St. James, Minnesota facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St. James, Minnesota
City
The Watonwan County Courthouse in St. James
Location of St. James within Watonwan County and state of Minnesota
Country	United States
State	Minnesota
County	Watonwan
Government
• Type	Mayor – Council
Area
• Total	2.35 sq mi (6.10 km2)
• Land	2.33 sq mi (6.03 km2)
• Water	0.02 sq mi (0.06 km2)
Elevation	1,079 ft (329 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	4,605
• Estimate  (2019)	4,400
• Density	1,889.22/sq mi (729.38/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP Code	56081
FIPS code	27-57040
GNIS feature ID	0650613
Website	www.ci.stjames.mn.us

St. James is a city in and the county seat of Watonwan County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 4,605 at the 2010 census.

Minnesota State Highways 4, 30, and 60 are three of the main routes in the city.

History

In 1870, the directors of the St. Paul and Sioux City railroads chose the future townsite of St. James as the midpoint for a new railroad linking the two cities. Named for James Purington, an early settler, the new city was incorporated in 1871. It was the hometown of Minnesota Governor Winfield Scott Hammond, a Democrat who served in 1915. In the 1940s, Theodore S. Mondale, the father of future Vice President of the United States Walter Mondale, was the pastor at First Methodist Church of St. James. Tony Downs Foods Co. has been a major employer since 1947, processing poultry and frozen meals.

St. James contains two properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places: the Grand Opera House (completed in 1892) and the Watonwan County Courthouse (completed in 1896).

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.43 square miles (6.29 km²); 2.40 square miles (6.22 km²) is land and 0.03 square miles (0.08 km²) is water.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 4,605 people, 1,839 households, and 1,145 families living in the city. The population density was 1,918.8 inhabitants per square mile (740.9/km²). There were 2,039 housing units at an average density of 849.6 per square mile (328.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 81.8% White, 0.7% African American, 0.9% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 14.9% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 31.0% of the population.

There were 1,839 households, of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.8% were married couples living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.7% were non-families. 33.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.17.

The median age in the city was 37.8 years. 27.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.6% were from 25 to 44; 23.3% were from 45 to 64; and 17.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.7% male and 51.3% female.

Transport

The city owns and operates the St. James Municipal Airport.

Notable people

• Moses K. Armstrong, businessman and legislator
• Peter Eckerstrom, Arizona Court of Appeals judge
• Carl L. Johnson, businessman and legislator
• Henry Norman Graven (1893-1970), United States District Court judge, was born in St. James.
• Winfield Scott Hammond (1863–1915) 18th Minnesota Governor 1915, established his home and his law practice in St. James.
• Mac Hegstrom (1906-1978), businessman and politician, was born in St. James.
• Mike Kingery, born March 29, 1961 in St. James, Minnesota, is a former professional baseball player who played in the Major Leagues primarily as an outfielder from 1986–1992 and 1994–1996.
• Gary Mielke, born January 28, 1963 in St. James. Former pitcher for the Texas Rangers.

Media

Television

See also

In Spanish: St. James (Minnesota) para niños