Minnehaha Park in Minneapolis centers on Minnehaha Falls and the lower reaches of Minnehaha Creek near the Mississippi River. Named from the Dakota word for “curling water,” the area was long regarded by Dakota people as a safe gathering place. Its identity changed after nearby U.S. Army land acquisition and the construction of Fort Snelling, and by 1855 Minnehaha Falls was the common name. In the mid-19th century the falls became a famous stop for Upper Mississippi tourists, a reputation strengthened by artists and by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s use of the name. Shaped in 1883 by Horace W. S. Cleveland and acquired in 1889, the park became an early state park and later a historic district.

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain