In 1849, a bill creating the Minnesota Territory became law. The population was stated at 4,131. By 1858 when it became a state, the population had grown to 150,037.

St. Paul's position at the head of practical navigation of the Mississippi made it the destination for trade of goods from the northwest and also for settlers arriving in Minnesota. One May 1857 issue of the Minnesota Weekly Times noted the encampment on the Lower Levee of about 3,000 people who had arrived over the previous four days.

The University of Minnesota was established in 1851. By 1860, there were 35 churches in St. Paul, Minneapolis, and St. Anthony. In 1861 a steamship arrived in St. Paul with the first track, locomotive and railroad cars that would connect Minnesota to the growing US railroad infrastructure. Also in 1861, two days after the Civil War began, Minnesota became the first state to volunteer men for Union military service.

When my ancestors were arriving in the 1880's, the Twin Cities were in the period known as their Golden Age (1880 - 1895). In 1880 Minnesota's population had swelled to 780,773. Minneapolis population was 46,887; and St. Paul's 41,473. Together the cities had been nurtured by the river; together they had been strengthened by the railroad network. In 1880 they were poised on the edge of a remarkable era that would carry them into the ranks of major American cities. Industry and commerce flourished during the 1880's. City improvements included cedar-block and asphalt paving on some streets, improved sanitation and hospital facilities as well as hundreds of acres of parkland. Private power companies began to generate electricity, lighting many streets and providing industry with a new source of power.

By 1893, however, the U.S. was in a severe economic depression that hastened the end of the golden age and slowed the cities' growth. The population boom was over. It was in this climate that the first American-born of my family greeted the world.

Minnesota today:

Population:
State total: 4.9 million
Minneapolis/St. Paul Metropolitan area: 2.7 million

Minnesota has a diverse economy with its most visible industries being agriculture, high tech, and tourism.

It is the US 7th largest exporter of agricultural commodities.

Top exports by industry:
Industrial Machinery
Scientific Instruments
Electronic Equipment

Top export markets:
Canada
Japan
Germany

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• Explore Minnesota

• Fishing in Minnesota

• The Minnesota Page

• Department of Natural Resources

• Department of Trade and Economic Development

• North Star (The state government's site)

• Polish Genealogical Society of Minnesota