Our Historic Collections
Stillwater People
The library has a number of resources to help trace ancestors that settled in Stillwater or to identify people that entered the gateway to Minnesota
Local History
Want to know more about how the local area developed or specific information about your local property? The library has compiled resources to help you learn more.
Historic Photographs
In addition to all of the John Runk photographs, staff have compiled a number of other local, historic photographic collections.
News Archives
The library has paid to microfilm much of the archive of the Stillwater Gazette and holds a number of other historic manuscript, magazine and news files.
More Information
Genealogy Resources
Looking to research your family before or after they lived in Stillwater? Use these resources.
House and Building Histories
If you are new to house and building history research, use these resources to begin your search.
Minnesota Digital Library
Digital collections from almost 200 other libraries, historical societies, museums, and archives including more than 55,000 photographs, postcards, maps, documents, letters, and oral histories.
Washington County Historical Society
Based out of Stillwater, “The Birthplace of Minnesota”, the Washington County Historical Society collects, preserves, and disseminates the history of Washington County and its communities.
News From Our Archives
Lily Lake, Circa 1960
We're delighted to learn that Stillwater's beloved Lily Lake was removed from the state’s impaired waters list! Many of us grew up swimming and fishing in Lily Lake and can remember the thrill of swimming out to the far dock and jumping off the high diving board....
Feeding the Loggers
Circa 1886 Oh là là! With this many French-named cooks in the kitchen, we imagine it was Frog Legs and Escargot every day for the hardworking loggers of the St. Croix Boom Company! Information with the photo reads:"The cooks in the cook-house of the St. Croix Boom...
Rattlesnake Curve
Pictured on this postcard is Rattlesnake Curve. Streetcars ran in Stillwater from 1889 to 1932 and were an extension of the Twin Cities Rapid Transit Company's streetcar lines. This view shows the streetcar as it headed west along the south side of Lake McKusick....
Street Dance, 1901
Here's another favorite from the library's collection of Frederick Holcombe photos: a street fair in downtown Stillwater from 1901. It's interesting to see the businesses that lined Main Street in 1901 and the crowd such an event attracted. Notice the band on the...
Happy Campers, Circa 1930s
Pictured on this postcard is the Boy Scout Camp on Square Lake, just north of Stillwater. The card dates to the early 1930s and was donated to the library by Mr. Willis H. Miller of Hudson, Wisconsin in 1990. The accompanying letter from Mr. Miller says "I was there...
Historical Gazettes Searchable Online
Move over microfilm, historical issues of the Stillwater Gazette and Stillwater Messenger are now going digital! More than 85,000 pages will be available online by the beginning of 2024. The first pages were recently added to the Minnesota Digital Newspaper Hub, with...
Historic 1965 Flood
With the City of Stillwater planning for potential flooding this spring, we thought we'd look back at the historic April 1965 flood. The Minnesota DNR lists that event as holding the record for the St. Croix river flooding in Stillwater at 94.10 feet. From the...
Norwegian Ski Club
From the library's John Runk Historical Collection, we found this photo of the Norwegian Ski Club of Stillwater, Minnesota, in 1889. Left to right, top row, Martin Olstad, Emil Grant, Pete Foss, John Johnson, Mikkal Thon, Nels Paulson, and Bert Johnson. Bottom row,...
Lake Elmo Sunken Boat Mystery
Recently, a patron requested information about a sunken boat rumored to lie at the bottom of Lake Elmo. This boat has reportedly been sighted by boaters above and even from the air. One of our knowledgeable volunteers as well as our genealogy and history librarian...
Ice Harvesting on Lake St. Croix
Before the days of indoor refrigeration people relied on the ice man to deliver ice to fill their ice boxes and keep their perishables cool. Where did all this ice come from? Harvested from the St. Croix River and other local lakes of course! Although ice was...