Rochester and Saint Anthony: The Beginnings
Along the shores of the North Shore Lake, Ebeneser Rochester built a sawmill and a railroad. This industrialist layed the foundations on the city of Rochester in 1903. The cheap, newly accessible land drew hundreds of people and other primary industrial complexes. Within only two years, the hillside was dotted with little homes. At the time, it seemed as if Rochester was going to be the center of regional growth. However, in 1905, another town sprung up in the valley: Saint Anthony (Unofficially Minneapolis). This town was dependant on crude oil refining, though the town wasn't founded around the business but rather a group of immigrants drawn to the cheap land. Starting in 1911, a struggle had begun for dominance between the two cities after the completion of the High Bridge, a railway connecting the industries to the massive seaports in Rochester. That year, Rochester established itself as the capitol of the newly formed Northern Providence. In 1919, the population of Saint Anthony exploded. Also that year, the providence council relocated the capitol to Saint Anthony because of the open land, much to the protest of Rochester. Finally, in 1923, the new capitol building was completed and Saint Anthony was officially renamed Minneapolis.
Aerial view ca. 1911
The original capitol building build by Mr. Rochester.
Rochester- Downtown along Industrial Boulevard. This was a planned apartment project at the eastern end of the boulevard and development.
Aerial view ca. 1923.
The old town area, originally named Saint Anthony. The railroad leads to the High Bridge Bay. The treeless plains made it easy for settlers to build.
Photo taken later. The forward building is the capitol building for the Northern Providence. The court in the back of the capitol houses different government offices outside of the providence government. This initially housed city hall. The avenue leading to the front of the capitol is Highway 55, which will eventually be rerouted in a future project. A series of radial streets in the south and east lead into the capitol flats.
Image ca. 1923- Regional population reaches 100,000. Two areas are gridded and named, Maplewood and Washington Hill, though no development occurs in these areas for another 40 years.
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