MAY 30, 1803
MENDOTA ACQUIRED IN LOUISIANA PURCHASE
MENDOTA ACQUIRED IN LOUISIANA PURCHASEMARCH 26, 1804IN INDIANA TERRITORY
IN INDIANA TERRITORYMARCH 29, 1804IN DISTRICT OF LOUISIANA
IN DISTRICT OF LOUISIANAMARCH 3, 1805RENAMED LOUISIANA TERRITORY
RENAMED LOUISIANA TERRITORYJULY 18, 1805LT. PIKE BUYS FORT SNELLING MILITARY RESERVE -
LT. PIKE BUYS FORT SNELLING MILITARY RESERVE -MENDOTA AREA FROM THE DAKOTAJUNE 4, 1813RENAMED MISSOURI TERRITORY
RENAMED MISSOURI TERRITORYAUGUST 10, 1821ORPHAN MISSOURI TERRITORY
ORPHAN MISSOURI TERRITORYJUNE 28, 1834IN MICHIGAN TERRITORY
IN MICHIGAN TERRITORYAPRIL 20, 1836IN WISCONSIN TERRITORY
IN WISCONSIN TERRITORYJUNE 10, 1838IN IOWA TERRITORY
IN IOWA TERRITORYDECEMEBER 28, 1846ORPHAN IOWA TERRITORY
ORPHAN IOWA TERRITORYMARCH 3, 1849IN MINNESOTA TERRITORY
IN MINNESOTA TERRITORYMAY 11, 1858IN STATE OF MINNESOTA
IN STATE OF MINNESOTAThe Dakota looked upon Mendota's setting as the center of the earth and the tall hill overlooking the rivers, Ohe-ya-wa-he, a sacred burial place.Mendota's American history began in 1805 when President Jefferson sent Lt. Zebulon Pike to the upper Mississippi to acquire a site for a fort. Pike purchased a military reserve which included the Mendota area.Construction of Fort Snelling began in 1819 with materials assembled on the Mendota side of the Minnesota River. By 1819, John Baptiste Faribault, the US government fur trade factor, was farming on Pike Island. By the 1820's a government ferry crossed the Minnesota River to the Fort. After suffering two floods, in 1826, Faribault moved to Mendota.In 1825, the American Fur Company opened a Mendota post under Alexis Bailly. In 1834 Henry Sibley, a partner, arrived to manage the post. He built a stone warehouse and stone home. Sibley became the civilian host for visiting explorers, statemen, writers, artists, and international guests.In 1842 Father Galtier, assigned to the Mendota French-Canadian flock, built a log church calling it St. Peter's. Eleven years later Father Ravoux built today's Church of St. Peter's atop the bluff.By an act of Congress in 1844, called the town site act, Mendota was incorporated. The city was then located in Iowa Territory.Henry Sibley was elected a delegate to Congress in 1848 for the orphaned Wisconsin Territory between the St. Croix and Mississippi rivers. Mendota was still Dakota land. He returned home in 1849 with a new Territory of Minnesota extending from the St. Croix to Missouri River.Senator Stephen Douglas of Illinios, the Minnesota bill sponsor, included Mendota as the capital. Sibley proposed and won the capital for St. Paul which was open to settlement.In 1849 Dakota County was created including Mendota. Mendota became Dakota County's second county seat from 1854-1857.When Dakota County fully organized in 1858 the village of Mendota became part of newly formed Mendota Township.In 1858 Henry Sibley was elected to be Minnesota's first governor. The Sibley house became the governor's residence.In 1887 Mendota again incorporated as a Village.In 1974 Village of Mendota became the City of Mendota under a Minnesota statute making all incorporated communities cities.
