Stearns County, Administrative division in Saint Cloud, Minnesota, US
Stearns County is an administrative division in Minnesota that spans rolling terrain with numerous lakes and waterways throughout its landscape. The Mississippi River forms a natural boundary along its northeastern edge.
The county was established in 1855 with a name rooted in a clerical mistake rather than intentional honor. Officials meant to name it after Governor Isaac Stevens but ended up naming it for Charles Thomas Stearns instead.
German Catholic settlers from the 1850s shaped how people here live and work, establishing farming traditions that remain central to the local way of life.
The county is spread across multiple towns connected by rural roads, making a car essential for exploring. Most activities and services are dispersed throughout the region rather than concentrated in one area.
About 47 square miles of the county's landscape consists of water bodies, including sections of the Mississippi River and tributaries. These waterways were vital routes that early settlers used to travel and establish their communities.
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