Saint John's Abbey was founded in 1856 on the west bank of the Mississippi River in St. Cloud and was permanently located in the Indianbush, now Collegeville, on the shore of Lake Sagatagan in 1866 as the first Benedictine monastery in the Upper Midwest. From the beginning its monks were educators, missionaries, pastors, and artisans. Their first ministry was among settlers and Native Americans throughout Minnesota and North Dakota during the frontier era. Subsequently, abbeys and priories were founded in Washington, Saskatchewan, Kentucky, the Bahamas, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Japan. Saint John's University, chartered by the territorial legislature of Minnesota on March 6, 1857, includes the College of Arts and Sciences, Seminary, and the Graduate School of Theology. The campus is also the site of Saint John's Preparatory School, The Liturgical Press, the Institute for Ecumenical and Cultural Research, KSJR-FM, the founding station of Minnesota Public Radio, KNSR-FM, and the Hill Monastic Manuscript Library. Several campus buildings, including the renowned Abbey Church, were designed by architect Marcel Breuer. Consistent with Benedictine tradition, Saint John's is committed to the fine arts and craftsmanship in using local materials. Much of the woodwork and furniture in residence halls, classrooms, and offices is built from lumber harvested from Saint John's woodland and crafted in the Abbey's Woodworking Shop. The teachers, learners, and skilled laborers who worship and work together there value these buildings and grounds and are committed to responsible stewardship.