Brief History of St. Paul, MN
The city of St. Paul serves as the county seat for Ramsey County, located in the state of Minnesota. The city has a strong economic and cultural vitality which started a long time ago. The history of Saint Paul is rich, which can be seen through many of the historical landmarks of the city. Stay with us and read this article, presented to you by EZDJ, affordable DJ equipment rental St. Paul MN.
Beginnings of the City
About 2000 years ago, the area of Burial mounds was initially inhabited by the Hopewell Native Americans. The Mdewakanton Dakota also lived near the mounds from the 17th century until 1837.
The land was negotiated from the local Dakota tribes in 1805 by a U.S. Army officer Zebulon Pike. This land consisted of 100 000 acres which were located from the banks of the Mississippi River to Saint Croix River. In 1819, Fort Snelling was built in this area. The U.S. Government ceded all local tribal land east of the Mississippi during the 1837 Treaty with the Sioux.
Furthermore, explorers, fur traders, and missionaries came to the area to settle as the fort offered protection. Among them were many French-Canadians. As the whiskey trade flourished, settlers started to get banned from the fort-controlled lands by military officers.
A bootlegger who was a retired fur trader, Pierre “Pig’s Eye” Parrant, set up a tavern near the area, which is known today as Lambert’s Landing. This tavern was called Pig’s Eye and became a popular tavern during this time. In 1840, the area was named Pig’s Eye Landing after the tavern.
The Catholic French Canadians needed a minister and sent Father Lucien Galtier in 1841. Father Galtire then established a chapel on the bluffs above Lambert’s Landing, which was named after his favorite saint, Paul the Apostle. In honor of the new chapel, the settlement then adopted the name, Saint Paul.
The first school of Saint Paul was opened in 1847 by a New York educator named Harriet Bishop who moved there during this time.
Development of St. Paul
In 1849, Saint Paul was named as the capital after the Minnesota Territory was formalized. The plan was to move the capital to Saint Peter after a territorial legislature vote. However, Joe Rolette stole the approved bill and went into hiding.
This rebellious act of Joe Rolette prevented the move of the capital. Saint Paul remained the capital of Minnesota and Minnesota was admitted to the union as the thirty-second state in 1858.
Saint Paul became a gateway for settlers to the Minnesota frontier or Dakota Territory as there were over 1 000 steamboats at service at this city. The natural geography of Saint Paul made it the perfect landing and access point for unloading boats that came up river due to the Mississippi River Valleys stone bluffs. Therefore, the city was also called “The Last City of the East” during this period.
Railway Networks was constructed and expanded by James J. Hill, an industrialist. The railways were built and expanded into the Great Northern Railway and Northern Pacific Railway. The railways were headquartered in Saint Paul and today they form part of the BNSF Railway.
Thunderstorms and tornadoes damaged hundreds of downtown buildings on 20 August 1904. The city suffered $1.78 million in damages during that time. Urban renewal took place in the 1960s in which St. Paul demolished western neighborhoods close to downtown.
Due to the construction of Interstate 94, the Western Rondo Neighborhood was demolished from 1959 to 1961. Today, Saint Paul commemorates the Rondo Neighborhood by holding an annual festival every year in July, called the Rondo Days festival.
During 1970, many short skyscraper buildings were constructed in downtown. In the 1980s, taller buildings were constructed, including the Galtier Plaza, The Pointe of Saint Paul Condominiums, and the Wells Fargo Place.
Final Thought
Today there are about 306 621 residents in Saint Paul and new immigrant groups are continuing to move to this city. Therefore, apart from many popular attractions, Saint Paul has plenty of diversity and culture to offer its residents and tourists the same as Twin Cities.