St. Paul, MN

Saint Paul or St. Paul, is the capital city of Minnesota and has been since 1849 when the Minnesota Territory was created. Along with Minneapolis, these two cities are named the "Twin Cities".

Some interesting history about St. Paul includes:

1. The city was home to Ford Motor Company's Twin Cities Assembly Plant. The plant opened in 1924 but sadly closed its doors at the end of 2011. It was situated on the Mississippi River and that gave them access to generating hydroelectric power.
2. In January every year the city holds the Saint Paul Winter Carnival, which goes back all the way to 1886. This started when a New York reporter said Saint Paul is just another "Siberia" with its harsh winters. Average attendance to the festival sees upwards of 350,000 patrons and includes activities such as ice sculpting competitions, medallion treasure hunt, local cuisines, and an ice palace.
3. Until the city built its own jail, they used the brig at Fort Snelling to house criminals.
4. The city has a height restriction for building skyscrapers. This is due to the city center being directly beneath the flight path of the airport across the river.
5. The city experienced violent thunderstorms and tornadoes back on August 20, 1904. The damage caused by these storms was upwards of $1.78 million, which estimates to about $60.36 million today.

Saint Paul is home to three sports venues:

• Xcel Energy Center which hosts the Minnesota Wild NHL team
• CHS Field which hosts the Saint Paul Saints
• Aliianz Field which hosts the Minnesota United