Oak Park Heights, Minnesota
City in Minnesota, United States
Oak Park Heights is a city in Washington County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 4,849 at the 2020 census.
History.
Formerly called simply Oak Park, the city was platted in 1857. The 1932 Log Cabin restaurant and 1939 Stillwater Overlook are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Geography.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of ; is land and is water.
Oak Park Heights is located adjacent to the city of Stillwater. Minnesota State Highways 5, 36 and 95 are three of the main routes in the community.
Demographics.
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2010 census.
As of the census of 2010, there were 4,339 people, 1,842 households, and 980 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 2,039 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 89.8% White, 4.5% African American, 1.6% Native American, 2.0% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.0% of the population.
There were 1,842 households, of which 23.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.7% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 46.8% were non-families. 42.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 24.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.06 and the average family size was 2.83.
The median age in the city was 44.9 years. 17.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.3% were from 25 to 44; 27% were from 45 to 64; and 23% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 52.1% male and 47.9% female.
2000 census.
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,957 people, 1,528 households, and 921 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 1,581 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 91.03% White, 4.42% African American, 0.91% Native American, 1.29% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.63% from other races, and 1.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.10% of the population.
There were 1,528 households, out of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.7% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.7% were non-families. 34.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.8% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 34.4% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 117.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 119.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $48,425, and the median income for a family was $69,485. Males had a median income of $46,558 versus $30,788 for females. The per capita income for the city was $23,293. About 2.1% of families and 3.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.9% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.
References.
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Stillwater Area High School
Stillwater Area High School (SAHS) is a public school located in Oak Park Heights, Minnesota, United States. It serves as the primary high school for the Stillwater Area Public School District (834), the oldest public school district in Minnesota.
The current campus was built in 1993 thanks to a 28 million dollar bond that was approved by the citizens of District 834. The previous location is now Stillwater Middle School. (SMS). Students from both SMS and Oakland Middle School attend Stillwater Area High School. "Newsweek" ranked the school #326 in their "List of the 500 Top High Schools in America in 2015."
Stillwater was designed by the architecture firm ATS&R. In 2017, the school completed a $97 million dollar renovation, involving the construction of a new 9th grade wing, a new gym and Pony Activity Center (PAC).
Athletics.
The 2016 boys' soccer team finished the season ranked fourth in the nation by "USA Today" on its final Super 25 Expert Rankings.
Impostor.
In 2005, Stillwater Area High School was visited three times by somebody calling himself Caspian James Crichton-Stuart IV, the Fifth Duke of Cleveland and 27th in line for the British throne. He claimed he was seventeen years old and interested in attending the school. Student journalists from the school newspaper "The Pony Express" received national attention after uncovering the potential student was actually Joshua Adam Gardner, a 22 year old registered sex offender. The journalists who helped uncover the true identity of Gardner were interviewed on Fox News, CNN, Good Morning America, MSNBC, and participated in a number of radio and newspaper interviews.
References.
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Stillwater Area Public Schools
School district in Minnesota, United States
Stillwater Area Public Schools, also known as Independent School District #834, is a school district serving communities surrounding Stillwater, Minnesota, United States. It currently serves about 8,300 students in 12 schools.
History.
Minnesota’s first schoolhouse was built in Stillwater in 1848, a year before Minnesota became a territory. Stillwater became the state’s first school district just two years later.
From the first one-room schoolhouse, Stillwater Area Public Schools has grown to serve more than 8,300 students in 7 elementary schools (PreK-5), two middle schools (grades 6-8), one high school (grades 9-12), and an alternative learning center for secondary students. An early childhood family center serves families with young children, from birth to age 5.
Area.
The district stretches along the St. Croix River from Marine on St. Croix south to Afton, and covers approximately .
The district includes all of the following municipalities: Bayport, Lake St. Croix Beach, Lakeland, Lakeland Shores, Marine on St. Croix, Oak Park Heights, St. Mary’s Point, and Stillwater. The district also includes most of the following municipalities: Afton and Lake Elmo, as well as portions of the following municipalities: Grant, Hugo, and Woodbury. The part of Grant in the district includes the Withrow community.
The district includes the following townships: Baytown, West Lakeland Township, and Stillwater. It also includes most of May Township and a part of Denmark Township.
Achievements.
-The high school had a 97% graduation rate in 2012-13.
-87% of graduates went on to 2 or 4 year colleges/universities in 2012-13.
-Approximately 1,000 students earn college credit each year while attending Stillwater Area Public Schools.
-Students (at all grade levels) consistently perform above state and national averages on achievement tests.
-Repeated recognition from the AP College Board in the 2013 school year in which 101 students were named AP Scholars, 73 AP Scholars with Honors, 71 AP Scholars with Distinction and three were named AP National Scholars.
-Since 1913, Stillwater has had nearly 60 Minnesota State High School League State Championships in athletics.
-An outstanding music program (band, orchestra and choir) that is highly regarded across the country: The Concert Wind Symphony has the longest streak of superior ratings in the history of Minnesota.
-Derek Olson, a sixth grade teacher at Afton-Lakeland Elementary School, represented the state of Minnesota as the 2008 Teacher of the Year.
-Stillwater Middle School competed in a Samsung Solve for Tomorrow contest winning over 50,000 dollars for the school.
Schools.
Elementary schools.
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References.
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Stillwater, Oklahoma
Stillwater is the tenth-largest city in the U.S. state of Oklahoma, and the county seat of Payne County. It is located in north-central Oklahoma at the intersection of U.S. Route 177 and State Highway 51. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 48,394. The Stillwater Micropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 78,399 according to the 2012 census estimate. Stillwater was part of the first Oklahoma Land Run held on April 22, 1889, when the Unassigned Lands were opened for settlement and became the core of the new Oklahoma Territory. The city charter was adopted on August 24, 1889, and operates under a council-manager government system.
Stillwater has a diverse economy with a foundation in aerospace, agribusiness, biotechnology, optoelectronics, printing and publishing, and software and standard manufacturing. Stillwater is home to the main campus of Oklahoma State University (the city's largest employer) as well as Northern Oklahoma College – Stillwater, Meridian Technology Center, and the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education. The city is also home to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum.
History.
The north-central region of Oklahoma became part of the United States with the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. In 1832, author and traveler Washington Irving provided the first recorded description of the area around Stillwater in his book "A Tour on the Prairies". He wrote of "a glorious prairie spreading out beneath the golden beams of an autumnal sun. The deep and frequent traces of buffalo, showed it to be a one of their favorite grazing grounds."
According to one legend, local Native American tribes—Ponca, Kiowa, Osage, Pawnee—called the creek "Still Water" because the water was always still. A second legend states that cattlemen driving herds from Texas to railways back east always found water "still there". A third legend holds that David L. Payne walked up to Stillwater Creek and said, "This town should be named "Still Water"". Members of the board thought he was crazy, but the name stuck.
Stillwater Creek received its official name in 1884 when William L. Couch established his "boomer colony" on its banks. While the creek itself was tranquil, the next few years saw turmoil as pioneers sought free, fertile land and soldiers held them off while complicated legal issues and land titles with Creek and Seminole tribes were hashed out. On April 22, 1889, the cannons fired signaling the first Land Run that opened up the Unassigned Lands of the Oklahoma Territory, which included Stillwater. By the end of the day, had been claimed and designated as Stillwater Township and a tent city with a population numbering 300 had sprung up on the prairie. The "Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture" simply says that the name officially became Stillwater only when the post office opened on May 28, 1889.
On Christmas Eve, 1890, the legislature of Oklahoma Territory passed a bill certifying Stillwater as the land grant college site. In 1894, Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College held a dedication of its first brick building, Assembly Building, later known as Old Central. Between 1889 and statehood, Stillwater grew. By statehood in 1907, downtown Stillwater was home to more than 50 buildings including several banks, churches, grocery stores, hotels, and department stores.
The first newspaper was the Stillwater Gazette; telephone and gas service arrived in 1899; and the Eastern Oklahoma Railroad arrived in 1900.
Around this time, direct descendants of Johann Sebastian Bach began to reside in Stillwater, through his eldest son Wilhelm Friedemann Bach and his illegitimate grandchild.
The population in 1917 was 3,000 and by World War II it had grown to more than 10,000. During the war, town leaders' aim was to convert Oklahoma A&M into a war training center. They succeeded in creating 12 training units that involved bringing nearly 40,000 service men and women to Stillwater. The WAVES (Women's Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) was the largest with 10,000 participants. Quonset huts were dotted across town and barracks occupied the site where Stillwater Medical Center and the CareerTech headquarters are now. This vast operation tided the city through the war and served as a base for a healthy economy in the postwar period. In 1952, the Industrial Foundation was established and its trustees worked to bring new industry to town: Moore Plant in 1966, Swan Hose in 1968, Mercury Marine in 1973, National Standard plant in 1988, World Color Press in 1974 and Armstrong World Industries, Inc. in 1988. The census of 2000, the population was 39,065; however, the population was adjusted to 46,156 in 2009.
Government.
The City of Stillwater operates under a council–manager government system, in which an elected city council is responsible for making policy, passing ordinances and approving the city's budget. The council appoints a city manager who implements the policies adopted by the council.
The city council meets the first and third Monday of the month in the Council Room at the Stillwater Municipal Building, 723 S. Lewis.
Stillwater does not have city council districts; instead, it has general elections every year. The mayor and councilors are elected to three-year or four-year terms with at least one of the five seats up for election in April every year. Any person elected to the office of mayor or council member after January 1, 2017, is eligible to serve no more than 12 years on the council. Years served do not need to be consecutive. The vice mayor is elected by the council members and acts as mayor during mayor's absence.
As of July 2022[ [update]], the city council consists of Mayor Will Joyce, Vice Mayor Alane Zannotti, and councilors Amy Dzialowski, Kevin Clark and Christie Hawkins.
The City of Stillwater employs approximately 500 people. The city encourages resident participation on the boards and committees, and applications are accepted year around. Commissions and authorities oversee city policies and services.
Stillwater's 2009 crime rate for serious crimes (UCR Part 1) was 3,657 per 100,000 residents compared to the 2009 national crime rate of 3,466 per crimes per 100,000 residents (FBI 2009 Crime in the United States). In 2009, Stillwater reported: 22 rapes, 15 robberies, 519 assaults, 308 burglaries, and 1,185 larcenies.
Stillwater is located in districts 33 and 34 of the Oklahoma State House of Representatives and is represented by Republican John Talley in the 33rd district and Democrat Trish Ranson in the 34th district; as of July 2022 In the Oklahoma State Senate, Stillwater is in the 21st district and is represented by Republican Tom Dugger.
In the United States House of Representatives, Stillwater is represented by Republican Frank Lucas, of the third district in Oklahoma. In the U.S. Senate, Stillwater is represented by Republicans James Lankford and Markwayne Mullin.
Geography.
Stillwater is located north-northeast of downtown Oklahoma City and directly west of downtown Tulsa by road. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 28.3 square miles (73.3 km2), of which 27.9 square miles (72.1 km2) is land and 0.5 square mile (1.2 km2) (1.62%) is water.
Climate.
Stillwater has a humid subtropical climate, and is located in the area popularly known as "Tornado Alley". During peak storm season in the spring, tornado watches and warnings are frequent, with sirens sounding to warn townsfolk to hurry to shelters when necessary. Summers are sunny, hot, and humid, with the temperature reaching or exceeding 100 (38 °C) ten times annually on average. Winters are generally sunny, mild, and dry, with an average January high temperature of and an average annual snowfall of .
The highest recorded temperature was on August 11, 1936, and the lowest recorded temperature was on February 10, 2011.
Demographics.
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As of the census of 2010, there were 45,688 people, 17,941 households, and 7,920 families residing in the city. The population density was . The racial makeup of the city was 79.50% White, 4.71% African American, 3.93% Native American, 5.56% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.19% from other races, and 5.05% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.26% of the population.
As of the census of 2000, there were 15,604 households, out of which 20.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.1% were married couples living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 53.1% were non-families. 34.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.81.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 15.2% under the age of 18, 38.2% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 13.6% from 45 to 64, and 8.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 24 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $25,432, and the median income for a family was $41,938. Males had a median income of $31,623 versus $22,312 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,789. About 12.6% of families and 27.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.2% of those under age 18 and 8.9% of those age 65 or over.
Economy.
Stillwater is home to a diverse mix of business and industry, from manufacturing to advanced technology. Among its export industries are printing and publishing, floor covering, wire products, software, food and kindred products, and research. Stillwater has the following economic clusters: aerospace, agribusiness, biotechnology, optoelectronics, printing and publishing, software and standard manufacturing.
Oklahoma State University plays a significant part of Stillwater's overall economy with more than 20,000 students, 5,500 personnel and a focus on research and technology.
According to the Chamber of Commerce webpage, "Existing Industries", top employers in Stillwater are as follows:
Stillwater has a number of distinct shopping and entertainment areas. Downtown Stillwater is a business improvement district with Main Street as its primary thoroughfare. It is bounded by Duncan Street to the west, Lowry Street to the east, and 4th Avenue to the north; it gradually narrows to 15th Avenue to the south.
The Strip on Washington Street features small shops, restaurants and live music. It is adjacent to Oklahoma State University where University Avenue and Washington Street intersect. A few blocks east is Campus Corner on Knoblock Street that features unique shops and restaurants, including the original home to Hideaway Pizza.
Education.
Oklahoma State University – Stillwater is located in Stillwater.
In 2003, Northern Oklahoma College added a campus in Stillwater. Applicants who do not meet Oklahoma State University admission requirements may attend the NOC-OSU Gateway Program held on the campus.
Stillwater is home to the Meridian Technology Center and also the state agency that oversees career technology schools in Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education.
Stillwater Public Schools is the city's only public school district. There are more than 5,400 students enrolled in the district. The district includes Highland Park, Richmond, Sangre Ridge, Skyline, Westwood and Will Rogers elementary schools; Stillwater High School; Lincoln Academy (Alternative Education); Stillwater Middle School; and Stillwater Junior High.
Libraries.
Stillwater has been served by the Stillwater Public Library since 1922. In 1990, Stillwater voters passed a $4.98 million bond issue for the construction of a new public library at 1107 S. Duck. The Stillwater Public Library provides a core collections of more than 100,000 volumes and includes books, audio books, music CDs, DVDs, videos magazines and newspapers as well as technological services. The library is active in the community, holding events and programs, including free computer classes, children's storytimes, and scholarly databases with information on a variety of topics.
The Edmon Low Library at Oklahoma State University houses approximately 3 million volumes, 190,000 government documents, 70,000 electronic and print serials. Stillwater campus branch libraries include the Architecture Library, Curriculum Materials Library, Veterinary Medicine Library, Electronic Publishing Center and the Library Annex. It is a federal depository library.
Arts and culture.
Stillwater is known as the home of red dirt music, a mixture of folk, country, blues and rock. Notable red dirt artists from Stillwater include Cross Canadian Ragweed, Jason Boland and the Stragglers, the Red Dirt Rangers, The Great Divide, No Justice, Jenny Labow, the Jason Savory Band, and the father of red dirt music, Bob Childers.
Garth Brooks, Other Lives, and The All-American Rejects launched their careers playing the local bars like Willie's Saloon, Tumbleweed Dance Hall, and Eskimo Joe's.
Eskimo Joe's collectable T-shirts have been spotted all around the globe.
Tumbleweed Dance Hall, home of the world-famous annual Calf Fry, was nominated for "Dancehall of the Year" award by the Academy of Country Music.
Located on The Strip on Washington Street, Willie's Saloon is a Stillwater landmark. It is known for launching the career of Garth Brooks after he was discovered there by Dallas entertainment attorney, Rod Phelps.
Stillwater hosts several performing arts series, including performances at the City of Stillwater Community Center, the Town and Gown Community Theater. OSU's Allied Arts holds performances in the Seretean Center and the Jerry L. Davis Studio Theatre on the OSU-Stillwater campus. The McKnight Center, a new state-of-the-art performing arts center on campus, is currently under construction.
Stillwater is served by several voluntary organizations dedicated to providing entertainment and cultural experiences: the Stillwater Community Singers, the Stillwater Community Band and Stillwater Jazz.
Annual festivals and events.
Stillwater is home to a number of annual festivals and community events held throughout the year. Residents also benefit from the many events and activities hosted by Oklahoma State University.
Since 1920, Oklahoma State University has welcomed alumni to "America’s Greatest Homecoming Celebration." Each year, more than 70,000 alumni and friends return to campus for "Walkaround" and the Homecoming Parade.
Spring kicks off with the Stillwater Public Education Foundation's "A Taste of Stillwater", a fundraiser held every March. Other events include the Tumbleweed Calf Fry, the Stillwater Home Builders Association's Home and Garden Show, the Remember the 10 Run, and the OSU Jazz Festival.
Since 2012, Stillwater has hosted the annual Land Run 100, a 100-mile (161 km) bicycling endurance race around north-central Oklahoma.
The annual Red Dirt Film Festival is held every March. The independent film festival features screenings, panels, and workshops on the OSU campus.
The Stillwater Arts Festival is now in its third decade. The festival is a two-day, juried art show held in April that features live entertainment, artist demonstrations, and children's activities.
The Oklahoma Special Olympics’ Annual Summer Games take place every May. It is the largest amateur sporting event in Oklahoma and the largest Special Olympics event in the United States.
Since 2011, Stillwater has hosted the annual Bob Childers' Gypsy Cafe, a red dirt music festival. Benefits from the event go to the Red Dirt Relief Fund which supports Oklahoma musicians in crisis.
In the summer, there is the Krazy Daze Shopping Extravaganza and the Payne County Fair. On Independence Day, Stillwater hosts the annual Boomer Blast, a fireworks show at Boomer Lake Park.
The fall season begins Collegefest, OSU Student Government Association's Lights on Stillwater (a trade-show style event where students learn about local organizations, shops, restaurants, and services), and the Downtown Stillwater Car Show. The annual Downtown Stillwater Halloween Festival is held the Tuesday before Halloween and includes a costume contest.
For more than twenty years, the Eskimo Joe's Juke Joint Jog 5K and Fun Run (one mile race) have been held in the fall to benefit the Stillwater Area United Way.
Winter is celebrated with the Downtown Parade of Lights and the Madrigal Dinner Concert on the OSU campus.
Points of interest.
The Sheerar Museum of Stillwater History is dedicated to collecting, preserving, and interpreting the history of Stillwater. The museum features exhibits on Stillwater and Payne County, including the first land run that opened Oklahoma Territory for settlement in 1889. The museum also offers a variety of temporary exhibits and programs.
The National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum is also located in Stillwater. It is dedicated to preserving the heritage of the sport, celebrating achievements, and encouraging young athletes.
The Washington Irving Trail and Museum, located in a rural setting, celebrates the heritage of Payne County. It is named for American writer Washington Irving who used to camp in the area. The museum features items from the famous Oklahoma boomer, David L. Payne.
In October 2013, Oklahoma State University opened the OSU Museum of Art in the renovated Postal Plaza, a former WPA-built Federal Post Office in Downtown Stillwater. The university began collecting art in the 1930s, an endeavor initiated by the former head of the OSU Art Department, Doel Reed. The university also operates the Gardiner Art Gallery on campus in the Bartlett Center for the Visual Arts, home of the OSU Art Department. Exhibits in the gallery, which are open to the public, vary from student and faculty exhibits to national shows.
The Botanic Garden at Oklahoma State University covers more than with thousands of species of flowers, shrubs, grasses and trees. It features specialized gardens like butterfly and organic gardens, turf and nursery research centers, and a Centennial Grove. It also has a studio garden where OETA's show "Oklahoma Gardening" is filmed. The facility also has an authentic Japanese Tea Ceremony Garden.
The David L. Payne Memorial Monument, located in Boomer Lake Park, honors Oklahoma boomer, David L. Payne. In 1995, his body was exhumed and moved from Wellington, Kansas to this site. Payne County, Oklahoma, is named for him.
The International Friendship Garden is located at the City of Stillwater Community Center and was built in 1997 by the Kameoka Landscape Gardeners Association to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the sister city relationship between Stillwater and Kameoka, Japan. The gardeners shipped 22 tons of materials, tools, and supplies to Stillwater from Japan. Over a two-week period, they constructed a traditional Japanese garden. They also built a small tea garden at OSU's Oklahoma Botanical Garden and Arboretum. The International Friendship Garden was dedicated Sunday, July 26, 1998, with a delegation from Kameoka in attendance.
The Stillwater Public Library dedicated a bronze statue of Oklahoma historian and author Angie Debo on November 18, 2010. Created by local artist Phyllis Mantik, the statue depicts a young Debo sitting on a rock with several books by her side. Mantik chose to depict the historian as a young woman to illustrate that, at an early age, she chose the life of a scholar. To highlight Debo's importance to Oklahoma's Native American community, the base of the statue is surrounded by the seals of Oklahoma's 38 federally recognized Native American tribes.
"Payne County's Grandest Elm Tree" is located in Stillwater. It has gained large attention from bystanders and neighbors of the attraction.
The Stillwater Farmers' Market operates April through October on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
The following Stillwater sites are listed on the National Register of Historic Places:
Media.
Stillwater's newspaper of record is the "NewsPress", owned by the Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc. The community is also served by the weekly "Stillwater Journal", owned and published by David and Lisa Sasser. "The Daily O'Collegian" has been published since 1895 as a daily paper by Oklahoma State University and is an affiliate of the College Media Network.
Stillwater is also home to several radio stations, including Stillwater Radio that broadcasts on four stations: KSPI 780 AM, 80s, 90s and 2000s Rock; KSPI 94.3 FM, 80s, 90s and 2000s Rock; KVRO 101.1 FM, classic hits and home of Stillwater High School sports; KGFY 105.5 FM, country music and the home of Perkins-Tryon High School sports (in nearby Perkins, Oklahoma), and OSU women's basketball, soccer, and softball; and KSPI 93.7 FM, adult contemporary, and the home of OSU football, baseball, men's basketball, and wrestling. KOSU 91.7 FM is owned by Oklahoma State University and is a National Public Radio station.
White Peacock Publishing publishes "Stillwater Living Magazine", a full-color monthly magazine. "Stillwater Scene", published by Red Productions, is a monthly print and online magazine that focuses on local entertainment.
Stillwater TV is a government-access television station airing on Suddenlink Communications’s channel 14. It broadcasts programming provided by the City of Stillwater, including live and rebroadcasts of Stillwater City Council and Planning Commission meetings.
Stillwater citizens were featured in the news for threatening fellow citizens attempting to enforce public safety regulations related to COVID-19 "just three hours [after] the rule going into effect".
Sports.
Stillwater is home to the Oklahoma State Cowboys and Cowgirls. Oklahoma State University teams have won 53 NCAA National Championships, the majority of which have been in wrestling. Men's programs include baseball, basketball, football, cross country, golf, wrestling, tennis, and track and field. Women's programs include basketball, cross country, equestrian, soccer, softball, tennis, and track and field.
The Oklahoma State Cowboys wrestling team is an NCAA Division I wrestling program and is one of five Big 12 Conference schools which participate in wrestling. The team has won 34 team national championships (plus an additional three which are unofficial) and 134 individual NCAA championships which are both NCAA records. Major sports facilities include Boone Pickens Stadium, Gallagher-Iba Arena, and O'Brate Stadium.
Stillwater High School is a 6A-2 school. The Pioneers compete in football, volleyball, softball, cross country, cheerleading, pom, wrestling, basketball, swimming, baseball, golf, tennis, and soccer.
Parks and outdoor attractions.
The City of Stillwater Parks and Recreation Department manages more than of parkland, including five ball complexes, ten tennis courts, two disc golf courses, four lakes, one swimming pool, 14 playgrounds, one skate and bmx bike ramp, special services centers, including the Multi Arts Center, Senior Activity Center, Community Center, Armory Gymnasium and Lakeside Golf Course.
Lake McMurtry, owned by the City of Stillwater, offers hiking and mountain-bike trails, back-to-nature camping and well-stocked reserves for fishing. Its convenience store and bait shop are open seasonal hours.
Carl Blackwell Lake is owned by Oklahoma State University. It offers camping, boat rentals, covered pavilions, and a gift shop.
Stillwater is served by a number of paved and unpaved bicycle and walking trails for non-motorized forms of transit. The Kameoka Trail Corridor includes a three-mile (5 km) loop around Boomer Lake and additional disconnected segments throughout the city. The corridor begins north at Park View Estates and runs along West Boomer Creek toward Airport Road and Boomer Lake Park, circles the lake and cuts south to Stillwater High School, crosses McElroy and continues to Hall of Fame between Main and Perkins and crosses through Hoyt Grove Park.
Other multi-use trails include an asphalt trail through Couch Park, a dirt nature trail around Sanborn Lake, bike and pedestrian trails at Lake McMurtry, and a one-mile (1.6 km) gravel screenings loop at the Oklahoma Technology & Research Park.
Four golf courses are located in Stillwater:
Transportation.
Major highways.
Stillwater has two highways running through it: Oklahoma State Highway 51, or 6th Avenue, runs east and west; and US-177, or Perkins Road, runs north and south. The city is also served by a spur that connects US-177 to the Cimarron Turnpike.
Airport.
Stillwater Regional Airport (SWO) has served the city since 1917. American Airlines began service in August 2016 with two daily round trip flights to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. The flights are operated on behalf of American Airlines by their regional partner Envoy Air using the 50 seat Embraer-145 jet. Private jets also fly in and out of this airport.
Bus service.
Public transportation is provided by OSU-Stillwater Community Transit. Ten bus routes are operated within Stillwater's city limits and on the OSU campus.
Infrastructure.
Utilities.
Stillwater has been a community-owned electric utility since 1907. The electric utility, now part of the Stillwater Utilities Authority, provides electric, water, wastewater and solid waste management services. A portion of the Utility Authority's revenues help to support the City of Stillwater's fire and police departments, the parks and recreation system, and other city services. Water in Stillwater is drawn from Kaw Lake and pumped approximately to the treatment facility.
Health care.
Stillwater Medical Center is a 119-bed non-profit public trust facility. Services offered by the hospital include emergency, wound care, labor and delivery, surgery, radiology, rehabilitation, cancer care, and wellness.
The community is also served by the Stillwater Surgery Center, an outpatient surgery center, and the Stillwater Cancer Center, a physician-owned cancer treatment center. Residents who seek the full services of a teaching hospital must travel to the OSU Medical Center, about 60–70 minutes east in Tulsa.
The Payne County Health Department is also located in Stillwater and offers services such as WIC, consumer protection, health promotion, and chronic and acute disease services.
Sister cities.
Stillwater has been sister city to Kameoka since 1985. The State of Oklahoma and Kyoto Prefecture signed a sister state agreement in 1985 through the auspices of the governor's office. Kameoka requested a sister city in Oklahoma that was about one hour from the capital, agriculturally based, and home to a university. Stillwater was a perfect match. In 1985, the first delegation from Kameoka visited Stillwater, and in November of that same year a Stillwater delegation went to Kameoka. There, Mayors Calvin J. Anthony and Yoshihisa Taniguchi signed the Sister City Affiliation Agreement that officially established the sister cities relationship between the two cities.
Since 1989, the Stillwater Middle School and Taisei Junior High School in Kameoka have participated in a sister school relationship, which features an active teacher-student exchange program. In 2016, the Stillwater High School based string quintet, Penta-Strings, played for the during the 30-year visit of the Kameoka delegation.
In popular culture.
Stillwater was featured in the CW television show "Supernatural" in Season 13, Episode 12 "Various & Sundry Villains". Protagonists Sam and Dean Winchester track a pair of witches to the city to try and recover a valuable spell book.
In the 2021 film "Stillwater" Matt Damon plays an oil rig worker from Oklahoma who goes to visit his daughter in prison in Marseilles, France, in the hope to bring her back home to Stillwater.
Stillwater served as the filming location for the crime-thriller "All-American Murder" starring Christopher Walken.
Stillwater appears in the disaster film "Twisters", released in 2024 as a standalone sequel to the 1996 film "Twister".
References.
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Stillwater, Pennsylvania
Borough in Pennsylvania, US
Stillwater is a borough in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of Northeastern Pennsylvania. The population was 200 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Bloomsburg-Berwick micropolitan area.
History.
The first store in Stillwater was founded in 1847 by Daniel and James McHenry. Stillwater was officially separated from Fishing Creek Township in 1899. There were few industries in the borough in the past, and those that did exist had mainly to do with lumber. The Stillwater Covered Bridge No. 134 was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
Geography.
Stillwater is located in northeastern Columbia County at (41.150244, -76.366751). According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of , of which is land and , or 1.32%, is water. Stillwater is northeast of Bloomsburg, the county seat, via Pennsylvania Route 487, which continues north to Benton and beyond. Fishing Creek, a tributary of the Susquehanna River, runs southward through Stillwater. Stillwater is flat in the middle, with rolling hills in the east and west.
Demographics.
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As of the census of 2010, there were 209 people, 85 households, and 56 families residing in the borough. The population density was . There were 96 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the borough was 100.00% White.
There were 85 households, out of which 23.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.0% were married couples living together, 3.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.1% were non-families. Of all households, 27.1% were made up of individuals, and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.82.
In the borough the population was spread out, with 17.5% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 29.4% from 45 to 64, and 17.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 108.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.5 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $41,250, and the median income for a family was $48,750. Males had a median income of $34,583 versus $25,893 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $19,879. None of the families and 3.3% of the population were living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and 4.8% of those over 64.
Education.
The school district is Benton Area School District. The district's schools are L.R. Appleman Elementary School and Benton Middle-Senior High School.
In popular culture.
The main character of the CBS show "NCIS", Leroy Jethro Gibbs, comes from Stillwater. The sixth-season episode "Heartland" takes place in Stillwater as Gibbs is forced to return to his hometown to solve a case, and also confront his estranged father. The real Stillwater was not filmed; as production of NCIS takes place in southern California, the filmed location was the town of Piru. Stillwater is also briefly featured in the seventh season finale, the season eight premiere, and extensively in the eleventh-season finale.

Stillwater Township, New Jersey
Township in Sussex County, New Jersey, US
Stillwater Township is a township located in Sussex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Situated in the Kittatinny Valley, Stillwater is a rural farming community with a long history of dairy farming. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 4,004, a decrease of 95 (−2.3%) from the 2010 census count of 4,099, which in turn reflected a decrease of 168 (−3.9%) from the 4,267 counted in the 2000 census.
Stillwater was settled in the eighteenth century by Palatine German immigrants who entered through the port of Philadelphia. In 1741, Casper Shafer, John George Wintermute (Windemuth), and their father-in-law Johan Peter Bernhardt settled along the Paulins Kill. For the next 50 years, the village of Stillwater was essentially German, centered on a union church shared by Lutheran and German Reformed (Calvinist) congregations. The German population assimilated by the early nineteenth century, but evidence of their settlement remains in the architecture of the grist mills, lime kilns, and stone houses located throughout the valley. Stillwater was incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on December 27, 1824, from portions of Hardwick Township when Sussex County was divided in half by the legislature a few weeks earlier to create Warren County. Portions of the township were taken to form Fredon Township on February 24, 1904.
In 2008, "New Jersey Monthly" magazine ranked Stillwater Township as its 40th best place to live in its annual rankings of the "Best Places To Live" in New Jersey.
History.
The township was created on December 27, 1824, by an act passed by the New Jersey Legislature.
A prominent structure in the area's history is the Shafer Grist Mill. Originally built by Casper Shafer in 1741, it was moved approximately a half mile to its present location in 1764. It was rebuilt in 1844 and powered by water from the Paulins Kill. Casper's son, Nathan Armstrong Shafer lived in Whitehall Manor, which he built near what is now the center of the village. The gristmill operated commercially until 1955, making it one of the oldest, continuously operating, water-powered gristmills in the State of New Jersey. Aline Murray Kilmer, the widow of poet Joyce Kilmer, lived the last decade of her life at Whitehall, passing away there on October 1, 1941.
In the early 1900s, Swartswood Lake became a major resort. Weekenders took the train into nearby Blairstown through the 1940s to stay at such places as the North Shore Inn, The Casino, and The Dove Island Inn (now a private home). Later, summer cabins became popular with Brooklyn weekenders.
The Stillwater creamery was built in 1910. Borden, Inc. later took control of the creamery.
In the 1920s, the Paulins Kill was dammed to create Paulins Kill Lake and many summer residences sprang up. These summer cottages have grown into what is now a year-round community.
The Presbyterian Church is the most prominent feature in Stillwater village. Opposite the church is the former Academy, an old schoolhouse that is now home of the Historical Society of Stillwater Township. Stillwater was, and still is, primarily agricultural. The area is dotted with lime kilns, which used to burn lime to enrich the soil, but are now obsolete, becoming lost to history and the overgrowth of vegetation. An intact kiln still exists on Millbrook Road, a little more than two miles (3 km) from Stillwater village.
Roughly one-third of Stillwater Township's area was ceded to create Fredon Township in 1904.
Geography.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 28.25 square miles (73.17 km2), including 26.92 square miles (69.73 km2) of land and 1.33 square miles (3.43 km2) of water (4.69%).
The township borders the municipalities of Fredon Township, Hampton Township and Walpack Township in Sussex County; and both Frelinghuysen Township and Hardwick Township in Warren County.
Neighborhoods.
Crandon Lakes (with a 2010 Census population of 496 in Stillwater Township, out of a CDP total of 1,178) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) split between Hampton Township and Stillwater Township.
Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Catfish Pond, Duck Pond, Fairview Lake, Five Points, Lake Kathryn, Middleville, Mud Pond, Paulins Kill Lake, Quick Pond, Stillwater, Swartswood, Swartswood Lake and Wintermutes Foundry.
Stillwater is a small one-street village in the area that was first settled by Johan Peter Bernhardt and his two sons-in-law, John George Wintermute and Casper Shafer. At the western terminus of end of Main Street where it meets County Route 521, the First Presbyterian Church of Stillwater is the dominant feature. As Main Street travels east, the Garris's General Store (1876), "Whitehall" (built in 1785 by Abraham Shafer), Casper Shafer's stonehouse (c. 1741), crossing the Paulins Kill near Shafer's grist mill (1764, 1844) and miller's house. An 1820 hostelry, the Stillwater Inn, recently was destroyed by fire. One half-mile (800 m) south of the Presbyterian church, is John George Wintermute's stonehouse (1755), his son Peter's stonehouse (1791). Located adjacent is Stillwater Cemetery—the site of the original Lutheran-Calvinist union church (1771–1838), the graves of the towns earliest settlers, and many eighteenth century ethnic German gravestones.
Geology.
Flanked to the west by Kittatinny Mountain, the Stillwater Township is located within the Ridge and Valley Physiographic Province, and the entire township is within the Kittatinny Valley a region of rolling hills and flat valley floors that is a section of the larger Great Appalachian Valley running from eastern Canada to northern Alabama. Elevations in this valley range from . According to Snell, "The surface of the country is generally uneven and hilly, and on the west exceedingly rugged and mountainous. Ponds and watercourses abound. Of the latter, the most important is the Paulinskill, a millstream of considerable consequence." All of Stillwater Township is located in the Paulins Kill watershed which flows southwest through Sussex and Warren counties before joining the Delaware River near Columbia, New Jersey. The valley floor is part of the Ordovician Martinsburg Formation (shale and slate) which make up most of the valley—and the Jacksonburg Formation (mostly limestone).
Climate.
Stillwater Township is located in Northwestern New Jersey which has a humid continental climate (microthermal)—a cooler climate due to its higher elevations.
Demographics.
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2010 census.
The 2010 United States census counted 4,099 people, 1,553 households, and 1,141 families in the township. The population density was 151.5 per square mile (58.5/km2). There were 1,930 housing units at an average density of 71.3 per square mile (27.5/km2). The racial makeup was 97.07% (3,979) White, 0.66% (27) Black or African American, 0.05% (2) Native American, 0.71% (29) Asian, 0.02% (1) Pacific Islander, 0.20% (8) from other races, and 1.29% (53) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.20% (90) of the population.
Of the 1,553 households, 30.0% had children under the age of 18; 61.4% were married couples living together; 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present and 26.5% were non-families. Of all households, 21.6% were made up of individuals and 6.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.09.
21.9% of the population were under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 22.0% from 25 to 44, 36.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.8 years. For every 100 females, the population had 97.9 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 100.1 males.
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $79,367 (with a margin of error of +/− $6,830) and the median family income was $94,900 (+/− $17,365). Males had a median income of $50,600 (+/− $10,895) versus $52,587 (+/− $7,700) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $32,147 (+/− $2,398). About 7.0% of families and 7.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.2% of those under age 18 and 6.1% of those age 65 or over.
2000 census.
As of the 2000 United States census there were 4,267 people, 1,494 households, and 1,154 families residing in the township. The population density was . There were 2,030 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the township was 97.96% White, 0.16% African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.47% Asian, 0.23% from other races, and 0.96% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.09% of the population.
There were 1,494 households, out of which 41.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.6% were married couples living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.7% were non-families. 17.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.85 and the average family size was 3.27.
In the township the population was spread out, with 28.0% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 26.6% from 45 to 64, and 8.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.6 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $63,750, and the median income for a family was $71,563. Males had a median income of $48,580 versus $35,505 for females. The per capita income for the township was $24,933. About 1.6% of families and 2.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.1% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over.
Government.
Local government.
Stillwater is governed under the Township form of New Jersey municipal government, one of 141 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form, the second-most commonly used form of government in the state. The Township Committee is comprised of five members, who are elected directly by the voters at-large in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats coming up for election each year as part of the November general election in a three-year cycle. At an annual reorganization meeting held during the first week of January, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and another as Deputy Mayor.
As of 2023[ [update]], members of the Stillwater Township Committee are Mayor Lisa Chammings (R, term on committee and as mayor ends December 31, 2023), Deputy Mayor Vera A. Rumsey (R, term on committee ends 2025; term as deputy mayor ends 2023), Paul Barta (R, 2024), Dawn A. Delaney (R, 2025) and George E. Scott (R, 2024).
Local emergency services.
As of 2010, the Township Committee disbanded the Stillwater Police Department. Pending a lawsuit against the township, the New Jersey State Police assumed police coverage on a full-time basis. The township estimated savings of $482,000 by having State Police coverage; as a rural community, the township would not pay a fee to the State Police.
The Stillwater Area Volunteer Fire Company provide fire and rescue services to the township Stillwater station houses CAFS Pumper 42–62, Rescue-Pumper 42–61, Tanker/Pumper 42–71, Tanker 42–72, Rescue 42–75 and utility and special operations 42–81.
In February 2016, the township disbanded the Swartswood Volunteer Fire Department and reclaimed township-owned vehicles and other property.
In 2020 The Stillwater Emergency Rescue Squad combined with the Stillwater Area Volunteer Fire Department. The Fire department took ownership of both ambulances, personnel and equipment. The Fire Department now provides emergency medical services to the township, utilizing two full-size ambulances.
Federal, state, and county representation.
Stillwater Township is located in the 7th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 24th state legislative district.
For the 119th United States Congress, New Jersey congressional district is represented by Thomas Kean Jr. (R, Westfield). New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Democrats Cory Booker (Newark, term ends 2027) and Andy Kim (Moorestown, term ends 2031).
For the 2024-2025 session, the 24th legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Parker Space (R, Wantage Township) and in the General Assembly by Dawn Fantasia (R, Franklin) and Mike Inganamort (R, Chester Township).
Sussex County is governed by a Board of County Commissioners whose five members are elected at-large in partisan elections on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats coming up for election each year. At an annual reorganization meeting held in the beginning of January, the board selects a Commissioner Director and Deputy Director from among its members, with day-to-day supervision of the operation of the county delegated to a County Administrator. As of 2025[ [update]], Sussex County's Commissioners are
Director Jill Space (R, Wantage Township, 2025),
Deputy Director Chris Carney (R, Frankford Township, 2027),
Jack DeGroot (R, Sussex, 2026),
William Hayden (R, Branchville, 2025) and
Alan Henderson (R, Lafayette Township, 2027).
Constitutional officers elected on a countywide basis are
Clerk Jeffrey M. Parrott (R, Wantage Township, 2026),
Sheriff Michael F. Strada (R, Hampton Township, 2025) and
Surrogate Gary R. Chiusano (R, Frankford Township, 2028).
Politics.
As of March 2011, there were a total of 3,009 registered voters in Stillwater Township, of which 468 (15.6% vs. 16.5% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 1,384 (46.0% vs. 39.3%) were registered as Republicans and 1,153 (38.3% vs. 44.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 4 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens. Among the township's 2010 Census population, 73.4% (vs. 65.8% in Sussex County) were registered to vote, including 94.0% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 86.5% countywide).
In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 1,283 votes (61.9% vs. 59.4% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 735 votes (35.5% vs. 38.2%) and other candidates with 49 votes (2.4% vs. 2.1%), among the 2,073 ballots cast by the township's 3,079 registered voters, for a turnout of 67.3% (vs. 68.3% in Sussex County). In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 1,389 votes (59.7% vs. 59.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 872 votes (37.5% vs. 38.7%) and other candidates with 52 votes (2.2% vs. 1.5%), among the 2,328 ballots cast by the township's 2,978 registered voters, for a turnout of 78.2% (vs. 76.9% in Sussex County). In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 1,473 votes (65.0% vs. 63.9% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 754 votes (33.3% vs. 34.4%) and other candidates with 35 votes (1.5% vs. 1.3%), among the 2,267 ballots cast by the township's 2,832 registered voters, for a turnout of 80.0% (vs. 77.7% in the whole county).
In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 71.5% of the vote (844 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 24.9% (294 votes), and other candidates with 3.6% (43 votes), among the 1,193 ballots cast by the township's 3,075 registered voters (12 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 38.8%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 1,036 votes (63.3% vs. 63.3% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 406 votes (24.8% vs. 25.7%), Independent Chris Daggett with 157 votes (9.6% vs. 9.1%) and other candidates with 24 votes (1.5% vs. 1.3%), among the 1,637 ballots cast by the township's 2,991 registered voters, yielding a 54.7% turnout (vs. 52.3% in the county).
Education.
The Stillwater Township School District serves public school students in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade at Stillwater Township School. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of one school, had an enrollment of 254 students and 29.3 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 8.7:1.
Students in seventh through twelfth grade for public school attend Kittatinny Regional High School located in Hampton Township, which serves students who reside in Fredon Township, Hampton Township, Sandyston Township and Walpack Township. The high school is located on a campus in Hampton Township, about seven minutes outside of the county seat of Newton. As of the 2018–19 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 941 students and 97.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 9.7:1. Kittatinny Regional High School was recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence in 1997–1998.
Transportation.
As of  2010[ [update]], the township had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality and by Sussex County.
No Interstate, U.S. or state highways cross Stillwater Township. The most significant roadway within the township is County Route 521.
Local attractions.
Parks and recreation.
Stillwater is the home of Swartswood State Park, established in 1914 as the first state park established by the state of New Jersey. In the center of the park lies the Little Swartswood and Swartswood Lake. The park is operated and maintained by the New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry.
Notable people.
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Stillwater Township include:
References.
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Stillwater, Minnesota
City in Minnesota, United States
Stillwater is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Washington County. It is in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area, on the west bank of the St. Croix River, across from Houlton, Wisconsin. Stillwater's population was 19,394 at the 2020 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 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 the settlement's first sawmill. McKusick was later a state senator. The name derives from the St. Croix River's calmness near the town center. It is also believed that McKusick had fond memories of Stillwater, Maine, where he had migrated from.
Long before European Americans arrived the area was occupied by various indigenous peoples for thousands of years. The Dakota people 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 spelled variously 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, also involving a man transformed into a giant fish and found floating in the lake. He was ultimately transformed into "a piece of land crossing the lake there" (i.e., the sandbar). In English renderings, Giigo onh-zhagomod has been spelled as Kee-go-shagewa-minnie and Kegan-Shaw-Ga-Nut.
History.
In the 1830s, European Americans were pressing west into this territory. The U.S. government tried to arrange for their settlement in Native American lands, and on July 29 and September 29, 1837, it signed treaties with the local Ojibwe and Dakota nations to allow such 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 abundant lumber and river traffic resulting from the industry. This was one of Minnesota's oldest towns, preceding Minneapolis by several years. Stillwater was officially incorporated as a city on March 4, 1854 (the same day as Saint Paul).
Stillwater is often called 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. Originally part of the Wisconsin Territory, Minnesota officially became a separate territory in 1849 and, after population increases, a state in 1858.
As more evidence of Stillwater's importance at the time, the territorial convention selected three leading Minnesota cities as locations for three important public institutions: Saint Paul was designated as the capital; the University of Minnesota was established at Minneapolis; and Stillwater became the site of the territory's first prison. The Minnesota Territorial Prison (later Minnesota State Prison) was opened in 1853. The prison held Cole, Jim, and Bob Younger, three of the Younger brothers of the James–Younger Gang.
Lumbering was the predominant industry in the St. Croix River Valley in the second half of the 19th century. For many years, lumbermen sent large rafts of logs down the St. Croix. They were collected at the St. Croix Boom Site two miles upstream of Stillwater, and processed in Stillwater's many sawmills. Steamboats were used most widely on the river from 1860 to 1890. A few still operate as entertainment venues today.
David Swain operated a shipyard and engine works in Stillwater. Excursion steamboats, such as the "Verne Swain" and the "Capitol", began to operate in the early 20th century, taking passengers to other cities along the river.
During the American Civil War, Stillwater sent men of the 1st Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Company B, 5th Minnesota Infantry Regiment Company K, and the 8th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment Company C, among others, to fight for the Union.
On October 18, 1921, Charles Strite invented the automatic pop-up bread toaster in Stillwater. By 1926, the Toastmaster Company began to market the first household toaster using a redesigned version of Strite's invention. In 1923, Nelson's Ice Cream parlor was established.
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 until 2017, when it closed to vehicle traffic. In 2020 it became part of a five-mile trail loop running through Stillwater and Houlton, Wisconsin.
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