Minneapolis, MN
Whither Pig’s Eye? Here’s how the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul got their names.
On the banks of the Mighty Mississippi River roughly 180 years ago, two burgeoning towns in Minnesota, then just a territory in the U.S., were searching for an identity. The Twin Cities each have a unique personality, pace, and history. But in the mid-1800s, both were still searching for what to call their communities.
“The history of Minneapolis is more complicated than we would expect, and just about everything we know about the history of the name St. Paul is wrong,” said Bill Convery, Director of Research for the Minnesota Historical Society.
What other names were suggested besides Minneapolis?
“There was no consensus on what to call it,” Convery said. One idea was All Saints, an effort to sound better than St. Paul or St. Anthony. Technically, a name was officially picked before Minneapolis.
“The Hennepin County commissioners officially named the community Albion,” said Convery.
Albion is the old name for England, and Convery said the idea was to honor settlers who moved to the area from New England.
According to Convery, credit for the creation of the name Minneapolis goes to a schoolteacher named Charles Hoag and a newspaper editor named George Bowman. He says “they jointly share credit for coming up with this hybrid name.” The first part of the name comes from Minnehaha, the Dakota word for waterfall. The second part — the “polis” part — comes from the Greek word for city. Hoag wrote a letter to Bowman suggesting the name. Bowman’s influence with the newspaper was key.
“(Bowman) really ran with it and promoted it heavily and as a result people ignored the name of Albion and really drifted toward this new name of Minneapolis,” said Convery.
St. Paul’s name origin is more straightforward, outside of the myth attached to it. Convery said it begins with a “decrepit old fur trader” named Pierre Parrant. His nickname was Pig’s Eye because he was blind in one eye. Legend has it that Parrant opened a pub bearing his nickname, then lent his nickname to the area as people settled nearby. Convery said people used the name of Parrant’s pub as part of their address to send and receive mail.
“The truth is Pig’s Eye and St. Paul were two entirely different communities,” he said.
In the early 1840s, a Catholic Priest named Luicien Galtier built the area’s first chapel and established its parish, naming it St. Paul. The name earned the respect of settlers.
“It was a name that was very compelling for the French and the Irish catholic immigrants who very quickly populated St. Paul the 1850s, so they embraced that name,” said Convery.
St. Paul’s name became official in 1841, while Minneapolis was made official in 1852 — two communities put on the map and forever connected.
“I think what’s true for both Minneapolis and Saint Paul is that these were popular choices. These were choices of the people,” said Convery.
Although Pig’s Eye didn’t become the official city name, there’s still a park, a lake and many businesses honoring the unique moniker in St. Paul.
The scene of the crash at 26th Avenue North and Emerson Avenue North in Minneapolis. (FOX 9)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A Minneapolis woman was sentenced for her role in a deadly crash that killed two women and injured two other people in December 2024.
READ MORE: Minneapolis woman charged in fatal high-speed crash faces additional charges
Woman sentenced in fatal Minneapolis crash
Big picture view:
Prosecutors say Teniki Steward drove a Buick Enclave into a bus shelter and a Ford Explorer after speeding through a red light.
Both of the women in the Ford Explorer died in the crash. They were identified as 53-year-old Ester Jean Fulks and 57-year-old Rose Elaine Reece.
During the crash, the Ford Explorer went off the road, injuring a 17-year-old boy who was waiting for a school bus.
The passenger in Steward’s vehicle also suffered injuries.
Minneapolis police said that Steward was also injured in the crash.
Steward pleaded guilty to multiple murder charges.
What they’re saying:
During the sentencing, the daughter of one of the victims had a statement read on her behalf:
“There’s nothing that can truly prepare you for the moment your entire world is taken from you. Losing my mom has left a pain in my heart that words will never be able to explain.”
What’s next:
Minnesota law requires that Steward serves at least two-thirds of her sentence, a bit under eight-and-a-half years, in prison.
Fatal Emerson and 26th crash
The backstory:
According to the criminal complaint, through surveillance videos from the scene of the crash and witnesses, investigators learned that Steward, driving the Buick Enclave, had been driving at a high rate of speed northbound on Emerson Avenue North.
Before the fatal crash, Steward sped through the intersection of Emerson Avenue North and Broadway Avenue North, running a red light and nearly causing a crash, the charges said.
Steward then continued to speed northbound down Emerson Avenue North, and ran another red light at 26th Avenue North, hitting the Ford Explorer, which was traveling eastbound, according to the complaint.
The Ford Explorer had been at the intersection of Emerson and 26th on a green light.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty shared the following statement:
“This was an egregious act that took Rose and Esther’s lives and injured a child waiting to go to school at a bus stop. Ms. Steward was driving at extremely dangerous speeds on city streets and narrowly avoided multiple collisions before the incident occurred. Third-degree murder charges are appropriate to hold her accountable and protect our community.”
The Source: This story uses information gathered from an Olmsted County court appearance and previous FOX 9 reporting.
A motorcyclist is dead after an early morning crash in Minneapolis Friday morning.
The Minnesota State Patrol said that at 1:20 a.m., a Suzuki Motorcycle going north on I-35W at Johnson Street hit the left side of the median guard rail.
The motorcycle continued north for about another quarter mile before coming to a rest on the right-hand side.
State Patrol said the rider came to rest on the left shoulder. He was later identified as 21-year-old Andrew James Neuberger.
ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – The Rochester Spartans boys volleyball team played its second game on consecutive nights. The Spartans beat Minneapolis Camden 3-0.
Rochester’s next game will be Tuesday, April 21, at St. Anthony Village at 7:00 p.m.
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