Fun facts about Hockey Day host town

• White Bear Township was formed in 1858 on the same day Minnesota became a state: May 11.

• White Bear Township was named after White Bear Lake.

• Over the years, the cities of Gem Lake, North Oaks, Vadnais Heights and White Bear Lake were carved out of the township's original 36 square miles.

• The unincorporated communities of Bald Eagle and Bellaire are located in the township.

• White Bear Township is the only remaining township in Ramsey County.

• It is the smallest and most densely populated of the approximately 1,800 townships in Minnesota.

• The Historic White Bear Town Hall was designed by Minnesota architect Cass Gilbert in 1885 and was used as the meeting place for the Town Board until 2011. Gilbert would go on to design the Minnesota State Capitol as well as the capitol buildings in Arkansas and West Virginia before ending his career with the design of the U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C.

• The Historic Town Hall has been rehabilitated to serve as a site to share the history of the township and its people through exhibits, presentations and events.

• There is another township in Minnesota called White Bear Lake Township, which is in Pope County.