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AHistory
History · Minneapolis

Minneapolis has 152 places on the National Register, 2 of them National Historic Landmarks

More historic than 88% of U.S. towns · #6 of 273 in Minnesota. What drives it

Dated to 1850 (Wikidata), with 43% of its homes built before 1940 and 19 historic districts holding 1,286 contributing buildings. Below: 6 old photos and papers, maps from 1885 on, the census since 1860, and every listing on the Register.

1850founded
152on the National Register
43%homes built before 1940
6old photos & papers
20famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Minneapolis’ archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Minneapolis began

When was Minneapolis founded?

1850

Minneapolis dates its founding to 1850 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1860.

First census: 5,809 in 18602020 census: 429,954176 years

How historic is Minneapolis?

A

More historic than 88% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1854.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Minneapolis’ History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Minneapolis is more historic than 88% of U.S. towns, #6 of 273 in Minnesota. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.

A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Minneapolis’ overall grade.
Founding era1850, from Wikidata: founded 1850–1899, an older era than 37% of U.S. townsC+Homes built before 194042.8% of homes (±0.8) · typical MN town 8.1% · U.S. 8.4%A+National Register152 listings, 1,286 historic buildings, 30.1 per 10,000 residents · typical MN town 2.1 · U.S. 2.4A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 88%
NewerOlder
Minnesota towns of 2,500+ (273)Ahead of 98%

Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Minneapolis ranks #77 on History.

Minnesota towns list about as much on the Register as the country (a typical Minnesota town has 2.1 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Minneapolis’ 30.1 sits above most of its state (90% of Minnesota towns have fewer) while its 1,286 historic buildings outnumber those of 99% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ to A+. The pre-1940 share (±0.8 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1850.

Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Minneapolis’ past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A National Historic Landmark152 places on the National Register, 2 of them National Historic Landmarks.A historic districtThe Prospect Park Residential Historic District takes in 683 historic buildings.Lost villages4 post offices opened and closed inside today’s Minneapolis, and 2 old place names are still on the map.On the map since 18966 editions of the USGS map, 1896 to 1993. Watch Minneapolis change.
★ What stands out · On the National Register

152 listings protect 1,286 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving. 2 are National Historic Landmarks, the highest tier. Boundary changes and added documentation are counted with their listing.

places listed
152
National Historic Landmarks
2
Pillsbury A Mill
historic buildings protected
1,286
each building in a district counts
first listed
1966
Pillsbury A Mill
Minnehaha Historic DistrictButler Brothers CompanySt. Anthony Falls Historic DistrictSwan Turnblad House, built 1929Milwaukee Avenue Historic DistrictWilliam Gray Purcell HouseMinneapolis City Hall-Hennepin County Courthose, built 1888Floyd B. Olson HouseMoline, Milburn and Stoddard Company, built 1993Basilica of St. Mary-Catholic, built 1914Masonic TempleB. O. Cutter HouseFowler Methodist Episcopal ChurchH. Alden Smith HouseHoratio P. Van Cleve HouseHarry F. Legg HouseHarry W. Jones House, built 1887John Lohmar HouseFlour Exchange BuildingElbert L. Carpenter House, built 1906Eugene J. Carpenter HouseGreat Northern Implement CompanyGeorge R. Newell House, built 1888Bennett-McBride HouseAdvance Thresher/Emerson-Newton Implement CompanyComo-Harriet Streetcar Line and TrolleyMinneapolis Public Library, North BranchBremer, Fredrika, Intermediate SchoolWashburn-Fair Oaks Mansion DistrictEdwin H. Hewitt HouseCharles J. Martin HouseFoshay TowerLittle Sisters of the Poor Home for the AgedCappelen Memorial Bridge, built 1923Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Depot, Freight House and Train ShedStewart Memorial Presbyterian Church, built 1910First Congregational ChurchFire Station No. 19Lumber Exchange BuildingNorthwestern Knitting Company FactoryNew Main-Augsburg Seminary, built 1901Washburn Park Water TowerWoodbury Fisk HouseLakewood Cemetery Memorial Chapel, built 1908Amos B. Coe House, built 1884Farmers and Mechanics Savings BankChadwick, Loren L., CottagesWesley Methodist Episcopal ChurchArchitects and Engineers Building, built 1920Malcolm Willey HouseDr. Oscar Owre HouseGethsemane Episcopal ChurchBardwell-Ferrant House, built 1883University of Minnesota Old Campus Historic DistrictHinkle-Murphy HouseMinneapolis Armory, built 1936First Church of Christ ScientistWhite Castle Building No. 8, built 1936Minnesota Soldiers' Home Historic DistrictMinneapolis Warehouse Historic DistrictCedar Avenue Bridge, built 1929Intercity Bridge, built 1927Interlachen BridgeQueene Avenue BridgeJohn G. and Minnie Gluek House and Carriage HouseMinneapolis Brewing Company, built 1891Swinford Townhouses and ApartmentsChurch of St. Stephen (Catholic)Lena O. Smith HouseOgden Apartment HotelCharles and Grace Parker HouseHealy Block Residential Historic DistrictStevens Square Historic DistrictStation 28 Minneapolis Fire Department, built 1914Rand Tower, built 1929Twin City Rapid Transit Company Steam Power PlantGeorge W. and Nancy B. Van Dusen HouseLawrence A. and Mary Fournier HouseChamber of CommerceElisha and Lizzie Morse Jr. HouseShubert, Sam S., TheatreMinneapolis YMCA Central BuildingHennepin Theatre, built 1921Grace Evangelical Lutheran ChurchProspect Park Water Tower and Tower Hill ParkAnne C. and Frank B. Semple House, built 1901Westminster Presbyterian ChurchNokomis Knoll Residential Historic DistrictEast Lake Branch LibraryFranklin Branch LibraryLinden Hills Branch LibraryRoosevelt Branch LibrarySummer Branch LibraryThirty-sixth Street Branch LibraryWalker Branch LibraryNorth East Neighborhood HouseMinneapolis Pioneers and Soldiers Memorial Cemetery, built 1853Theodore Wirth House-Administration BuildingLock and Dam No. 2Calhoun Beach ClubStation 13 Minneapolis Fire Department, built 1923Frieda and Henry J. Neils HouseMinneapolis Fire Department Repair ShopChicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad Grade SeparationSears, Roebuck and Company Mail-Order Warehouse and Retail StorePhi Gamma Delta Fraternity HouseFarmers and Mechanics Savings Bank, built 1942Eitel HospitalPence Automobile Company BuildingFirst National Bank-Soo Line Building, built 1915United States Post OfficeCedar Square WestAbbott HospitalBuzza Company BuildingNorthwestern National Life Insurance Company Home OfficeElizabeth C. Quinlan HouseLincoln Bank BuildingPeavey Plaza, built 1975Minnesota Linseed Oil CompanyHollywood TheaterPlymouth Building, built 1911Arthur and Edith Lee HouseProspect Park Residential Historic DistrictStrutwear Knitting Company BuildingMcLeod and Smith Inc. HeadquartersLake Street Sash and Door CompanyNorthstar CenterGrain Belt Beer SignNorthrop Mall Historic DistrictChurch of the Incarnation and Rectory, built 1918Calvary Lutheran ChurchChamber of Commerce BuildingLake Harriet Methodist Episcopal ChurchCameron Transfer and Storage Company BuildingThompson FlatsDayton's Department StoreLaurel ApartmentsZinsmaster Baking Company BuildingSound 80Northrup. King & Company ComplexJ.I. Case BuildingCalvary Baptist ChurchThe Woman’s Club of MinneapolisColiseum Building and HallSt. Olafs Norwegian Lutheran ChurchHiawatha Golf CourseTifereth B' nai Jacob Synagogue-First Church of God in ChristPillsbury A Mill★Christ Church Lutheran★
BuildingsDistrictsSitesStructuresObjects★ landmark

Architectural styles listings

Renaissance Revival10
Richardsonian Romanesque9
Classical Revival8
Queen Anne8
Georgian Revival7
Tudor Revival6
★ Landmark
Pillsbury A MillBuilding
★ Landmark
Christ Church LutheranInternational Style
Minnehaha Historic DistrictDistrict
Butler Brothers CompanyChicago School
St. Anthony Falls Historic DistrictClassical Revival
Swan Turnblad HouseFrench Chateau · Built 1929
Milwaukee Avenue Historic DistrictDistrict
William Gray Purcell HousePrairie School
All 152 listings
Minneapolis City Hall-Hennepin County CourthoseBuilding · listed 1974Floyd B. Olson HouseBuilding · listed 1974Moline, Milburn and Stoddard CompanyBuilding · listed 1975Basilica of St. Mary-CatholicBuilding · listed 1975Masonic TempleBuilding · listed 1975B. O. Cutter HouseBuilding · listed 1976Fowler Methodist Episcopal ChurchBuilding · listed 1976H. Alden Smith HouseBuilding · listed 1976Horatio P. Van Cleve HouseBuilding · listed 1976Harry F. Legg HouseBuilding · listed 1976Harry W. Jones HouseBuilding · listed 1976John Lohmar HouseBuilding · listed 1977Flour Exchange BuildingBuilding · listed 1977Elbert L. Carpenter HouseBuilding · listed 1977Eugene J. Carpenter HouseBuilding · listed 1977Great Northern Implement CompanyBuilding · listed 1977George R. Newell HouseBuilding · listed 1977Bennett-McBride HouseBuilding · listed 1977Advance Thresher/Emerson-Newton Implement CompanyBuilding · listed 1977Como-Harriet Streetcar Line and TrolleyStructure · listed 1977Minneapolis Public Library, North BranchBuilding · listed 1977Bremer, Fredrika, Intermediate SchoolBuilding · listed 1978Washburn-Fair Oaks Mansion DistrictDistrict · listed 1978Edwin H. Hewitt HouseBuilding · listed 1978Charles J. Martin HouseBuilding · listed 1978Foshay TowerBuilding · listed 1978Little Sisters of the Poor Home for the AgedBuilding · listed 1978Cappelen Memorial BridgeStructure · listed 1978Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Depot, Freight House and Train ShedDistrict · listed 1978Stewart Memorial Presbyterian ChurchBuilding · listed 1978First Congregational ChurchBuilding · listed 1979Fire Station No. 19Building · listed 1982Lumber Exchange BuildingBuilding · listed 1983Northwestern Knitting Company FactoryBuilding · listed 1983New Main-Augsburg SeminaryBuilding · listed 1983Washburn Park Water TowerStructure · listed 1983Woodbury Fisk HouseBuilding · listed 1983Lakewood Cemetery Memorial ChapelBuilding · listed 1983Amos B. Coe HouseBuilding · listed 1984Farmers and Mechanics Savings BankBuilding · listed 1984Chadwick, Loren L., CottagesBuilding · listed 1984Wesley Methodist Episcopal ChurchBuilding · listed 1984Architects and Engineers BuildingBuilding · listed 1984Malcolm Willey HouseBuilding · listed 1984Dr. Oscar Owre HouseBuilding · listed 1984Gethsemane Episcopal ChurchBuilding · listed 1984Bardwell-Ferrant HouseBuilding · listed 1984University of Minnesota Old Campus Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1984Hinkle-Murphy HouseBuilding · listed 1984Minneapolis ArmoryBuilding · listed 1985First Church of Christ ScientistBuilding · listed 1986White Castle Building No. 8Building · listed 1986Minnesota Soldiers' Home Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1989Minneapolis Warehouse Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1989Cedar Avenue BridgeStructure · listed 1989Intercity BridgeStructure · listed 1989Interlachen BridgeStructure · listed 1989Queene Avenue BridgeStructure · listed 1989John G. and Minnie Gluek House and Carriage HouseBuilding · listed 1990Minneapolis Brewing CompanyDistrict · listed 1990Swinford Townhouses and ApartmentsBuilding · listed 1990Church of St. Stephen (Catholic)Building · listed 1991Lena O. Smith HouseBuilding · listed 1991Ogden Apartment HotelBuilding · listed 1992Charles and Grace Parker HouseBuilding · listed 1992Healy Block Residential Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1993Stevens Square Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1993Station 28 Minneapolis Fire DepartmentBuilding · listed 1993Rand TowerBuilding · listed 1994Twin City Rapid Transit Company Steam Power PlantStructure · listed 1994George W. and Nancy B. Van Dusen HouseBuilding · listed 1995Lawrence A. and Mary Fournier HouseBuilding · listed 1995Chamber of CommerceBuilding · listed 1995Elisha and Lizzie Morse Jr. HouseBuilding · listed 1995Shubert, Sam S., TheatreBuilding · listed 1995Minneapolis YMCA Central BuildingBuilding · listed 1995Hennepin TheatreBuilding · listed 1996Grace Evangelical Lutheran ChurchBuilding · listed 1997Prospect Park Water Tower and Tower Hill ParkSite · listed 1997Anne C. and Frank B. Semple HouseBuilding · listed 1998Westminster Presbyterian ChurchBuilding · listed 1998Nokomis Knoll Residential Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1999East Lake Branch LibraryBuilding · listed 2000Franklin Branch LibraryBuilding · listed 2000Linden Hills Branch LibraryBuilding · listed 2000Roosevelt Branch LibraryBuilding · listed 2000Summer Branch LibraryBuilding · listed 2000Thirty-sixth Street Branch LibraryBuilding · listed 2000Walker Branch LibraryBuilding · listed 2000North East Neighborhood HouseBuilding · listed 2001Minneapolis Pioneers and Soldiers Memorial CemeteryDistrict · listed 2002Theodore Wirth House-Administration BuildingBuilding · listed 2002Lock and Dam No. 2Site · listed 2003Calhoun Beach ClubBuilding · listed 2003Station 13 Minneapolis Fire DepartmentBuilding · listed 2003Frieda and Henry J. Neils HouseBuilding · listed 2004Minneapolis Fire Department Repair ShopBuilding · listed 2005Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad Grade SeparationDistrict · listed 2005Sears, Roebuck and Company Mail-Order Warehouse and Retail StoreBuilding · listed 2005Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity HouseBuilding · listed 2005Farmers and Mechanics Savings BankBuilding · listed 2006Eitel HospitalBuilding · listed 2007Pence Automobile Company BuildingBuilding · listed 2007First National Bank-Soo Line BuildingBuilding · listed 2008United States Post OfficeBuilding · listed 2010Cedar Square WestDistrict · listed 2010Abbott HospitalBuilding · listed 2011Buzza Company BuildingBuilding · listed 2012Northwestern National Life Insurance Company Home OfficeBuilding · listed 2012Elizabeth C. Quinlan HouseBuilding · listed 2012Lincoln Bank BuildingBuilding · listed 2012Peavey PlazaSite · listed 2013Minnesota Linseed Oil CompanyBuilding · listed 2013Hollywood TheaterBuilding · listed 2014Plymouth BuildingBuilding · listed 2014Arthur and Edith Lee HouseBuilding · listed 2014Prospect Park Residential Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2015Strutwear Knitting Company BuildingBuilding · listed 2015McLeod and Smith Inc. HeadquartersBuilding · listed 2016Lake Street Sash and Door CompanyBuilding · listed 2016Northstar CenterBuilding · listed 2016Grain Belt Beer SignObject · listed 2016Northrop Mall Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2018Church of the Incarnation and RectoryBuilding · listed 2022Calvary Lutheran ChurchBuilding · listed 2022Chamber of Commerce BuildingBuilding · listed 1977Lake Harriet Methodist Episcopal ChurchBuilding · listed 2014Cameron Transfer and Storage Company BuildingBuilding · listed 2014Thompson FlatsBuilding · listed 2019Dayton's Department StoreBuilding · listed 2019Laurel ApartmentsBuilding · listed 2020Zinsmaster Baking Company BuildingBuilding · listed 2020Sound 80Building · listed 2020Northrup. King & Company ComplexBuilding · listed 2021J.I. Case BuildingBuilding · listed 2021Calvary Baptist ChurchBuilding · listed 2021Alano Society of Minneapolis ClubhouseBuilding · listed 2021The Woman’s Club of MinneapolisBuilding · listed 2022Coliseum Building and HallBuilding · listed 2022St. Olafs Norwegian Lutheran ChurchBuilding · listed 2022Hiawatha Golf CourseDistrict · listed 2023Minnesota Bridge 2440Structure · listed 2024Tifereth B' nai Jacob Synagogue-First Church of God in ChristBuilding · listed 2024Fawkes Auto ComplexDistrict · listed 2026

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds

Minneapolis’s post office has been open since 1854. Four other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.

Minneapolis
1854–today
Washburn
1874–1903
Minnehaha
1875–1891
Shingle Creek
1877–1888
Minnehaha Park
1893–1901
18501940today
Hamlets and corners on the map
Calhoun BeachKenwood Gables
Gone or out of use
Central High SchoolschoolClinton SchoolschoolFranklin Junior High SchoolschoolMinnehaha Park Post Officepost officePage SchoolschoolWebster Schoolschool
8cemeteries and burying grounds inside Minneapolis
Crystal LakeHillsideLakewoodOak HillPioneers and Soldiers MemorialSaint AnthonySaint Mary'sTemple Israel Memorial Park

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

The story

How Minneapolis came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Minneapolis.

Read it all →

Two Indigenous nations inhabited the area now called Minneapolis. Archaeologists have evidence that since 1000 AD, they were the Dakota (one half of the Sioux nation), and, after the 1700s, the Ojibwe (also known as Chippewa, members of the Anishinaabe nations). Dakota people have different stories to explain their creation. One widely accepted story says the Dakota emerged from Bdóte, the confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers. Dakota are the only inhabitants of the Minneapolis area who claimed no other land; they have no traditions of having immigrated. In 1680, cleric Louis Hennepin, who was probably the first European to see the Minneapolis waterfall the Dakota people call Owámniyomni, renamed it the Falls of St. Anthony of Padua for his patron saint.

ChaptersDakota homelandIndustries developSocial tensions

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

From the old history books

What they wrote about Minneapolis, 1890–1893

Passages that mention Minneapolis, cut from the printed page as they were published.

And the same remarks will apphto the incorporation of the city of Minneapolis at a later date. Under the charter above mentioned, the city progressed without noteworthy incident, until 1872, when it was merged in the city of Minneapolis.
History of the city of Minneapolis, Minnesota1893Read the page →
Read the text

And the same remarks will apphto the incorporation of the city of Minneapolis at a later date. Under the charter above mentioned, the city progressed without noteworthy incident, until 1872, when it was merged in the city of Minneapolis.

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
from Michigan. A good part of the land was under cultivation for several years when, in 1855, it was laid out into lots and known as a part of Bassett, Case and Moore's addition to the village of Minneapolis. Moore idtimately became a merchant in Minneapolis, and transacted a large business, and co…
Personal recollections of Minnesota and its people, and early history of Minneapolis1890 · page 140Read the page →
Read the text

from Michigan. A good part of the land was under cultivation for several years when, in 1855, it was laid out into lots and known as a part of Bassett, Case and Moore's addition to the village of Minneapolis. Moore idtimately became a merchant in Minneapolis, and transacted a large business, and contributed, as Colonel Case did, largely in building up the city, in its early days. Mr. Moore moved to Sauk Center, in Stearns county, many years since, and has represented that county in

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
lowing: Chapter 12, section 1, there i.s hereby created and established in and for the cit\' of Minncajiolis a board which shall be styled the "library board of the city of Minneapolis," said board shall have power to establish and maintain in thecityof Minneapolis public libraries and reading room…
History of the city of Minneapolis, Minnesota1893Read the page →
Read the text

lowing: Chapter 12, section 1, there i.s hereby created and established in and for the cit\' of Minncajiolis a board which shall be styled the "library board of the city of Minneapolis," said board shall have power to establish and maintain in thecityof Minneapolis public libraries and reading rooms, galleries of art and museums for the use and benefit of the inhabitants of said city, and for the pur-

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Minneapolis had now not only a good teacher in the districtschool, but a good one in the singing-school. The only school ever held out of Minneapolis proper, up to this time, in the county, except a garrison school at Fort Snelling, was an Indian school at the Lake Harriet mission as early as 1836,…
Personal recollections of Minnesota and its people, and early history of Minneapolis1890 · page 210Read the page →
Read the text

Minneapolis had now not only a good teacher in the districtschool, but a good one in the singing-school. The only school ever held out of Minneapolis proper, up to this time, in the county, except a garrison school at Fort Snelling, was an Indian school at the Lake Harriet mission as early as 1836, taught by Kev. S. W. Pond.

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.

Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

Timeline

Minneapolis, 1850 to 1966

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1850
    FoundingMinneapolis is established
  3. 1854Post officeThe Minneapolis post office opens
  4. 1869In the archiveHennepin Island Tunnel collapse 1
  5. 1874Post officeThe Washburn post office opens
  6. 1875In the archivePanorama of Minneapolis, Minn
  7. 1875Post officeThe Minnehaha post office opens
  8. 1888BuiltMinneapolis City Hall-Hennepin County Courthose is built
  9. 1890In the archiveUS 1890s Minnesota Northern Mill Company Minneapolis to Winona Cover front
  10. 1891Post officeThe Minnehaha post office closes
  11. 1892Born hereJ. Paul Getty is born here
  12. 1896On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  13. 20th century
  14. 1903Post officeThe Washburn post office closes
  15. 1905In the archive1905 ADVERTISING SEWING MACHINES MINNEAPOLIS MN COVER front
  16. 1914BuiltBasilica of St. Mary-Catholic is built
  17. 1929BuiltSwan Turnblad House is built
  18. 1940Born hereTerry Gilliam is born here
  19. 1958Born herePrince is born here
  20. 1966LandmarkPillsbury A Mill named a National Historic Landmark
By decade

Minneapolis, decade by decade

4 decades in the archive, from the 1860s to the 1900s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1860s–1890s5 items
Hennepin Island Tunnel collapse 11869Hennepin Island Tunnel collapse 1Panorama of Minneapolis, Minn1875Panorama of Minneapolis, MinnUS 1890s Minnesota Northern Mill Company Minneapolis to Winona Cover front1890sUS 1890s Minnesota Northern Mill Company Minneapolis …Band and parade under Lumber Arch - DPLA - 7eaff9ad508e0b0576c5d7f0efafb3321892Band and parade under Lumber Arch - DPLA - 7eaff9ad50…FORT SNELLING AND1893FORT SNELLING AND
1900s1 item
1905 ADVERTISING SEWING MACHINES MINNEAPOLIS MN COVER front19051905 ADVERTISING SEWING MACHINES MINNEAPOLIS MN COVER…
1910s–1990snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
On the map

Minneapolis on the map, 1896 to 1993

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Minneapolis. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Minneapolis on the 1896 USGS mapMinneapolis on the 1901 USGS mapMinneapolis on the 1952 USGS mapMinneapolis on the 1967 USGS mapMinneapolis on the 1972 USGS mapMinneapolis on the 1993 USGS map1896Minneapolis sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Minneapolis.

Every building

Minneapolis, building by building, 1885–1912

Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.

Minneapolis fire insurance map, 1885, sheet 21885Sheet 2 of 79
Edition
BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Hennepin Island Tunnel collapse 1
Retake this viewHennepin Island Tunnel collapse 1, 1869

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Minneapolis’ page.

Retake this view · +15
People over time

Minneapolis, census by census

050,000100,000150,000200,000250,000300,000350,000400,000450,000500,000550,000190019502000Peak: 521,718

Between 5,809 and 521,718 people in every census since 1860.

17 censuses, 1860–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Minneapolis’ Wikipedia page.

Famous people

20 famous people were born in Minneapolis

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
PrinceAmerican musician · b. 1958
Terry GilliamAmerican born-British filmmaker, comedian, and … · b. 1940
Vince VaughnAmerican actor · b. 1970
J. Paul GettyAmerican industrialist and art collector · b. 1892
Pete HegsethUnited States Secretary of Defense · b. 1980
Richard Dean AndersonAmerican actor · b. 1950
Help out

Finish Minneapolis’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
1 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewHennepin Island Tunnel collapse 1: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Richfield1 historic placeCSt. Paul117 historic placesA+St. AnthonyIts storyC−Golden Valley1 historic placeCSt. Louis Park2 historic placesC+Brooklyn CenterIts storyC−Robbinsdale2 historic placesB−Fridley1 historic placeB−Edina7 historic placesB

Questions about Minneapolis’ history

What year was Minneapolis founded?

In 1850, according to Wikidata. Minneapolis’ post office opened in 1854, and the census of 1860 counted 5,809 people here.

How does Minneapolis rank for history?

Minneapolis is more historic than 88% of U.S. towns, #6 of 273 in Minnesota. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

What is on the National Register in Minneapolis?

152 listings, 2 of them National Historic Landmarks: 120 buildings, among them the Pillsbury A Mill (a National Historic Landmark since 1966), 19 historic districts with 1,128 contributing buildings, 3 sites, 9 structures, and 1 object. 1,286 historic buildings in all.

How old are the homes in Minneapolis?

43% of Minneapolis’ homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 8.1% for a Minnesota town; the median home was built in 1951.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (6), Wikidata (6), the National Register of Historic Places (152), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.