A history of Minneapolis MN is not a boring one. It includes the city’s racial and housing discrimination, as well as the Ku Klux Klan’s savage attacks on nonwhites, Jews, and Catholics. The city also faced a new threat: communism.
St. Anthony Falls
The eroding rock wall of St. Anthony Falls posed an enormous problem for the city. In order to solve the problem, hundreds of volunteers volunteered to fill the gaping hole with rocks, dirt, logs, and other materials. They even constructed cribs out of logs and weighted them down with rocks to prevent the water from pouring over the edge. These methods worked for a time, but the sandstone layer continued to erode.
During the early twentieth century, Minneapolis began redeveloping its riverfront. Architects drafted plans for a “City Practical, City Beautiful” design, but that plan never came to fruition. However, two studies were conducted on historic preservation and the preservation of the area. These studies brought the history of the neighborhood to a wider audience.
Hennepin Avenue
The reconstruction of Hennepin Avenue in Minneapolis, Minnesota will begin in 2019. During construction, the city plans to build protected bike lanes and provide ample room for “rapid bus stops” on the street. This work will reshape downtown Minneapolis and its transportation system. The project will also include new public art. Public art locations are not yet known. The project is expected to be completed by 2022.
Hennepin Avenue has long been one of the most important places in Minneapolis. Its vibrant commercial district attracts people from across the Twin Cities. It also has several historic theaters that still operate. The Orpheum Theater, for example, ranks among the world’s top 20 theaters, drawing over 650,000 people each year.
Scandinavian influence on Minneapolis
There are many examples of the Scandinavian influence on Minneapolis. In the early nineteenth century, Sweden’s population was on the decline due to child mortality. At the same time, the population boom in America was outpacing the supply of farmland and jobs. This forced some Scandinavians to leave for more promising opportunities. Early Scandinavian immigrants to the United States were mainly farming families. Many came to the area before Minnesota was a state. Many Swedes emigrated to the Chicago area while many Norwegians settled in Minnesota and the surrounding states.
Today, Scandinavian influence can be found in the city’s cuisine. At restaurants like Bachelor Farmer, Scandinavian design meets locally grown ingredients. The menu includes Swedish dishes like lutefisk and lamb stew, as well as dishes with a more Midwest flavor profile. The food is served in a restored industrial building with country-Swedish wallpaper and gingham accents.
Industrial development in the late 19th century
Minneapolis, Minnesota, is the largest city in the state and county seat of Hennepin County. The city grew up in the mid-1800s around the city’s proximity to Fort Snelling and Saint Anthony Falls. Today, it remains a major industrial center for banks and manufacturing.
Manufacturing began to expand during the late nineteenth century. In the United States, the trend began in the northeast. The East North Central region was among the first regions to develop a manufacturing base, and by the mid-19th century, other regions were catching on. As the nineteenth century progressed, manufacturing activity spread westward and southward. During the 1920s, this trend continued, with increased manufacturing in the West North Central area and the Middle Atlantic region.
American Indian Movement in Minneapolis
In the summer of 1968, the American Indian Movement in Minneapolis brought together a group of Native American activists to demand federal recognition for Indian treaties and protection for the Native American population. The group also filed several successful lawsuits against the federal government to address their concerns. In Minneapolis, the AIM established several programs and initiatives.
These initiatives aim to restore Native Americans’ historical rights and honor their culture. Many have felt excluded by the city’s political power and have wanted to reclaim their heritage. This effort is a step in that direction, and some Minneapolis council members have been instrumental in moving the resolution forward. If the resolution passes in Minneapolis, it would become the first of its kind in Minnesota. A similar proposal is scheduled to be considered in Red Wing later this month.