Sauk Centre, Minnesota facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sauk Centre
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The "Original Main Street" in downtown Sauk Centre
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Location of Sauk Centre
within Stearns County, Minnesota |
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| Country | United States |
| State | Minnesota |
| County | Stearns |
| Settled | 1856 |
| Founded | 1863 |
| Incorporated (village) | 1876 |
| Incorporated (city) | 1889 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 4.08 sq mi (10.58 km2) |
| • Land | 4.08 sq mi (10.57 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.01 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,250 ft (380 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 4,555 |
| • Estimate
(2021)
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4,599 |
| • Density | 1,116.15/sq mi (430.91/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
56378
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| Area code(s) | 320 |
| FIPS code | 27-58648 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2396541 |
Sauk Centre is a city located in Stearns County, Minnesota, United States. In 2020, about 4,555 people lived there. Sauk Centre is part of the larger St. Cloud area.
This city is famous as the birthplace of Sinclair Lewis. He was a well-known writer who won the Nobel Prize in Literature. His novel Main Street was inspired by Sauk Centre. In his book, the city is called Gopher Prairie. You can find two sculptures of Sinclair Lewis in Sauk Centre. One is a life-size statue outside the public library, which is named after him. The other is a smaller statue inside the library.
Contents
History of Sauk Centre
The name for Sauk Centre was chosen in a unique way. Eight people who helped start the town suggested names. "Sauk Centre" was picked from their ideas. Alexander Moore, who first bought and planned the town, suggested this name.
The word "Sauk" comes from the Sauk tribe. Many places nearby, like the Sauk River, are named after them. "Centre" is an old English spelling for "center." It means the town was in the middle of Sauk Rapids and Lake Osakis. For a while, the post office spelled it "Sauk Center." But in 1936, the city successfully changed it back to "Sauk Centre," just as Alexander Moore wanted.
Sauk Centre has several important historical places. The Sinclair Lewis Boyhood Home is a National Historic Landmark. This means it's a very special place in American history. Other buildings are also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These include The Palmer House, built in 1901, and the Minnesota Home School for Girls, built between 1911 and 1935. The Original Main Street Historic District is also a historic area.
Geography of Sauk Centre
Sauk Centre covers about 4.25 square miles (10.58 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small part being water.
The city is located along major roads like Interstate 94, U.S. Highway 52, U.S. Highway 71, and Minnesota State Highway 28. It is about 100 miles (160 km) northwest of the big cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul.
Sauk Centre is thought to be in the middle of Minnesota. The most important water features are Sauk Lake and the Sauk River. Fairy Lake and Lily Lake are also close by, just outside the city limits.
Population Information
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 1,201 | — | |
| 1890 | 1,695 | 41.1% | |
| 1900 | 2,220 | 31.0% | |
| 1910 | 2,154 | −3.0% | |
| 1920 | 2,699 | 25.3% | |
| 1930 | 2,716 | 0.6% | |
| 1940 | 3,016 | 11.0% | |
| 1950 | 3,140 | 4.1% | |
| 1960 | 3,573 | 13.8% | |
| 1970 | 3,750 | 5.0% | |
| 1980 | 3,709 | −1.1% | |
| 1990 | 3,581 | −3.5% | |
| 2000 | 3,930 | 9.7% | |
| 2010 | 4,317 | 9.8% | |
| 2020 | 4,555 | 5.5% | |
| 2021 (est.) | 4,599 | 6.5% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 2020 Census |
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Sauk Centre Population in 2010
In 2010, Sauk Centre had 4,317 people living in 1,851 households. The city had about 1082 people per square mile (417 per square kilometer). Most of the people living in Sauk Centre were White (95.6%).
About 28.4% of households had children under 18. Many households (50.5%) were married couples living together. The average household had 2.28 people. The average family had 2.86 people.
The average age in the city was 41.4 years. About 22.9% of residents were under 18. About 21.6% were 65 years old or older. The city had slightly more females (52.6%) than males (47.4%).
Churches
- Saint Paul's Catholic Church (This church is home to the first U.S. shrine dedicated to the Divine Mercy of Jesus. It was dedicated in 1982.)
Notable People from Sauk Centre
- Joshua Harrison Bruce - a farmer and Minnesota lawmaker
- Benjamin F. DuBois — a banker and Minnesota lawmaker
- Rachael Ellering — a professional wrestler
- Ody J. Fish — a leader of the Republican Party of Wisconsin
- Harold Palmer Howard, a U.S. Army brigadier general
- Sinclair Lewis — a famous American writer and playwright who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1930
- Joseph T. Niehaus, Sr. - a farmer, businessman, and Minnesota lawmaker
- Cory Undlin - an NFL Coach
- Sylvester Uphus — a farmer and Minnesota lawmaker
- Harry C. Van Norman - a businessman and Illinois lawmaker
Education in Sauk Centre
Sauk Centre has two schools: Holy Family and Sauk Centre Public School. Holy Family is a private Catholic school. It teaches students from kindergarten through 6th grade. Sauk Centre Public School has two parts. The elementary school teaches kindergarten to 6th grade. The secondary school teaches 7th to 12th grade. The school's mascot is the Mainstreeters. This name honors Sinclair Lewis's famous novel, Main Street.
See also
In Spanish: Sauk Centre (Minnesota) para niños
