# Stillwater Convention *An 1848 convention of settlers at Stillwater that petitioned Congress for the organization of Minnesota Territory.* The Stillwater Convention was a meeting of settlers that convened at [[Stillwater]] on August 26, 1848. It is recorded as the petition that led Congress to organize [[Minnesota Territory]] on March 3, 1849.[^1] The Washington County Historical Society says that Stillwater citizens "concerned with their lack of legal organization" met on August 6, 1848, and called the convention. The society also records that Stillwater "became known as the 'Birthplace of Minnesota'".[^1] The at-issue record for the convention says that [[Minnesota]] "was petitioned into existence from a lumber camp of about six hundred people."[^2] According to that entry, [[Joseph Renshaw Brown]] organized and chaired the convention. Brown was known in Minnesota politics as "Jo the Juggler". The entry also says the convention sent Henry Sibley to Washington.[^2] It dates the creation of the territory to March 3, 1849, "in President Polk's last hours in office."[^2] ## When The county society's timeline gives two dates for the convention. Citizens met and called it on August 6, 1848, and it convened on August 26, 1848.[^1] The at-issue entry gives the same convening date.[^2] The timeline records Sibley as "seated in Washington as a delegate" on January 15, 1849.[^1] It then states: "Responding to the Stillwater Convention, the United States Congress organizes Minnesota Territory." The timeline dates that act to March 3, 1849.[^1] The at-issue entry agrees on the date of the territory's creation.[^2] On October 27, 1849, Washington County was established as one of nine original counties, according to the same timeline.[^1] ## In the at-issue record The convention appears in one at-issue entry, dated August 26, 1848. It is filed in the Washington package under the section *The Referral Architecture & the County That Got the Prison Edition*.[^2] The entry's primary anchor is a state-erected historical marker. The entry describes that marker as "the state's own account of its own founding." The entry lists two supporting history sources, on the domains mnhs.org and wchsmn.org.[^2] The record here does not include the marker's inscription. It therefore does not establish which of the entry's statements the marker itself makes.[^2] ## In the Minnesota record ### When - **August 6, 1848:** Stillwater citizens met and called the convention, according to the Washington County Historical Society timeline.[^1] - **August 26, 1848:** The Stillwater Convention convened.[^1][^2] - **January 15, 1849:** Henry Sibley was "seated in Washington as a delegate," per the county timeline.[^1] - **March 3, 1849:** Congress organized Minnesota Territory. The county timeline describes this as a response to the convention.[^1][^2] - **October 27, 1849:** Washington County was established as one of nine original counties.[^1] ## Notes [^1]: Washington County Historical Society, *Timeline* (undated) — Stillwater citizens "concerned with their lack of legal organization" met August 6, 1848, and called a convention that convened August 26, 1848; Stillwater "became known as the 'Birthplace of Minnesota'"; Sibley "seated in Washington as a delegate" January 15, 1849; Congress organized Minnesota Territory March 3, 1849, "Responding to the Stillwater Convention"; Washington County established October 27, 1849, as one of nine original counties. https://www.wchsmn.org/timeline/ [^2]: Historical Marker Database, *Historical marker no. 43908* (undated) — the state-erected marker cited as primary anchor of at-issue entry AI-Washington-051 (dated 1848-08-26). That entry states the convention was organized and chaired by Joseph Renshaw Brown and sent Henry Sibley to Washington, and that Congress created Minnesota Territory on March 3, 1849. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=43908