Saint Paul, Mississippi River

Pushing a bit further along, I arrive at Minneapolis’ twin, Saint Paul. As Minnesota’s second-largest city and its state capital, Saint Paul carries a quieter, more measured rhythm than its bustling neighbour, shaped in large part by the Mississippi River that curves around its western edge. The area was first settled in 1838, following negotiations with the local Dakota people. It soon attracted traders, farmers, and pioneers drawn to its river access. French priest Lucien Galtier named the settlement after Paul the Apostle, a choice that reflected both his faith and the growing European influence in the region.

The river was central to the city’s early growth, and Saint Paul quickly earned a reputation as the “head of navigation” or the “last stop” for steamboat travel and trade coming up the Mississippi. This status arose from the river’s natural geography: the stretch above Saint Paul, particularly toward Saint Anthony Falls in Minneapolis, was strewn with rocky rapids and drop-offs, making it too shallow and treacherous for large steamboats to pass safely before the construction of modern locks and dams. As a result, the city became a key transfer point for goods and settlers moving west, cementing its importance as a trade hub and gateway to the Upper Midwest.

Before becoming the capital, Saint Paul held the title only temporarily, shortly after the Minnesota Territory was established in 1849. Its location on high bluffs above the Mississippi made it defensible against flooding, accessible for river traffic, and conveniently near the centre of population at the time. But the city’s claim to permanence was seriously contested when, in 1857, legislators passed a bill to move the capital westward to Saint Peter, a town upriver. So, Saint Paul’s future hung in the balance.

Here, the story takes a notably sneaky turn. Joseph J. Rolette, a legislator with a flair for cunning, intervened. He literally stole the bill and went into hiding, so it could not be signed into law before the legislative session ended. While this bold move delayed the plan, it wasn’t the real reason Saint Paul became the capital. A court later noted that the 1849 Organic Act required a public vote, not just a legislative decision, to move the capital. Even if Rolette had handed over the bill, the change probably wouldn’t have gone through. As such, Rolette’s daring, and somewhat cheeky, intervention is remembered more as a colourful episode in the city’s history rather than its legal saviour.

Aside from politics and the river, the city is also known for its literary figures and a slightly shady past. F. Scott Fitzgerald, the celebrated author of The Great Gatsby, was born here in 1896. Although he grew up in New York State, Fitzgerald rewrote and finished his first successful novel, This Side of Paradise, in his family’s home on Summit Avenue. This street is itself a highlight of Saint Paul, lined with grand, elegant 19th-century Victorian and Beaux-Arts homes. 

Charles M. Schulz, creator of the beloved Peanuts comic strip, also grew up in Saint Paul. Local landmarks, such as his father’s barbershop on Selby Avenue, inspired elements of his work, and the city now honours his legacy with several permanent bronze statues of his characters. Most of these can be found in Landmark Plaza, where Charlie Brown sits beside his dog Snoopy, and Linus and Sally Brown lean on a wall. And in nearby Rice Park, Peppermint Patty is captured mid-kick with a football while Marcie sits on a bench reading a book.

As for its wilder side? During Prohibition in the 1930s, it became a “safe city” where gangsters like John Dillinger and Babyface Nelson were allowed to stay, so long as they kept out of local trouble and made the occasional under-the-table payment.