Why Waite Park is Named Waite Park

Waite Park is one of the fastest growing communities both commercially and residentially over the past 30 years in Central Minnesota.  The town is named for Henry Chester Waite, a former State Representative and lawyer.  The initial Waite Park settlement was on what was Henry Waite's farm.

To help tell the story of Waite Park I was joined by longtime residents Rick Miller and Ed Bauer.  Miller served as the Mayor of Waite Park for 23 years and was a city council person for 10 years prior to that.  Bauer owned and operator a shop on 3rd Street and 6th Avenue in Waite Park for many years before retiring.  He still owns the shop. It is clear the "Waite" part of the town's name is after Henry Waite but neither Rick nor Ed knew why the "Park" portion of the name was chosen.

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There was a Waite's Crossing which is now where 8th Street and the Sauk River is.  Before the railroad came to town the Ox Cart Trail crossed the Sauk River at Waite's Crossing. Henry Waite was a lawyer from Chicago who bought more than 600 acres in Central Minnesota.  He sold 300 acres to James J. Hill and the Great Northern Railroad.  Many of the early Waite Park settlers in the late 1890s worked for the railroad.

Waite Park established a post office in 1897.  The original settlement was located between what is now 3rd Street and Highway 23.  Miller says the original Waite Park was very small.  Bauer says the earliest settlers were largely a mix of farmers and railroad employees.  Many granite quarries operated in what is now the Waite Park city limits.  Miller says 3 quarries operated out of what is Quarry Park and there were 2 where the Ledge Amphitheater is now.

Miller and Bauer recall numerous eating establishments like the Hub, Ivan's in the Park, the Wagon Wheel, Midway Bar, and Kueffler's.  Waite Park also had Hunstiger's Grocery.  Waite Park also had a street car that went from Waite Park to downtown St. Cloud.  Waite Park never had a traditional downtown.  Miller says residents never had a place where they say they are going downtown, park their car and walk.  He says 3rd Street had some commercial properties and so did Division Street.

Waite Park has a population of 8,341 today.  The borders between St. Cloud and Waite Park are unique.  Most of Crossroads Mall is in St. Cloud but both the Food Court and Scheels are in Waite Park.  Target is in St. Cloud and Schuler Shoes is in Waite Park. Miller says Waite Avenue is the dividing line in some cases but not completely.  He states Olive Garden is in Waite Park, Applebees is in St. Cloud.  Miller says the western  and southern boundaries of Waite Park are the Sauk River and Interstate 94.

If you'd like to listen to my conversation with Rick Miller and Ed Bauer, it is available below.