Saint Paul is the capital and second most populous city in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies on the north bank of the Mississippi River, downstream of the river's confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city. Known as the "Twin Cities", these two cities form the core of Minneapolis-Saint Paul, the sixteenth largest metropolitan area in the United States, with about 3.2 million residents. The city's population at the 2000 census was 287,151. Saint Paul serves as the county seat of Ramsey County, the smallest and most densely populated county in Minnesota.
Founded near historic Native American settlements as a trading and transportation center, the city rose to prominence when it was named the capital of the Minnesota Territory in 1849. Though Minneapolis is more nationally recognized, Saint Paul contains important institutions and the state's political activity. Regionally, the city is popular for the Xcel Energy Center, home of the Minnesota Wild, and for the Science Museum of Minnesota. As a business hub of the Upper Midwest, it is headquarters for companies such as Ecolab, The Travelers Companies, and Lawson Software.
The settlement originally began at present-day Lambert's Landing but was referred to as Pig's Eye's Landing, when Pierre "Pig's Eye" Parrant established a popular tavern there. When Minnesota became a territory in 1849, the town's leadership realized that a place called Pig's Eye might not inspire civic confidence, and incorporated the city's name as Saint Paul after the former Saint Paul's Chapel. |
