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About Sanborn
Sanborn is an attractive, growing community, with some of the finest recreational facilities in the area. The Miller Park and Golf Course is a 125-acre park and recreation complex, consisting of a 90-acre golf course and 35 acres of park facilities. Included are playgrounds, softball and soccer fields, picnic facilities, a new campground facility and a shelter house.
- Incorporated into the complex is a hard surfaced walking/jogging/bicycling trail. A separate downtown park includes an outdoor aquatic center, playground and picnic facilities. The City’s recreation department provides a variety of activities including baseball and softball leagues, sand volleyball, bowling leagues, community education courses and many other events to keep all ages of Sanborn residents busy throughout the year.
- We are also proud of our municipally owned utilities. The Sanborn community owns and operates natural gas, electric, water, wastewater, solid waste and has a state-of-the-art telecommunications utility which offers cable TV, high-speed internet and telephone services which positions Sanborn well in our new global economy. Local ownership and control of these community assets translates into low-cost services.
Our most important resource is our people. Sanborn is a friendly place to live and work and our people care about the success of our local businesses and industry. Another advantage to Sanborn is our location, which is within 45 minutes of many larger cities; giving our residents the conveniences of big city living and the safe, quiet community lifestyle of a small town.
For more information, including a visitor’s guide, relocation information package, or an industrial or business economic incentive package
- Please contact us at 712-930-3842.
History
The city of Sanborn developed from a small village of hardworking folks amid the sights and sounds of coal engines. It was the Milwaukee Railroad that gave Sanborn its original identity as a prosperous place to live and work.
- The first settlers in Sanborn were Mr. and Mrs. William H. Dummett in 1871. The Dummett name still can be found among the present-day residents of which there are about 1400.
- The first railroad came in 1878, and the little village was born, populated mostly by railroad workers and their families. Sanborn, a division point for the railroad, was named after George W. Sanborn, who was the first superintendent of the Iowa and Dakota division of the Milwaukee Railroad, at that time called the McGregor and Missouri Railway.
- The town was located on 60 acres of land owned by J. A. Stocum, a real estate man, and John Lawler, a railroad official from Chicago.
- During the first 20 years of its existence, the town experienced rapid growth, due mostly to the aid it received from the people of nearby Primghar. Primghar residents helped to build the town’s first 40 buildings, both businesses and houses.
An interesting note in the history of Sanborn is the town’s relationship with Primghar, the O’Brien county seat. Sanborn was incorporated in 1880. During that time there was much debate over where the county seat should lie. Some young men of Sanborn rallied together to stage a raid of the Primghar courthouse on Nov. 23, 1882. Despite confrontation from the Primghar townspeople, the group succeeded in holding the county records for one day by removing the files in the middle of the night and taking them back to Sanborn by horse and buggy. The next day the dispute was settled and all records were returned to Primghar. The people then established a friendly relationship between the two towns.
It could be said that the railroad even helped develop the growth of churches in Sanborn. In the beginning, residents took turns housing church in their homes. When attendance grew, they used the train depot waiting room. When the first schoolhouse was built in 1880, that building was used for a church. That school was replaced by a brick building in 1896, and later was replaced in 1939.
- The first brick library was built in 1911. Before that, businesses of Sanborn took turns keeping the books in their stores. An opera house was built in 1905 and remained active until 1941.
- A tornado and fire destroyed many businesses along Main Street in 1914, but the people had the strength to pull together and to continue to prosper.
- With the advancement of the railroad from coal to steam to diesel, Sanborn eventually had no need for its 18-stall roundhouse, dispatching office, coal slide, and the many other facets of the railroad industry upon witch the community had built its livelihood. The last passenger train ran from Sanborn to Sheldon in 1960.
- Sanborn has more to be proud of than its early history, however. The town’s favorite son, Wiley Mayne, went on to serve three terms in Congress (1968-74). Former Iowa Rep. Fred Grandy of “Loveboat” fame got his political start serving on Mayne’s staff. Sanborn continues to celebrate is heritage each summer by holding Railroad Days, a community festival.
General Information
Listed Below we have some helpful information about Sanborn.
- Population - 1,393
- Location - Sanborn is located along Highways 18 and 59, 10 miles east of Highway 60
- Trade area - 45 miles to Iowa Great Lakes, 75 miles to Sioux City, 80 miles to Sioux Falls, SD, and 31 miles to Worthington, MN.
- Average Winter Temperature - 31.4degrees
- Average Summer Temperature - 78.4 degrees
- Average Annual Rainfall - 19.8 inches
- Average Annual Snowfall - 28.1 inches
- Post Office - Conveniently located on Main Street in Sanborn.
- Shipping Companies - UPS & Federal Express serve Sanborn with overnight delivery.
- Utilities - Natural Gas, electricity, water, sewer, and garbage are all owned and operated by the City of Sanborn. The Community Agency (TCA), which is owned by the cities of Sanborn, Hartley, Primghar, and Paullina provide cable and digital cable, high speed internet, and local and long distance telephone servic
- Newspapers - The Sanborn Pioneer, the town’s weekly publication serves the community with local news and advertising. The N’West Iowa Review, published weekly by Iowa Information Inc. of Sheldon, serves Sanborn and all of O’Brien County as well as Osceola, Lyon and Sioux counties.
- Churches - Fellowship may be enjoyed with the people of Sanborn and the surrounding area at eight churches: Christian Reformed, Cornerstone Orthodox Reformed, First Reformed, Grace Evangelical Free, First Presbyterian, St. Andrew’s United Methodist, St. Cecilia’s Catholic and St. Johns Lutheran.
- Camping - Sanborn offers 28 camp sites at Miller Park with complete hookups for cable tv, telephone and internet. We also offer a cabin that is available to rent.
- Hospitals - Citizens of Sanborn receive treatment at Sanford Health Center in Sheldon, nine miles west on Highway 18, and at the Mercy One Hospital in Primghar, seven miles south on Highway 59.
- Medical Clinic - The Sanborn Sanford Medical Center is located at 321 Main St.
- Railroads - The community is served daily by the IC & E Rail Service (Iowa, Chicago & Eastern Railroad).
- Airlines - Commercial flights arrive and depart from airports in Spencer (30 minutes), Sioux City (65 minutes) and Sioux Falls, SD, (95 minutes). Flights are available with United Airlines, Northwest, TWA and their supported carriers.
- Truck lines - K&L Trucking and Van Hof Trucking
- Parks and Playgrounds - Three parks are located in town, providing safe places for children to play and families to swim, camp, picnic or participate in town league sports.
- Library - The Sanborn Public Library is located on Main Street.
- Government - The city council and mayor govern the community.
- Emergencies - Call 911
- Police Department - The Sanborn Police department is staffed by two full-time officers.
- Fire Department – Seventeen volunteers make up the Sanborn Fire Department.
- Ambulance - The Sanborn Ambulance (SAM) consists of 4 members, all volunteers.
- Major Employers - Associated Milk Producers Inc., Prairie View, Siouxland Farmers Cooperative and Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn School District are major employers.
- City Attorney - DeKoter, Thole, Dawson, Rockman & Krikke PLC, Daniel DeKoter Attorney at Law, 315 9th Street, Sibley, Iowa 51249; Phone – 712-754-4601
Municipal Utilities
One characteristic that distinguishes the community of Sanborn from the rest of the region is a matter of self-sufficiency. The town provides its residents with gas, electricity, internet, cable television, water and sewage systems at reasonable rates.
- Electricity is provided by Sanborn Municipal Light Plant.
- The municipal water comes from wells owned by the city, with an elevated storage capacity of 400,000 gallons. Average consumption per day of water by the city is 300,000 gallons, with a water plant capacity of 864,000 gallons per day.
- Sanborn Municipal Gas Utility distributes gas to Sanborn residents through the Northern Natural Gas Company Pipeline.
- Sanborn serves its residents with a waste water treatment plant, serving 99 percent of the community. The average daily load of sewage treatment at the plant is 250,000, with a capacity for 500,000.
All these services are municipally owned, and residents are billed through the city offices.
Contact Information
The Sanborn City Offices are your one-stop shopping center for all of your technology and utility needs.
- Address: City of Sanborn Municipal Utilities, 102 Main St, Sanborn, IA 51248
- Phone: (712) 930-3842
Our service professionals are standing by to provide everything from high speed internet, cable television and local telephone service to Electric and Natural Gas service, Water, Solid Waste and Sewer to our residents and Businesses.
With this combination of citizen-owned utilities, we’re confident we can meet any needs you or your businesses may have.
For well over 50 years Sanborn’s Municipal Utilities have been committed to helping make Sanborn a better place to live and work. Here are a few examples from just the past 10 years:
- Invested in land purchases for housing and Industrial development.
- Utilities infrastructure for housing and industrial development areas.
- Construction of a new Aquatic Center.
- Construction of a Public Library.
- Contributes each year to Sanborn Improvement for economic development.
- Added 11 additional camping sites at Miller Park.
- Added 9 holes to the disc golf course.
- Invested in renovations at the Municipal Golf Course.
- Added a 2.3 mile Nature Trail at Miller Park.
Rail Road Days
Sanborn Railroad Days is always the 4th weekend in July
Our annual celebration is a fun-filled weekend that entails activities for all ages. Activities vary every year, with fireworks hosted biannually.
Check out our event calendar as the celebration approaches for more information on event details!
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