It Takes A Village to Raise A City

Article by Michael Rainville, Jr.

Throughout the first half of the United States’ history, moving west was a dream for many. Mormons sought their own theocratic state, outlaws were on the hunt for their next heist, and pioneers journeyed with wagon trains to untamed lands. In the early 1800s, Fort Snelling was one of the few outposts in this neck of the woods for the vast, unlawful territories west of the Mississippi. The safety of Fort Snelling attracted pioneers and settlers to the area, and small communities began popping up, like Mendota and Pig’s Eye. As the years rolled on, people started venturing further from the Fort with many congregating on the east side of St. Anthony Falls.

Village of St. Anthony - 1857

The few people who decided to set up shop in this area in the 1840s made their living by operating or working in mills. With the help of an investment in milling by a civilian shopkeeper at Fort Snelling, Franklin Steele, the Village of St. Anthony was officially incorporated in 1849, the same year Minnesota became a territory. Back then, the east bank of the Mississippi was a part of Ramsey County. Remnants of this bygone era can still be seen today in Chute’s Square where the oldest house in Minneapolis lies, the Ard Godfrey House.

One of the first orders of business the Minnesota Territory legislature did was decide where important territorial institutions would be established. St. Paul received the capital, Stillwater was given the territorial prison, and St. Anthony was awarded the university. In fact, the university’s original location was present-day Chute’s Square. Equipped with a young university and a rising milling industry, St. Anthony also became a resort town. The Winslow House provided a luxurious place to stay for those visiting during the summer months, mainly from the south, and during the day, visitors would spend their time at places like Pettingill’s Resort along the river.

The painting "St. Anthony" by Ferdinand Richardt

St. Anthony also played an important role in the trading business. The Red River ox cart trails provided safe traveling between St. Paul and Winnipeg, Canada. Once riverboats unloaded their supplies and goods onto ox carts in St. Paul, their nearly 600-mile journey north began. Depending which way you were traveling, St. Anthony was either the last major city for hundreds of miles or the first sign of civilization after a tiring trek. The ox carts would roll along the riverfront through St. Anthony, which spurred the development of many businesses along this part of the route. Years later, the village would give that route the name Main Street.

Even though St. Anthony Falls and the rapidly developing milling industry were key in securing prosperity for the Village of St. Anthony, and a few years later Minneapolis, the success of the two villages quickly plateaued. In order to build off this early success, Franklin Steele and John Stevens built the first bridge to span the Mississippi River and connect St. Anthony to Minneapolis in 1855. Not only did it make travel between the two villages a lot quicker and safer, it meant that both of their economies could continue to grow and prosper.

The Steamboat Enterprise being portaged around St. Anthony Falls along Main Street, circa 1863 (the current-day Segway shop resides in the building on the right).

Both villages grew at an exceptional rate during the next two decades that saw their population triple in size. Since the two villages’ economies were so connected, officials in Minneapolis wrote up a proposition to officials in St. Anthony. Minneapolis wanted to annex St. Anthony and also expand Hennepin County’s borders to encompass the new city boundaries. A few St. Anthony politicians and business owners were not the biggest fans of this deal. There was no way little ol’ West St. Anthony was going to absorb the first, the original settlement along St. Anthony Falls. After reality set in for those with hometown pride, the two villages came to an agreement. Minneapolis would annex St. Anthony, which would also become a part of Hennepin County, and the county and Minneapolis would have to build two more bridges across the Mississippi, the Upper Bridge, now the Plymouth Avenue Bridge, and the Lower Bridge, also known as the old Tenth Avenue Bridge.

While the Village of St. Anthony is no more, its spirit lives on along St. Anthony Main and the East Hennepin business district, the neighborhoods of St. Anthony West and East, and the suburb of St. Anthony Village.

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About Michael Rainville, Jr.

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

Michael is also an intern at the Hennepin History Museum and a lead guide at Mobile Entertainment LLC, giving Segway tours of the Minneapolis riverfront for 7+ years. Contact: mrainvillejr@comcast.net.

Click here for an interactive map of Michael's past articles.