| Minnesota's largest city, Minneapolis | | | | by farmers on the Great Plains found its |
| lies on the Mississippi and is next to | | | | way to the city's many mills by rail, |
| the State capitol of St-Paul. The | | | | and by 1905 the Minneapolis was |
| combined cities are often referred to as | | | | responsible for almost 10% of the total |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul forming the 15th | | | | flour and grist output of the United |
| largest metropolitan area in the US. The | | | | States. |
| city of Minneapolis has a long and | | | | Never a city to sit on its laurels, |
| distinguished history, based on water | | | | Minneapolis razed 40% of its buildings |
| and primarily influenced by the St. | | | | comprising 25 blocks during a fervent |
| Anthony Falls. | | | | urban renewal from the early 1950s to |
| Prior to the arrival of early European | | | | the mid 1960s. That renewal has |
| settlers in 1680, Dakota Sioux had free | | | | continued and the city is now a modern |
| reign over the lands now known as | | | | metropolis with a rich history, and is |
| Minneapolis. However for 140 years there | | | | home to five Fortune 500 companies. |
| was little development in the area, it | | | | Known as the 'city of lakes' many of the |
| was not until the construction of Fort | | | | leisure activities in the area are |
| Snelling in 1825 that the area saw any | | | | water-based, with 6% of the area covered |
| significant expansion. Under pressure | | | | in lakes. It boasts a thriving art and |
| from the relentless inflow of settlers, | | | | music culture, and one of the city's |
| the Sioux sold their land forging the | | | | claims-to-fame is that internationally |
| way for the incorporation of the city of | | | | renowned rock musician Prince studied at |
| Minneapolis in 1867. Five years later | | | | the Minneapolis Dance Theatre. |
| settlers began arriving from Chicago via | | | | Professional sports are also well |
| the newly built railroad, helping to | | | | represented in the city with the NFL's |
| bolster the settlement's numbers. | | | | Vikings, baseball's major league Twins, |
| The Saint Anthony Falls, the only | | | | NBA's Timberwolves and the WNBA's Lynx |
| natural waterfall on the Mississippi, | | | | all based there. |
| formed the hub of the city. Here the | | | | Getting around downtown Minneapolis is |
| timber mills and flour mills flourished | | | | made easier by the Skyways, which |
| and by 1871, Minnesota boasted many | | | | consist of seven miles of walkways |
| thriving businesses including iron | | | | linking eighty blocks. Restaurants, |
| works, other mills for cotton and paper, | | | | retailers and the occasional lobby of a |
| and a large railway factory. Grain grown | | | | downtown. |