Located close to its eastern border and the confluence of the Mississippi and Saint Croix rivers, St. Paul was a central trade center for the Minnesota and Wisconsin Territories in 1841. That fact eventually institutionalized Saint Paul as the hub of government, thus a simple first capitol building was built in 1854. As Minnesota gained statehood in 1858, some conniving politicians plotted to relocate the capitol to the more farm-centric town of Saint Peter. A building was even started, but the plot was stifled by a distressed lawmaker who hid the original capitol “move bill” from being voted upon. Legal maneuvering eventually quashed those efforts entirely and as the government expanded, so did the old capitol building.

On a late winter night in 1881, the House and Senate were finalizing bills for the legislative session when a fire broke out. Along with the elected officials, there were visitors in the chamber galleries. A total of 300 people made it out with their lives through windows and the only operable exit from the building. Although no one died, the library and other valuable documents were lost. The brick and wood framed building succumbed in total ruin.