Pierre Parrant
Pierre "Pig's Eye" Parrant was the first official resident of the city of Saint Paul, Minnesota.[1]: 134 His exploits propelled him to local fame and infamy, with his name briefly adorning the village that became Minnesota's capital city.
History
Sources disagree about Parrant's exact history before settling in the
Pierre Parrant in Minnesota
Arriving at
Such was the man on whom Fortune, with that blind fatuity that seems to characterize the jade, thrust the honor of being the founder of our good city! Our pride almost revolts at the chronicling of such a humiliation, and leads us to wish that it were on one worthier and nobler that such a distinction had fallen. But history is inexorable, and we must record facts as they are.[4]: 65
Fountain Cave was an excellent location for Parrant's claim, as the spring inside it provided a steady water supply for his still. It was at Fountain Cave that Parrant opened a tavern that became wildly popular with the surrounding community. The bar, known as "Pig's Eye" or "Pig's Eye Pandemonium", was easily accessible to local residents, riverboat crews working on the river, and the soldiers from nearby Fort Snelling.[1]: 147 Parrant had become so popular, in fact, that when a nearby resident named Joseph R. Brown sent a letter to a friend in 1839 he gave the return address simply as "Pig's Eye." Not long after, Brown received correspondence at the address he had given.[7] As a result, the growing community around Pierre's bar became known as "Pig's Eye." The city's name might have remained Pig's Eye had it not been for the arrival of a Catholic priest named Lucien Galtier. So aghast was Galtier that the village on the river derived its name from a man of such ill repute that, when he built his small chapel in the area in 1841, he reportedly stated, "Pig's Eye, converted thou shalt be, like Saul; Arise, and be, henceforth, Saint Paul!"[1]: 147 It is disputed whether Galtier actually said those words, but the story is part of the city's folklore.
In 1844, Parrant lost his claim at Fountain Cave and was forced to vacate the land. It is not clear why. Some sources indicate that he was involved in a border dispute with a neighbor; others say he was forced to sell his claim because of mounting debts.[citation needed]
Life after Saint Paul
What happened to Parrant after he left Saint Paul is a mystery. Some sources say he was so upset about losing his claim that he decided to leave the Minnesota area and return to Sault Ste. Marie, only to die along the way in 1844.[3] Others say he eventually settled near Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, where he died between 1872 and 1886.[5] The latter account is unlikely since it would mean he lived to at least 95, which was extremely rare at that time.
See also
References
- ^ a b c d Breining, Greg (2006). Minnesota. New York: Fodor's.
- ISBN 9782763784977.
- ^ a b Lareau, Paul. "Pig's Eye Notepad". Archived from the original on 2008-03-29. Retrieved 2006-03-26.
- ^ a b c Williams, J. Fletcher (1876). A history of the city of Saint Paul, and the county of Ramsey, Minnesota. Saint Paul: The Society.
- ^ a b "Pierre Parrant (Pig's Eye) (1801-?)". National Park Service. Archived from the original on 2006-05-03. Retrieved 2011-01-30.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-9630690-0-9.
- ISBN 978-1-880654-30-9.