor has it that the ghost of a woman who threw herself off of the balcony haunts the theater.
• St. Cloud Hospital, founded in 1886 as St. Benedict's Hospital, now serves tens of thousands of patients a year and ranks among the top 100 hospitals in the nation
• Stearns County History Museum, two floors of exhibits, research area, museum store and 100-acre (0.40 km²) nature park. The only county museum in Minnesota accredited by the American Association of Museums.
• St. Cloud Civic Center, 100,000-square-foot (9,300 m²) meeting center overlooking the Mississippi River.
• St. Cloud Regional Airport, providing scheduled commercial jet passenger service, private, corporate, cargo and military operations.
• St. Cloud State University, with 17,892 students including international students from 84 countries.
• St. Cloud Technical College, a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System.

[edit] Media

The main newspaper is the St. Cloud Times. ion (previously PAX) network affiliate KPXM (channel 41) is licensed to serve the city, though the signal also reaches the Twin Cities region. KPXM carries news programming from Minneapolis-St. Paul station KARE (channel 11), with which it has a marketing agreement. UTVS (channel 21) serves as the local television station for the city of St. Cloud. The station is run by St. Cloud State University students.Radio stations include:

• WBHR 660 AM "The Bear" (sports), Tri-County Broadcasting
• WVAL 800 AM (classic country), Tri-County Broadcasting
• WJON 1240 AM (news/talk), Regent Communications
• KXSS 1390 AM (sports), Regent Communications (affiliated with KFAN-AM)
• KNSI 1450 AM (news/talk), Leighton Broadcasting
• KVSC 88.1 FM (college radio), St. Cloud State University
• K208DV 89.5 "Air 1" (Contemporary Christian music), Educational Media Foundation
• KNSR 88.9 FM (news/talk), Minnesota Public Radio
• KSJR 90.1 FM (classical music), Minnesota Public Radio
• KCFB 91.5 FM "Spirit 92.9" (Christian radio), Minnesota Christian Broadcasters
• KKJM 92.9 FM (Contemporary Christian music), Gabriel Communications
• KMXK 94.9 FM "Mix 94.9" (Adult Contemporary), Regent Communications
• KKSR 96.7 FM "REV 96.7" (Active Rock), Regent Communications
• WWJO 98.1 FM "98 Country" (country music), Regent Communications
• KZPK 98.9 FM "Wild Country 99" (country music), Leighton Broadcasting
• KCML 99.9 FM "Lite 99.9" (Adult Contemporary), Leighton Broadcasting
• WHMH 101.7 FM "Rockin' 101" (active rock), Tri-County Broadcasting
• KLZZ 103.7 FM "The Loon" (classic rock), Regent Communications
• KCLD 104.7 FM (Top 40), Leighton Broadcasting

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

[edit] Sister cities

• Spalt, Germany

[edit] See also

• 1998 St. Cloud explosion
• St. Cloud (Amtrak station)

[edit] References

1. ^ Dominik, John J. (1986). That You May Find Healing. St. Cloud, Minn: St. Cloud Hospital, 5. 
2. ^ ^{a b} American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
3. ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
4. ^ Find a County. National Association of Counties. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
5. ^ Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development "Metropolitan Statistical Areas"
6. ^ Metro Council website, Twin Cities Metropolican Area Geographic Definitions, "Definitions Used By The U.S. Census Bureau"
7. ^ City of St. Cloud, Public Utilities, Hydroelectric Services
8. ^ John Weeks, The Bridges and Structures of the Mississsippi River Headwaters, A Detailed Look At The Bridges, Dams And Other Structures On The The Mississippi River In The Headwaters Region From Lake Itasca To Minneapolis First Edition — November 2007.
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 Minesota, 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 on 2007-06-20.
15. ^ Automotive History Online, Pan Motor
16. ^ St. Cloud, Minnesota. Google Maps. Retrieved on 2007-05-19.

[edit] External links

• City website
• St. Cloud Area Schools site
• Granite Country.com -- St. Cloud Area Visitor Information site
• St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce
• St. Cloud Times newspaper site
• St. Cloud Symphony Orchestra, performing concerts since 1975.
• St. Cloud Municipal Band, founded in 1887

• St. Cloud, Minnesota is at coordinates 45°33′14″N 94°10′13″W / 45.55395, -94.17035 (St. Cloud, Minnesota)Coordinates: 45°33′14″N 94°10′13″W / 45.55395, -94.17035 (St. Cloud, Minnesota)

v • d • e Municipalities and communities of Benton County, Minnesota County seat: Foley Cities Foley | Gilman | Rice | Ronneby | Royalton | Sartell | Sauk Rapids | St. Cloud Townships Alberta | Gilmanton | Glendorado | Graham | Granite Ledge | Langola | Mayhew Lake | Maywood | Minden | Sauk Rapids | St. George | Watab

v • d • e Municipalities and communities of Sherburne County, Minnesota County seat: Elk River Cities Becker | Big Lake | Clear Lake | Elk River | Princeton | St. Cloud | Zimmerman Townships Baldwin | Becker | Big Lake | Blue Hill | Clear Lake | Haven | Livonia | Orrock | Palmer | Santiago

v • d • e Municipalities and communities of Stearns County, Minnesota County seat: St. Cloud Cities Albany | Avon | Belgrade | Brooten | Clearwater | Cold Spring | Eden Valley | Elrosa | Freeport | Greenwald | Holdingford | Kimball | Lake Henry | Meire Grove | Melrose | New Munich | Paynesville | Richmond | Rockville | Roscoe | Sartell | Sauk Centre | Spring Hill | St. Anthony | St. Augusta | St. Cloud | St. Joseph | St. Martin | St. Rosa | St. Stephen | Waite Park Townships Albany | Ashley | Avon | Brockway | Collegeville | Crow Lake | Crow River | Eden Lake | Fair Haven | Farming | Getty | Grove | Holding | Krain | Lake George | Lake Henry | Le Sauk | Luxemburg | Lynden | Maine Prairie | Melrose | Millwood | Munson | North Fork | Oak | Paynesville | Raymond | Sauk Centre | Spring Hill | St. Joseph | St. Martin | St. Wendel | Wakefield | Zion

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