Old Fountain Cave - the birthplace of St. Paul (Saint Paul, Minnesota)

USA / Minnesota / Lilydale / Saint Paul, Minnesota
 fountain, place with historical importance, cave / cave(s), interesting place
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This is an approximate location from historical records. Records state the Fountain Cave entrance was between Drake and Randolph, at the end of Onedia st 300 ft from the river bluff. There is supposed to be a marker denoting where the entrance once was. If you know where the marker is, please move this placemark to the correct location.
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Fountain Cave is the Birthplace of St. Paul. It was here, in 1838, that Pierre Parrant (nicknamed "Pigs Eye") staked a claim and moved his whiskey still. The rough-and-tumble city of St. Paul grew around Parrant's Saloon.

Fountain Cave was estimated to have been 1,150 feet in length, and was possibly Minnesota's longest natural sandstone cave. Following the eviction of Parrant, the cave and the spring that ran through it was turned into a tourist attraction in the mid 1800's. it was then used as a sewer in the late 1800's before finally having the entry covered over in the 1960's during the construction of Shephard Rd. The still-intact cave is now buried complete with its huge brick-lined rooms, awaiting future archaeologists.

www.nps.gov/archive/miss/maps/model/fountain.html
www.lareau.org/pep-f.html
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   44°55'24"N   93°7'20"W

Comments

  • It was Parrent and Abraham Perry ( perret) that made the settlement at Fountain Cave when they left Coldsprings. There is a park named after Abrahams son Charles Perry in St. Paul mn.
This article was last modified 13 years ago