The St. Croix River not only serves as one of the most important tributaries of the mighty Mississippi River, but serves as the natural border between Wisconsin and Minnesota. Settled by French fur traders in the late 17th century, the River became a major contributor to the dominant Minnesota timber industry of the 19th century. The St. Croix allowed timber to be transported downstream from saw mills scattered throughout the rivers banks.
The vast white pines near the upper valley of the River helped supply the forest products that built Minneapolis and St. Paul. It was along the banks of the St. Croix, in Stillwater, that the state of Minnesota was first proposed in 1848.