Saint Anthony Main in Minneapolis in Hennepin County, Minnesota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

The Whirlpool

— Saint Anthony Falls Heritage Trail —

Photographed by Keith L, April 29, 2011

1. The Whirlpool Marker

Inscription. "The falls are going out!" cried the alarmed citizens of St. Anthony on October 5, 1869. A tunnel being dug under the river bed to bring waterpower to Nicollet Island had collapsed. A giant whirlpool formed below the island as the river rushed into the hole. Efforts to plug it with log rafts, dams, and mud were all unsuccessful. New breaks opened up and swallowed the lower part of Nicollet Island. The problem was finally fixed in 1876 when the US Army Corps of Engineers constructed a large dam underneath the entire river bed.

Erected by the St. Anthony Falls Heritage Board.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Disasters. A significant historical month for this entry is October 1848.

Location. 44° 59.083′ N, 93° 15.412′ W. Marker is in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in Hennepin County. It is in Saint Anthony Main. It can be reached from Southeast Main Street 0.1 miles south of Merriam Street, on the right when traveling south. Marker is by a walking path near the east channel of the Mississippi River. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Minneapolis MN 55414, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area.

It is also in the American Midwest,

in the Corn Belt,

and in the Great River Road Region.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once Rupert’s Land,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Louisiana Purchase.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Main Street Builds (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Symbols on the Skyline (about 400 feet away); The Falls That Built the City

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(about 500 feet away); Follow the Water: Part 1 - Intake and Tunnel (about 500 feet away); A Horseshoe for the River (about 500 feet away); Eliza Winston (about 600 feet away); Electricity and Minneapolis (about 600 feet away); Harnessing Waterpower (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Minneapolis.

Also see . . . Saint Anthony Falls. Wikipedia entry. The 1869 collapse of the Hennepin Island tunnel. (Submitted on May 27, 2011.)

Photographed by Keith L, April 29, 2011

2. The Whirlpool Marker

The Third Avenue Bridge is in the background.

Credits. This page was last revised on February 12, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 27, 2011, by Keith L of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 1,248 times since then and 42 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 27, 2011, by Keith L of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin.