Stillwater is a city in the U.S. state of

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over t ...

and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

of Washington County. It is in the

Minneapolis–Saint Paul Minneapolis–Saint Paul is a metropolitan area in the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States centered around the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi, Minnesota River, Minnesota and St. Croix River (Wisconsin–Minnesota) ...

metropolitan area, on the west bank of the St. Croix River, across from

Houlton, Wisconsin Houlton is an unincorporated census-designated place located in St. Croix County, Wisconsin, United States. Houlton is located across the St. Croix River from Stillwater, Minnesota, in the town of St. Joseph. Houlton has no post office A p ...

. Stillwater's population was 18,225 at the 2010 census. Stillwater is often called "the birthplace of Minnesota" due to its role in the establishment of the state.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the city has an area of ; is land and is water. State Highways 36, 95, and 96 are three of the community's main routes.

Climate

Stillwater receives an average annual snowfall of . Average annual rainfall is . Each year has an average of 14 days above .

Name

The name "Stillwater" was proposed in 1843 by John McKusick, who built its first sawmill and was later a state senator. The name derives from the calmness of the St. Croix River near the town center. It is also believed that McKusick had fond memories of Stillwater, Maine. Long before McKusick and company arrived in the early 1840s, the Dakota and Ojibwe had known the place by other names. The Dakota called it Hoġan Wanḳe Kin, a term that encompassed not only the St. Croix River but also Lake St. Croix and a large sandbar across from present-day Afton. The name, meaning "the place where the fish lies", derived from a legend in which a man was transformed into a giant fish (a catfish or a pike, depending on the version) and then into a sandbar. In English, Hoġan Wanḳe Kin has been variously rendered as Hogan-wahnkay-kin, Hogan-wauke-kin and Hogan-wan-kee. The Ojibwe name for the place was Giigoonzh-agomod, with the slightly different meaning of "where the fish floats". The Ojibwe origin legend is very similar, again involving a man transformed into a giant fish and found floating in the lake, with his ultimate transformation into "a piece of land crossing the lake there" (i.e., the sandbar). In English renderings, Giigo onh-zhagomod is harder to recognize, appearing as Kee-go-shagewa-minnie and Kegan-Shaw-Ga-Nut, but the phonetic similarities are apparent.

History

On July 29 and September 29, 1837, treaties were signed between the

US government The federal government of the United States (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the national government of the United States, a federal republic located primarily in North America, composed of 50 states, a city within a feder ...

and the local

Ojibwa The Ojibwe, Ojibwa, Chippewa, or Saulteaux are an Anishinaabe people in what is currently southern Canada, the northern Midwestern United States, and Northern Plains. According to the U.S. census, in the United States Ojibwe people are one of ...

and

Dakota Dakota may refer to: * Dakota people, a sub-tribe of the Sioux ** Dakota language, their language Dakota may also refer to: Places United States * Dakota, Georgia, an unincorporated community * Dakota, Illinois, a town * Dakota, Minnesota, ...

nations that allowed settlement in the St. Croix Valley. The settlement was founded on October 26, 1843, when four partners formed the Stillwater Lumber Company. Settlers were drawn by the area's then-abundant lumber and river traffic, making it one of Minnesota's oldest towns, preceding

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

by several years. Stillwater was officially incorporated as a city on March 4, 1854 (the same day as

St. Paul Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...

). Stillwater is often referred to as the birthplace of Minnesota. In 1848, a territorial convention that began the process of establishing Minnesota as a state was held in Stillwater, at the corner of Myrtle and Main Streets. Minnesota officially became a territory in 1849 and a state in 1858. As more evidence of Stillwater's importance at the time, the convention selected three leading Minnesota cities as locations for three important public institutions: Minneapolis got the

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Tw ...

Saint Paul Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...

became the capital, and Stillwater the site of the territory's first

prison A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, correc ...

. The

Minnesota Territorial Prison The Minnesota Territorial Prison, later the Minnesota State Prison, was a prison in Stillwater, Minnesota, United States, in operation from 1853 to 1914. Construction of the prison began in 1851, shortly after Minnesota became a territory. The p ...

(later

Minnesota State Prison Minnesota () is a U.S. state, state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 12th largest U.S. state in area and the List of U.S. states and territories by population, 22nd m ...

) was opened in 1853. The prison held

Cole Cole may refer to: Plants * Cole crops of the genus ''Brassica'', especially cabbage, kale, or rape (rapeseed). People * Cole (given name), people with the given name Cole * Cole (surname), people with the surname Cole Companies *Cole Motor ...

Jim Jim or JIM may refer to: * Jim (given name), a given name * Jim, a diminutive form of the given name James * Jim, a short form of the given name Jimmy * OPCW-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism * ''Jim'' (comics), a series by Jim Woodring * ''Jim ...

, and

Bob Younger Robert Ewing Younger (October 29, 1853 – September 16, 1889) was an American criminal and outlaw, the younger brother of Cole Younger, Cole, Jim Younger, Jim and John Younger. He was a member of the James–Younger Gang. Life Born in Missou ...

, three of the Younger brothers of the

James–Younger Gang The James–Younger Gang was a notable 19th-century gang of United States, American outlaws that revolved around Jesse James and his brother Frank James. The gang was based in the state of Missouri, the home of most of the members. Membership f ...

Lumbering Logging is the process of cutting, processing, and moving trees to a location for transport. It may include skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks or skeleton cars. Logging is the beginning of a supply chain ...

was the predominant industry in the St. Croix River Valley in the second half of the 19th century, and for many years logs were sent down the St. Croix, collected at the St. Croix Boom Site two miles upstream of Stillwater, and processed in Stillwater's many

sawmill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes (dimensi ...

Steamboat A steamboat is a boat that is marine propulsion, propelled primarily by marine steam engine, steam power, typically driving propellers or Paddle steamer, paddlewheels. Steamboats sometimes use the ship prefix, prefix designation SS, S.S. or S/S ...

s were used most widely from 1860 to 1890, and a few are still used for entertainment today. David Swain operated a shipyard and engine works in Stillwater. Excursion steamboats, such as the ''Verne Swain'' and the ''Capitol'', appeared at the docks in the early 20th century. Stillwater sent men of the 1st Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Company B and the 8th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment Company C to fight during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. On October 18, 1921, Charles Strite invented the automatic pop-up bread

toaster A toaster is a small electric appliance that uses radiant heat to brown sliced bread into toast. Types Pop-up toaster In pop-up or automatic toasters, a single vertical piece of bread is dropped into a slot on the top of the toaste ...

in Stillwater. By 1926, the Toastmaster Company began to market the first household toaster using a redesigned version of Strite's. In 1931, construction of the Stillwater lift bridge over the St. Croix River was completed at a final cost of $460,174, which was split equally between Minnesota and Wisconsin. The lift bridge is one of the city's most iconic and visible local monuments. It was part of

Minnesota State Highway 36 Minnesota State Highway 36 (MN 36) is a highway in Minnesota, which runs from its interchange with Interstate 35W in Roseville and continues east to its eastern terminus at the Wisconsin state line (near Stillwater), where it becomes Wi ...

until 2017, when it closed. In 2020 it became part of a five-mile trail loop running through Stillwater and

. In 1996 the city of Stillwater entered into an agreement with Stillwater Township to annex land. In 2015 the Stillwater city council approved the annexing the last of the land covered by the agreement. The city's western border is now Manning Avenue (County Road 15). The northern border is now mostly, but not entirely, Minnesota Highway 96. File:Stillwater, MN c1860s.jpg, Stillwater c. 1860s Image:Stillwater Courthouse.jpg, Washington County Courthouse File:Stillwater, MN Veterans' Memorial.jpg, Across the street from the Courthouse, the Veterans' Memorial for local veterans Image:Stillwater Minnesota.jpg, Lift Bridge File:Isaac Staples Sawmill.jpg, Isaac Staples Sawmill

Demographics

Historic census data

*1870: The racial makeup of the city was: 4106 White, 18 Colored, 0 Chinese and Japanese, and 1 Indians. *1880: The racial makeup of the city was: 9020 White, 22 Colored, 2 Chinese and Japanese, and 2 Indians. *1890: The racial makeup of the city was: 11209 White, 50 Colored, 0 Chinese, 0 Japanese, and 1 Civilized Indians. *1910: The "color and nativity" makeup of the city was: 2447 Native White-Native parentage, 4916 Native White-Foreign or mixed parentage, 2774 Foreign-born white, 56 African American and 6 Indian, Chinese, and Japanese. *1920: The "color and nativity" makeup of the city was: 2384 Native White-Native parentage, 3683 Native White-Foreign or mixed parentage, 1664 Foreign-born white, 4 African American and 0 Indian, Chinese, and Japanese. *1940: The racial makeup for the city was 7012 White, 0 African American and 1 Other race. *1950: The racial makeup for the city was 99.9% white and 0.1% non-white *1960: The racial makeup for the city was 99.9% white and 0.1% non-white *1970: The racial makeup for the city was 10159 white, 1 African American, 12 Indian, 3 Japanese, 0 Chinese, 6 Filipino, and 6 All Other Races

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2010, there were 18,225 people, 7,075 households, and 4,885 families living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was . There were 7,576 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.1%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 1.0%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.4% Native American, 1.1%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.6% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.8% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 1.9% of the population. There were 7,075 households, of which 35.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.3% were married couples living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 31.0% were non-families. 25.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.03. The median age in the city was 40 years. 26.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.3% were from 25 to 44; 29% were from 45 to 64; and 12.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.5% male and 51.5% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 15,143 people, 5,797 households, and 4,115 families living in the city. The

was 2,340.0 people per square mile (903.7/km). There were 5,926 housing units at an average density of 915.7 per square mile (353.6/km). The racial makeup of the city was 94.0%

, 0.9%

, 0.4% Native American, 1.1%

, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 0.1% from

, and 1.6% from two or more races.

of any race were 1.9% of the population. There were 5,797 households, out of which 36.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.2% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.0% were non-families. 24.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.07. In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.7% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 25.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.7 males. The median income for a household in the city was $57,154, and the median income for a family was $72,188. Males had a median income of $49,158 versus $33,680 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $27,163. About 3.0% of families and 4.3% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 5.6% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Stillwater has a mix of public district, public charter, and private schools at the primary and secondary levels. The city is served by the Stillwater Area Public Schools system and the nearest high school is Stillwater Area High School in

Oak Park Heights, Minnesota Oak Park Heights is a city in Washington County, Minnesota, Washington County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 4,849 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. History Formerly called simply Oak Park, the city was platted in 18 ...

In popular culture

In film, television, and books

* In ''

The Mighty Ducks ''The Mighty Ducks'' is an American media franchise. It features a trilogy of live-action films released in the 1990s by Walt Disney Pictures, an animated television series, a live-action sequel television series, and a real-world hockey team ...

'' films, one of the two "bash brothers", Fulton Reed (played by

Elden Henson Elden Henson (born Elden Ryan Ratliff, August 30, 1977) is an American actor. He is best known for playing Fulton Reed in '' The Mighty Ducks'' trilogy (1992–1996), Foggy Nelson in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) streaming television series ...

), is from Stillwater. * The novel series '' The Emigrants'' and the musical '' Kristina från Duvemåla'' tell the story of a family of Swedish emigrants who journey to

in 1850. Much of the story takes place in Stillwater. * In ''

Juno Juno commonly refers to: *Juno (mythology), the Roman goddess of marriage and queen of the gods *Juno (film), ''Juno'' (film), 2007 Juno may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional characters *Juno, in the film ''Jenny, Juno'' *Ju ...

'', Bren MacGuff mentions purchasing an expensive antique item at a Stillwater store. * In the ''

Supernatural Supernatural refers to phenomena or entities that are beyond the laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin (above, beyond, or outside of) + (nature) Though the corollary term "nature", has had multiple meanings si ...

'' episode "The Purge", Sam and Dean head to Stillwater when a competitive eater mysteriously dies in impossible circumstances. * The entirety of the film

The Unearthing ''The Unearthing'' is a 2015 American coming of age drama film directed by Tristan James Jensen and starring Riley Yeary, Angelina Masciopinto, and Kaleb Miller. The film follows a girl named Autumn who moves to Stillwater, Minnesota Stillwater ...

takes place in Stillwater and the story revolves around a local ghost legend. * In '' Fargo'', Stillwater is mentioned, referring specifically to the prison. * Many

Corridor Digital Corridor Digital is an American production studio based in Los Angeles, known for creating pop-culture-related viral online short-form videos since 2010, as well as producing and directing the ''Battlefield''-inspired web series ''Rush'' and the ...

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

videos were filmed in and around Stillwater. * The

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

film ''

Clouds In meteorology, a cloud is an aerosol consisting of a visible mass of miniature liquid droplets, frozen crystals, or other particles suspended in the atmosphere of a planetary body or similar space. Water or various other chemicals may com ...

'' is set in Stillwater, based on a true story

Movies filmed entirely or partially in Stillwater

* '' Grumpy Old Men ''(1993) * ''

The Cure The Cure are an English Rock music, rock band formed in 1978 in Crawley, Crawley, West Sussex. Throughout numerous lineup changes since the band's formation, guitarist, lead vocalist, and songwriter Robert Smith (musician), Robert Smith has re ...

'' (1995) * ''

Grumpier Old Men ''Grumpier Old Men'' is a 1995 American romantic comedy film, and a sequel to the film '' Grumpy Old Men''. It stars Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Ann-Margret, Sophia Loren, Burgess Meredith (in his final film role), Daryl Hannah, Kevin Poll ...

'' (1995) * '' Fargo'' (1996) * '' Beautiful Girls'' (1996) * ''

Overnight Delivery ''Overnight Delivery'' is a 1998 American romantic comedy film directed by Jason Bloom. It stars Paul Rudd and Reese Witherspoon as a college student and a stripper who take a road trip across America to retrieve a package that had been impulsiv ...

'' (1998) * '' Paperboys'' (2001) * ''

'' (2015) * ''Wilson'' (2017)

Notable people

Ed Ackerson Ed Ackerson (July 18, 1965 – October 4, 2019) was an American musician and producer from Minneapolis. He produced or engineered dozens of records including works by prominent artists such as The Jayhawks, The Replacements, Motion City Soundtra ...

, musician ( Polara, The 27 Various) and record producer (

The Jayhawks The Jayhawks are an American alternative country and country rock band that emerged from the Twin Cities music scene in the mid-1980s. Led by vocalists/guitarists/songwriters Gary Louris and Mark Olson (musician), Mark Olson, their country rock ...

, The Replacements,

Motion City Soundtrack Motion City Soundtrack is an American rock band that formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1997. The band's line-up consists of vocalist and guitarist Justin Courtney Pierre, lead guitarist Joshua Cain, keyboardist Jesse Johnson, bassist Matthew ...

), born and attended high school in Stillwater * Brian Arnfelt, NFL defensive end, attended high school in Stillwater *

Michele Bachmann Michele Marie Bachmann (; née Amble; born April 6, 1956) is an American politician who was the United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative for from 2007 until 2015. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican ...

, U.S. Representative, lived in Stillwater *

Ben Blankenship Ben Blankenship (born December 15, 1988) is an American middle distance runner. He is a world record holder as a member of the 2015 USA Distance medley relay team, of which he ran the 1600-meter anchor leg. Running career Elementary school Bla ...

, member of Team USA Track and Field who set the world record in the distance medley * Robert Brown, Minnesota state senator and educator, born in Stillwater * James B. Clark, director and Oscar-nominated film editor, born in Stillwater *

Jessie Diggins Jessica Diggins (born August 26, 1991) is an American cross-country skier. She and teammate Kikkan Randall won the United States' first ever cross-country skiing gold medal at the Winter Olympics in the team sprint in 2018. At the 2022 Winter O ...

, Olympic gold medalist in cross-country skiing, attended high school in Stillwater * Nate Dwyer, NFL linebacker, born in Stillwater * Chris Engler, NBA player, born in Stillwater *

Sean Graham Sean Graham (born March 6, 1980) is a retired track runner who specialized in middle-distance and long-distance disciplines. Graham was a product of Stillwater High, whose coach Scott Christensen helped make a nationally recognized track history ...

, retired professional track athlete and current head track and cross country coach at

American University The American University (AU or American) is a private federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C. Its main campus spans 90 acres (36 ha) on Ward Circle, mostly in the Spring Valley neighborhood of Northwest D.C. AU was charte ...

Nicole Hause Nicole Hause (born September 30, 1997) is a goofy-footed Americans, American skateboarder. Skateboarding Growing up in Stillwater, Minnesota as a young skater, Hause used to ride the metro to get to the “Girls Skate Free” night at 3rd Lair ...

, skateboarder for REAL Skateboards and Nike SB, originally from Stillwater *

Patrick Hicks Patrick Hicks (born 1970 Charlotte, North Carolina ) is an Irish-American novelist, poet, and Writer-in-Residence at Augustana University Life From Stillwater, Minnesota, much of his fiction takes place in the Midwest, but his poetry often discus ...

, novelist, poet, and essayist, grew up in Stillwater *

Phil Housley Phillip Francis Housley (born March 9, 1964) is an American professional ice hockey coach and former player. He most recently served an assistant coach for the Arizona Coyotes of the National Hockey League (NHL) from 2019 to 2022. Housley was th ...

, Hockey Hall of Fame player and NHL coach, coached in Stillwater * Sherri Jarvis, murder victim * Sam Gorski and Niko Pueringer, creators of Corridor Digital *

Todd Kalis Todd Alexander Kalis (born May 10, 1965) is a former American football player in the National Football League (NFL). He was an offensive lineman for the Minnesota Vikings (1988–1993), the Pittsburgh Steelers (1994) and the Cincinnati Bengals ( ...

, NFL guard, born in Stillwater *

Jessica Lange Jessica Phyllis Lange (; born April 20, 1949) is an American actress. She is the 13th actress to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting, having won two Academy Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Tony Award, along with a Screen Actors G ...

, actress, resided in Stillwater *

Frankie Lee Frankie Lee (December 31, 1911 – July 29, 1970), was an American child actor. He appeared in 56 films between 1916 and 1925. Best remembered in the 1919 film '' The Miracle Man'', he was the little boy on crutches healed by the phony fait ...

, musician, born in Stillwater *

Chris Maddock Chris Maddock is an American stand-up comedian from Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has released two albums and a DVD on Dan Schlissel's Stand Up! Records, most recently 2020's ''Country Music Legend'', which reached No. 5 on the iTunes comedy char ...

, stand-up comedian *

Jonah Marais Why Don't We, shortened to WDW, are an American boy band consisting of Jonah Marais, Corbyn Besson, Daniel Seavey, Jack Avery, and Zach Herron. They were formed in 2016 and have released two studio albums and six extended plays. History 2016–2 ...

, member of boy band

Why Don't We Why Don't We, shortened to WDW, are an American boy band consisting of Jonah Marais, Corbyn Besson, Daniel Seavey, Jack Avery, and Zach Herron. They were formed in 2016 and have released two studio albums and six extended plays. History 2016–2 ...

Denis McDonough Denis Richard McDonough (born December 2, 1969) is an American government official serving as the 11th United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs under President Joe Biden since 2021. McDonough served in the Obama Administration as chief of s ...

, 11th Secretary of Veterans Affairs and White House Chief of Staff for President Obama, born in Stillwater * Harriet McPherson, Minnesota state legislator, farmer, and educator * Bob Nelson, NFL linebacker, born in Stillwater *

Socrates Nelson Socrates Nelson (January 11, 1814 – May 6, 1867) was an American businessman, politician, and pioneer who served one term as a Minnesota Senate, Minnesota state senator from 1859 to 1861. He was a general store owner, lumberman, and real estat ...

, Minnesota state senator, resided in Stillwater * Karl G. Neumeier, Minnesota state senator and lawyer, born in Stillwater *

Glen Perkins Glen Weston Perkins (born March 2, 1983) is an American former professional baseball pitcher and a television analyst. He played his entire career in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins. He made his major league debut with the Min ...

, pitcher for

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...

, born in Stillwater *

Sam Shepard Samuel Shepard Rogers III (November 5, 1943 – July 27, 2017) was an American actor, playwright, author, screenwriter, and director whose career spanned half a century. He won 10 Obie Awards for writing and directing, the most by any write ...

, playwright and actor, resided in Stillwater *

Zach Sobiech Zachary David Sobiech (May 3, 1995 – May 20, 2013) was an American singer-songwriter and musician from Lakeland, Minnesota, who was a member of the band A Firm Handshake. The single "Clouds (Zach Sobiech song), Clouds" gained extensive media a ...

, musical artist who wrote the #1 hit “Clouds” after being diagnosed with osteosarcoma; inspiration for the

film ''

'' *

Rich Sommer Rich Sommer (born February 2, 1978) is an American actor, best known for his portrayal of Harry Crane on the AMC drama series ''Mad Men''. He is also known for his roles in the comedy-drama films '' The Devil Wears Prada'' (2006), ''Celeste and ...

, actor, raised in Stillwater *

LaVyrle Spencer LaVyrle Spencer (born July 17, 1943) is an American best-selling author of contemporary and historical romance novels. She has successfully published a number of books, with several of them made into movies. Twelve of her books have been ''New Y ...

, a New York Times bestselling author, lived in Stillwater *

Alpheus Beede Stickney Alpheus Beede "A.B." Stickney (June 27, 1840 – August 9, 1916) was the first president of the Chicago Great Western Railway, from 1884 to 1909. Youth and education Alpheus Beede Stickney was born in Wilton, Maine, on June 27, 1840, the fi ...

, a famous railroad builder, lived in Stillwater, born in Maine * C. Gardner Sullivan, screenwriter and producer, born in Stillwater * John B. Taft, farmer and Minnesota state legislator, resided in Stillwater *

Butch Thompson Richard Enos "Butch" Thompson (November 28, 1943 – August 14, 2022) was an American jazz pianist and clarinetist best known for his ragtime and stride performances. Music career Thompson was born in Marine on St. Croix, Minnesota, began ...

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

pianist A pianist ( , ) is an individual musician who plays the piano. Since most forms of Western music can make use of the piano, pianists have a wide repertoire and a wide variety of styles to choose from, among them traditional classical music, ja ...

and

clarinetist This article lists notable musicians who have played the clarinet. Classical clarinetists * Laver Bariu * Ernest Ačkun * Luís Afonso * Cristiano Alves * Michel Arrignon * Dimitri Ashkenazy * Kinan Azmeh * Alexander Bader * Carl Baermann * ...

, went to high school in Stillwater *

Thomas Vanek Thomas Vanek (born 19 January 1984) is an Austrian former professional ice hockey left winger. He played fourteen years in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens, Minnesota Wild, Detroit R ...

, retired

NHL The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

winger for

Buffalo Sabres The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team was established in 1970, along w ...

and

Minnesota Wild The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The Wild competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference and play their home games at the Xcel Ener ...

and others, resides in Stillwater

References

External links

Visitor's Bureau Website

City website

Greater Stillwater Chamber of Commerce
* {{Authority control 1837 establishments in Wisconsin Territory Cities in Minnesota Cities in Washington County, Minnesota County seats in Minnesota Logging communities in the United States