Named for its position south and southeast of Saint Paul, the city of South Saint Paul, Minnesota is situated on the west bank of the Mississippi River, across from Newport..
Surrounding cities include Inver Grove Heights, West Saint Paul, and Saint Paul. Sunfish Lake is just a few miles to the southwest.
The first residents of the area that was to become South Saint Paul were the Dakota, or perhaps the ancestors of the Dakota, or some earlier indigenous people who created massive burial mounds along the bluffs above the river.
Prior to the 19th century, the only white visitors to the region were fur traders and explorers. However, the establishment of Fort Snelling in 1819 expanded trade opportunities in the region, offering a permanent location from which furs could be exchanged for guns, cooking utensils, blankets, and clothing.
By the end of the 1820s, a group of Mdewakanton Dakota, known as the Kaposia, settled in what became the Village of Kaposia, which would later become South Saint Paul.
In the late 1830s, Methodist missionaries came into the village to evangelize the Kaposia. Led by the Reverend Alfred Brunson, the group included the Reverend David King, John Holton and his family, and James Thompson, a slave who was married to a Dakota woman.
In 1837, a treaty was signed that opened the land on the other side of the river to white settlement, but it wasn't long before the white settlers crossed the river. After Brunson left the mission, disagreements arose between the Kaposia and the Methodist missionaries, leading the Native Americans to withdraw their support for the mission, which moved across the river to what is now Newport.
In the late 1840s, a new Kaposia chief invited the missionaries to return. Thomas Williamson, the former teacher of the new chief, Little Crow, was sent. The Williamsons were Presbyterians, and fluent in the Dakota language. Thomas had already translated several books of the Bible into the Dakota language. Soon, the village became a popular place for white dignitaries, government officials, and tourists. Steamboats often docked at the riverfront, and visitors stayed with the Williamsons, who had built a large home there. Saint Paul was growing into what would become the state capital.
In 1851, the Dakota were coerced to sell their land west of the Mississippi to the government, which opened the area to white settlement. By 1853, Kaposia was named the county seat for the newly established Dakota County, where it remained until it was moved to Hastings in 1857.
In 1858, the name of the village was changed to West Saint Paul.
After the railroad came through in 1884, manufacturing firms were attracted, including the Warner and Hough Machine Company, the Holland and Thompson Manufacturing Company, Dwane Iron Works, and Waterous Engine Works Company.
In 1887, a group of industrialists and livestock officials organized and wrote a charter to incorporate the village as a city, but to change its name to South Saint Paul, largely to avoid confusion with West Saint Paul Township and an older city named West Saint Paul, in Ramsey County.
In 1888, South Saint Paul became the first city outside of New York to have its own monorail. The new venture was known as the Enos Railway Company, although it built only one passenger car, and a partial track that went up the Bryant Avenue Hill to 16th Avenue North, then south for a half mile.
The current city of West Saint Paul separated from South Saint Paul in 1889, cutting the size of South Saint Paul in half, with West Saint Paul taking five of the city's nine newer school buildings, as well as its city hall building. With South Saint Paul suddenly facing a financial crisis, the much larger city of Saint Paul attempted to annex South Saint Paul. This attempt failed in 1891.
For much of its history, from 1887 to 2015, South Saint Paul was beholden to the meat packing industry for its economic welfare, hosting a 260-acre stockyard that processed cattle, sheep, and pigs. Although many found the odor offensive, the stockyards contributed greatly to the economy of the city. Beyond the meatpacking plants themselves, there were the dependent industries, including the commission firms, insurance companies, banks, investment brokers, livestock growers, and the many stores and services that met the needs of stockyard employees and their families.
Jobs attracted people, and many of them were immigrants from several European countries. By the end of World War I, South Saint Paul had become a city of immigrants, many of whom did not speak English.
Although the immigrants of the early 1900s were white, today South Saint Paul is home to a growing population of African Americans, Latinos, and other ethnic groups.
The focus of this category is on South Saint Paul, Minnesota.
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Recommended Resources
Specializing in refurbished, re-purposed, and up-cycled furniture, vintage items, antiques, seasonal items, and home decor, as well as housewares, linen, fine art, collectibles, industrial pieces, and other products, the store is situated on Marie Avenue in South Saint Paul, Minnesota. Directions, hours of operation, and contacts are posted to the site, along with a gallery of photographs and customer testimonials.
http://www.anewbeginningmn.com/
Located in South Saint Paul, Minnesota, Black Sheep Coffee offers roast coffee beans, ground coffee made to be used in a Keurig one-cup (K-cup) machine, and promotional cups and other items, as well as operating a coffee shop and cafe on Southview Boulevard. Its products may be viewed and purchased online, and a map shows the location of its coffee shop. Its hours of operation and description of its coffees are put forth.
https://blacksheepcoffee.com/
City of South Saint Paul, Minnesota
The official municipal website features a community profile and newsletter, city boards and commissions, the mayor and council, agendas and minutes, as well as the city charter and codes. A guide to municipal departments and services is put forth, along with community events, maps, and local schools and civic organizations. Information on business licenses, codes, inspections, planning, and zoning data are put forth.
https://www.southstpaul.org/
In the early 1900s, several new immigrants from Croatia settled in South Saint Paul to work at the Union Stockyards or in the city’s meat-packing houses. In 1919, Croatian residents of the city founded the Hrvatski Dom (Croatian Home), which became a hub for social events. Home to Kaposia Lodge 316, the Cro has hosted several nationwide Croatian events, as well as local events such as weddings, graduations, and others.
https://www.croatianhall.org/
Serving the Lincoln Center neighborhood of South Saint Paul and Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota, Pack 95 serves boys from kindergarten through the fifth grade, or from five to ten years of age. Meeting schedules, a calendar of events and pack news are posted to the site, along with photographs, volunteer opportunities, leadership training, and an overview of the ranks and progressions of the pack.
http://www.ssppack95.org/
Located on Marie Avenue in South Saint Paul, Minnesota, Dental South has been in operation since 1990, offering general dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, periodontics, endodontics, and preventative dentistry. Its location, services, and dental team are introduced, along with patient testimonials, promotions, and downloadable patient forms. Its location, hours of operation, and appointment policies are included.
http://dental-south.com/
Specializing in the sale of pre-owned automobiles, the dealership is located on Concord Exchange South in South Saint Paul, Minnesota. Directions and a map show the location of the car lot, and its inventory may be searched by make, type, or price range. Alternatively, all of its available vehicles may be browsed. Photos and prices are listed, and its finance options, customer testimonials, and dealers services are included.
https://www.777loan.com/
In operation since 1954, the K-8th-grade parish school is a ministry of Holy Trinity Church in South Saint Paul, Minnesota. Its mission, accreditations, schedules, class sizes, and policies are set forth, along with a school schedule, lunch menu, alumni programs, and scheduling of parent-teacher conferences. Its academic and student life programs, admissions policies, tuition, and faculty and staff directory are included.
https://www.holytrinityssp.org/
The fourth-generation, family-owned meat market in South Saint Paul, Minnesota is a USDA inspected facility that serves as a wholesale meat vendor as well as processing wild game. Its retail store location and hours are noted, and its beef, poultry, pork, seafood, specialty meats, and sausage products are highlighted and made available for purchase online. Its services, special offers, awards, and customer testimonials are included.
https://husnikmeats.com/
South Saint Paul Municipal Airport
Fleming Field is located in southern South Saint Paul, Minnesota. An overview of the airport, its history, operations, and staff are provided, and visitors information is provided. Policies and rates for visiting pilots and airport tenants are published, airport projects are reported, and a directory of businesses based at the airport is included. Planning documents and a calendar of events are posted to the site.
http://www.flemingfield.com/
South Saint Paul Public Schools
Special School District #6 serves the students of the City of Saint Paul, Minnesota through two elementary schools, a secondary school, an alternative learning center, two early childhood programs, and an adult education program, which are highlighted here, along with schedules, and contacts. Other resources include a history of the city, a list of local historic places, and district demographics.
https://www.sspps.org/
