The Birthplace of Minnesota: In August 1848, organizers held the famous Stillwater Convention on Main Street. Pioneers gathered here to draw up the official petitions establishing Minnesota as its own territory, paving the way for statehood a decade later in 1858. 

The Lumber Capital of the World: Long before it was a tourist destination, Stillwater was an industrial powerhouse. Thanks to the St. Croix River, it served as the logging hub of the Upper Midwest, processing millions of logs every year through its massive sawmills during the late 19th century. 

A "Hauntingly" Good Past: Stillwater is home to the Warden's House Museum, built in 1853. It housed the wardens of the first Minnesota State Prison. Today, it’s a repository of fascinating, eerie local history and a frequent destination for evening ghost tours. 

Historic Homes Galore: Even though the city of Stillwater MN only occupies about 8 square miles of land, that doesn’t mean it has any less historic charm. In Stillwater, there are over 100 Heirloom Homes and Landmark Sites spread throughout the city. 

Pre-Settlement Roots: Before settlers arrived in Stillwater in the 1840s, the Dakota and Ojibwe had known the land as another name. The Dakota called the area Hoġan Wanḳe Kin, meaning “the place where the fish lies.” The name was derived from a legend in which a man was transformed into a giant fish and then into a sandbar. Similarly, the Ojibwe called the land Giigo onh-zhagomod with the slightly different meaning of “where the fish floats.”