Editing Sac City, Iowa (section)

==History==
Sac City was first platted in 1855 by Joshua Keith Powell of [[Fort Dodge, Iowa]]. The town was so named because the [[Sauk people|Sac]] and [[Meskwaki]] peoples{{refn|group=nb|Sometimes known as the Sauk and Fox—the French name "Sac" and the English equivalent "Sauk" are both correct and interchangeable. Both words were derived from the Indian word "Asakiwaki," meaning "yellow earth people".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bigorrin.org/sf_kids.htm|title=Sac and Fox Indian Fact Sheet|publisher=Native Languages of the Americas website|access-date=August 9, 2011}}</ref>}} were in possession of the land at the time of the [[Louisiana Purchase]]. The City of Sac City was incorporated 19 years later, in 1874.

Judge Eugene Criss, credited with being the father of Sac City, left [[Wisconsin]] and crossed the [[Mississippi River]] in the early months of 1855 by [[covered wagon]]. He was in search of waterpower and had the desire to establish a settlement in a new and untried country. Deciding upon the [[North Raccoon River]] to begin his settlement, Judge Criss proceeded to erect the first [[log cabin]] in Sac City, establish himself in the [[hotel]] business, as well as keep a stage station and [[general store]] for nearby settlers.

As early as 1859, there was talk of building a [[railroad]] through Sac County, but the first railroad did not come through Sac City until 1879. The railroad companies refused to lay tracks through undeveloped or mildly developed areas, and Sac City did not meet the requirements. The railroad companies demanded communities be far enough advanced to provide a quick return to capital before they would construct a steam and iron highway through the area. When it came, the railroad benefited Sac City incredibly. The [[Chicago and North Western Transportation Company]] connected Sac City, Wall Lake, Auburn, Odebolt, Lake View, Early, and Schaller as well as the cities where crops were sold.

The first Sac County Fair was held in 1871 on {{convert|10|acre|m2}} of ground east of Sac City that had been purchased by the Sac County Agricultural Society the same year. The fair was one of the biggest events of the year and brought people in wagons and buggies from miles around to see the harness races, livestock exhibits, produce, needlework, and art goods.

The Sac City [[Chautauqua]] Association was organized in December 1904 with 120 members. The Association brought many fine programs to the community, and because transportation was still slow and laborious, many families stayed in tents on the grounds for the entire Chautauqua session, about eight or nine days. At first the meetings were held in a tent, but by 1908, the citizens of Sac City built a Chautauqua Building in which to hold their meetings, and which is now the only one left of its kind in the state of Iowa.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.saccity.org/pages/historic-sac-city.html |title=Historic Sac City |access-date=February 26, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101129101950/http://saccity.org/pages/historic-sac-city.html |archive-date=November 29, 2010 }}, Accessed February 18, 2010.</ref>

===Modern-day===
In May 2017 lifelong Sac City resident and businessman John Criss donated [[US$]]5.7 million of his [[Estate (law)|estate]] to the city for [[beautification]] projects.<ref name="John Criss">{{cite web|author1=Kyle Munson|title=A quiet bachelor left behind $5.7 million to help save his small Iowa town. Will it work?|url=https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/local/columnists/kyle-munson/2017/05/31/quiet-bachelor-left-behind-5-7-million-help-save-his-small-iowa-town-work/331423001/|website=Des Moines Register|access-date=December 24, 2017|date=May 30, 2017}}</ref>