The Minneapolis Riverfront In Images Of America
Iric Nathanson's "The Minneapolis Riverfront" (2014) offers a history of change, growth, decline, and resurgence in its exploration of the riverfront of Minneapolis. This photographic history is part of the "Images of America" series of Arcadia Publishing. Nathanson, an authority on Minneapolis history, has lectured and written about his community for more than two decades. His books include a broad study of the city, "Minneapolis in the Twentieth Century" (2009), a new volume on a Minneapolis political leader, "Don Fraser: Minnesota's Quiet Crusader" (2018), together with several other volumes of local history from Arcadia.
This short book includes over 180 images of the Minneapolis Riverfront together with Nathanson's informative textual commentary. The book begins in early times with the European discovery in 1680 of what became known as the St. Anthony Falls, the only falls on the Mississippi River. It discusses Indian settlement in the area, the growing American presence with the establishment of Fort Snelling in the 1820s, the beginning of the settlement which became Minneapolis, the boom years when Minneapolis became the leading mill center in the United States, the long period of decline and decay, and the recent revitalization of the Minneapolis Riverfront.
The images in the book document the fortunes of the Riverfront, and it is rare to see them gathered together in one volume. The book centers on the mills using St. Anthony Falls as a power source. The mills were constructed on the east and west sides of the river, with the eastern community eventually joining the west to form the City of Minneapolis which straddles the Mississippi River. The book has many images of the mills with names such as Pillsbury and General Mills. Other large industries included the Grain Belt and Glueck Breweries. The book includes many images of bridges, railroads, and canals which serviced the industries during their heyday.
The Riverfront saw its share of disasters over the years, with mills burning down in the 19th and 20th centuries with loss of life. In 2007, the Interstate 35 Bridge over the river collapsed with loss of life. In responding to these disasters and to the forces of economic change, the community showed its resilience and determination by rebuilding and moving on.
In addition to the historical commercial character of the Riverfront, Nathanson's book explores the small immigrant community known as Bohemian Flats which flourished in the 19th century on lowlands which periodically flooded. It was fascinating to see photos of this community. The book shows the development over time of the one square mile Nicollet Island, one of the few habitable islands in the Mississippi River. It shows the rise of the University of Minnesota on the Riverfront and the construction of a Soldier's Home for Civil War Veterans.
It is fascinating to compare the images of essentially the same places in the book from early boom times to the years of disuse to revitalization. The book gives a long, arching portrayal of the Minneapolis Riverfront. The photos from roughly the 1930s --- 1960s show a period of urban decay as the mills lost their economic importance. The decay was followed by halting and only partially successful attempts at revitalizing the area. Only in the last years of the 20th Century did the Riverfront fully reinvent itself. The last section of Nathanson's book shows new museums, upscale condominiums and office buildings, lovely walkways along and across the river, libraries, and community spaces for concerts and for a flourishing farmer's market.
I enjoyed this tour with Nathanson as a guide of the Minneapolis Riverfront's growth, demise and resurgence. I was particularly interested in the images from the late 19th early 20th century when the Riverfront had its best days as a large commercial, manufacturing center. With their faults, these days evidenced a sense of promise. The story of the mills, breweries, and river is particularly Minneapolis' own. But the broader picture of historical continuity and change and perseverance through good times and bad is repeated in many American communities, each in their own way and under their own conditions. It is inspiring to understand American communities over time. Arcadia Publishers kindly send me a copy of this book to review.
