e Mississippi River was the main transportation route for many centuries. American Indians paddled canoes along the river and its tributaries. Europeans later navigated the rivers with keel and steamboats. St. Anthony Falls and its rapids created a barrier to navigation, requiring travelers to portage around them or to dock their steamboats at safer ports downstream in Saint Paul. As European settlement spread, animal-drawn transportation became more important. Oxcarts from the Red River rumbled down Main Street on their way to Saint Paul, horse-drawn stages carried passengers from town to town, and even dogsleds delivered mail in the winter. It was the arrival of the railroad in 1862 that most dramatically shaped the riverfront. Trains delivered wheat to flour mills, shipped out finished products like flour and lumber, moved passengers and mail, and created a warehousing center for the Upper Midwest. Rails also carried streetcars throughout the Twin Cities using power from St. Anthony Falls. For more information visit www.stanthonyfalls.org. For more events, check out the web sites shown, or call the Minneapolis Riverfront District Hotline at (612) 673-5123. Watch for another special railroad-themed event being planned for November! 2009 Event Calendar is is a sample of the many wonderful things to do in 2009 in the Minneapolis Riverfront District. For more options, call the Minneapolis Riverfront District Hotline at 612-673-5123. Segway Magical History Tour: Past, Present and Future – e Lost Trolleys and Railways of Minneapolis Mondays, June 8, July 6 and August 3 4:30 – 7:30 p.m. (arrive at 4 p.m.) 125 Main Street SE 952-888-9200 www.humanonastick.com Glide along the riverfront on a Segway and experience today’s cutting edge transportation as you learn about transportation past. Join guest guide Aaron Isaacs on this special tour of sites associated with the riverfront’s streetcar and railroad history (fee). Music and Movies at Hennepin Bluffs Wednesdays, June 10, July 9, August 12 music starts at 7pm; movie begins at sunset Father Hennepin Bluffs Park, Main Street SE at Fifth Avenue SE 612-230-6400 www.minneapolisparks.org (search “concerts”) Come listen to local artists performing music inspired by America’s roots and then enjoy classic movies featuring “rapids” with “Showboat!,” “reins” with “e Princess Bride” and “rails” with “Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid.” Free. MCBA Family Day – Rapids, Reins and Rails Pop-up Book Saturday, June 20, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Minnesota Center for Book Arts at Open Book, 1011 Washington Ave. S. 612-215-2520 www.mnbookarts.org Steamboats, canoes, horse-drawn carriages and locomotives – step back in time and create a pop-up book about early transportation. When you’ve finished your book, walk to the Mill Ruins Park and Stone Arch Bridge to see how the past has been preserved and how people used to travel from place to place. Free and open to the public. Rapids and Reins – Early Transportation on the Riverfront Saturday, June 20, and Sunday, June 21, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Boom and Nicollet Islands Wilderness Inquiry: 612-676-9400 www.wildernessinquiry.org Stone Arch Festival of Arts: www.stonearchfestival.com Hitching Company: 612-338-7777 www.thehitchingcompany.com Minneapolis Queen: 952-474-8058 www.minneapolisqueen.com Before, during or aſter enjoying the wonderful art, classic cars and entertainment at the Stone Arch Festival of Arts (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.), experience animal-drawn transportation on a wagon or carriage ride from the Merriam Street Bridge on Nicollet Island to Boom Island (fee). At Boom Island, people of all ages and abilities are invited to join national park rangers and Wilderness Inquiry guides to paddle on the Mississippi River in voyageur size canoes (free). Learn how American Indian people, fur traders and others used canoes here and the special challenges presented by the rapids and waterfall. e Minneapolis Queen excursion boat also will be providing special theme tours on both days (fee). Oxcart Clothesline Art Fair Saturday, June 20, 1 – 4 p.m. (rain day: Sunday, June 21) Ard Godfrey House, Chute Square, University and Central avenues 612-813-5300 www.ardgodfreyhouse.org See a real oxcart and learn more about the role it played in early riverfront transportation and commerce. Admire kids’ artwork inspired by oxcarts, oxen, the Godfrey House and St. Anthony Falls. Explore the Ard Godfrey House, the oldest house in Minneapolis, and discover the role the Godfrey family played in the city’s history. Free (but donations are welcome). Railroad History Walking Tour July 12, August 1, August 29, September 13; Saturdays at 11 a.m., Sundays at 1 p.m. Mill City Museum, 704 Second St. S. 612-341-7555 www.millcitymuseum.org Discover the history and impact of railroads on Minneapolis on this guided tour of the Minneapolis Riverfront District. Visit railroad landmarks such as the Stone Arch Bridge, Milwaukee Road Depot, the Minneapolis Eastern Railway engine house and trestle, and find clues to the vanishing railroad landscape. e tour will begin and end at Mill City Museum, where participants can visit the museum’s gallery, included in the price of the tour. On August 29 make a morning of it with a 10 a.m. demonstration of railroad recipes at the Mill City Farmer’s Market. Fee. Mississippi River Challenge Saturday and Sunday, July 25 and 26 www.mississippiriverchallenge.org e Mississippi River Challenge is a one- or two-day canoe or kayak event on the amazing Twin Cities stretch of the Mississippi River. is unique paddle was begun in 2004 by Friends of the Mississippi River to foster appreciation of the Mississippi River in the Twin Cities region and raise funds to protect it. Get out on the water of today’s river, including locking through the barrier once created by St. Anthony Falls. Mill City Farmers Market Cooking Demo – Recipes of the Rails Saturday, August 29, 10 a.m. Market open 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. Mill City Farmers Market, Chicago Avenue between Second Street and West River Parkway 612-341-7580 www.millcityfarmersmarket.org In the historic Mill City Museum rail corridor, you’ll learn about the foods railroads brought to Minnesota, the ones they took from our farms to cities across the country and the meals passengers ate on the trains. Free. Reservations not needed. To complete your railroad experience, reserve a spot for the Mill City Museum Railroad History Tour at 11:00. 25th Annual Minnesota Preservation Awards Wednesday, September 16, 6:30 – 10 p.m. The Depot, 225 Third Ave. S. 651-293-9047 x101 www.mnpreservation.org Join the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota in celebrating the 2009 Minnesota Preservation Awards, a ceremony recognizing the state’s premier historic preservation success stories. is year marks the 25 th anniversary of the Awards and is being hosted at the 2002 award-winning Milwaukee Road Depot. A retrospective of past award winners will showcase successful reuses such as historic train depots, bridges, and even a carriage house or two. Tickets will be available for purchase in August online at www.mnpreservation.org or by calling 651-293-9047 x101 Family Day: Railroads Saturday, November 21, 1 – 4 pm Mill City Museum, 704 Second St. S. 612-341-7555 www.millcitymuseum.org Enjoy an aſternoon of family activities all about trains, railroads and their importance to Minneapolis. Program is included with museum admission. Wildness Inquiry R apids, Reins R ails & Riverfront walking tour map inside! Early Transportation on the Minneapolis Riverfront C ome to the Minneapolis riverfront to learn how transportation shaped the city’s history. Rapids, Reins Rails & Endless reasons to visit the Minneapolis Riverfront District History Track the founding and growth of A Minneapolis and its glory days as the flour milling capital of the world while visiting the Mill City Museum, Mill Ruins Park, Milwaukee Depot, First Bridge Park, Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam visitor center, Federal Reserve Bank Plaza, Whitney Plaza and Water Power Park. Explore the beautiful St. Anthony Falls Heritage Trail on a A self-guided walking tour. Visit the restored Ard Godfrey house, the oldest house A in Minneapolis. Experience the power of St. Anthony Falls from the A magnificent Stone Arch Bridge. Parks and recreation Walk, bike or blade miles of trails. A Find out why this special area is a national park and earn A your Junior Ranger badge. Take in the sights on the Minneapolis Queen excursion A boat or a romantic horse-drawn carriage ride. Explore the district on a Segway tour. A Ice skate at the historic Depot Ice Rink. A Relax and admire scenic views of the river, the downtown A skyline and the historic district from the riverfront parks. Celebrate with one of the many festivals, events or A fireworks displays. Culture and entertainment Take in performances at the Tony Award-winning A Guthrie eater. Revel in the literary arts at the Open Book. A See cuing-edge art at the Soap Factory. A Enjoy a movie, live music or some comedy. A F ood and shopping Savor the cuisine at an outstanding restaurant. A Sip a cocktail on an outdoor patio. A Explore the fascinating shops in Northeast, the North A Loop and Mills District. Information For things to do in the Minneapolis Riverfront A District, visit www.minneapolisriverfrontdistrict.com. Information hotline: A (612) 673-5123 The Depot Minneapolis Renaissance Hotel Humanonastick.com Minnesota Historical Society Portaging around Saint Anthony Falls,1835 by George Catlin General Mills Archives Mill District, about 1930
Transcript
The Mississippi River was the main transportation route for many centuries. American Indians paddled canoes along the river and its tributaries. Europeans later navigated the rivers with keel and steamboats. St. Anthony Falls and its rapids created a barrier to navigation, requiring travelers to portage around them or to dock their steamboats at safer ports downstream in Saint Paul.
As European settlement spread, animal-drawn transportation became more important. Oxcarts from the Red River rumbled down Main Street on their way to Saint Paul, horse-drawn stages carried passengers from town to town, and even dogsleds delivered mail
in the winter.
It was the arrival of the railroad in 1862 that most dramatically shaped the riverfront. Trains delivered wheat to flour mills, shipped out finished products like flour and lumber, moved
passengers and mail, and created a warehousing center for the Upper Midwest. Rails also carried streetcars throughout the Twin Cities using power from St. Anthony Falls.
For more information visit www.stanthonyfalls.org.
For more events, check out the web sites shown, or call the Minneapolis Riverfront District Hotline
at (612) 673-5123.
Watch for another special railroad-themed event being planned for November!
2009 Event Calendar
This is a sample of the many wonderful things to do in 2009 in the Minneapolis Riverfront District. For more options, call the Minneapolis Riverfront District Hotline at 612-673-5123.
Segway Magical History Tour: Past, Present and Future – The Lost Trolleys and Railways of Minneapolis
Mondays, June 8, July 6 and August 3 4:30 – 7:30 p.m. (arrive at 4 p.m.)125 Main Street SE 952-888-9200 www.humanonastick.comGlide along the riverfront on a Segway and experience today’s cutting edge transportation as you learn about transportation past. Join guest guide Aaron Isaacs on this special tour of sites associated with the riverfront’s streetcar and railroad history (fee).
Music and Movies at Hennepin BluffsWednesdays, June 10, July 9, August 12 music starts at 7pm; movie begins at sunsetFather Hennepin Bluffs Park, Main Street SE at Fifth Avenue SE 612-230-6400 www.minneapolisparks.org (search “concerts”)
Come listen to local artists performing music inspired by America’s roots and then enjoy classic movies featuring “rapids” with “Showboat!,” “reins” with “The Princess Bride” and “rails” with “Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid.” Free.
MCBA Family Day – Rapids, Reins and Rails Pop-up Book
Saturday, June 20, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.Minnesota Center for Book Arts at Open Book, 1011 Washington Ave. S.612-215-2520 www.mnbookarts.org
Steamboats, canoes, horse-drawn carriages and locomotives – step back in time and create a pop-up book about early transportation. When you’ve finished your book, walk to the Mill Ruins Park and Stone Arch Bridge to see how the past has been preserved and how people used to travel from place to place. Free and open to the public.
Rapids and Reins – Early Transportation on the Riverfront
Saturday, June 20, and Sunday, June 21, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.Boom and Nicollet IslandsWilderness Inquiry: 612-676-9400 www.wildernessinquiry.orgStone Arch Festival of Arts: www.stonearchfestival.comHitching Company: 612-338-7777 www.thehitchingcompany.com Minneapolis Queen: 952-474-8058 www.minneapolisqueen.com
Before, during or after enjoying the wonderful art, classic cars and entertainment at the Stone Arch Festival of Arts (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.), experience animal-drawn transportation on a wagon or carriage ride from the Merriam Street Bridge on Nicollet Island to Boom Island (fee). At Boom Island, people of all ages and abilities are invited to join national park rangers and Wilderness Inquiry guides to paddle on the Mississippi River in voyageur size canoes (free). Learn how American Indian people, fur traders and others used canoes here and the special challenges presented by the rapids and waterfall. The Minneapolis Queen excursion boat also will be providing special theme tours on both days (fee).
Oxcart Clothesline Art FairSaturday, June 20, 1 – 4 p.m. (rain day: Sunday, June 21)Ard Godfrey House, Chute Square, University and Central avenues612-813-5300 www.ardgodfreyhouse.org
See a real oxcart and learn more about the role it played in early riverfront transportation and commerce. Admire kids’ artwork inspired by oxcarts, oxen, the Godfrey House and St. Anthony Falls. Explore the Ard Godfrey House, the oldest house in Minneapolis, and discover the role the Godfrey family played in the city’s history. Free (but donations are welcome).
Railroad History Walking TourJuly 12, August 1, August 29, September 13; Saturdays at 11 a.m., Sundays at 1 p.m.Mill City Museum, 704 Second St. S.612-341-7555 www.millcitymuseum.org
Discover the history and impact of railroads on Minneapolis on this guided tour of the Minneapolis Riverfront District. Visit railroad landmarks such as the Stone Arch Bridge, Milwaukee Road Depot, the Minneapolis Eastern Railway engine house and trestle, and find clues to the vanishing railroad landscape. The tour will begin and end at Mill City Museum, where participants can visit the museum’s gallery, included in the price of the tour. On August 29 make a morning of it with a 10 a.m. demonstration of railroad recipes at the Mill City Farmer’s Market. Fee.
Mississippi River ChallengeSaturday and Sunday, July 25 and 26www.mississippiriverchallenge.org
The Mississippi River Challenge is a one- or two-day canoe or kayak event on the amazing Twin Cities stretch of the Mississippi River. This unique paddle was begun in 2004 by Friends of the Mississippi River to foster appreciation of the Mississippi River in the Twin Cities region and raise funds to protect it. Get out on the water of today’s river, including locking through the barrier once created by St. Anthony Falls.
Mill City Farmers Market Cooking Demo – Recipes of the Rails
Saturday, August 29, 10 a.m. Market open 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.Mill City Farmers Market, Chicago Avenue between Second Street and West River Parkway612-341-7580 www.millcityfarmersmarket.org
In the historic Mill City Museum rail corridor, you’ll learn about the foods railroads brought to Minnesota, the ones they took from our farms to cities across the country and the meals passengers ate on the trains. Free. Reservations not needed. To complete your railroad experience, reserve a spot for the Mill City Museum Railroad History Tour at 11:00.
25th Annual Minnesota Preservation AwardsWednesday, September 16, 6:30 – 10 p.m.The Depot, 225 Third Ave. S.651-293-9047 x101 www.mnpreservation.orgJoin the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota in celebrating the 2009 Minnesota Preservation Awards, a ceremony recognizing the state’s premier historic preservation success stories. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Awards and is being hosted at the 2002 award-winning
Milwaukee Road Depot. A retrospective of past award winners will showcase successful reuses such as historic train depots, bridges, and even a carriage house or two. Tickets will be available for purchase in August online at www.mnpreservation.org or by calling 651-293-9047 x101
Family Day: RailroadsSaturday, November 21, 1 – 4 pmMill City Museum, 704 Second St. S.612-341-7555 www.millcitymuseum.org
Enjoy an afternoon of family activities all about trains, railroads and their importance to Minneapolis. Program is included with museum admission.
Wildness Inquiry
Rapids, Reins Rails
&
Riverfront walking tour map inside!
Early Transportation on the Minneapolis Riverfront
Come to the Minneapolis riverfront to learn how transportation shaped the city’s history.
Rapids, Reins Rails&
Endless reasons to visit the Minneapolis Riverfront District
History Track the founding and growth of A
Minneapolis and its glory days as the flour milling capital of the world while visiting the Mill City
Museum, Mill Ruins Park, Milwaukee Depot, First Bridge Park, Upper St. Anthony Falls
Lock and Dam visitor center, Federal Reserve Bank Plaza, Whitney Plaza and Water Power Park.
Explore the beautiful St. Anthony Falls Heritage Trail on a Aself-guided walking tour.Visit the restored Ard Godfrey house, the oldest house Ain Minneapolis.Experience the power of St. Anthony Falls from the Amagnificent Stone Arch Bridge.
Parks and recreationWalk, bike or blade miles of trails. AFind out why this special area is a national park and earn Ayour Junior Ranger badge.Take in the sights on the Minneapolis Queen excursion Aboat or a romantic horse-drawn carriage ride.Explore the district on a Segway tour. AIce skate at the historic Depot Ice Rink. ARelax and admire scenic views of the river, the downtown Askyline and the historic district from the riverfront parks.Celebrate with one of the many festivals, events or Afireworks displays.
Culture and entertainmentTake in performances at the Tony Award-winning AGuthrie Theater. Revel in the literary arts at the Open Book. ASee cutting-edge art at the Soap Factory. A
Enjoy a movie, live music or some comedy. A
Food and shoppingSavor the cuisine at an outstanding restaurant. ASip a cocktail on an outdoor patio. AExplore the fascinating shops in Northeast, the North ALoop and Mills District.
InformationFor things to do in the Minneapolis Riverfront ADistrict, visit www.minneapolisriverfrontdistrict.com.Information hotline: A (612) 673-5123
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Portaging around Saint Anthony Falls,1835 by George Catlin
The West Side Depot that is now part of the RiverWalk Apartments.
The first permanent span across the Mississippi River opened in Minneapolis in 1855 at what is now 3 Hennepin Avenue. Hennepin follows the basic route of a trail used by American Indians and early settlers to reach the Lake Calhoun area. Today you can visit First Bridge Park (under the current Hennepin Avenue Bridge) to see the foundations of the first two suspension bridges at this location and learn more about these crossings that made Minneapolis a gateway to the west. The area on the downtown end of the bridge became known as Bridge Square and was the lo-cation for the 4 Union Depot on the
The dramatic 8 Mill City Museum was built within the fire-damaged walls of the 1880 Washburn Crosby “A” Mill, the birthplace of General Mills and one of two National Historic Landmarks on the Riverfront. The museum offers year-round adventures, including perfor-mances by costumed History Players. An 1879 boxcar sits on railroad tracks that came right into the mill. Follow the tracks to the plaza area between the museum and Guthrie Theater, where 9 interpretive bollards tell the
story of the area’s rail history.
Nicollet Island and the RiverNicollet Island has long been a favorite place to cross the river, first by fording and later with a 1 ferry service in the 1840s and 50s. Today it is a charm-ing neighborhood of historic homes and industrial buildings that have been preserved for new uses. During its industrial hey-day, multiple rail lines served the riverfront in a complex network. Today, redevelopment efforts have reduced those lines to one main line that crosses Nicollet Island and a 2 19th century bridge built at
the same location as the first railroad bridge across the river in Minneapolis.
The magnificent 3 Stone Arch Bridge was considered an engineer-ing achievement when completed as a railroad bridge in 1883. It was
The East SideA trail on the east side of Nicollet Island follows a former rail bed and railroad bridge to 1 Boom Island, once site of a ferry crossing and a landing for steamboats bound to Sauk Rapids. The island was later covered with a rail yard and roundhouse. Today, the Island offers a public boat launch and the landing for the Minneapolis Queen and Paradise Lady excursion boats.
A commercial area for the early com-munity, the Northeast and Southeast areas once again bustle with shops, restaurants and galleries. The historic Ard Godfrey House is the oldest frame house remaining in the city and is open for tours on summer weekends. Look for the piano that was carefully shipped from the east via steamboat and horse cart and hear stories of how oxcarts squeaking past the house made the family miserable. Our Lady of Lourdes Church, built in 1857, is the oldest continuously operating church in Min-neapolis.
The former 2 Brown Ryan Livery Stable is a tangible reminder
of the role of horses in early transporta-tion and is now part of the Riverplace complex after being relocated in the 1980s to save it. Re-live a bit of that history today with a Hitching Company carriage ride, available from the Nicollet Island Inn or St. Anthony Main.
trestle that carried a rail line to serve the river side of these mills.
At the corner of Washington and Chicago and look diagonally across Washington, you can still see the remaining stone abutments of the 11 Washington Avenue Viaduct that carried the Milwaukee Road trains across Washing-ton to the southeast, following a diagonal route that started as a trail from the falls to Fort Snelling. Today, the Hiawatha LRT line follows much of that same route.
The renowned Guthrie Theater’s archi-tecturally stunning three-theater complex (including the views from its “endless bridge”) is open to both ticket-holders and the general public. The Open Book is the first facility in the nation devoted to the literary arts and offers classes and special events at the Loft Literary Center and Minnesota Center for Book Arts.
The Mill District is a growing neighbor-hood with delights for visitors. The renovated historic 6 Milwaukee
renovated in 1994 to serve bicyclists and pedestrians.
The waterfall now known as St. Anthony Falls held spiritual power for American Indians who have lived in this area for millennia and used the river for transpor-tation, portaging around the barrier cre-ated by the falls. It was the waterpower potential of those falls that attracted white settlers in the mid-19th century. Learn how falling water was harnessed for industry at Water Power Park, where you can get a close-up view of the falls and the headrace to the last operating 4 hydroelectric plant at the falls,
built in 1908 to power streetcars and now operated by Xcel Energy.
The power of St. Anthony Falls first was harnessed for sawmilling, and for many years the combined east and west bank milling operations made Minneapolis the lumber milling capital of the nation. Flour mills later replaced the saw mills and made Minneapolis the flour milling capital of the world from 1880 to 1930. The limestone Pillsbury A Mill is one of two National Historic Landmarks on the Minneapolis riverfront, recognized for its significance as the birthplace of the Pills-bury Company. You can still see evidence of the 4 rail line through the middle of the complex that served the mill and its elevators. The nearby Soap Factory, an art gallery specializing in cutting-edge visual arts, is housed in the historic National Purity Soap Factory building.
Father Hennepin Bluffs Park was once a 5 portaging route for American Indians, explorers and fur traders. The park’s band shell features summer music and movies.
The brick structure that now houses the University of Minnesota’s 6 Southeast Steam Plant was originally built to generate power for the Twin Cities streetcar system.
For more information . . .
The history of the St. Anthony Falls area, visit www.stanthonyfalls.org
The Stone Arch Bridge and other fascinating bridges across the Mississippi,
www.mrdbridges.comThe Depot’s Ghost Story statues,
www.thedepotminneapolis.com/ ghosts/ghosts
Rail yards in the warehouse district, 1921
downriver side and later the 5 Great Northern Depot on the current the Federal Reserve Bank site. In the bank’s plaza, five bronze models illustrate how the Bridge Square area has evolved from pre-settlement days to today.
Great Northern Depot, 1914
Passengers wait for the Milwaukee Road, 19??
Depot complex includes the 1898 depot, its train shed and part of one of the complex’s freight houses. Today the Depot block offers hotels, a water park, historical displays, a winter indoor skat-ing rink and a coffee shop. Explore the complex’s historical displays and Ghost Story statues to learn more about its fascinating history. The nearby MacPhail Center for Music offers classes and performances. Stand on Second Street near the Residence Inn and you can still see the opening under the 7 First Street Bridge where rail lines curved from Second Street to the riverbank to serve the main Post Office and the two depots at Bridge Square further upstream.
An extensive network of railroad facilities once served the downtown side of the riverfront. These included main lines for several rail companies, rail spurs that served specific buildings, depots for pas-sengers, freight and mail and a variety of support facilities including roundhouses and maintenance shops. Much of the land that has been developed with new buildings in the last two decades once was covered by extensive rail yards.
The North Loop area includes several massive 1 warehouses, evidence of Minneapolis’ role as a warehous-ing and distribution center served by the area’s rail network. Today you can explore the area’s wide variety of shops, restaurants and galleries. Look for the former 2 Omaha Line Freight
Railroad trestle and flour mills, about 1885
At 10 Mill Ruins Park, you can still see – and learn more about – some of the foundations remaining from the flour mills that once stood between the plank-covered west side waterpower canal and the river. Look for the remnants of the
Oxcarts outside of St. Anthony, 1858
In the city’s early years, 3 Main Street was part of the Red River oxcart trail that brought furs and other trade goods from northern Minnesota to Saint Paul in exchange for manufactured goods. The restaurants along Main Street in Riverplace and St. Anthony Main oc-cupy historic commercial and industrial buildings.
Upper river steamboat portaging down Main Street, on its way to the Civil War, 1863
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The Minneapolis Riverfront District is the birthplace of Minneapolis, and
transportation helped to shape its early history. You can still see evidence today of these early transportation systems. Tour the district to learn more about this special aspect of its history and enjoy all the district has to offer! The heart of the tour is the 1.8-mile St. Anthony Falls Heritage Trail, which guides you through the riverfront with markers explaining how Minneapolis was born and grew around the waterpower of St. Anthony Falls.
Did you know?Minneapolis’ first ferry was -operated by a Dakota woman in a canoe at Boom Island.Main Street has been a portage -path, an oxcart trail, a railroad and a street. The squeaky axles of oxcarts -were so loud that caravans could be heard from several miles away. Steamboat captains received -large bonuses for attempting the dangerous route between St. Paul and St. Anthony. Twin Cities’ streetcars got -much of their power from hydroelectric plants at St. Anthony Falls.The Northern Pacific’s dining -cars were known for fine cuisine, including the famous “Big Potato.”
Rapids, Reins & Rails Early Transportation on the Minneapolis Riverfront
