At the Confluence of a River and a Creek: The Minnesota Soldier’s Home

Article by Michael Rainville, Jr.

Photo of the Minnesota Soldier’s Home taken in 1912 with the Mississippi on the right and Minnehaha on the left.

Caring for our wounded soldiers and veterans has been an ever-present need in our country. The first piece of legislation to help those soldiers passed in 1798, and it provided financial relief specifically for sick and disabled sailors. By the mid-1800s, both state and federal governments took responsibility for aiding those soldiers and veterans in need and constructed hospitals in suburban areas, surrounded by beautifully landscaped campuses that provided an attractive and comfortable experience.

The campus in 1900Once the Civil War subsided, the need for soldier and veteran care skyrocketed. Unfortunately, the only choices for Minnesota veterans were to receive financial donations from charities or stay in an almshouse, a house built by a charitable person or organization. This led to 30,000 Minnesota Civil War veterans signing a petition to the state in 1886 to help the many veterans who were in desperate need. A year later, the state legislature agreed to pass a bill that would provide “for the relief of honorably discharged indigent ex-soldiers, sailors and marines, and the widows, minor orphans and dependent parents of such deceased soldiers, sailors or marines, and for the making of an appropriation for the purchase of land and the construction of the necessary building or buildings thereon.” This was also the first bill in the country that gave money to the families of veterans.

A triangular property at the confluence of the Mississippi River and Minnehaha Creek that was donated for the cause was chosen to be the location of a soldier’s home. Tasked with turning this land into a beautifully scenic location was Horace Cleveland, a landscape architect best known for laying out the Grand Rounds parkway system and the Saint Paul neighborhood of Saint Anthony Park. Throughout his career, Cleveland made it a point to use the natural vegetation and landscape in his designs, and that’s exactly what he did for the soldier’s home. A winding avenue from the north leads to the campus where it meets a system of roads that give easy access to all corners of the property. The land was sectioned off into three terraces, with natural shrubbery and deciduous and coniferous trees being prominent features. A ten-acre vegetable garden was located on the upper terrace, most of the buildings were on the middle, and beautiful meadows were located on the lower terrace, near the creek.

The architect who won the bid to design the structures of the campus was Warren Dunnell, who previously worked with Cleveland designing the State Training School in Red Wing. Dunnell utilized the Richardsonian Romanesque style of architecture, known for its heavy appearance, large arches, and short towers, and constructed two soldier’s homes as well as a laundry facility and heating building.

Upon his visit to the Minnesota Soldier’s Home, the National Inspector of Soldier’s Homes noted that, “Minnesota has in many respects the finest home in all the twenty states. In point of location and construction it cannot be excelled.”

Photo of the bridge taken in 1908.

One of the more noteworthy structures at the Minnesota Soldier’s Home is the bridge across Minnehaha Creek that leads to the campus. The Minneapolis Park Board worked with the Soldier’s Home board of directors to provide another route for vehicles to take to the home, and in 1908, they chose the Minneapolis architect firm Bayne & Hewitt to construct the bridge and the Minneapolis Steel and Machinery Company to provide the materials. This 626-foot-long steel arch bridge sits 105 feet above the creek and consists of one three-hinged arch spanning 288 feet across the ravine, with seven approach spans leading to the main arch. The bridge was completed in September of 1908 and cost $40,000, or roughly $1.15 million after inflation. It was an immediate success and a favorite of residents and visitors alike. My own mother has fond memories of driving over the bridge with her family as a child to visit her grandfather at the Soldier’s Home. The bridge was deemed unsafe in 2014 and closed. Once repairs were complete, the bridge reopened in January of 2020.

1912 photo of the campus from the entrance to the bridge.

Photo of the campus taken in 1930

The Minnesota Soldier’s Home began providing medical assistance after World War I, and the board agreed to make medical care a priority in the 1960s. In 1972, a nursing care facility was constructed, bringing the total number of nursing care beds and domiciliary beds to 250 each. Since then, the state erected veteran’s homes in Fergus Falls, Hastings, Luverne, and Silver Bay, with the Minneapolis campus, now known as the Minnesota Veterans Home, currently housing 291 nursing care beds and fifty domiciliary beds.

Veteran feeding a cat at the Home.

Providing soldiers and veterans with beautiful, state-of-the-art spaces to heal and call home is the least we can do for those who put their lives on the line to protect our country, from the Civil War to now. The next time you visit Minnehaha Park, take a walk over the steel-arch bridge, enjoy the spectacular natural landscaping and views of the bluffs, and appreciate those who have come, gone, and still live at the historic Minnesota Soldier’s Home at the confluence of a mighty river and a lively creek.

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About Michael Rainville, Jr.

A 6th generation Minneapolitan, Michael Rainville, Jr. received his B.A. in History, Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies, and M.A. in Art History from the University of St. Thomas.

Michael is also a lead guide at Mobile Entertainment, LLC, giving Segway, biking, and walking tours of the riverfront for 9+ years.

He can be reached at mrainvillejr@comcast.net.