John H. Stevens

John Harrington Stevens (June 13, 1820 – May 28, 1900) was the first authorized colonial resident on the west bank of the Mississippi River in what would become Minneapolis, Minnesota.

He was granted permission to occupy the site, then part of the Fort Snelling military reservation, in exchange for providing ferry service to St. Anthony across the river.

The Stevens House was moved several times, finally to Minnehaha Park in south Minneapolis in 1896.

He attained the rank of colonel in the U.S. Army, and was involved in the Mexican–American War {John Stevens did not have official rank of Colonel in the U.S. Army; this was an unofficial title commonly used}.

The oldest existing house from that earlier settlement was built by Ard Godfrey in 1848, two years before Stevens' home; that house is now at the small Chute Square park in the city.