The first European settlement in the region
was near what is now known as the town of Stillwater, Minnesota. The city is
approximately 20 miles (30 km) from downtown Saint Paul and lies on the
western bank of the St. Croix River, which forms the border of central
Minnesota and Wisconsin. Another settlement that began fueling early interest
in the area was the outpost at Fort Snelling, which was constructed from 1820
to 1825 at the confluence of the Minnesota River and the Mississippi River.
Fort Snelling held jurisdiction over the
land south of
