Minneapolis' Rich History

Minnesota's largest city, Minneapolis lies on thePlains found its way to the city's many mills by rail, and
Mississippi and is next to the State capitol of St-Paul.by 1905 the Minneapolis was responsible for almost
The combined cities are often referred to as10% of the total flour and grist output of the United
Minneapolis-St. Paul forming the 15th largestStates.
metropolitan area in the US. The city of MinneapolisNever a city to sit on its laurels, Minneapolis razed 40%
has a long and distinguished history, based on waterof its buildings comprising 25 blocks during a fervent
and primarily influenced by the St. Anthony Falls.urban renewal from the early 1950s to the mid 1960s.
Prior to the arrival of early European settlers in 1680,That renewal has continued and the city is now a
Dakota Sioux had free reign over the lands nowmodern metropolis with a rich history, and is home to
known as Minneapolis. However for 140 years therefive Fortune 500 companies.
was little development in the area, it was not until theKnown as the 'city of lakes' many of the leisure
construction of Fort Snelling in 1825 that the area sawactivities in the area are water-based, with 6% of the
any significant expansion. Under pressure from thearea covered in lakes. It boasts a thriving art and music
relentless inflow of settlers, the Sioux sold their landculture, and one of the city's claims-to-fame is that
forging the way for the incorporation of the city ofinternationally renowned rock musician Prince studied
Minneapolis in 1867. Five years later settlers beganat the Minneapolis Dance Theatre. Professional sports
arriving from Chicago via the newly built railroad, helpingare also well represented in the city with the NFL's
to bolster the settlement's numbers.Vikings, baseball's major league Twins, NBA's
The Saint Anthony Falls, the only natural waterfall onTimberwolves and the WNBA's Lynx all based there.
the Mississippi, formed the hub of the city. Here theGetting around downtown Minneapolis is made easier
timber mills and flour mills flourished and by 1871,by the Skyways, which consist of seven miles of
Minnesota boasted many thriving businesses includingwalkways linking eighty blocks. Restaurants, retailers
iron works, other mills for cotton and paper, and a largeand the occasional lobby of a downtown.
railway factory. Grain grown by farmers on the Great