Sleepy Eye, Minnesota

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sleepy Eye is a city in Brown County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 3,515 at the 2000 census.

1 Geography
2 Demographics
3 History
4 Notable residents and events
5 External links

[edit] Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.1 km² (2.0 mi²). 4.3 km² (1.7 mi²) of it is land and 0.7 km² (0.3 mi²) of it (14.29%) is water.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census ² of 2000, there were 3,515 people, 1,479 households, and 942 families residing in the city. The population density was 812.7/km² (2,099.9/mi²). There were 1,591 housing units at an average density of 367.8/km² (950.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.03% White, 0.23% African American, 0.06% Native American, 0.34% Asian, 3.90% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.80% of the population.

There were 1,479 households out of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.3% were married couples living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.3% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the city the population was spread out with 28.0% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 19.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 92.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $37,123, and the median income for a family was $48,500. Males had a median income of $31,612 versus $22,907 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,175. About 4.7% of families and 8.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.7% of those under age 18 and 10.2% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] History

Sleepy Eye is named after Chief Sleepy Eye, or "Ish Tak Ha Ba", who was known as a compassionate person with droopy eyelids (maybe only one), hence his name.

The Chief was one of four Sioux Indians (four Ojibwe also attended) chosen to meet President James Monroe in 1824 in the nation's capital. Later, Sleepy Eye was an integral player in the 1851 signing of the Treaty of Traverse des Sioux, which gave all of the land but a 10-mile swath on each side of the upper Minnesota River to the U.S. government. His recommendations to traders led to the successful settlement of Mankato, away from flood areas, and the Chief eventually settled his people near the lake now known as Sleepy Eye Lake.

[edit] Notable residents and events

Many watchers of the "Little House on the Prairie" TV series will also recognize Sleepy Eye as an important trade post for the citizens of Walnut Grove. In fact, the first telephone line to reach Walnut Grove from Minneapolis was called the "Sleepy Eye Line" in one episode.

Every August the residents of Sleepy Eye host the annual "Corn Days" event, where free buttered corn is provided, as well as live music, a flea market, and various other events.

Ralph John Fritz, a longtime Twin Cities sportscaster, is from Sleepy Eye.

Residents of Sleepy Eye made headlines in the early 1990s by trying to ban MTV in the town.

In the Fall of 2005 the Sleepy Eye Public High School's Varsity Football team almost made it to the Metrodome (the "dome"), for the second time in 5 years. They were beat by Goodhue with 30 seconds to go in the fourth quarter (by a field goal). Had they won the game they would have played their next game at the H.H. Metrodome in the Twin Cites. The team was lead by their Senior players- Mike Peterson(QB) and Justin Helget(TE); also by "star" junior Joey Walter.

Gene Simmons and Iron Man also skated at Slam City Jam in Sleepy Eye