On This Date in Minnesota History: September 2

September 2, 1844 – “French Canadian voyageur, trader, and farmer Benjamin Gervais founded Little Canada [Minn.]. His gravestone says ‘the first settler of St. Paul.’"http://www.thehistorypeople.com/data/docs/timeline-part1.pdf

Original gravestone in background.
Benjamin Gervais, St. John’s Cemetery, Little Canada, Ramsey County, Minn.

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=5315164