Cold Spring, Minnesota
Cold Spring is a city in Stearns County, Minnesota, United States, located at the gateway of the Sauk River Chain of Lakes, an interconnected system of 14 bay-like lakes fed and connected by the Sauk River. Cold Spring is part of the St. Cloud Metropolitan Statistical Area, and the population was 4,025 at the 2010 census. History. Originally home to the native Ojibwe, Winnebago, and Dakota people, Cold Spring was platted in 1856, and named for the fact there were many springs near the original town site. A post office has been in operation at Cold  Spring since 1857. German-speaking Catholics settled in the area, lured by the Slovenian missionary priest Francis Xavier Pierz, who had submitted letters and advertisements to the major German-language newspapers across the United States, like "Der Wahrheitsfreund" ("The Friend of Truth"), and in Europe, urging "good, pious" German Catholics to venture to the Sauk River Valley of central Minnesota. Pierz described the Sauk River Valley as a "land flowing with milk and honey" as well as safe from disease and anti-Catholic oppression. During the grasshopper plagues of the 1870s, Assumption Chapel, also known as the Grasshopper Chapel, was  built in petition for relief from the locusts. Cold Spring contains three properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places: the John Oster House and Ferdinand Peters House (both built in 1907), and the Eugene Hermanutz House (built in 1912). The city was thrust in the national spotlight on September 24, 2003, when then 15-year-old Jason McLaughlin shot and killed two classmates in the Rocori High School shooting. Geography. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of ; is land and is water. The Sauk River bisects Cold Spring from the southwest . The city of Cold Spring is located within Wakefield Township geographically but is a separate entity. Demographics. 2010 census. As of the census of 2010, there were 4,025 people, 1,549 households, and 1,049 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 1,641 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.2% White, 0.2% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 3.9% from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.1% of the population. There were 1,549 households, of which  36.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.6% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 32.3% were non-families. 27.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.11. The median age in the city was 36.7 years. 27.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.5% were between the ages of  18 and 24; 26.4% were from 25 to 44; 20.4% were from 45 to 64; and 19% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.3% male and 51.7% female. Ancestry breakdown of residents is German (67.6%), American (5.9%), Swedish (4.0%), Irish (2.4%), Norwegian (1.7%), English (1.2%). 2000 census. As of the census of 2000, there were 2,975 people, 1,116 households, and 785 families living in the city. The population density was 1,431.1 people per square mile (552.2/km). There were 1,145 housing units at an average density of 550.8 per square mile (212.5 /km). The racial makeup of the city was 98.39% White, 0.20% African American, 0.07% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 0.71% from other races, and 0.44% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.34% of the population. There were 1,116 households, out of which 36.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.1% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.6% were non-families. 26.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or  older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.11. In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.8% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 17.4% from 45 to 64, and 21.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $37,500, and the median income for a family was  $50,268. Males had a median income of $32,225 versus $23,500 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,308. About 1.9% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.8% of those under age 18 and 6.9% of those age 65 or over. Economy. Top employers in Cold Spring include: Transportation. Minnesota Highway 23 serves as a main route in Cold Spring and Interstate 94, the major highway of the region, is nearby, linking Minneapolis, St. Paul, Fargo, Chicago, and Milwaukee. Cold Spring is also served by County Roads  2 and 50, providing north-south access in and out of the city. Cold Spring's proximity to St. Cloud allows for convenient access to St. Cloud Regional Airport, as well as the city's Amtrak and Greyhound stations. Education. Primary and secondary schools. Cold Spring is served by ROCORI Independent School District 750. ROCORI stands for the three adjacent communities that primarily comprise the schools: Rockville, Cold Spring, and Richmond. Local public schools serving Cold Spring include: Rockville Elementary, Cold Spring Elementary and Richmond Elementary, Cold Spring Middle School, and ROCORI High School. There are also three private schools  within the district: St. Peter & Paul Elementary (preK-5) in Richmond, St. Boniface Elementary (preK-6) in Cold Spring, and Holy Cross School (preK-6) in Pearl Lake. Public libraries. Great River Regional Library (GRRL) operates the Cold Spring branch, located on Red River Avenue.