| Minnesota (Becker County), Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge — Old Government Road |
| | This marker locates a part of the original trail which was cut out of the forest by the U.S. Army in 1868 to facilitate travel from Leech Lake to White Earth. Soldiers accompanied the paymasters along this road in the early days to provide protection when periodic payments were made to Chippewa tribal members. All these lands were included in the White Earth Indian Reservation in 1867. In 1889 Congress passed the Rice Treaty which assigned allotments of land within the reservation to individual . . . — Map (db m8537) |
| Minnesota (Blue Earth County), Mankato — Amos Owen Garden of American Indian Horticulture |
| | Philosophy.
Amos Owen was a Dakota elder and spiritual leader who wanted to preserve and restore traditional Dakota beliefs and practices. He believed that the suppression of Indian peoples had led to many parts of the culture being almost forgotten, and that this was a loss not only to Native Americans, but also to all people. This garden honors Amos’ commitment to cultural and spiritual renewal, cross-cultural understanding and Native people’s contributions to world food systems.
. . . — Map (db m21588) |
| Minnesota (Blue Earth County), Mankato — Dakota (Sioux) Memorial – 1862 |
| | The last act of the Minnesota Dakota (Sioux) War took place here in Mankato on December 26, 1862 when thirty-eight Dakota Indians died in a mass execution on this site.
The Dakota War was a culmination of years of friction between Dakota and whites as settlement pushed into Indian hunting grounds. Government agents and missionaries hoped the Dakota could be taught to live as farmers and worship as Christians but Chief Big Eagle said many years later, “It seemed too sudden to make a . . . — Map (db m14195) |
| Minnesota (Blue Earth County), Mankato — Ho-Chunk / Winnebago |
| | Through treaty negotiations, the Ho-Chunk or Winnebago moved their homes to Blue Earth County in 1855, and by 1863 they were gone. Parts of what would become Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois had been their homeland for centuries. European explorers first contacted the Ho-Chunk near Green Bay, Wisconsin in 1614.
More than 2,000 Ho-Chunk resettled on a reservation located in present-day townships McPherson, Medo, Beauford, Decoria, Lyra, Rapidan and parts of South Bend, Mankato and LeRay. . . . — Map (db m14053) |
| Minnesota (Blue Earth County), Mankato — The First Mahkato Memorial Wacipi |
| | This memorial is to honor those Dakota who created the First Mahkato Wacipi in 1972.
The Wacipi is to remember the thirty-eight Dakota executed in Mankato in 1862 and to create a spirit of reconciliation between the people of Mankato and the Dakota people.
The following Dakota people with members of the Mankato YMCA planned the first Wacipi:
Amos & Ione Owen • Wallace & Gertrude Wells, Sr. • David Larsen, Sr. • Norman & Edith Crooks • Amos & Rosemma Crooks • Hereditary Chief . . . — Map (db m17506) |
| Minnesota (Carlton County), Kettle River — 1872 |
| | In memory
of the Finnish pioneers who arrived here in the western part of Carlton County in 1872 and thereafter, and made their homes with courage and perseverance.
Erected 1952 by Minnesota Finnish American Historical Society Chapter No. 3.
Muistoksi
Suomalaisille esiraivaajille jotka saapuivat tanne lansi osaan Carlton Kauntia vuonna 1872 ja sen jalkeen rohkeasti, sitkeydella kotinsa.
Perustivat pystyttanyt 1952 Minnesotan Suomalainen Amerikan Historiallinen Seura Osasto No. 3. — Map (db m3266) |
| Minnesota (Carlton County), Kettle River — The 1918 Fire |
| | On October 12, 1918, a massive forest fire raced through northeastern Minnesota from Sturgeon Lake to the shores of Lake Superior north of Duluth. When it was over, this region had suffered through one of Minnesota’s worst disasters.
Weather conditions on October l2, 1918, were right for the tragedy which ensued. Hot, dry weather had prevailed for several months. Railroads were determined to have started the fires as sparks from the engines ignited dry brush along the tracks. On this day, . . . — Map (db m3031) |
| Minnesota (Chisago County), Harris — Minnesota's Arrowhead Region: A Tourist Mecca |
| | "The North Country is a siren Who can resist her song of intricate and rich counterpoint?"
(Grace Lee Nute, The Voyageur's Highway, 1941)
Lured by America's premier wilderness canoe region, Lake Superior's rugged shoreline and cascading streams, and Duluth's reputation as America's great inland seaport, tourists have been coming to the northeastern Minnesota since the 1890s. In recognition of this great natural treasure, President Theodore Roosevelt established the Superior . . . — Map (db m4948) |
| Minnesota (Freeborn County), Albert Lea — Minnesota’s Roads / Welcome to Minnesota |
| | Minnesota's Roads. "A perfect highway is a thing of beauty and joy forever," enthused a speaker at Minnesota's first "Good Roads" convention in 1893. "It blesses every home by which it passes."
Early in the 1890s, even before the automobile age, bicycling Minnesotans and those interested in improved mail delivery and farm marketing were clamoring for better roads. But Minnesota's constitution, adopted with statehood in 1858, expressly prohibited the state from engaging in "works of . . . — Map (db m9911) |
| Minnesota (Goodhue County), Red Wing — Barn Bluff |
| | "The most beautiful prospect that imagination can form," wrote 18th century explorer Jonathan Carver about the view from Barn Bluff. "Verdant plains, fruitful meadows, and numerous islands abound with the most varied trees.... But above all, reaching as far as the eye can extend, is the majestic, softly flowing river.”
Composed of various Paleozoic rocks, including sandstone, siltstone, and dolomite, and capped by some 35 feet of sand, gravel, and loess deposited by glaciation, Barn . . . — Map (db m24816) |
| Minnesota (Goodhue County), Red Wing — Kiwanis Stairway |
| | Citizens of Red Wing have long sought convenient access to the summit of Mt. La Grange (Barn Bluff) to enjoy the impressive view of the Mississippi valley.
In 1889 local civic leader C.C. Webster promoted the construction of a path up the west face of the bluff. Built with volunteer labor, it became known as Webster's Way.
In 1908 members of the Civic League under the leadership of A.W. Pratt, organized a community group to rebuild the then long-neglected pathway. For several years . . . — Map (db m24890) |
| Minnesota (Goodhue County), Red Wing — Mt. La Grange – Barn Bluff |
| | This bold bluff was a landmark for French explorers who named it Mt. La Grange for its resemblance to a large barn.
Some 10,000 years ago meltwater from the glaciers carved a deep channel in this area. Barn Bluff became an island in the five-mile wide river that then filled the valley.
The rock layers are shown at the left. The nearly vertical fault line visible at the bluff's southwest edge indicates a crack which developed millions of years ago. As a result the greater part of the . . . — Map (db m24982) |
| Minnesota (Hennepin County), Bloomington — Bloomington Town Hall |
| | The Bloomington Town Hall was built twenty feet from this site in 1892 on land given to the Township by the Baillif family. The building was moved to the current location in the 1930's in the first of a number of remodelings the building has experienced.
The Town Hall served as a meeting place, church, school, and municipal building until 1964, when it became the Town Hall Museum and headquarters of the Bloomington Historical Society.
The 2008 restoration returned the exterior . . . — Map (db m15357) |
| Minnesota (Hennepin County), Bloomington — Rodney J. Putz — 1939 – 1994 |
| | In memory of
Rodney J. Putz
1939 – 1994
This living garden has been
planted in memory of
Rodney J. Putz.
Visionary, Entrepreneur,
Leader, Teacher, Mentor,
Friend, Brother, Father,
Husband, Great Human
Being, and key to the success
of
Mall of America. — Map (db m17287) |
| Minnesota (Hennepin County), Bloomington — Samuel W. and Gideon H. Pond |
| | 1834 – 1934
To honor Samuel W. and Gideon H. Pond
Volunteer missionaries to the Dakotas who arrived at Ft. Snelling May 6, 1834.
This tablet is placed on the house built in 1856 by Gideon H. Pond. Near-by is the site of the old mission house built of logs in 1843.
Placed June 1934 by Keewaydin Chapter D. A. R. — Map (db m4894) |
| Minnesota (Hennepin County), Minneapolis — Col. John H. Stevens |
| | Born June .13. 1820
Died May .28. 1900
First settler in the City of Minneapolis. — Map (db m17234) |
| Minnesota (Hennepin County), Minneapolis — Father Hennepin Bluffs |
| | This was the site from which Father Louis Hennepin, the Franciscan Priest, first viewed the Falls of St. Anthony in June of 1680. He named the falls after his patron saint St. Anthony of Padua.
The famous waterfall was responsible for the birth of Minneapolis. The cataract is the most abrupt drop in the 2,200 mile course of the Mississippi River.
This immediate ground, which commemorates St. Anthony Falls, was the former Lucy Wilder Morris Park. The original size of the area was . . . — Map (db m21030) |
| Minnesota (Hennepin County), Minneapolis — George Washington Bi-Centennial Tree |
| | Planted April 27 1932
This tablet placed
Americanization Day
April 27 1934
By Halvarson-Bowers Aux' 187
Veterans of Foreign Wars — Map (db m17227) |
| Minnesota (Hennepin County), Minneapolis — Gunnar Wennerberg — Swedish Poet, Composer, Educator and Statesman — 1817 – 1901 |
| | [In Swedish and English, English version follows]:
Oh God, who rulest fate of nations,
Almighty thou in every land;
Who holdest life and death’s privations.
Within the hollow of thy hand,
Whatever punishment thou wieldest
For Svea’s sin of yore ‘gainst thee,
Endure she will, if thou but shieldest
Her immemorial liberty.
Statue presented to the City of Minneapolis
June 24, 1915 by
Wennerberg Memorial Association. — Map (db m17235) |
| Minnesota (Hennepin County), Minneapolis — Historic Milling District |
| | This aerial view shows the gatehouse, water power canal and adjacent mills as they appeared in 1945. They, together with similar structures on the east bank, made Minneapolis the milling capital of the nation from 1880-1930. Changes in marketing and technology led to its decline.
In the near future, the parkway and related park facilities will be developed in this area. The gatehouse will be uncovered, the canal reopened, and the mill ruins developed as an historic interpretive park. Plans . . . — Map (db m27169) |
| Minnesota (Hennepin County), Minneapolis — John Harrington Stevens House |
| | Built in 1850, this was the first house on the west bank of the Mississippi, located at Saint Anthony Falls near the present-day Minneapolis Post Office.
John H. Stevens received permission to occupy the site, a part of the Fort Snelling military reservation in exchange for providing ferry service at Saint Anthony Falls. Steven's house and claim were originally known as the "ferry farm."
In the years 1850 – 1855, this house became the civic and social hub of the west bank . . . — Map (db m17264) |
| Minnesota (Hennepin County), Minneapolis — Minnehaha Depot |
| | Milwaukee Road station agents affectionately referred to the quaint little Minnehaha Depot as "the Princess." Its delicate gingerbread architecture is reminiscent of the Victorian era when ladies in bustles and gentlemen in high collars traveled largely by train.
The first track connecting Minneapolis with Mendota was laid in 1865 by the Minnesota Central Railway, the predecessor of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway. The Princess was built in the mid-1870s to replace a smaller . . . — Map (db m17233) |
| Minnesota (Hennepin County), Minneapolis — Pettingill's Wonderful Water — Saint Anthony Falls Heritage Trail |
| | A natural spring flows from the rock at the base of Hennepin Bluff below this spot. According to tradition the iron-red mud at the spring provided pigment for Native Americans. White settlers of the 1850s believed the water had medicinal qualities. In 1875 the enterprising M.P.Pettingill capitalized on the popularity of the falls as a tourist mecca and health resort by building a spa and selling the water. The business was abandoned in the early 1880s when the source of the spring was traced to a dirty swamp some distance away. — Map (db m21033) |
| Minnesota (Hennepin County), Minneapolis — Portaging Around the Falls — Saint Anthony Falls Heritage Trail |
| | For untold generations of Indian people the Mississippi River was an important canoe route. To pass around the falls, the Dakota (Sioux) and Ojibway (Chippewa) used a well-established portage trail. Starting at a landing below the site now occupied by the steam plant, the trail climbed the bluff to this spot. From here it followed the east bank along what is now Main Street to a point well above the falls. — Map (db m21032) |
| Minnesota (Hennepin County), Minneapolis — Stone Arch Bridge |
| | "This viaduct...is the only one of its kind that spans the Father of Waters, and is one of the largest and most noteworthy in the United States.
Firmer than the earth which supports it, it is constructed to stand the test of time."
—Daily Minnesota Tribune, November 23, 1883
St. Anthony Falls Historic District, National Historic Register of Historic Places, 1971
National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark, 1975
Construction 1882-1883
The Stone Arch Bridge . . . — Map (db m27042) |
| Minnesota (Hennepin County), Minneapolis — The Stone Arch Bridge — Saint Anthony Falls Heritage Trail |
| | In 1879 St. Paul railroad magnate James J. Hill opened his "Manitoba line" to the Canadian border, linking the wheat fields of the Red River Valley with the flour mills of Minneapolis. To improve railroad access at the falls he built this 2,100-foot bridge that stands as a monument to the railroad era and Hill's vision. Completed in 1883 with a sweeping curve at its west end, the bridge is a unique example of skilled masonry construction. In 1974 it was named a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. — Map (db m21031) |
| Minnesota (Hennepin County), Minneapolis — Westminster Presbyterian Church |
| | The former site of
Westminster Presbyterian Church
Dedicated March 11, 1883
Destroyed by fire
September 6, 1895. — Map (db m3687) |
| Minnesota (Hennepin County), Richfield — Colonel Josiah Snelling — 1782 – 1828 — Soldier · Pioneer · Builder |
| | An Appreciation
He served with distinction in the Indian wars of the old northwest border and in the War of 1812. In August, 1820, he assumed command of the Fifth United States Infantry at Camp Coldwater on the site of Fort Snelling. Selecting the bluffs at the junction of the rivers for the construction of Fort St. Anthony, he laid the cornerstone September 10, 1820, and built the stone fort which for years was the Nation's strongest outpost on the Western Frontier. As a compliment to him . . . — Map (db m17240) |
| Minnesota (Hennepin County), Richfield — Elizabeth R. Snelling |
| | Elizabeth R.
Snelling
The first white
child
born in Minnesota
September 1820
October 1821
Erected by the
children of
Fort Snelling, Minn.
May 30, 1926
Reinterred
1940 — Map (db m12652) |
| Minnesota (Hennepin County), Richfield — Giacomo Constantino Beltrami — 1779 – 1855 |
| | From this point, Beltrami, Italian jurist, scholar and explorer, on July 7, 1823, started his journey into the wilderness of northern Minnesota resulting in his discovery of the source of the Mississippi River August 19, 1823. Through persistence, audacity, self-denial and steadfast courage he contributed a fresh chapter to the already brilliant record of important discoveries in this new land by such gallant Italian explorers as Columbus, Amerigo Vespucci, the Cabots and others.
Presented . . . — Map (db m17239) |
| Minnesota (Hennepin County), Richfield — The Prairie |
| | A Sea of Grass
In its early days Fort Snelling was surrounded by a sea of head-high grass. The vast Minnesota prairie was broken only by small groves of trees—willows, cottonwoods, and oaks that grew near creeks, lakes, and marshes.
Early soldiers at Fort Snelling had limited success farming the prairie. Tools to break the soil and seeds adapted to the climate would not be available until the late 1840's. They did find the prairie hay to be excellent forage for livestock, . . . — Map (db m17259) |
| Minnesota (Hennepin County), Richfield — Whiskey |
| |
A Great Horse
A Stout Heart
1911 – 1943 — Map (db m17237) |
| Minnesota (Koochiching County), International Falls — Route of the Voyageurs |
| | From the late 1600s to about 1820 the chain of waterways of which Minnesota's border lakes form a segment was the thoroughfare of a vast fur trading empire. As its longest, this water route stretched from Montreal to Lake Athabasca, and over it a treasure in furs from the North American wilderness reached the markets of Europe and Asia. A mainstay of this commerce were the rollicking, indomitable men who paddled the trader's canoes and packed his goods on their backs over portages. Mainly . . . — Map (db m8363) |
| Minnesota (Mille Lacs County), Vineland — ML-KAN-006 — Izatys — Vineland Historical Marker |
| | In this vicinity stood the grand Sioux village of Izatys where Duluth planted the French arms on July 2, 1679.
The settlement was visited by Father Hennepin in 1680. About 1750 the Chippewa moving westward from Lake Superior, captured the village, and by this decisive battle drove the Sioux permanently into southern Minnesota. — Map (db m19760) |
| Minnesota (Mower County), Austin — Hormel — 1891 — 1991 — 100 Years |
| | Memorial Day · May 27, 1991
In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of Geo. A. Hormel & Company, employees and retirees join together to salute its visionary founder, George A. Hormel and his gifted son, Jay C. Hormel. Together they instilled quality, innovation and traditional values into one of America's most successful companies. Their continuing legacy forever lives on within the Austin community and in communities and nations worldwide where the Hormel name is widely recognized. — Map (db m9871) |
| Minnesota (Mower County), Austin — Oakwood Cemetery W.R.C. Memorial |
| | In memory of our
Soldiers and Sailors
1861 - 1865 — Map (db m22795) |
| Minnesota (Mower County), Austin — The Paramount Theatre |
| | The Paramount Theatre is listed on
the National Register of Historic Places.
It opened September 14th, 1929
as Austin's grand first run movie theatre.
It is owned by Austin Area Commission for the Arts, Inc. — Map (db m16839) |
| Minnesota (Mower County), Austin — William Baudler |
| |
This land and
the surrounding land
was settled by
William Baudler
on May 8, 1855 — Map (db m16874) |
| Minnesota (Pine County), Hinckley — The Great Hinckley Fire |
| | This Monument is erected by The State of Minnesota under an Act of the Legislature Approved April 7th, A. D. 1899 To the Memory of Four Hundred and Eighteen Men Women and Children who perished in the Great Hinckley Forest Fire of September First A. D. 1894
September 1st, A.D. 1894
On the First Day of September, A.D. 1894, between the Hours of Three and Five O’Clock in the afternoon a forest fire swept over Central Pine County devastating Four Hundred square miles of Country, Consuming . . . — Map (db m2802) |
| Minnesota (Pine County), Sandstone — Lumbering in Minnesota |
| | Lumbering first arrived in this area in the 1830s, logging the white and red pine stands along the St. Croix River. Sawmills were few and much of the pine lumber was floated down the St. Croix to the Mississippi River and on to other states. Logging camps, which supplied the timber, operated in the winter months with about 15 men and a few teams of oxen.
The industry grew quickly, however, and in 1840, lumbermen supplied the growing nation with 5 million board feet of lumber. Ten years . . . — Map (db m5105) |
| Minnesota (Pine County), Sandstone — Sandstone Area Veterans Memorial |
| | In honor and in memory of all men and women who served in the Armed Forces of the United States of America — Map (db m12826) |
| Minnesota (Pine County), Willow River — Christopher C. Andrews, Conservation Pioneer |
| | In the 1880's, when General Christopher C. Andrews began urging the state to consider the future of its forested lands, most Minnesotans could not believe that there might ever be a shortage of timber. But by the time of his death in 1922 the vast virgin pine forests were gone, lumber was being imported from the Pacific Northwest, and a series of devastating fires had claimed hundreds of lives and millions of acres.
Andrews served as captain, and colonel of the Third Minnesota Regiment of . . . — Map (db m5288) |
| Minnesota (Ramsey County), St. Paul — F. Scott Fitzgerald House |
| | has been designated a Registered National Historic Landmark under the provisions of the Historical Sites Act of August 21st 1935. This site possesses exceptional value in commemorating and illustrating the history of United States.
U.S. Department of the Interior
National Park Service
1971 — Map (db m7144) |
| Minnesota (Redwood County), Walnut Grove — Laura's Dugout Home on the Banks of Plum Creek |
| | The Charles Ingalls Family's dugout home was located here in the 1870's. This depression is all that remains since the roof caved in years ago. The prairie grasses and flowers here grow much as they did in Laura's time, and the spring still flows nearby. — Map (db m7049) |
| Minnesota (Rice County), Northfield — A Flour Milling Revolution |
| | In the 1870s and 1880s, important changes took place inside several small flour mills in southeastern Minnesota. Those changes laid the groundwork for a technological revolution that made Minnesota's milling industry the largest in the world.
The changes grew out of a desire by millers to improve the quality of their flour. Most Minnesota farmers raised hard spring wheat, which had a reputation for producing speckled flour. Drawing on European technology, Minnesota millers developed a . . . — Map (db m26200) |
| Minnesota (Roseau County), Warroad — Fort St. Charles |
| | Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, Sieur de La Verendrye, established Fort St. Charles on Lake of the Woods in 1732. A daring soldier, fir trader, and explorer, La Verendrye had the ambitious dream of finding the fabled "Western Sea" and sought to establish French outposts along the way. On Magnuson's Island (then connected with the mainland) he built a palisaded fort which he named in honor of Charles de Beauharnois, governor of New France.
Fort St. Charles became the western capital of the . . . — Map (db m8375) |
| Minnesota (Roseau County), Warroad — Warroad |
| | The name Warroad bespeaks the Indian heritage of this town, once one of the largest Chippewa villages on Lake of the Woods. The Chippewa fought a long and fierce war against the Sioux for the lake's rice fields. Occupying the prairies of the Red River Valley, the Sioux would frequently invade the territory by way of the Red and Roseau rivers -- a route which ended at the mouth of the Warroad River. This was the old "war road" from which the river and village derive their name. — Map (db m8420) |
| Minnesota (Saint Louis County), Duluth — Trotman Folding Stock Anchor — 1892 |
| | Conventional ship's anchor used from about 1870 to 1910, from the Whaleback steamer Thomas Wilson, sunk a half mile outside Duluth Piers. Recovered in 1973 by the U.S.C.G. Cutter Woodrush with divers Elmer Engman, Dave Anderson, Dan Goman and Paul Von Goertz.
The anchor weighs a ton and a half — Map (db m21027) |
| Minnesota (Saint Louis County), Idington — The Laurentian Divide |
| | The Laurentian Divide separates the watershed of streams that flow north to the Arctic Ocean from the watershed of streams that flow south through the Great lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. Where you are standing the divide is formed by a prominent array of hills known as the Giants Range. This ridge has been a highland for over two billion years.
The name "Laurentian" is used because the granites forming the ridge are similar to and were once thought to be related to, granites of the . . . — Map (db m21025) |
| Minnesota (Scott County), New Market — The Big Woods |
| | When the first explorers came to what became Minnesota, they found a land with three very different personalities. To the north were the great forests of white pine and other conifers that later attracted armies of lumberjacks and made Minnesota a leading producer of lumber. To the south and west was the beginning of the Great Plains, the flat, fertile prairie that was broken into successful farms. And in what is now south-central Minnesota was the dense broadleaf forest that settlers called . . . — Map (db m15380) |
| Minnesota (Scott County), Shakopee — SC-SPC-069 — Pond Mission |
| | These foundations mark the site of a two-story frame building erected by the Reverend Samuel W. Pond in 1847. It served as a Presbyterian mission to the Shakopee Sioux, and as Pond's home until his death in 1891. An eight-foot stockade enclosed the house and a half-acre garden. The building was wrecked about 1907. — Map (db m19789) |
| Minnesota (St. Louis County), Chisholm — The Emergence of Man Through Steel |
| | They toiled with purpose. These miners of ours... moving tons of iron ore for massive steel towers.
This devotion to a nation, they adopted as one, makes the heritage of the iron range foremost 'neath the sun.
The legend lives. They were the "Iron Men" who dug the mines and contributed to the building and expansion of this country, during an industrial age. They helped to provide the iron needed when freedom was threatened.
Today, as the industrial age ebbs, and the . . . — Map (db m6756) |
| Minnesota (St. Louis County), Duluth — Boat House and Pier |
| | Hesperia, the name given to the Congdon's yacht, was a family name. Registered as a yacht in Lloyd's Register of American Yachts, 1911, the Hesperia was constructed of wood with a raised deck design. The boat was powered by an internal combustion engine (gasoline) with a four stroke, six cycle operation. The yacht had an overall length of 53 feet, a water line length of 51 feet, and a breath of 12 feet. The yacht needed a 6 foot draft (water clearance). The Hesperia burned in a refueling . . . — Map (db m26552) |
| Minnesota (St. Louis County), Duluth — Canal |
| | Very early Duluth felt that future growth
would depend on having suitable harbor and
dockage. Winter storms wrecked breakwater and docks built outside Minnesota Point. St. Louis Bay offered a protected harbor, but access required a canal be dug through Minnesota Point. A contract was let. Dredging started the summer of 1870—cutting through two-thirds of the point—before being stopped by winter. Interests not favoring a canal used the delay to secure an injunction from the War . . . — Map (db m2913) |
| Minnesota (St. Louis County), Duluth — Daniel De Gresolon, Sieur Du Lhut |
| | The near-by canal marks the site of Little Portage on Minnesota Point crossed on June 27, 1679 by Daniel De Gresolon, Sieur Du Lhut, a gentleman of the Royal Guard of Louis XIV on his way to explore the Upper Mississippi. — Map (db m2876) |
| Minnesota (St. Louis County), Duluth — Dedicated to Davis Helberg |
| | In recognition of his non-tiring commitment to the maritime community and service as Duluth Seaway Port Authority executive director for 24 years, 1979-2003.
A native of and lifelong resident of Northern Minnesota, Davis began his career as a 17-year-old Great Lakes deckhand in 1958, which stimulated his love of and interest in the maritime commerce of the Duluth-Superior Harbor. Coupled with his deep and abiding enthusiasm for our Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway and his global . . . — Map (db m5584) |
| Minnesota (St. Louis County), Duluth — Duluth–Superior Harbor |
| | Duluth-Superior harbor is the westernmost terminus of the St. Lawrence Seaway and the world's most inland seaport. Harbor commerce began when Daniel Greysolon Sieur Du Luht portaged across Minnesota Point in 1679 where the Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge now stands, opening the area for fur trading. With the early French voyageurs or traders came the first explorers and missionaries. Permanent settlements of Central Duluth began after the Indians ceded their lands in 1854. The Duluth Ship Canal was . . . — Map (db m4827) |
| Minnesota (St. Louis County), Duluth — Edgar A. Culbertson — BM1 |
| | This plaque is dedicated by the people of Duluth to the memory of a fellow citizen, Coast Guard Boatswains Mate First Class, Edgar A. Culbertson, who on the night of April 30, 1967 gave his life attempting to rescue three teen-age brothers stranded on this pier during a severe storm. His great sacrifice is an enduring example of his devotion to duty and compassion for his fellow man. — Map (db m2758) |
| Minnesota (St. Louis County), Duluth — Enger Observation Tower |
| | To the memory of
Bert J. Enger
1864 – 1931
Native of Norway
Citizen of Duluth
From Common Laborer to Merchant Prince, he demonstrated in his own life that America is a land of opportunity for the immigrant, and that her civilization is enriched by his citizenship.
In his life time, by a very generous gift, he enabled the City of Duluth to acquire and develop the land adjacent to this tower as a park and golf course for the enjoyment of future generations, and . . . — Map (db m4807) |
| Minnesota (St. Louis County), Duluth — Glensheen, A Family Legacy |
| |
Campus Heritage Marker
University of Minnesota Duluth
Glensheen, A Family Legacy
Glensheen estate was built between 1905 and 1908 for attorney Chester Adgate Congdon, his wife Clara Bannister Congdon and their children. The original 22 acre-plot featured rugged terrain with a stream that cut through dense woods to an underdeveloped, yet gently sloping shoreline. The Congdons recognized the promising beauty of the Lake Superior property, and measurements for . . . — Map (db m6603) |
| Minnesota (St. Louis County), Duluth — Illumination History of the Aerial Lift Bridge |
| | The first lighting was on November 20, 1970, made possible through the contributions of Duluth school children, citizens, business people and visitors.
The present dramatic lighting, first seen on July 4, 1987, is made possible through a generous gift from the Rotary Club of Duluth, Club # 25. It symbolizes the warm welcome extended by Duluth citizens to ships and visitors from around the world.
Both projects were coordinated by the City of Duluth, which owns and operates the Bridge. — Map (db m2883) |
| Minnesota (St. Louis County), Duluth — Jay Cooke |
| | Perhaps no individual in the history of Duluth had such a dramatic influence on the port's infant development than Jay Cooke, a Philadelphia financier. Cooke's reign at the Head-of-the-Lakes was brief, but all-encompassing for commercial development.
One of Cooke's earliest achievements was bringing the Lake Superior & Mississippi Railroad from St. Paul to Duluth. The L.S. & M. had been chartered by the state in 1857, but it wasn't until after Cooke visited the area in 1866 that . . . — Map (db m6379) |
| Minnesota (St. Louis County), Duluth — Leif Erikson |
| | Leif Erikson
Discoverer of America
1000 A. D.
sponsored and erected by the
Norwegian American League
of
Duluth, Minnesota
and
Popular Subscription
presented to the City of Duluth, Minnesota
August 25, 1956.
Designed and executed by
John Karl Daniels
sculptor. — Map (db m6323) |
| Minnesota (St. Louis County), Duluth — Lewis G. Castle |
| | Honoring Lewis G. Castle
in recognition of his part as a volunteer leader in gaining the seaway and as the administer of the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation.
The seaway, completed in 1959, represented decades of dreams, planning and work by men of the region. Prominent among these men was Lewis G. Castle of Duluth.
At this point, the Minnesota watershed flows into Lake Superior and the St. Lawrence Seaway begins. The first deep draft foreign flag vessel transited the . . . — Map (db m2910) |
| Minnesota (St. Louis County), Duluth — Northwoods Sailors |
| | Department of the Navy • United States of America —
Navy Operational Support Center • Duluth, Minnesota
May all who pass this memorial recognize the brave men and women who have served in the United States Navy. This memorial stands in tribute to their honorable service that has changed the course of human events.
Serving in Duluth since 1898, their patriotism and sacrifice have preserved the freedom of the high seas and made this port what it is today. On every continent . . . — Map (db m5818) |
| Minnesota (St. Louis County), Duluth — Rice's Point |
| | Rice's Point separates Duluth-Superior's outer from it's inner harbor, and is a focal point of Duluth's industrial activity. Many of the city's bridges can be seen, among them the Aerial Lift Bridge to the left, the John A. Blatnik Bridge straight ahead, and the Richard Bong Memorial Bridge to the right. The latter two connect Duluth with Superior, Wisconsin. Since the opening of the first Soo Lock in 1855, joining Lake Superior to the other Great Lakes, Duluth-Superior has been an important . . . — Map (db m4965) |
| Minnesota (St. Louis County), Duluth — United States Merchant Marine / U.S. Navy Armed Guard |
| |
The United States Merchant Marine
In recognition of those who serve
their country in war and peace time
to those 250,000 who served in world war II
to those 670 who were taken prisoner
to those 6,700 plus who gave their lives
and
to the countless number who served
since this country’s founding
We gratefully dedicate this memorial
to the forgotten service.
American Merchant Marine Veterans
Viking Chapter
of
Minnesota
Dedicated May 22, . . . — Map (db m5433) |
| Minnesota (St. Louis County), Eveleth — A Three-Way Continental Divide |
| | A drop of rain water falling here in the Giants Range, a rare three-way continental divide, may flow either north into icy Hudson Bay, east into the Atlantic Ocean, or south into the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
From the north slope of these very old granite ridges, streams flow into the Red River of the North, through Lake Winnipeg, and into Hudson Bay in northern Canada.
Creeks and rivers on the south slope flow into the St. Louis River, enter Lake Superior at Duluth, and . . . — Map (db m3048) |
| Minnesota (St. Louis County), Eveleth — John Mariucci |
| | A tribute to John Mariucci
ATHLETE–COACH–LEADER
Who through the force of his unique personality and determination, laid the foundation for the great U. S. Olympic hockey championships. His belief in the capabilities of the American player shaped not only his goal, but also the future of all American hockey. This monument stands as a testimony to his contribution and his vision.
from The American Hockey Players — Map (db m2872) |
| Minnesota (St. Louis County), Eveleth — Paul Wellstone Memorial and Historic Site |
| | “Politics is not just about power and money games, politics is about the improvement of peoples lives, about lessening human suffering in our world and bringing about more peace and justice.”
Near this site on October 25, 2002—twelve days before Election Day—a plane carrying United States Senator Paul Wellstone crashed en route to the Eveleth airport. In addition to Wellstone, the crash took the lives of his wife Sheila Wellstone, their daughter Marcia . . . — Map (db m2891) |
| Minnesota (St. Louis County), Hibbing — 170 & 240 Ton Production Trucks |
| | The giant 170 ton production truck in front of you was donated by Hibbing Taconite in 1998. It was originally purchased in 1975 at a price of $451,900 and operated for a total of 110,000 hours or an equivalent of 12.5 continuous years. During the career of Truck 166 it hauled over 30 million tons of materials, both ore and waste.
This truck is considered an 'electric' haulage unit in that each of the four wheel hubs houses an electric drive motor. Power to drive these wheel motors is . . . — Map (db m7088) |
| Minnesota (St. Louis County), Hibbing — Birthplace of Greyhound Lines |
| | It was in Hibbing, during 1914, that the Greyhound Bus System, through its predecessor company, first began operation. — Map (db m2756) |
| Minnesota (St. Louis County), Hibbing — Business District |
| | The heart of any city is its business district. In Hibbing, this was on Pine Street and also on Third Avenue.
Many varieties of shops were available to satisfy the community's needs.
People came from the many small locations and other communities to shop in Hibbing.
Like any pioneer mining town, the men gathered in the saloons to socialize. Hibbing had 60 saloons, many of which were patronized by each ethnic nationality.
These are some scenes of the business district. — Map (db m5145) |
| Minnesota (St. Louis County), Hibbing — Carnegie Library |
| | This library was donated to Hibbing by Andrew C. Carnegie. Mr. Carnegie was a financier who made his fortune in steel.
The library was finer than many in larger cities. It had all the major books available at the time.
When the building was demolished, the paintings hanging in the library were all that were saved. They can be seen at the First Settlers Museum, the Hibbing Library and the First Bank in Hibbing. — Map (db m5184) |
| Minnesota (St. Louis County), Hibbing — Early Finnish Pioneers |
| | 1892.
Dedicated to the memory of the early Finnish pioneers who helped to build this community.
The Minnesota Finnish-American Historical Society, Chapter 14, Hibbing, Minnesota.
1957 — Map (db m3108) |
| Minnesota (St. Louis County), Hibbing — Finnish Workers Hall |
| | The Finnish people were one of the first ethnic groups to arrive in this area in the late 1890's and early 1900's.
They built this building on this site in 1909. It was used for stage plays, dances and other social events put on for the Finnish community.
It was also a place for the workers to discuss working conditions and how to improve them. They were very instrumental in organizing the first unions. — Map (db m5144) |
| Minnesota (St. Louis County), Hibbing — Frank Hibbing |
| | Frank Hibbing was a German immigrant who came to Minnesota from Wisconsin, arriving on the Mesaba Range in 1892. He had heard that iron ore was discovered in Mt. Iron in 1890.
He recognized the possibilities of iron ore further to the west.
"I believe there's iron ore under me, my bones feel rusty and chilly," said Mr. Hibbing and he proceeded to purchase land leases.
One of the first things he did was to plot out a townsite. The townsite was incorporated on August 15, 1893 and . . . — Map (db m5146) |
| Minnesota (St. Louis County), Hibbing — George R. Stuntz |
| | Born in Pennsylvania, 1820; Died in Duluth, 1902.
First permanent settler. In 1852 resided and traded on Minnesota Point. Government surveyor. Discovered iron ore before 1870 on Vermilion. Discovery of Missabe Range followed in 1890. Built Vermilion Trail. Forest ranger, ferryman, canoeist, guide, interpreter, observer, essayist and discoverer. He died poor, after having led many to riches. The Township of Stuntz, which includes Hibbing, was named in honor of him. — Map (db m2840) |
| Minnesota (St. Louis County), Hibbing — Hull-Rust Mahoning Mine Pit Overlook |
| | Immediately to the north and extending approximately 3½ miles east to west is the open pit known as the Hull-Rust Mahoning Mine, begun in 1895. In fact, over the past 100 years of mining here, more than thirty separate mining companies have operated within its perimeter, many at the same time. At one time this was known as "The Largest Open Pit Mine in the World". The mine, at its maximum depth, is 600 feet in the Scranton Pit, just below and to the west of this point.
At the . . . — Map (db m6776) |
| Minnesota (St. Louis County), Hibbing — Hull-Rust-Mahoning Mine |
| | It has been called the “Grand Canyon of the North”—a fitting title for the world’s largest open pit iron mine. The Hull-Rust-Mahoning pit actually began as separate mines, named for their owners, first dug in 1895, that gradually merged into one. Today this enormous pit measures 1.5 by 3.5 miles with a depth of 600 feet. Because of its size and the important developments that took place here, the Hull-Rust-Mahoning mine played a key role in making Minnesota the leading . . . — Map (db m2833) |
| Minnesota (St. Louis County), Hibbing — In Abiding Love |
| | In
abiding love,
gratitude,
and honor,
the people of
Hibbing
dedicate this
memorial to
the men and
women who
served
their country
in all wars.
Erected 1956 A.D. by the Veterans Memorial Fund Committee • Robert J. Jacobson chairman • Fran Befera • Robert Genac • Anthony P. Caligiuri • Theodore Landswick • George M. Fisher — Map (db m26554) |
| Minnesota (St. Louis County), Hibbing — Marion 1150 Dragline Bucket |
| | In the 1950's the Pierce, South Agnew and Morton mines utilized a Marion 1150 Dragline to strip off the glacial till from above the iron ore body. This stripping bucket was on that Hanna Mining Company dragline. Several of the mining companies took advantage of the large capacity, high productivity and low cost of these enormous machines.
The bucket displayed has a 30 cubic yard capacity (approximately 600-bushel for comparison) and was designed as a 'sludge bucket'. With the large . . . — Map (db m8009) |
| Minnesota (St. Louis County), Hibbing — Mining Haul Truck Engine Module |
| |
Power Module Assembly Replacement Cost $372,000
Application: Komatsu 830E 240 Ton Electric Drive Haul Truck
Detroit Diesel Corporation 149 Series Engine
16 Cylinder, 2400 Cu. In., 2 Cycle Diesel Engine, 2200 Hp @ 1900 RPM
Fuel Consumption at HTC, 28 Gallons per Hour
Engine Service Life 100,000 Hours +
Engine Oil Capacity, 50 Gallons
Engine Weight, 11,250 Lbs.
General Electric Main Alternator
Alternator Weight, 9,500 Lbs.
L&M Mesabi . . . — Map (db m7273) |
| Minnesota (St. Louis County), Hibbing — Moving the Town |
| | Many of the homes were not owned by the occupants. When it came time to move them, they were offered the opportunity to buy the house for $1.00.
They would then have to arrange to move them at their own expense. Many businesses were also moved.
It was quite an achievement considering the equipment available in the 1920's and 1930's. Not all the buildings survived the journey. — Map (db m5139) |
| Minnesota (St. Louis County), Hibbing — Oliver Club |
| | With the mining activities expanding and the village of Hibbing's population growing, there was a lack of entertainment for the miners, so the Oliver Iron Mining Company constructed a building which was once known as the Oliver Club.
It had a two lane bowling alley, four pool tables, card room, a library, tennis court and an area where candy, ice cream and beverages were sold.
Many miners met at the Oliver Club as it was a place to meet and socialize with other friends.
The . . . — Map (db m5185) |
| Minnesota (St. Louis County), Hibbing — Oliver Mining Co. Headquarters / Oliver Shop Laboratory |
| | Oliver Mining Co. Headquarters
This building was the heart of the Oliver operation, the largest iron ore mining operation in United States history. The Superintendent of Mines and his staff made the day-to-day mining decisions here, and they were supported by a staff that handled clerical work, payroll, record keeping, hiring and firing, and other administrative functions.
Oliver Shop Laboratory
When the ore was mined, samples were crushed into fined particles and brought to . . . — Map (db m5132) |
| Minnesota (St. Louis County), Hibbing — P & H 2300 Production Shovel Bucket |
| | The production shovel bucket here was once mounted on a P & H shovel similar to the one pictured here.
The bucket capacity is 18 cubic yards which is equivalent to nearly 400 bushel baskets of dirt or broken rock.
Made of cast alloy iron, additional 'wear parts' are welded onto the surface of the bucket to extend the operating life. This is a constant task for mine welders. Bucket teeth, which are pinned on, are replaced by the 'bullgang' crew when worn down.
Shovel buckets . . . — Map (db m7021) |
| Minnesota (St. Louis County), Hibbing — Schools |
| | Education was very important to the new immigrants. They wanted their children to have an education that they were unable to have.
From small schools in the early years to bigger and better schools such as the Lincoln High School that was on this site with its gym and swimming pool, to the Washington and Jefferson Elementary Schools two blocks to the north, the dream of a good education system for their children was fulfilled. — Map (db m5183) |
| Minnesota (St. Louis County), Hibbing — Train Depot / Street Car Bridge |
| | Train Depot
Early passenger service was by train. Hibbing's Train Depot was one block west of this spot. Many immigrants seeking work arrived here and many of these same men left from this same depot to serve their new country during World War I.
Street Car Bridge
The first mode of transportation of people from North Hibbing to south Hibbing was by street car. The abutments you see to your left and right are all that remain of the bridge that connected north and south Hibbing. . . . — Map (db m5137) |
| Minnesota (St. Louis County), Hibbing — Underground Mining in the Hibbing Area |
| | In 1895 underground mining began in the Hibbing area following the discovery of iron ore. The Burt-Poole and Sellers mines were the first to ship that summer. Mining Captains, of Cornish decent, utilized their experience from the Vermillion Iron Range in northeastern Minnesota to develop these early underground operations.
It quickly became clear that open pit mining was more suited to the flat dipping and shallow iron ores on the Mesabi Range. Most of the initial underground operations . . . — Map (db m6877) |
| Minnesota (St. Louis County), Independence — The Fires of Autumn 1918 |
| | Marker Front:
The Cloquet-Moose Lake forest fire of October 12-13, 1918, which almost reached this location, was one of the most destructive forest fires in Minnesota's recorded history. Like other major fires, this one took place on cutover land the stumps and waste that remained after the great pine forests of northeastern Minnesota were harvested for lumber.
Consisting of five or six major fires and several smaller ones, the Cloquet-Moos Lake fire started during a severe . . . — Map (db m21024) |
| Minnesota (St. Louis County), Proctor — Geology of Duluth Harbor |
| | Lake Superior is situated over the Midcontinent Rift, which is a rupture in the North American continent that formed a great rift valley from the Lake Superior region southwest to Kansas about 1.1 billion years ago. For about 20 million years as the rift valley opened, basaltic lavas erupted into it, accumulating to a thickness of up to 20 kilometers in the Lake Superior region. After the rifting and volcanic activity ended, the great thickness of dense basalt here depressed the crust into a . . . — Map (db m5113) |
| Minnesota (St. Louis County), Proctor — Minnesota’s Seaport / Welcome to Minnesota |
| | Minnesota’s Seaport. More than three billion tons of iron ore, along with millions of tons of grain, lumber, fish, and coal, have passed through the Duluth-Superior harbor since the beginning of Minnesota’s Iron Age. The first ore from the rich Mesabi Range left the harbor for smelters on the lower lakes in 1892, and by 1916 yearly shipments had reached nearly 38 million tons. Huge loading docks, built first of wood and later of steel and concrete, could load four of five ore-carrying lake . . . — Map (db m3094) |
| Minnesota (St. Louis County), Proctor — The Gate |
| |
1976
Stainless Steel
David von Schlegell (1920 – 1992)
The stainless steel sculpture functions as a metaphor, tying the horizontal lines of the land and Lake Superior, which are both very visible from this location, together at the point of intersection with the City of Duluth. The Gate serves to recognize the importance of Duluth, as not only a gateway to Minnesota's north shore, but also to the world through the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway that extends . . . — Map (db m4756) |
| Minnesota (Stearns County), Saulk Centre — Sinclair Lewis Boyhood Home |
| | has been designated a Registered National Historic Landmark under the provisions of the Historical Sites Act of August 21st 1935. This site possesses exceptional value in commemorating and illustrating the history of United States.
U.S. Department of the Interior
National Park Service
1968 — Map (db m7148) |
| Minnesota (Steele County), Owatonna — Minnesota State Schools |
| | During its first session in 1858 the Minnesota State Legislature established the first of several schools for the training and care of citizens who suffered mental and physical disabilities and for children who were unable to care for themselves. The first school opened in Fairbault in 1863, after five years of delay due to lack of funds. Called an "Asylum," later an "Institute," and now an "Academy," its students were those who were blind and deaf. Separate schools were later established here . . . — Map (db m26252) |
| Minnesota (Steele County), Owatonna — National Farmer's Bank of Owatonna |
| | Banker Carl Bennett wanted more than a prominent new building to house his family's business. He wanted a work of art. Bennett's search for an architect led him in 1906 to Louis Sullivan, one of the country' most inventive designers. Together they created a magnificent home for the National Farmers' Bank in the heart of downtown Owatonna. This brilliant collaboration of patron and architect produced what many consider the finest small-town bank in America.
After helping to make Chicago . . . — Map (db m23241) |
| Minnesota (Steele County), Owatonna — Rock Island Railway Station 1901 — Owatonna, Minnesota 1985 |
| | Once on this site there stood a beautiful red brick and limestone railway station that was part of the great Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway System. It was a stately building that served our community and the Rock Island System proudly for over 60 years. Its' demise was premature and unfortunate; however its' importance and historic legacy is secure. It was an invaluable contributor to the growth and history of all of Owatonna and Steele County.
Built around 1900, it served as . . . — Map (db m23173) |
| Minnesota (Washington County), Afton — Bolles Flour Mill |
| | About 1843, six years before Minnesota became a territory, Lemuel Bolles erected on this creek the first commercial flour mill in the Minnesota country. Bolles salvaged wood from the shore of Lake St. Croix and carried it on his back to the mill site a mile and a half upstream. Lacking nails, he used wooden pegs in the construction of a small mill. First built for grinding corn and wheat, the mill was later remodeled and was in operation as late as 1875 when Bolles died. The stream on which the . . . — Map (db m21729) |
| Minnesota (Washington County), Forest Lake — Ribbons of Steel |
| | Railroads were charted in Minnesota as early as 1853, but it was not until 1862 that Minnesota's first railroad began to operate on ten miles of track connecting St. Paul with St. Anthony (now part of Minneapolis). In 1870, the Northern Pacific Railroad began at Carlton, Minnesota and reached Portland, Oregon by 1884. By 1871, railroad lines had reached Minnesota's southern and western borders, and by 1893 the Great Northern Railway extended from St. Paul to Seattle. Over 150 railroad companies . . . — Map (db m5289) |
Subscribe
— Privacy Policy
— Terms of Use
— About Us
— Contact Us
HMdb.org