Mendota

Mendota, the historic first city of Minnesota, is nestled along the river valley and bluffs at the confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers. In its early days, Mendota served as a hub for commerce and trade with the Dakota Indians and settlers, was central to the start of Minnesota’s statehood and supported a thriving jazz culture in the 1900s. Discover the stories of Mendota’s past. Do you have historic photos of Mendota or stories from your family’s history in Mendota that you want to share? Please email [email protected] to submit your photographs and information to Mendota’s history collection. The history of Mendota was compiled by Rachel Golias with resources from the Dakota Historical Society, Minnesota Historical Society, the US-Dakota War site, newspaper articles from the St. Paul Dispatch, The St. Paul Globe, The Minneapolis Journal, The Minneapolis Star, the Star Tribune and antidotes from local residents.