Architecture

1883-01-31

January 31, 2019 By

On this date in 1883, the Minneapolis Society of Fine Arts, the founding organization of the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and the Minneapolis School of Art (now the Minneapolis College of Art and Design), is incorporated, with William W. Folwell of the University of Minnesota as its first president. (MNopedia) Minneapolis Institute of Arts circa […]

2014-01-18

January 18, 2019 By

On this date in 2014, the roof of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome is deflated for the last time to prepare for demolition of the stadium. The last game played in the Metrodome was on Sunday, December 29, 2013 when the Vikings defeated the Detroit Lions 14-13.

1886-01-14

January 11, 2019 By

On this date in 1886, the cornerstone is laid in St. Paul for the first ever ice palace built in the United States. The structure was erected in St. Paul’s Central Park and when completed, it measured 140 feet long by 120 feet wide and rose 100 feet in the air. It required more than […]

1850-01-07

January 7, 2019 By

On this date in 1850, St. Paul landowner, John R. Irvine, obtains a license to operate a ferry across the Mississippi River at St. Paul’s Upper Landing located at the foot of what is today Chestnut Street. One of St. Paul’s earliest settlers, Irvine was born in Dansville, New York in 1812 and made his […]

1890-12-28

December 28, 2018 By

On this date in 1890, the Bijou Opera House in Minneapolis is totally destroyed by fire. Opened on October 31, 1887 at the “People’s Theatre”, it was located at 20 Washington Avenue North. The theater was owned by Lambert Hayes and its first manager was W. E. Sterling of Buffalo, New York. On February 1, […]

On this date in 1858, Henry Mower Rice and James Shields begin their terms as the first Senators from the State of Minnesota. Both men were elected by the Minnesota Senate and House of Representatives during the first session of the Minnesota Legislature the previous December.

On this date in 1858, Minnesota became the 32nd state in the Union. A small extension of the northern boundary makes it the most northerly of the 48 conterminous U.S. states. (This peculiar protrusion is the result of a boundary agreement with Great Britain before the area had been carefully surveyed.)

On this date in 1858, Minnesota became the 32nd state in the Union. A small extension of the northern boundary makes it the most northerly of the 48 conterminous U.S. states. (This peculiar protrusion is the result of a boundary agreement with Great Britain before the area had been carefully surveyed.)

Armour Gates

December 12, 2019 By htc

On an empty, overgrown lot located at the corner of Armour and Hardman Avenues in South St. Paul sits the only remaining vestige of what was once the largest livestock operation in the world. Developed on 260 acres along the Mississippi River, five miles south of downtown St. Paul, the stockyards employed over 6,000 people […]

Highland Park Water Tower

April 3, 2019 By htc

Sitting in the shadows of two modern, sky-blue water towers in St. Paul’s Highland Park neighborhood is the most visible symbol of the city’s water utility. The Highland Park Water Tower has been a fixture in the neighborhood since 1928 when the city constructed the 134-foot structure to supply water to nearby residents. [Go to […]

Soldiers and Sailors Memorial

January 28, 2019 By htc

Shortly after news of Fort Sumter’s fall reached Washington D.C. on April 14, 1861, Minnesota Governor Alexander Ramsey, who had been visiting the nation’s capitol to address conflicts within the Minnesota Republican party, immediately offered 1000 men to the Secretary of War on behalf of the State of Minnesota. With this commitment, Ramsey became the […]

Hiawatha and Minnehaha

November 30, 2018 By htc

Just above the falls of Minnehaha Creek in Minneapolis, perched on the southwest side of its rushing waters, sits an unassuming symbol of the area’s original inhabitants. The sculpture of Hiawatha and Minnehaha has been a fixture in Minnehaha Park for over 106 years greeting visitors as they make their way to the falls. Its […]

New York Life Eagle

July 31, 2018 By htc

Perched atop the bluffs of the Summit Hill neighborhood overlooking the Mississippi River in St. Paul is an imposing bronze sculpture of an eagle clutching a rock with its wings spread as she watches over her young. One might imagine the sculpture was originally created and installed in this location to symbolize a guardian keeping […]

Witch’s Hat Water Tower

July 31, 2018 By htc

Rising above the treetops of the Prospect Park neighborhood in Minneapolis is a structure that one might expect to find in medieval times rather than in modern day Minneapolis. The Prospect Park Water Tower, also referred to as the Witch’s Hat, was designed by Norwegian born architect Frederick William Cappelen in 20th Century Revival style, […]