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Minneapolis History continued...
Before the middle of the 19th century, Minneapolis was inhabited by the Dakota (Sioux) Indians. These Native Americans, along with the Ojibwe tribe, flourished in the area for many years. Then, during the 1680's, the first European explorers visited the area. These first explorers were Daniel Greysolon, Sieur Du Luth (known as Duluth) and Father Louis Hennepin.
For many years, the Dakota and the Ojibwe tribes had participated in intertribal fighting. By 1800, many Dakota had settled along the lower Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers, below the sacred site of the Falls of St. Anthony. In 1825, with the help of the United States government, the two tribes agreed to a demarcation line between their tribal areas. Then, in 1848, members of the Ho-Chunk Nation, who had been moved from their homes in Wisconsin, were temporarily resettled between the Ojibwe and the Dakota to act as a buffer. A large number of Ho-Chunk were unhappy with this situation and managed to quietly escape back to their homes in Wisconsin.
In 1851 the Dakota signed the treaty of Traverse des Sioux. With this treaty, the lands west of the Mississippi River were purchased from the Dakota and the area was opened for settlement the following year. This treaty meant that many Dakotas were to give up their hereditary lands. The tribe, for the most part, was moved to a strip of land ten miles wide along either side of the Minnesota River. Some worked to become farmers while others hunted. Ten years later, however, it appeared that most of the Dakota people might starve.
By 1862, the nation's attention was focused mainly on the Civil War. Because of this, the government had failed to pay the Dakota people in a timely fashion. The Dakota people were plagued by hunger and disgusted with the government and reservation life. This attitude caused many Dakota to move back onto their lands, which were being farmed or logged. In August of 1862, a sudden violent attack on settlers occurred in the southeastern part of the state. This set into motion a violent killing spree by the Dakota, the military and the settlers. The death of about 500 white settlers and the destruction of property led to the cry for the removal of the Dakota. Initially, 300 Dakota warriors were held at either Mankato (those who had been condemned) or Fort Snelling. President Lincoln pardoned all of the warriors who had not been condemned for the killing of settlers. The remaining Dakota in Minnesota were relocated to a reservation at Crow Creek. The Ho-Chunk people, who were not involved in the fighting, were also removed from Minnesota.
The area that would become Minneapolis was under European control from the 1680's until finally becoming part of the United States in 1784. This area was later purchased from the French in 1803 and named the Louisiana Purchase. In order to demonstrate the western reach of the United States, the government established Fort Snelling. The land that the fort encompassed included all of modern-day Minneapolis and nearly half of modern-day St. Paul. The first commanding officer at Fort Snelling was Henry Leavenworth.
In 1849, the territory of Minnesota was established. In the same year, the community of St. Anthony, on the east side of the Mississippi River, near St. Anthony Falls, was founded. In 1852, President Millard Fillmore approved an act of Congress reducing the area covered by Fort Snelling. This act opened the land west of the river to settlers. The first commissioners of the county selected the land west of the St. Anthony Falls to be the county seat. However, this land had no municipal existence or even a name. In 1852, the name Albion was chosen. This name proved to be very unpopular and was dropped. Other names that were considered were All Saints, Lowell, Addiseville and Winona. All of these names were eventually discarded. The schoolmaster Charles Hoag proposed the name Minnehapolis. The name came from a derivative of “Minnehaha,” which means laughing waters. The name also came from the Greek suffix “polis,” which means city. Together, these two origins combined to form the new name, Minnehapolis, or city of the falls. Later on, the “h” was dropped, giving the name the literal meaning, “city of waters.”
Minneapolis was authorized by the Minnesota Territorial Legislature in 1856 and the city of Minneapolis was incorporated in 1866. In the original documentation, the city of Minneapolis included the community of St. Anthony. This was very unpopular to the residents of both communities. In 1867, a new act of incorporation was drawn up. This time, St. Anthony was left out. The first mayor of Minneapolis was Dorilus Morrison. The two communities of Minneapolis and St. Anthony remained separate until finally joining in 1872.
The settlers in the area began to understand the potential of the Falls of St. Anthony. They began to use the falls for the fast growing lumber and milling industries. The power of the falls, along with the proximity to the Great Plains and its grain, quickly made Minneapolis the “milling capital of the world.” Minneapolis actually led the country in the production of flour from 1880 to 1930. With this boom in the flour industry, several major companies had their beginnings in Minneapolis. Among them were Pillsbury, Washburn-Crosby (General Mills after 1928) and Northwestern Consolidated Milling. However, after 1930, the advantages of the falls started to lose importance and the milling industry began to decline. Today, however, Minneapolis is still referred to as the “Mill City.”
Although the milling industry is mostly gone today, other industries have become important. Food processing has become a leading industry and the Twin Cities metropolitan area ranks first in the nation for agricultural and food product export sales. Other industries that are prominent in Minneapolis are electronics, medical manufacturing, computer manufacturing and retail and professional services.
Although St. Paul was named the state capital in 1858, Minneapolis has emerged as the more modern of the twins. This is due in part to the city's policy of demolishing its older buildings. St. Paul tends to renovate its older buildings, giving it the feel of a laid-back older brother to Minneapolis.
Residents of Minneapolis enjoy many cultural and educational activities. Minneapolis has 949 of the Minnesota's 12,000 lakes resting nearby. With this resource, citizens of Minneapolis enjoy scores of outdoor recreation activities. Minneapolis is also the home to many fine educational and cultural institutions. Among them are the Bakken Library and Museum, the American Swedish Institute and the Bell Museum of Natural History. Minneapolis is also the home to the University of Minnesota. The Minneapolis area is also the home of the Mall of America. This mall, which opened in 1992, is the world's largest retail and entertainment complex. The 4.2 million square foot building houses more than 520 world-class shops. It also holds Camp Snoopy, the nation's largest indoor family theme park, Underwater World, which is a 1.2 million gallon walk-through aquarium and a 14 screen movie theater.
Minneapolis is also the home to many professional sports teams. The Minnesota Timberwolves of the NBA play their home games at the Target Center in Minneapolis. Football fans enjoy the Minnesota Vikings, who play their home games in the Metrodome. The Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball also reside in the city.
If there is a drawback to the city of Minneapolis, it is the weather. The city is known for its cold and windy winters. However, if the cold runs in your blood, Minneapolis is the city for you. Whether it is museums, shopping or professional sports, Minneapolis truly is a city that has it all.
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