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Minneapolis area history
Minneapolis in the past |
Minneapolis has a history impacted by natural beauty, its original Indian
and immigrant residents and relationship with the mighty Mississippi River.
Charting the waters 1680-1850
Minneapolis was born on the Mississippi, on land the Sioux and Ojibwe
people long called home. Around 1680, Father Louis Hennepin christened
scenic St. Anthony Falls, which, centuries later, would give the city
industrial power. The Louisiana Purchase in 1803 and the construction
of Fort Snelling in the 1820s ushered more Europeans into the region for
trading, trapping and settlement.
Flour Mill |
Flour power 1850-1930
St. Anthony Falls fueled the lucrative flour milling industry and from
the 1880s to the 1930s, flour production makes Minneapolis the milling
capital of the world, establishing modern corporate giants such as Cargill,
General Mills and Pillsbury. A massive influx of Scandinavians in the
late 1800s had a well-known and lasting impact on area culture. Tourists
and artists flocked to the only waterfall on the river, which was spanned
in 1883 by a landmark stone arch bridge that remains today.
Coming of age 1930-present
A progressive city claiming many commercial, political, medical and cultural
firsts, Minneapolis continues to make history. The city has one of the
most stable economic bases in the country, and includes global leaders
Target Corp., Northwest Airlines, Best Buy and 3M within its broad, successful
business community. Today, the Minneapolis St. Paul area hosts one of
the largest Hmong and Somali populations in the country and other diverse
ethnic groups.
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