[Download] West Bank Interpretive Vision - Final Draft

Excerpt from the introduction to the West Bank Interpretive Vision:

The West Bank of St. Anthony Falls was once an internationally known industrial complex built on the only waterfall on one of the world’s great rivers. Today the waterfall and river are attracting millions of visitors each year, many of whom enjoy the historical, cultural, and natural resources of the area.

What draws people to St. Anthony Falls has changed through time. The powerful river that flows over the falls had once sustained native people; today the falls remain a spiritual place for the Dakota. When early tourists traveled far and wide to admire wonders of nature, the falls became a sought-after destination. When rivers powered the nation’s industry, the falls produced enough energy to run the greatest milling center the world had ever known. When only railroads linked western farms to manufacturing centers and international ports, the falls stood at a critical hub of the nation’s rail network. The falls have long sustained an enduring confluence of human and natural systems

As a center for industry, the West Bank reached its zenith between the 1880s and 1920s, when Minneapolis was known as the “flour milling capital of the world.” In the decades that followed much of the area’s waterpower, milling, and railroad complex was buried, removed, or lost to fire. What remains is an extraordinary archaeological resource that holds memorable stories and large-scale artifacts, that if revealed would astonish today’s visitors. The area also holds stories of the falls that transcend history—in relationships with people and animals that are as present today as they have been for millennia.

Stay tuned for when the download of the West Bank Interpretive Vision is available!  Sorry for the error.