Pre-European
Settlement
Long before European explorers set eyes on St. Anthony Falls, Dakota
and Ojibwa nations peopled the shores of the Mississippi. The falls that
were held sacred by Indian peoples would later provide the power necessary
to turn the area into the milling capital of the world.
Through a series of conflicts, negotiations and treaties, the Dakota
and Ojibwe peoples lost their land to encroaching whites. More and
more the lives of the two cultures were intertwined through trade
and conflict.
17th and 18th Centuries
Father Louis Hennepin was one of the first Europeans to set eyes on
the area now known as Minneapolis. In 1680 he passed through the
area and recorded
the account in a book about his travels. He named St. Anthony Falls
after his Patron Saint, Anthony of Padua. The book served as a guide
to future
travelers to the area, then considered an unknown wilderness.
Throughout
the 1600s and 1700s the area was passed back and forth from French
to Spanish and finally to U.S. rule with the massive Louisiana Purchase
in 1803. Many explorers visited the area as westward travel become more
common.
19th Century
Fort Snelling was constructed in the 1820s making it easier and safer
for visitors to come to the area. Early in the century, the falls were
mainly a tourist attraction, but the same falls that inspired travelers
also interested
millers and lumbermen. When the area was opened to settlement in the
1840s, the people decided to harness the power of the falls for use
in the burgeoning
milling industry.
Over the course of 35 years, the riverfront grew from a frontier
town to a major industrial city. The Ard Godfrey House was built
in 1848 and one of the city's first churches, Our Lady of Lourdes,
was begun in 1854. By 1880, flour mills dominated the riverfront
and earned Minneapolis the title "Flour Milling Capital of the World." The
newly built Stone Arch Bridge, completed in 1883, treated passengers
to views of two of the largest flour mills
in the world and the Mississippi's only significant waterfall, St.
Anthony Falls.
National
companies like General Mills and Cargill got their start in the Riverfront,
where
they became known worldwide as flour millers.
20th Century
From 1882 to 1930, the Minneapolis Riverfront led the world in flour
production. Lumber milling also flourished until the upper Midwest’s
supply of white pine was depleted. Companies that depended on these
industries expanded their operations into other areas of commerce,
giving Minneapolis
its foundation in economic diversity.
Downtown, on the west side of the river, outpaced the former St. Anthony
side of the river as well as its neighboring state capital, St.
Paul. The Warehouse District grew, the Business District with its Lumber
and Grain Exchange buildings
flourished, and the mighty Mississippi River was finally tamed
with a lock and dam project.
As the industry evolved, the flour milling capital moved to Buffalo,
NY. Although company headquarters like Pillsbury remained, flourmills
along the Riverfront were closed down and left empty. The remnants
of the last
century’s economic boom slowly fell into disrepair. Huge mills
and beautiful century-old buildings were vacant. The warehouses
were empty
and the Stone Arch Bridge was no longer used.
Today
Interestingly, the historic buildings of the Riverfront District
have found new uses in the 21st century. Many of the same buildings
and
structures still exist. One of the greatest mills has
become the Mill City Museum,
the Stone Arch Bridge is part of the Grand Rounds Scenic Byway
and new residential neighborhoods now line the banks of the Mississippi.
The area has become a mecca for visitors and residents. Outdoor
recreation, dining, nightlife and historical activities abound.
It is the perfect
place to enjoy America’s greatest river and discover the heart
of Minneapolis.
