Saint Anthony Falls, the Mississippi River’s only natural major waterfall, long held cultural and spiritual importance for the Dakota as Owámniyomni and served as a portage and trading place for Dakota and Anishinaabe peoples. Known in European accounts after Father Louis Hennepin saw it in 1680, the falls later became a focus of tourism and legend after Fort Snelling was established. Its greatest significance came through industry: dams and mills harnessed its water power, helping Saint Anthony and Minneapolis grow and merge in 1872. Heavy industrial use nearly destroyed the falls, but major engineering efforts preserved them, leaving a landscape that is both natural and engineered.

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain