Minneapolis History

Minneapolis is the largest city in Minnesota and the seat of Hennepin County. Spanning the Mississippi River, Minneapolis is situated next to the state capital, Saint Paul. Together, these two urban centers form the Twin Cities region. The city's name is an amalgam of the Dakota word minehaha ("water") and the Greek suffix polis ("city"), and refers to the more than twenty small lakes within the city limits.

In 1822, a lumber mill was built at Saint Anthony Falls (the only waterfall on the Mississippi River) to supply nearby Fort Snelling. At the time, the military had zero tolerance for squatters on the land under their control. However, the Saint Anthony Falls area was just outside the military's jurisdiction, so the community grew along the northeast side of the Mississippi River. When President Millard Fillmore reduced Fort Snelling's jurisdiction in the 1850s, the squatters on the southwest bank were suddenly legitimate settlers. As the new community grew, it went through a bevy of names - Albion, Winona, Brooklyn, and All Saints to name a few - but the settlers finally decided on "Minnehapolis" at the suggestion of schoolmaster Charles Hoag. Saint Anthony was incorporated in 1855, and Minneapolis in 1856. The two towns merged into the city of Minneapolis in 1872.

With the decline of the timber industry, Minneapolis became a center for milling and processing grain harvested from the central U.S. Great Plains. Companies like General Mills, Pillsbury, and Cargill rose to prominence in the early 20th century, earning Minneapolis the distinction as the "milling capital of the world." Despite its decline during the Great Depression, agriculture still plays an important role in Minneapolis' economy. However, the city's economy has been diversified over the years, and now includes medical and financial industries. The city boasts a high quality of life, constantly ranking on national lists of the best places to live in the U.S.

The University of Minnesota is a Big Ten university (the fourth-largest in the U.S.) that is spread between Minneapolis and neighboring Saint Paul. A dedicated bus line unites the two campuses. Minneapolis also has a vibrant live theater scene. From the renovated theaters of the Hennepin Theatre District to the classical and literary Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis' theater market ranks third in the nation. The city also features a number of world-class museums and art exhibits, including the Minneapolis Institute of the Arts and the outdoor Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. Sommerfest, held every July and August near the Nicollet Mall, is a summer concert series featuring performances from the Minnesota Orchestra. Other prominent attractions in Minnesota include the gargantuan Mall of America (located in the suburb of Bloomington) and the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, which hosts the Minnesota Twins (MLB) and the Minnesota Vikings (NFL), as well as the U of M's Golden Gophers.