Sartell’s Journey From A Mill Town To A Growing Community

Sartell is currently a town of 19,726 people located in both Stearns and Benton Counties in Central Minnesota.  The town had humble beginnings and it took awhile to see significant growth.  To help tell the story of Sartell I was joined by longtime Sartell resident and historian Ron Hurd and former Mayor and city councilman Tim O'Driscoll.  Tim is currently a State Representative.

Sartell's First Settler

The first white settler in the Sartell area was Joseph B. Sartell, who arrived in 1854.  He worked as a millwright and at a local sawmill.  In 1877, he opened a flour mill at the nearby Watab River, and in 1884 he started Sartell Brothers Lumber Company with his sons. Hurd says the Sartell brothers owned many of the early businesses and had a big presence there.

The Paper Mill

In 1905, construction began on both the Sartell Pulp and Paper Company and the Sartell Dam across the Mississippi, near the "third rapids". Both were completed in 1907, the dam project claimed the lives of seven workers.  Watab Pulp and Paper was rebuilt and expanded through the years, passing through multiple ownerships and eventually emerging as Verso Paper's Sartell mill, the city's largest employer.

The Town's Growth

Ron Hurd says the emergence of the Paper Mill in 1907 led to more settlements in the town along with more businesses on the east side of the river.  He says many of the early paper mill employees lived in Sauk Rapids.  Hurd says Sartell never really had a downtown but he never really felt like it needed one.  Highway 10 used to go through Sartell.  Benton Drive and the River Road were once part of Highway 10.  Hurd says there were hotels, restaurants and bars located on the east side of the river along what was Highway 10.

Logging and Ice Houses in Sartell

The railroad also went through Sartell.  Logging, ice houses and the paper mill were big industries in the city.  Hurd says the paper mill could have ended up in Sauk Rapids.  He says the land is was cheaper in Sartell as Joseph Sartell sold 38 acres for $1.  He says there was a hotel on the west side of the river where Dezurik's is now where many mill workers stayed.  He says eventually it burned down.

Emergence of Dezurik's

Dezurik's started in the 1920s.  Matt Dezurik worked at the paper mill as a millwright/maintenance guy.  Hurd says he was a very clever guy who invented a valve,  and started his business in a garage.  O'Driscoll says Dezurik, while employed at the paper mill often time crafted replacement parts, and sold them to the mill.

Sartell's First High School

Sartell didn't have a school for many years.  Students would go to high school at St. Cloud Tech.  Hurd is a 1959 Tech graduate.  He says in the 1960s Sartell was making a push to get their own school.  Hurd says there were petitions and the process took about 1 and 1/2 years before the State approved Sartell forming their own school district.  Construction on Sartell's first high school started in 1969.  The first graduating class in Sartell was in 1970 with 18 graduates.  Hurd says the graduating class in 2025 at Sartell was more than 350.  Sartell's first high school is still be used today.  It is their intermediate school.

Population Matters

In the 1960s Sartell had a population of approximately 700, in the 1970s it grew to just over 2,000.  Sartell saw it's biggest growth spurt in the late 90s through 2015.  Sartell's projected population is expected to grow to more than 25,000 by 2035.

Winter Haven

Sartell used to have an event at Winter Haven created by Father Edward Ramacher arrived with the first Catholic Church in Sartell.  They erected a lodge called "Sunset Lodge" and the events would include toboggan runs, skating rink, skiing, a program and a snow train that came from the Twin Cites.  Hurd recalls the first Winter Haven took place in 1949 and drew more than 1,500 people.  The event ran for 4 years until 1953.  Hurd also recalls Father Ramacher getting Tommy Bartlett to come and perform on the river.  He was known for his water skiing shows.

Summerfest

Sartell Summerfest started in 1992.  O'Driscoll says for the last 30-plus years they've had different forms or Summerfest.  He says the format works and bring a good crowd every year.  Summerfest taking place each year in early June.

If you'd like to listen to my conversation with Ron Hurd and Tim O'Driscoll, click below.