The Auto Clubhouse

In 1911, after searching for a perfect spot along the Minnesota River Bluffs, The Automobile Club of Minneapolis built their clubhouse on a scenic patch above the valley. Designed by local architect, Frederick Kees, the building contained garage stalls, a restaurant and dormitories so members could stay the night. The wonderful country club, offered members … Read more

Over to Mendota

Thirteen, 304-foot rib arches carry State Highway 55 across the Minnesota River valley between the Fort Snelling in Hennepin County and Mendota Heights in Dakota County. When the Fort Snelling-Mendota Bridge was completed in 1926, Minnesota engineers, Walter Hall Wheeler and C.A.P. Turner took bragging rights for the the longest continuous, concrete arch bridge in … Read more

Trolley Trip to Fort Snelling

But we want to see Fort Snelling, so we take the trolley car south. fare five cents, distance 2 1/2 miles. (at the junction of the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers). Here is the site of the oldest fort west of the Mississippi river. A short walk brings you to the old stone block house, the … Read more

Motoring Through Minnehaha

The Minneapolis Board of Park Commissioners was created by the state legislature in 1883. The new board hired Horace Cleveland to design a system of parks and parkways to connect and preserve our natural landscapes. The result was the Minneapolis “Grand Rounds” of parkways and paths centered on the Mississippi River. This vision was expanded … Read more