St. Croix Falls is a city in

Polk County Polk County is the name of twelve counties in the United States, all except two named after president of the United States James Knox Polk: * Polk County, Arkansas * Polk County, Florida * Polk County, Georgia * Polk County, Iowa * Polk Count ...

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

, United States. The population was 2,208 at the 2020 census. The city is located within the Town of St. Croix Falls.

U.S. Route 8 U.S. Highway 8 (US 8) is a United States Numbered Highway that runs primarily east–west for , mostly within the state of Wisconsin. It connects Interstate 35 (I-35) in Forest Lake, Minnesota, to US 2 at Norway in the Upper Peninsul ...

Wisconsin Highway 35 State Trunk Highway 35 (STH-35, WIS 35) is a Wisconsin state highway running north–south across western Wisconsin. It is 412.15 miles in length, and is the longest state highway in Wisconsin. Portions of WIS 35 are part of the ...

, and

Wisconsin Highway 87 State Trunk Highway 87 (often called Highway 87, STH-87 or WIS 87) is a state highway in Polk and Burnett counties in the US state of Wisconsin that runs north–south in the northwestern portion of the state from St. Croix Falls to Gran ...

are three of the main arterial routes in the city.

History

In the 1840s the land that would become Saint Croix Falls was indirectly

settled A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established a permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. A settler who migrates to an area previously uninhabited or sparsely inhabited may be described as a pioneer. Settle ...

Scandinavians Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Swede ...

and

Germans , native_name_lang = de , region1 = , pop1 = 72,650,269 , region2 = , pop2 = 534,000 , region3 = , pop3 = 157,000 3,322,405 , region4 = , pop4 = ...

. After the increase of

logging Logging is the process of cutting, processing, and moving trees to a location for transport. It may include skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks or skeleton cars. Logging is the beginning of a supply chain ...

, and the founding of the Cushing Land Company, Saint Croix Falls became incorporated in

during

1887 Events January–March * January 11 – Louis Pasteur's anti-rabies treatment is defended in the Académie Nationale de Médecine, by Dr. Joseph Grancher. * January 20 ** The United States Senate allows the Navy to lease Pearl Har ...

. The

logging industry Logging is the process of cutting, processing, and moving trees to a location for transport. It may include skidder, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or trunk (botany), logs onto logging truck, trucks or flatcar#Skeleton car, ...

became important in St Croix falls, attracting

New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...

immigrants Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not natives or where they do not possess citizenship in order to settle as permanent residents or naturalized citizens. Commuters, tourists, and ...

which started a chain reaction of cutting down vast amounts of

white pine ''Pinus'', the pines, is a genus of approximately 111 extant tree and shrub species. The genus is currently split into two subgenera: subgenus ''Pinus'' (hard pines), and subgenus ''Strobus'' (soft pines). Each of the subgenera have been further ...

. They were sent down the saint Croix river and the

Mississippi river The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...

. From the late 1890s on the logging industry died down, the last log going down the Saint Croix log mill in

1914 This year saw the beginning of what became known as World War I, after Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the Austrian throne was Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, assassinated by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip. It als ...

. This made St. Croix falls a more

agricultural Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating Plant, plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of Sedentism, sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of Domestication, domesticated species created food ...

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

. It officially became a city in

1958 Events January * January 1 – The European Economic Community (EEC) comes into being. * January 3 – The West Indies Federation is formed. * January 4 ** Edmund Hillary's Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition completes the third ...

. The

Saint Croix Falls Dam Saint Croix Falls Dam, also known as St. Croix Falls Dam, is a hydroelectric dam on the St. Croix River between St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin and Taylors Falls, Minnesota. The only dam on the St. Croix River, it is operated by Xcel Energy. Histo ...

was completed in the town in 1907 to generate

hydroelectricity Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is Electricity generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other Renewabl ...

for

Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

, impounding the river's natural falls.

Geography

St. Croix Falls is located at (45.411956, -92.638916). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water. St. Croix Falls is adjacent to

Taylors Falls, Minnesota Taylors Falls is a city in Chisago County, Minnesota, United States, located at the junction of U.S. Highway 8 and Minnesota State Highway 95. The population was 1,055 at the 2020 census. History Taylors Falls was platted in 1850 or 1851, and ...

, across The St. Croix River.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the census of 2020, the population was 2,208. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was . There were 1,125 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 93.5%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 0.9%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.5%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.4% Native American, 0.9% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 3.9% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 1.9%

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race.

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2010, there were 2,133 people, 967 households, and 522 families residing in the city. The

was . There were 1,088 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.7%

, 0.3%

, 0.5% Native American, 0.6%

, 0.4% from

, and 1.5% from two or more races.

of any race were 1.8% of the population. There were 967 households, of which 26.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.1% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 46.0% were non-families. 40.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.87. The median age in the city was 44.3 years. 22.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22% were from 25 to 44; 27.1% were from 45 to 64; and 21.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 44.9% male and 55.1% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 2,033 people, 872 households, and 504 families living in the city. The

was 607.1 people per square mile (234.3/km²). There were 926 housing units at an average density of 276.5 per square mile (106.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.43%

, 0.05%

, 0.30% Native American, 0.20%

, 0.54% from

, and 0.49% from two or more races. 1.33% of the population were

of any race. There were 872 households, out of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.2% were

living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.1% were non-families. 36.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.96. In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.0% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 20.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $39,350, and the median income for a family was $54,063. Males had a median income of $40,185 versus $25,341 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $21,384. About 2.9% of families and 5.8% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 4.4% of those under age 18 and 10.9% of those age 65 or over.

Education

St. Croix Falls School District is the local school district. St. Croix Falls High School is the local high school.

Festivals

Wannigan Days is a four day festival, held in St. Croix Falls,

and Taylors Falls,

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

, meant as a celebration of the logging history of the saint Croix region.

Points of interest

St. Croix Falls abuts two parks whose focal points are the St. Croix River (Wisconsin-Minnesota). It is home to the Park Headquarters for the

St. Croix National Scenic Riverway The Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway is a federally protected system of riverways located in eastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin. It protects of river, including the St. Croix River (Wisconsin-Minnesota), St. Croix River (on the W ...

, and it lies adjacent to the

Interstate Park Interstate Park comprises two adjacent state parks on the Minnesota–Wisconsin border, both named Interstate State Park. They straddle ''the Dalles'' of the St. Croix River, a deep basalt gorge with glacial potholes and other rock formations. ...

, a state park of

and

that spans the Minnesota-Wisconsin state line along the St. Croix River Dalles with parts of the park on both sides. St. Croix Falls is the western terminus of the

Ice Age Trail The Ice Age Trail is a National Scenic Trail stretching in the state of Wisconsin in the United States. The trail is administered by the National Park Service, and is constructed and maintained by private and public agencies including the Ice ...

and the

Gandy Dancer State Trail The Gandy Dancer State Trail is a 98-mile recreational trail spanning through Wisconsin and Minnesota. The trail is managed by Polk, Burnett, and Douglas County in Wisconsin and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources in Minnesota. Rout ...

. The St. Croix Falls Dam was built over the city's namesake falls. The Cushing Land Agency Building, Lamar Community Center and Thomas Henry Thompson House are located in St. Croix Falls.
St. Croix Dock
is located in St. Croix Falls. People can rent

kayak A kayak is a small, narrow watercraft which is typically propelled by means of a double-bladed paddle. The word kayak originates from the Greenlandic word ''qajaq'' (). The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each se ...

s and

canoe A canoe is a lightweight narrow water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using a single-bladed paddle. In British English, the term ...

s to enjoy the St. Croix River. St Croix Dalles

Notable people

* Anders James Nelson, Ball State All American Middle Blocker * Vernon A. Forbes, Oregon State Representative *

Donald L. Iverson Donald L. Iverson (February 3, 1923 – March 20, 1999) was an American politician, who served in the Wisconsin State Assembly. Biography Iverson was born in St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin. After graduating from St. Croix Falls High School, he atte ...

, Wisconsin State Representative * Megan Kalmoe, U.S. Olympian * William R. Marshall, Governor of

* James Henry McCourt, Wisconsin State Representative * John Morgan,

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...

Vice Admiral *

Roy Patterson Roy Lewis Patterson (December 17, 1876 – April 14, 1953) was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. Nicknamed "The Boy Wonder," he played for the Chicago White Sox from 1901 to 1907. Patterson started his professional baseball career for the Wes ...

, who played

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

for the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...

from 1901 through 1907. *

James Breck Perkins James Breck Perkins (November 4, 1847 – March 11, 1910) was an American historian, a United States congressman, and a writer. He was born in St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin, and graduated from the University of Rochester, where he was a member ...

, author,

United States Congressman The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

References

External links

City of St. Croix Falls

Falls Chamber of Commerce
* Sanborn fire insurance maps
1885189218991917
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Croix Falls, Wisconsin Cities in Wisconsin Cities in Polk County, Wisconsin