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Stillwater Public Library Stillwater Public Library connects members of our community with the power of knowledge, the poss Obscenities
2. Comment demeaning other people
3. Inaccuracies
5.

The Stillwater Public Library www.stillwaterlibrary.org site is operated by Stillwater Public Library employees. We reserve the right, at our sole discretion, to change, modify, add, or delete comments or posts, photos, and videos at any time. Since most social media sites provide the opportunity for allowing or disallowing comments, each proposed site posting will be approved with the explicit condition of whether it will have comments. It should be noted that the value of social media is the interactive nature of the medium, and that the general purpose of choosing to use social media should include an interactive component of the posting. A specific reason should be noted when a social medium posting does not allow comments and interactive dialogue. The Library also reserves the right to modify the interactive characteristics of a site while it is posted. Site visitors who post comments to the site will be required to sign their real names to any postings. In the instances where comments are allowed, the Library will use the following guidelines when deciding to edit/remove a post:
1. Comment that is libelous/slanderous
4. Comments not related to the specific content of the site
6. Comments on elections
7. Solicitations of commerce
8. Sexual content or links to sexual content
If comments are allowed, the staff member responsible for the page must monitor the site daily. (Staff can set up automatic e-mail notification when someone posts a comment on a page.) Stillwater Public Library has the right to reproduce any pictures or videos posted to this site in any of its publications or websites or any other media outlets. Stillwater Public Library has the right to quote any comments or suggestions left by users. The views, postings, positions, or opinions expressed on this site do not necessarily reflect those of Stillwater Public Library.

👻A Spooky Look from Stillwater’s Lumber Era:The Lumberman’s Exchange Building in 1914A cloudy day, muddy streets, a trol...
10/22/2026

👻A Spooky Look from Stillwater’s Lumber Era:
The Lumberman’s Exchange Building in 1914

A cloudy day, muddy streets, a trolley on Water Street, and a horse and buggy on Chestnut Street set the mood for our story about this building. This 1914 photograph captures a moment in Stillwater’s past, with the Lumberman’s Exchange Building in the foreground and the Union Depot just to the north.

Built around 1890, the Lumberman’s Exchange Building served the businesses connected to Stillwater’s booming lumber industry. Also known as the Minnesota Mercantile Company building, it stands at the corner of Water and Chestnut streets and is now home to the Water Street Inn.

The building also has a history of reports of paranormal activity that have made it part of Stillwater’s haunted lore. However, the Water Street Inn doesn’t mention them, and, to our knowledge, those claims have not been independently verified through any matching records or studies.

The Union Depot, visible on the left side of the photograph, opened in 1887 and was removed in 1960. The trolley and horse-drawn vehicle offer a glimpse of how people traveled through downtown more than a century ago.

Want a closer look at Stillwater’s history? This photograph is part of the John Runk Historical Photograph Collection, available in the St. Croix Collection Room at Stillwater Public Library whenever the library is open. You can also explore it through the Minnesota Historical Society’s Collections Online.

Mainstreet Stillwater MN Discover Stillwater Minnesota Historical Society Water Street Inn Minnesota Streetcar Museum (MSM)

📚 Some books are just too good to not talk about!For National Reading Group Month, we want to know: What book would you ...
10/21/2026

📚 Some books are just too good to not talk about!

For National Reading Group Month, we want to know: What book would you love to talk about with other readers?

Maybe the ending surprised you, the characters made you think, or the story left you with questions. Share your pick in the comments and tell us what makes it worth discussing. You might even find your next read in someone else’s recommendation!

Mainstreet Stillwater MN Mainstreet Stillwater MN Discover Stillwater

10/19/2026

🎃Let’s Get Spooky👻

It’s spooky month!

Karen at Stillwater Public Library has a monstrously fun book display ready for you. Stop by the library, browse the Let’s Get Spooky display, and pick out something that gives you chills, thrills, or a good Halloween scare.

📚Just be careful when you turn the page. You never know what might be lurking there! 💀

Mainstreet Stillwater MN Discover Stillwater

“It was a beautiful, bright autumn day, with air like c***r and a sky so blue you could drown in it.”― Diana Gabaldon, O...
10/18/2026

“It was a beautiful, bright autumn day, with air like c***r and a sky so blue you could drown in it.”
― Diana Gabaldon, Outlander

10/16/2026

🕵️Your Move Nicolas Cage! 📜

Nicolas Cage has been spotted in Stillwater! Naturally, our librarians have a plan.

The mission? Protect the Declaration of Independence. 🇺🇸

Our copies live in the nonfiction collection at 973.313, but we’ve moved at least one to a secure location. The St. Croix Collection Room houses local historical resources for Stillwater, Washington County, and the St. Croix Valley. It’s also where we’re keeping a close eye on a copy of this very important document. Just in case.

Nicolas, if you’re looking for a heist, you’ll have to get past our librarians first. 😉

Your move, Nick!

(Also, we'd love to show you around the library, especially the historical treasures in the St. Croix Collection Room. Stop in!)

Mainstreet Stillwater MN Discover Stillwater Leo's Grill & Malt Shop Meister's Bar & Grill - Stillwater

⛏️Stillwater Limestone Quarry Circa 1890Stillwater’s limestone has been used here for generations. Look at the curbs, re...
10/15/2026

⛏️Stillwater Limestone Quarry Circa 1890

Stillwater’s limestone has been used here for generations. Look at the curbs, retaining walls, foundations, and historic buildings around town, and you’ll see how widely local stone was used.

But where did all that limestone come from?

In Stillwater’s earliest years, limestone was shipped in from elsewhere. The town’s first quarry opened on the South Hill in the late 1850s. By the 1880s, the Carli family opened another quarry on the North Hill, which occupied most of the east side of N. Broadway from E. Elm Street to St. Croix Ave. E.

Christopher Carli was the son of Paul and Lydia Ann Carli. Lydia, the half-sister of Joseph R. Brown, namesake of Brown’s Creek, is believed to be the first woman of European heritage to settle in the area. Christopher Carli, Jr took over management of the quarry in 1886

This photograph, taken around 1890, shows the Stillwater Quarry during an era when local stone helped shape the city. In 1890, the Carli (Stillwater) Quarry employed approximately 25 to 30 men. Its limestone was used for street curbs and buildings, including the west wall of the prison.

The stone is still part of Stillwater’s streetscape today. Limestone was also used to build Stillwater Public Library’s Carnegie building in 1902. In one of the back rooms on the mezzanine level, staff can see a limestone wall from the building’s former basement level.

Want to see more of Stillwater’s past? This photograph is part of the John Runk Historical Photograph Collection, available to view in the library’s St. Croix Collection Room whenever the library is open.

Mainstreet Stillwater MN Discover Stillwater Carolyn Blocher

🧡 Let's talk about orange books!What's a book with an orange cover or the word orange in the title? Share your pick in t...
10/14/2026

🧡 Let's talk about orange books!

What's a book with an orange cover or the word orange in the title? Share your pick in the comments. We'd love to see what comes to mind!

Mainstreet Stillwater MN Stillwater

10/13/2026

🍂October is Family History Month

The Family History Month book display at Stillwater Public Library has something for both family historians and anyone who enjoys reading about the lives of people and families from the past.

If you’re ready to dig into your own family history, Stillwater Public Library has several resources to help.

Ancestry Library Edition is available for free from computers in the library. It includes U.S. Census records, passenger and immigration lists, genealogical indexes, and more.

Need some help getting started? You can register for a one-on-one genealogy research appointment with a genealogist. Appointments are available monthly on the first Tuesday evening from 6 to 7 p.m. and the third Tuesday afternoon from 1 to 2 p.m.

The library also offers genealogy classes. The next class, U.S. Military Genealogy from the Revolutionary War to the Civil War, 1775-1865, is coming up in November.

Stop by the display, check the library’s website for information about genealogy resources and programs, or ask a librarian for help getting started.

Mainstreet Stillwater MN Discover Stillwater National Genealogical Society

📢 Special Hours on Monday, October 12 📚Stillwater Public Library will be closed until 2 PM on Monday, October 13, for st...
10/12/2026

📢 Special Hours on Monday, October 12 📚

Stillwater Public Library will be closed until 2 PM on Monday, October 13, for staff training.

We will be open from 2–8 PM.

📱You can still access digital resources, including eBooks, eAudiobooks, eMagazines, and most research databases. Find the link to our website in our bio.

📽Plus, Kanopy allows you to stream movies from classics to romance to children's to sentimental to scary! All you need is a library card.

🛜The free Wi-Fi reaches around our building and grounds. You can park in the lot off of 4th Street and use your devices.

We can't wait to see you when we open the building at 2 PM.

Mainstreet Stillwater MN Discover Stillwater

Address

224 3RD Street N
Stillwater, MN
55082

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 8pm
Tuesday 10am - 8pm
Wednesday 10am - 8pm
Thursday 10am - 8pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm
Sunday 1pm - 5pm

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