Sartell

The History of Sartell
The Beginning
Sartell began as a small river town relying on lumber and a paper company for its existence. The present site of the City of Sartell was first known as "The Third Rapids", this name was given by the French fur traders because it was the third "rapids" they would encounter as they traveled north up the Mississippi River from St. Anthony Falls in Minneapolis.

One of the first settlers of the community was Joseph B. Sartell who arrived in 1854 who worked as a millwright at a local sawmill. In 1877 Joseph B. Sartell opened a flour mill on the Watab River, near the present day Watab Creek Park, and in 1884 he and his sons started the Sartell Brothers Lumber Company.

In 1905, a dam across the Mississippi near the "third rapids" was begun, and finished in 1907. Seven people were killed during the construction of this first dam. Also in 1905, construction began on the Watab Pulp and Paper Company. The paper mill was completed and began making paper in 1907. This was to become the St. Regis Paper Company in 1946 and finally Champion International in 1982. The paper mill has always been the city’s largest employer.

The Incorporation and Naming of the Village
At this time residents decided it was time to incorporate. The "Village of Sartell" was incorporated in 1907. When the village was being incorporated several influential people thought the name of the town should be "Wengert" after one of the businessmen, another person was lobbying to name the town "Oberly" after himself. However, because of his many relatives and the fact he was a generous contributor to the community the village was named "Sartell" after Joseph B. Sartell. In fact 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.

Another of Sartell’s largest employers is the DeZurik Valve Company founded in 1925 by Matt DeZurik, who started as an employee of the Watab Paper Company, but then started his own shop to make valves and other products. In fact, during World War II the DeZurik Company produced castings for tank tracks and valves for ships. Today, the company produces industrial valves for large plants, municipal applications, and valves for the paper industry.

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 US Highway #10 was re-routed and greatly contributed to the demise of the downtown area. Then the construction of the new bridge over the Mississippi in the early 1980’s replaced the remaining businesses. This and Sartell’s nearby location to St. Cloud’s major retail center account for Sartell not having 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 started to pick up in the 1970’s. From 1970 to the present, the city’s population has grown from 700 to over 10,000. Sartell is known as a popular place to live and raise a family because of the fine school system, affordable and well-kept housing, proximity to work, active local organizations and churches, and yet maintains a small town atmosphere.

Source: "Sartell: 75 Years of Progress"

Visitors Guide To Sartell!

	Sartell Statistics
	Counties	Stearns and Benton
	Acreage	3,814
	Population	13,225
	Wards	0
	Precincts	6
	City Municipal Corporation Established	1907
	Statutory City Established	1/1/74
	Schools	6
	Parks	24

The City of Sartell, nestled along the Mississippi River in central Minnesota, offers visitors the charm of a small town and a stimulating environment. Sartell is Alive and Growing! Between 1980 and 2000, Sartell experienced a 181% increase in population. Because of this growth, Sartell has concentrated on planning and organizing development efforts throughout the City. Residents have selected where they would like "Downtown Sartell" to be located and there are several exciting projects slated for that area.

Getting Here!
By Car: The main route to get here from the south is on Interstate 94 to Highway 15 North. Then turn left on County Road 29, which is at a stoplight. County Rd. 29 will take you directly into Sartell. To get here from the north, the most popular route is on Highway 10 to Highway 15 South making a right on County Road 29 (the first stoplight you see).

By Bus: There are 14 buses that run Monday through Friday to and from the cities of Sartell, Sauk Rapids, Waite Park and St. Cloud. For schedule and route information call (320) 252-RIDE(7433) or visit www.stcloudmtc.com.

Greyhound Bus operates buses into St. Cloud which arrive at the Metro Bus Transit Center in downtown St. Cloud. You may purchase a ticket by calling (800) 229-9424 or visiting www.greyhound.com. You can transfer to a local Metro Bus to get to Sartell. To contact the local Greyhound station, which operates out of the Metro Bus Transit Center, call (320) 251-5411 for schedule information.

Call Metro Bus Dial-a-Ride for late night service after the fixed route Metro Bus service ends, from 9 pm to midnight, and on Saturdays and Sundays to Sartell. This is a RESERVATIONS ONLY, shared ride, curb-to-curb service. You can schedule a ride up to a week in advance by calling (320) 252-1010.

By Plane: Northwest Airlink offers roundtrip service daily with 5 arrivals and departures to and from Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport. From there you can conveniently connect to countless world-wide destinations. For reservations, contact St. Cloud Regional Airport (320) 251-8574 or visit www.stcloudairport.com. You may contact Northwest Airlines at 800-225-2525.

Information provided by http://www.sartellmn.com/

City of Sartell
125 Pine Cone Road North
P.O. Box 140
Sartell, MN 56377
Phone: 320-253-2171
Email: info@sartellmn.com