Pierre Parrant in Minnesota
Arriving at Mendota in 1832, Parrant would begin to carve out a new life for himself while residing in a squatter's colony near Fort Snelling. His new career found him distilling his own liquor which he then sold to other squatters, the indigenous people of the area, and even to the soldiers of the fort. This new business served "Pig's Eye" ((French)) well until 1838 when the squatters were forced off the land surrounding the fort due to their strain on surrounding resources. It was at this time that the sixty-plus year old Parrant made a claim on a tract of land at the entrance of what was known as Fountain Cave. This cave was situated on the west bank of the Mississippi River just upstream from what is now Downtown Saint Paul. Then, on or around June 1, 1838 Parrant completed building a small shack that, according to a historical publication by Albert A. Jones, dated 1892, became "the first habitation, and the first business house of Saint Paul." Thus Pierre "Pig's Eye" Parrant became the first inhabitant of the future city of Saint Paul. Such an honor being given to a man with Parrant's reputation raised the ire of some historians such as J. Fletcher Williams who lamented:
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.>
Fountain Cave was an excellent location for Pierre Parrant to select for his claim as the spring inside the cave provided a steady water supply for his still. It was there, at Fountain Cave, that Saint Paul's first entrepreneur opened up a tavern that would become wildly popular with the surrounding community. Parrant's bar, known as "Pig's Eye" or "Pig's Eye Pandemonium" was easily accessible to local residents, riverboat crews working on the river, and to the soldiers from nearby Fort Snelling as well. 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 listed the return address simply as "Pig's Eye." Not long after, Brown actually received correspondence back at the address he had listed. As a result of this, 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!" It is somewhat disputed whether or not Father Galtier actually said those words. However, whether he did or not, the story complements the deeds of Parrant, and contributes to the folklore of the city.
In 1844, Pierre Parrant lost his claim at Fountain Cave and was forced to vacate the land where he had become so successful. However, it is not clear exactly why he was forced to give up his claim at Fountain Cave. Some sources indicate that he was involved in a border dispute with a neighbor; while other sources say he was forced to sell his claim because of mounting debts. In either case it is clear that Pierre Parrant's golden age had come and gone.
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