We had a one-day business trip to Minneapolis. When the plane was near the city, farm fields in the grid shape with a house in each of them looks fascinating.
I had a walk around the downtown blocks. Downtown is not big, mixed with the new and the old, but it seemed all roads were being repaved in the downtown.
If the downtown area was not that impressive, my morning walk over the stone arch bridge in the next day was a wonderful surprise.
Saint Anthony Falls not only gave the birth of the city, but also the whole milling industry and made Minneapolis the “Flour Milling Capital of the World” at the turn of the 20th century. Today, you can still see Gold Medal Flour and Pillsbury’s Best Flour buildings on both sides of the Mississippi River.
The stone arch bridge was build in 1883 near the fall to connect the railway system of the east and west bank of the river. Now it’s used for walking and biking only and often hold festivals to remember the city’s heritage.
The fall eventually collapsed because of the erosion and industrial use. A series of locks and dams were built. Now the area together with the store arch bridge is part of the St. Anthony Falls Historic District.
