SARTELL -- A group of Sartell residents are working on a way to uphold the town's history, to teach a younger generation what once was.

A committee of roughly eight residents have gotten together to find a way to start a Sartell Historical Society.

Ron Hurd is one of the committee members and has lived in Sartell his entire life. He says the group has been trying to form a plan of action on how to get this project off the ground since 2007.

"It really started during the Sartell Centennial. We kind of got organized then, but it slowed down. Then the Sartell Senior Connection formed a committee dedicated to history. So we combined forces over the last year to see if we could generate this."

The group is aiming for a building to hold artifacts which helped shaped Sartell's history including pieces from the paper mill, sawmill, Riverboat Casino, about the Sartell Family.

Jeff Sartell is a descendant of Joseph B. Sartell, whom the city is named after. He says while he's never lived in Sartell, he feels attached to the community from the stories his father told.

"I think growing up with my father, who is the unofficial family historian. He started writing stories about the town when I was young. That peaked my interest, so maybe more than most people I'm interested because of the things my father did and wrote."

Hurd says one possible location for the historical society could be the current police department, once their new facility is built.

While the group is still in the early stages, they are looking for input and ideas on how to move forward. They are also asking for Sartell residents to keep their eyes open for any historical artifacts.

If you're interested in learning more or getting involved you can contact the Sartell Senior Connection.

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