Past Places
Auditorium Theater
After the fire destroyed the Grand Opera House on Main Street, Stillwater in 1902, there was a call for rebuilding …
August Ringling's Shop
1875-76
One of the circus world’s best-known families lived in Stillwater for a time in the 1870s.
Central School
1869–1937
Stillwater's Central School was such a landmark that at one time, it seemed like it would never leave the city's …
First Methodist Episcopal Church
1870–1960
In 1909, pastor E. C. Teachout provided this brief history for Augustus B. Easton's book History of the St. Croix …
Grand Opera House
By the 1870s, Stillwater was a prosperous boom town with numerous modern buildings, but could not boast of an elegant …
Hersey & Staples Block
1872-1967
Built in 1872, the block included a lumber firm's headquarters as well as shopping, professional, and entertainment establishments.
Hersey, Staples & Co. Sawmill
Stillwater was developed because of the vast natural resource of timber. John McKusick and others created the first mill in …
Joseph Wolf Brewery
When Stillwater was settled, many businesses needed to be set up to support such a community. There was the lumber …
Keystone House Hotel
1872–ca. 1914
Several hotels opened in Stillwater starting in its earliest days, and many of them were destroyed by fire. One of …
Minnesota House Hotel
When Stillwater was an early lumber center, one of the most prominent landmarks was the Minnesota House Hotel.
Minnesota Mercantile Company
1888-1969
Wholesale grocery stores are nothing new. In the late 19th century Stillwater had its share of the wholesale mercantile market …
Minnesota Territorial Prison
1851-1914
After considerable debate, the prison was located at Stillwater by the act of the [first Minnesota Territorial] legislature passed on …
Mower & Torinus Blocks
1857-1965
When Stillwater was still in its infancy there were several people who came forward as leaders of the community. One …
North Hill Burying Ground
1846-1873
The first Stillwater burial grounds were established in 1846 at the top of the North Hill. Though used as a …
Northwestern Brewery
1852-1930s
A brewery operated on this site from 1852 until the arrival of Prohibition.
Northwest Thresher Company
One of the major industries of the 19th century was that of the farm implement. From horse and plow to …
Rattlesnake Curve
1899-1932
A notable part of the streetcar journey from Stillwater to St. Paul was "Rattlesnake Curve", a stretch of track southwest of McKusick Lake.
Sawyer House Hotel
The true measure of a successful early pioneer community was if it had a first class hotel to accommodate visitors …
Schulenburg & Boeckeler Mill
1853–1907
There were several mills along Stillwater's riverfront. One of the largest was located on the north end of town. It …
Slab Alley
Slab Alley was located south of the Joseph Wolf Brewery, and north of the Aiple Brewery (now the site of …
Stillwater Creamery
1900-1929
The Stillwater Creamery created butter from locally-produced milk from 1900 to 1929.