Fur was an important resource for both groups Minnesota’s lakes rivers and forests were filled with wildlife French hunters and trappers could sell the fur of certain animals for large amounts of money Dakota and Ojibwa tribes lived in the area for generations French explorers came and went from the region It was not until 1819 that European-Americans settled in Minnesota permanently In 1837 the settlers signed a treaty with the native tribes This treaty gave the settlers land to develop Much of this territory was excellent farmland The settlers gained access to land along the Mississippi St Croix and Crow Wing Rivers American Indians had been farming these areas for centuries Their primary crops were corn potatoes turnips and pumpkins In contrast the 6
Minnesota’s largest city Minneapolis is located on the Mississippi River white settlers grew mostly potatoes and wheat They also raised cows to provide milk and fresh meat Rivers were hugely important in Minnesota’s history For example the Mississippi River flows all the way from Lake Itasca in Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Louisiana This water highway allowed people in Minnesota to send their products to markets around the world 7
Therefore access to the river played a key role in the economy not just for Minnesota but also for the entire United States In the 1800s and early 1900s the state’s economy was dominated by agriculture Farms produced wheat potatoes and other crops Flour soon became the state’s biggest export In Minneapolis the West Side Milling District was built in 1858 That was the same year Minnesota became a state Flour mills in Minneapolis used water for power The source of that water was Saint Anthony Falls on the Mississippi River The flowing water powered the machinery that milled the flour By the 1890s Minneapolis had 24 flour mills In the mid-1900s Minnesota’s economy began to change The state still had many farms But in the cities companies started to focus 8
The Minneapolis skyway system keeps people warm even on the coldest winter days on manufacturing goods Today Minnesota companies produce a variety of computer and electronic products The state is also one of the top exporters of medical tools The city of Minneapolis has changed along with the state’s economy Minneapolis is the largest city in Minnesota While some mill buildings still exist in Minneapolis none of them produce flour anymore Instead most of the buildings downtown are offices connected by skyways 9
