The earliest inhabitants of the White Bear Lake area were the Dakota and the Ojibwe Native Americans who used it for their migratory hunting and harvesting grounds. The United States government designated the area as Dakota land in an 1825 treaty but later purchased all Dakota territory east of the Mississippi to open it for European-American settlement. Rich land, abundant game, and scenic lakes attracted the early pioneers to this area.

 

In 1858, the year Minnesota became a state, these first European-American settlers established White Bear Township, which consisted of 36 square miles of land. As word of its scenic landscape spread, the town grew into a popular resort area, attracting visitors from all along the Mississippi River. People would travel up the Mississippi by steamboat and on to White Bear Lake by train. Soon resorts and hotels lined the shores of the lake while restaurants, theaters, and stores set up shop in the downtown to accommodate visitors.