1896 Map of St. Paul

About this map

Fort Snelling Military Reservation sits at the strategic confluence of the Mississippi River and Minnesota River, serving as a focal point for this late nineteenth-century landscape. The topography reveals the expansion of St. Paul and Minneapolis along established rail corridors like the Northern Pacific and Chicago Milwaukee and St. Paul. South of the urban centers, the terrain is defined by a dense network of glacial lakes including Black Dog Lake, Rogers Lake, and Holland Lake, interspersed with smaller settlements such as Mendota and Inver Grove. The map details the transition from industrial riverfronts at Dayton Bluff to the rural townships of Eagan and Rosemount. Notable landmarks such as Minnehaha Falls and Pike Island remain prominent natural features amidst the growing infrastructure of the Twin Cities region.