Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Restoration funded through a $270,000 grant appropriated by the Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources.
A project of the Minnesota State Historical Society and the City of . . . — — Map (db m117721) HM
In 1919, Hennepin County hired the Illinois Steel Bridge Company to replace a deteriorating timber trestle built across Long Meadow Lake in 1891. The new 860-foot bridge was the longest Camelback through-truss bridge in the state when it opened in . . . — — Map (db m180917) HM
You are entering a river bluff environment that has been greatly altered over the last two centuries. The bluff top area was formerly oak savannah with prairie and woodland elements. Natural springs and shallow flood plain lakes in the river bottoms . . . — — Map (db m117485) HM
[south side]
Erected by the Citizens of Bloomington,
Memorial Day, 1890,
In honor and memory of our country's defenders
1861, - 1865.
Monument Committee.
Sever Ellingson, Chairman.
Wm. Oxborough, Jr.
H.H. Pond, Treas. . . . — — Map (db m56933) WM
Many Dakotas consider the Minnesota River Valley to be their spiritual home. The Dakota Indians were the last group of native peoples to live in the valley near this site. Starting in the mid-1600s, they migrated here in successive waves from the . . . — — Map (db m117487) HM
In the 1830s and 1840s Christian Missionaries came into Indian Country, which included Bloomington, with the purpose of converting Dakota Indians to Christian beliefs and white person's ways. This included farming, owning property, receiving a . . . — — Map (db m117572) HM
Welcome to the 19th century dwelling of Gideon and Agnes Hopkins Pond, missionaries to the Dakota Indians, farmers, and ministers to the community of Bloomington, Minnesota, during the mid- to late-1800s.
Following a move from the Lake . . . — — Map (db m117722) HM
Look over the tree-framed bluff across 12,000 years of human history where native peoples and Euro-American settlers made their home in the river valley. There are many cultural differences between you, the modern-day visitor, and the native people . . . — — Map (db m117489) HM
Listed below are some of the most prominent missionaries to the Dakota Indians. These missionaries were sponsored by the American Board of Commissioners of Foreign Missions, a joint venture of the Presbyterian and Congregational Churches of America. . . . — — Map (db m117630) HM
After several years at Lake Calhoun and a series of battles with the Ojibwe (Anishinabe), Chief Cloud Man (Marpiyawicasta) moved to the banks of the Minnesota River. In 1843 Gideon and Samuel Pond followed Cloud Man to this river bluff location. . . . — — Map (db m117498) HM
Welcome to Pond Dakota Mission Park, the site of the historic Oak Grove Mission and the 1856 Gideon and Agnes Pond House. The Ponds served as missionaries to the Dakota Indians and as farmers and ministers to the community of Bloomington, Minnesota. . . . — — Map (db m117549) HM
Samuel Pond (1808-1891) and Gideon Pond (1810-1878) were born into a mostly rural United States comprised of 17 states with a population of slightly over 7 million. These brothers from Connecticut were two of the most influential persons interacting . . . — — Map (db m117720) HM
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 . . . — — Map (db m4894) HM
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 . . . — — Map (db m17287) HM
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 . . . — — Map (db m15357) HM
Fallen Heroes
SPC Benjamin J. Slaven June 9, 2006 ·
SGT Brent W. Koch June 16, 2006 ·
SPC Kyle R. Miller June 29, 2006 ·
SSG Jeffery J. Hansen Aug. 21, 2006 · . . . — — Map (db m42804) WM
Although this site is known today as the Earl Brown farm, it originally belonged to Captain John Martin, who was involved in steamboating, lumbering, banking, flour milling and railroading. In the mid-1880s, he purchased 420 acres of rich Hennepin . . . — — Map (db m69931) HM
Throughout history, the Mississippi River has been the artery of life for the Minneapolis St. Paul metropolitan area and the State of Minnesota. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Mississippi powered flour mills and industries. . . . — — Map (db m294456) HM
The original dam was built in 1913 and had 28 steel gates. The gates moved up and down to allow different amounts of water to flow under them. The current dam was completed in 1997 and is fitted with five crest gates. These gates maintain . . . — — Map (db m74833) HM
On July-1-1680
Louis Hennepin
left this place
to discover the
St Anthony Falls
———
Marked by the Daughters
of the American Colonists
– 1929 – — — Map (db m69738) HM
Honoring the Men and Women of this Community who Served in the Armed Forces of the United States in the Global War.
In memory of neighborhood boys who made the supreme sacrifice in World War II Kenneth Adcock Robert L. Goodrich Robert . . . — — Map (db m70546) WM
Built in 1894
The land was donated by Peter and Mary Weinand, who owned the farm next door. It is one of the last one-room schools in Hennepin County still located on its original site and has always been maintained as a school.
Served . . . — — Map (db m291930) HM
Henry and Maria and Valentine and Elizabeth Dahlheimer, and two children, homesteaded on this land and adjacent land in 1855. Henry and Valentine purchased the land from the U.S. government Sept. 1860. Henry and Valentine served in the Civil . . . — — Map (db m277826) HM
Neighbors, horticulture, and wheat
John Cummins frequently exchanged labor with his neighbors, helping with sowing, harvesting, processing and building. He became interested in trees, nuts, flowers and fruits, and worked to promote their . . . — — Map (db m105280) HM
Edwin and Harriet Phipps owned the farm from 1906 to 1934. Their son-in-law and daughter Martin and Mildred Grill owned it from 1934 until 1976.
The Phipps raised grain, vegetables, and flowers, but were especially known for asparagus. Edwin . . . — — Map (db m117774) HM
Sergeant Dwight Carleton Williams, ski trooper, 10th Mountain Division. Born in Minneapolis, July 22, 1924. Attended Edina Grade School, Blake School, and Harvard College. Killed in action April 30, 1945, in Italy and buried there. In loving . . . — — Map (db m199335) HM WM
How Did Edina Become Edina?
The Waterville Mill was built at this spot in 1857 by four partners looking to make use of fast-running waters in Minnehaha Creek. Land was purchased and a dam installed at a natural cascade in the creek. A . . . — — Map (db m198307) HM
Built in 1857, the flour mill on this site was central to the growth and development of the City of Edina. The year 1869 brought a Scots miller, Andrew Craik, to a small community then called Waterville Mills. Craik purchased the twelve-year-old . . . — — Map (db m198367) HM
The Place Where People Want To Go
Back in the late 1900s, farmland stretched along this area below the Edina Mill dam. The pastoral landscapewith its intersection of the creek, grassy fields and woodsbecame a popular destination. Swimming . . . — — Map (db m198304) HM
Remembering that Freedom is Not Free
On June 25, 2010, the first meeting of the Edina Veterans Memorial Committee with twelve volunteer members was held. Alongside valued financial assistance received from the State of Minnesota and the City of . . . — — Map (db m199346) WM
[west side]
Minnehaha Grange No. 398 was organized on December 12, 1873. Its members came from Edina Mills, Richfield Mills, St. Louis Park and the surrounding area.
At first, the Grange met in the homes of its members. Then in . . . — — Map (db m55450) HM
[east side]
The Cahill Settlement was one of the early communities in the western half of Richfield Township. It was established in the 1850s by Irish immigrants fleeing famine in their native Ireland.
During the years of 1846, . . . — — Map (db m55813) HM
This photo is of Water Street in 1864 looking towards the lake.
1851: The Excelsior area was a longtime hunting and fishing grounds for the Dakota people. In 1851 the area was opened for settlement following the . . . — — Map (db m257096) HM
Photo of Amusement Park on Big Island - 19061911
1800-1852 the Island was inhabited by the Dakota Indians. In 1822, two young boys paddled up Minnehaha Creek and discovered Lake Minnetonka. It wasn't until 1852, that . . . — — Map (db m260188) HM
Water Street Looking South from Where You Are Right Now.
Water Street: Main Street in Excelsior was named Water Street because often during the 1800s, a small stream ran along side it from Galpin Lake, then much . . . — — Map (db m257281) HM
Like most lakes in Minnesota, Lake Minnetonka was formed during the Ice Age of the last two million years. During several separate glacial periods, ice advanced along different routes across the state. The glaciers, along with large volumes of . . . — — Map (db m59925) HM
Army Navy Air Force
Marines Coast Guard Merchant Marines
World War I
Grant Lorenz US Army
Donald Gray US Army
Blanchard West US Army
Mervin Grover US Army
Guy R. Forbes US Army
J. Jay Vietz US Army
John W. . . . — — Map (db m63784) WM
If this little building could talk, it might tell some delightful tales of Excelsior's long history as the main gateway to recreational activities on beautiful Lake Minnetonka.
Built around 1920 by A. C. Weinholz, the building stood . . . — — Map (db m260596) HM
The Belle of Minnetonka - 300 feet long: The Belle was originally the Phil Sheridan in service on the Ohio River. It was rebuilt, renamed and launched on Lake Minnetonka during the summer of 1882. The Belle had a capacity of 2,500 people, . . . — — Map (db m260642) HM
Aerial View of the park in 1940 Entrance photo taken in 1959
The Excelsior Amusement Park was built partially on what had been private land belonging to James I. Wyer. So where previously, there had been a lawn, tennis . . . — — Map (db m260433) HM
The Commons Beach and Bathhouse 1902.
An 1880s view of the Excelsior Commons Bath House Reef Point.
1875-The Main Docks in Excelsior looking towards the north point of the Commons
The Excelsior Commons and the . . . — — Map (db m260472) HM
Looking out onto Excelsior Bay from the Main Docks around 1900
25,000 years ago, huge blocks of ice were left here and eventually were covered with sediment deposits. 15,000 years later, as the glaciers retreated, these . . . — — Map (db m260690) HM
[Caption:] Map Circa 1856
For centuries prior to the arrival of European settlers, the Dakota were among the sole human inhabitants of the Lake Minnetonka area.
The name "Minnetonka" is taken from the Dakota word for "Big . . . — — Map (db m260225) HM
[Captions:] 1908
2014
Streetcar Boats: The Twin Cities Rapid Transit (TCRT) Company extended their streetcar lines to Excelsior in 1905 and launched six 70-foot steamboats on Lake Minnetonka in 1906 to provide transportation . . . — — Map (db m260540) HM
The main docks of Excelsior, now called the Port of Excelsior, has seen thousands of passengers board steam ships and streetcar boats for tours of the lake or destinations such as Wayzata. It has been the "Main Dock" since 1854 and once the . . . — — Map (db m256094) HM
The heart of the U.S. Army is its regular infantry, with lineage going back to 1808. The First Infantry Division is Americas oldest division. In 1918 the soldiers of the 1st won Americas first major battle of WWI at Cantigy. In WWII the 1st . . . — — Map (db m227827) WM
When the Wisconsin Glacier began to melt 12,000 years ago, it created an enormous body of water known as Glacial Lake Agassiz. As this lake drained in numerous directions 10,000 years ago, the surging waters of Glacial River Warren eroded the . . . — — Map (db m246952) HM
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 . . . — — Map (db m227949) HM
The U.S. Army constructed the Coldwater Springhouse and Reservoir between the late 1870s and early 1880s to supply water to an expanding Fort Snelling. Coldwater Spring provided water from 1820 to the 1920s. The spring holds cultural significance . . . — — Map (db m204889) HM
For most of the 1820s through the 1940s, the fort's commanding officers lived here with their families.
Commanding officers' servants lived here, too. Before the Civil War, more than half were enslaved.
In 1903, the house was updated in . . . — — Map (db m255759) HM
The Daughters of the American Revolution installed these plaques in recognition of military service.
Lt. Col. Henry Leavenworth arrived with the 5th Infantry in August 1819. The regiment included families, as well as both enslaved and free . . . — — Map (db m258660) HM
These barracks were built to house more than 250 soldiers.
By the late 1800s, half that number of soldiers lived here. Because few stone masons were available, the original long barracks was built from wood.
In the 1880s, the 25th . . . — — Map (db m255756) HM
A critical moment of the USDakota War took place a few steps away from here on November 11, 1865, with the execution of Dakota leaders Sakpedan and Wakan Ozanzan. Drugged and kidnapped from their refuge in Canada, the two leaders faced trial by a . . . — — Map (db m229040) HM
The garrison's first flagpole was right in front of the Round
Tower.
The flagpole was moved around the fort quite a bit, eventually to Taylor Avenue on the upper post. The first flagpole, made of green wood, soon rotted and was replaced. The . . . — — Map (db m256083) HM
This historical ground was a pivotal place in the development of the Northwest. With the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, Fort Snelling expanded its limestone walls into this area, formerly a part of the U.S. Indian Agency and the location of the . . . — — Map (db m211174) HM
After more than a century as a military outpost, the U.S. Army decommissioned Fort Snelling following World War II. The site was transferred to the Veteran's Administration (VA) in 1946. Some of the Upper Post's building were used for medical . . . — — Map (db m275250) HM
February 16th 1942 Midway, Tulagi, Makin; February 1st 1944 Russell Islands, New Georgia, Bouganville. Guadacanal-In Memory and Honor of the 8,078 men of the four Marine Raider battalions who fought in World War II, 892 of whom died in battle, 2420 . . . — — Map (db m227826) WM
In memoriam to the 3298 men of the Fourth Marine Division of WW II who fell in battle, the 14424 wounded in action and those of us who have joined them. Semper Fidels
Roi Namur Marshall Is. 2-1-1944; Saipan Marianas Is. 6-15-1944; Iwo Jima . . . — — Map (db m227825) WM
Life at Fort Snelling wasn't all hard workthere was also a lot of play. The Army knew that recreation was important for troops' health and happiness, and built many athletic fields and facilities here. This won Fort Snelling the nickname "the . . . — — Map (db m274423) HM
Access to the fort was controlled in these buildings. They also functioned as a police station and fire department. Guards were divided into three shifts each day. They protected the post and formed bucket brigades when fires broke . . . — — Map (db m258654) HM
At its peak, Fort Snelling covered more than 2,300 acres. That meant that getting from one side of the fort to another was a long walk. Traveling between the fort and Minneapolis and Saint Paul was an even bigger challenge.
This made it . . . — — Map (db m271962) HM
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, . . . — — Map (db m227950) HM
Fort Snelling's size has fluctuated over the years. Most of the buildings around you were constructed during war campaigns, which brought many new people to the fort. Some of these buildings were temporary, built to last between five and twenty . . . — — Map (db m274991) HM
Bring races together and begin the healing.
Peter Lengkeek, Tribal Chair, Crow Creek Sioux Tribe; US Marine Corps, 1991-98
Peter Lengkeek, citizen of the Hunkpati Dakota Oyate, has long been an advocate for this people, including . . . — — Map (db m229090) HM
I was born in the states, in Nebraska, and I'm an American just like you.
Tech. 5th Grade Sue Ogata Kato,
Women's Army Auxiliary Corps, US Army, 194346
Pvts. Iris Watanabe, Sue Kato, and Bette Nishimura at Building 57, . . . — — Map (db m229209) HM
Following the Battle of Wood Lake, 1,600 Dakota, mostly women and children, were forced to march from Camp Release to Fort Snelling. Rather than take up arms, many Dakota had protected white settlers and captives during the war. Arriving on . . . — — Map (db m229258) HM
Household Archaeology at Fort Snelling
Fort Snelling was a military base but it was also a home to soldiers, administrators, workers, and their families.
One of the ways to learn about the domestic lives of people at the . . . — — Map (db m274893) HM
Surgical Pavilion, U.S. General Hospital No. 29, Fort Snelling, Ca. 1918, Minnesota Historical Society
Doctor and nurse with patient, Fort Snelling Hospital, 1919, Minnesota Historical Society
Aides in occupational and physio . . . — — Map (db m270629) HM
Students at the language school studied sosho (cursive Japanese characters) and beigo (Japanese military terms). On average, students learned between 50 and 200 new characters every day. Japanese translators at Fort Snelling, 1945, St. . . . — — Map (db m270950) HM
As an active military base for more than 120 years, Fort Snelling has offered many kinds of military training. From mock battles and trench warfare to instruction in ceremonies and parades, the fort is where many soldiers mastered skills they . . . — — Map (db m274399) HM
Fort Snelling has been home to several notable military units. Some units were based at the fort for a long time. Others were here briefly. Still, all of them left their mark on the history of the fort.
Fragment of the 1st . . . — — Map (db m274739) HM
Mitakuye Oyasin: We Are All Related
Environmental impacts have greatly shaped the land you see around you.
As you walk the paths around Fort Snelling, look for changes in each season. See how interconnected animals, birds, . . . — — Map (db m307844) HM
Each apartment in this building housed families, or several single officers.
Officers' servants lived here, too. Before the Civil War, more than half were enslaved. Like the Commanding Officer's building, in 1903 the quarters were updated in . . . — — Map (db m256086) HM
I will bear true faith and allegiance to the United States of America.
from the volunteer enlistment form of Felix Battles, August 8, 1864
Felix Battles was 20 years old when he enlisted. He was born into slavery near Memphis, . . . — — Map (db m231429) HM
I walked in his footsteps.
Sgt. Terri Winter, US Army veteran and volunteer, Fort Snelling Memorial Rifle Squad
Sgt. Terri Winter, commander of the Fort Snelling Memorial Rifle Squad, 2014
Generations . . . — — Map (db m232069) HM
These ruins are what remains of Building 63, Fort Snelling's Quartermaster Shops.
The Quartermaster Shops were constructed between 1879 and 1880. It was one of dozens of new additions to the fort when the Department of Dakota . . . — — Map (db m271415) HM
River Valleys Take Shape
The two river valleys that meet here were carved thousands of years ago by water flowing from glaciers in the north. Glacial River Warren drained Glacial Lake Agassiz cutting through debris and bedrock to form the . . . — — Map (db m237601) HM
We are willing to pay the price as far as the good need arises.
Cpl. Maurice Masterson, 151st Field Artillery, 42nd "Rainbow" Division, writing to his father, September 19, 1918
Maurice Masterson at Fort Riley, August 10, . . . — — Map (db m230607) HM
Being in the military is one of the five major educations of my life.
2nd Lt. Clifford Brunzell, US Army Air Corps, 194345
Cliff Brunzell, 1943-45
Courtesy Brunzell family
In 1943, an aspiring musician . . . — — Map (db m229533) HM
In 1820 the US government established an Indian agency near the site of Fort Snelling. Located near where Highways 5 and 55 intersect today, the agency was supervised by a civilian agent. The agent's duties were to manage the region's fur trade . . . — — Map (db m229735) HM
This is the Army's first hospital at the post.
Doctors treated the local community here. The post surgeon also kept daily weather records-some of the first in the region.
After 1839, other buildings served as hospitals. A new hospital was . . . — — Map (db m255681) HM
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 treeswillows, cottonwoods, and oaks that grew near creeks, lakes, and marshes. . . . — — Map (db m229951) HM
Soldiers could defend the fort from high atop this tower.
Some of the musket slits on this building face inside the fort's walls; others face outside This tower was the last line of defense last ditch to military language A 12 pound field sun . . . — — Map (db m256079) HM
The fort's first students were the children of Col. Josiah Snelling and his officers.
Later, enlisted soldiers and their children took classes at the schoolhouse. Over time other school buildings were erected. Beginning in the 1930s, the . . . — — Map (db m255679) HM
Whiskey and Lt. William Hazelrigg at Fort Snelling, 1922
A wild horse who could kick a hole in a battleship arrived in 1921. Whiskey's intelligence dazzled audiences.
The Minneapolis Journal noted the horse's . . . — — Map (db m210335) HM
The Sutler store was like a modern post exchange, or PX.
Sutlers were civilian shopkeepers, the Army contracted with them to sell goods that the military did not supply. Their stores also served as soldiers clubs and mail rooms.
In the . . . — — Map (db m255671) HM
This is Dakota homeland. In 1805, Dakota leaders Cetaŋ Wakuwa Mani, Wakiŋyan Taŋka, Taoyateduta, Wakute, Wapahaśa II, Wapahaśa III, and Joseph Renville met with Lt. Zebulon Pike where the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers . . . — — Map (db m232559) HM
This place, where the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers meet, has been the site of ceremony and gathering for over 10,000 years. The Dakota name for the river confluence is Bdote, which means "where two waters come together." The area . . . — — Map (db m271905) HM
For many Native communities, three seeds produce the most important crops: corn, beans, and squash. Together, these seeds make up the Three Sisters and are a cornerstone of Native American agriculture. Native farming employs the technique of . . . — — Map (db m229950) HM
Travel through 10,000 years of human history to explore how this area sacred to the Dakota became Minnesota's first National Historic LandmarkHistoric Fort Snelling.
The Shape of Water
The Mississippi River was a small tributary 12,000 . . . — — Map (db m231441) HM
Built in 1904-05 by the U.S. Army, Buildings 17 and 18 were constructed as double barracks to house cavalry troops. By 1911 the cavalry had left Fort Snelling, but the buildings continued to house troops through the early 1940s as the post grew in . . . — — Map (db m229952) HM
The US-Dakota War of 1862 was a violent and divisive period in Minnesota history. Between 1837 and 1858, the Dakota nation signed treaties transferring more than 24 million acres of land to the United States, only to find agreed upon payments . . . — — Map (db m227894) HM
This area around the confluence, or meeting of the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers has been the center of activity in this region for centuries. Generations of people have gathered here to live, work, and recreate.
Native peoples, explorers, . . . — — Map (db m227822) HM
Where Rivers and People Come Together
You are standing on ground that has been a gathering place for rivers, people and legends for thousands of years. Nearby is the confluence, or meeting, of two mighty riversthe Mississippi and . . . — — Map (db m185834) HM
This memorial honors the sixteen hundred Dakota people, many of them women and children, who were imprisoned here at Fort Snelling in the aftermath of the 1862 U.S.-Dakota Conflict. Frightened, uprooted, and uncertain of the fate of their missing . . . — — Map (db m227845) HM
Women have been essential to the fort's work throughout its history.
In the early days, many of the working women at the fort were married to soldiers, and some were enslaved by the officers. They worked as laundresses and servants. . . . — — Map (db m256082) HM
The Hanover iron truss bridge was constructed in 1885 as a means of crossing the Crow River and connecting traffic. Prior to this, travelers had to either go to Rockford or Dayton to cross the river. Once the bridge linked the Hennepin and . . . — — Map (db m296073) HM
431 entries matched your criteria. The first 100 are listed above. Next 100 ⊳
