| Called in the Ojibwe language Gakaabikaang | | | | racketeering, and prostitution. |
| (at the falls), the city grew up around the | | | | |
| Saint Anthony Falls, the only waterfall on | | | | In the 1950s and 1960s, the downtown area of |
| the Mississippi River and the end of the | | | | Minneapolis went through a major phase of |
| commercially navigable section of the river | | | | urban renewal, which involved the razing of |
| until locks were installed in the 1960s. | | | | about 200 buildings across 25 city |
| Father Louis Hennepin was the first European | | | | blocks—roughly 40% of the area. This |
| to explore the area, giving the falls their | | | | included the destruction of a slum area known |
| name, as well as lending his name to the | | | | as "Skid Row," but also the destruction of |
| county in which Minneapolis is located. The | | | | many buildings with notable architecture. One |
| nearby Fort Snelling spurred the growth of | | | | of the most lamented buildings was the |
| villages and towns in the area. A lumber mill | | | | Metropolitan Building, known simply as "the |
| was built on the falls in 1822 to supply the | | | | Met". Efforts to save the building (which |
| fort. In the 1840s, settlers were not allowed | | | | ultimately failed) are credited with |
| to stay on land controlled by the military | | | | jumpstarting a much greater interest in |
| without special permission, so the first | | | | historic preservation in the state of |
| settlement near the falls, St. Anthony, grew | | | | Minnesota. |
| on the northeast side of the river, just | | | | |
| outside of the fort's jurisdiction. | | | | While it was never official policy, |
| | | | segregation occurred between whites and |
| The first person authorized to live on the | | | | blacks in the city, and racial issues still |
| river's west bank was Colonel John H. | | | | fuel conflicts in the city today. A |
| Stevens, who operated a ferry service | | | | desegregation program of forced busing to |
| starting around 1850. A few years later, the | | | | balance the number of black and white |
| amount of land controlled by the fort was | | | | schoolchildren in city schools began in 1972. |
| reduced with an order from U.S. President | | | | While ethnic diversity continues to grow in |
| Millard Fillmore, and free settlement | | | | the area (both in quantity and variety), some |
| followed. The village of Minneapolis soon | | | | advocacy groups, in particular those |
| sprung up on the southwest bank of the river. | | | | representing African Americans and Native |
| The village of St. Anthony was incorporated | | | | Americans, complain that their members are |
| by the Minnesota Territorial Legislature in | | | | excessively targeted by the police. |
| 1855, and Minneapolis soon followed in 1856. | | | | Minneapolis has a higher rate of black |
| | | | poverty than many other American cities. |
| The original campus of the University of | | | | |
| Minnesota system first appeared near the | | | | Another relatively troubled period for parts |
| falls at this time. Today it is a Big Ten | | | | of Minneapolis was the 1990s, when the murder |
| university with more than 50,000 | | | | rate and incidence of gang violence climbed, |
| undergraduate and graduate students enrolled | | | | almost entirely in poorer neighborhoods of |
| in the Twin Cities alone, making it one of | | | | the city. The Phillips neighborhood (now |
| the largest campuses in the country. | | | | referred to as Phillips Community) was |
| | | | particularly hard-hit. After reaching a |
| Minneapolis grew quickly during and after the | | | | record 97 homicides in 1995, the city gained |
| Civil War and became a city in 1867. | | | | an unpleasant nickname because of the |
| Outstripping the growth of its neighbor, the | | | | violence: "Murderapolis." Supposedly coined |
| city merged with St. Anthony five years later | | | | by local gun shop owner Mark Koscielski, the |
| in 1872. The early growth of the city was | | | | term gained widespread use after The New York |
| directed by the river, which ran to the | | | | Times used it when reporting that Minneapolis |
| southeast, and most early streets ran | | | | had surpassed the per capita homicide rate of |
| parallel to it to maximize the amount of land | | | | New York City. The murder rate retreated in |
| that could be used. Later growth of | | | | the following years, but area residents often |
| Minneapolis eventually turned to using | | | | grow concerned that the nickname may make a |
| north-south/east-west streets, so many unique | | | | comeback whenever there is an uptick in |
| intersections were formed to translate | | | | violence in the city. |
| between the two layouts (probably the most | | | | |
| famous of these is a site known as Seven | | | | Health and environmental issues have gained |
| Corners, on the eastern periphery of | | | | importance over the years. Many cleanup |
| downtown). Some streets, especially many of | | | | projects have taken place, and industrial |
| the older and more traditionally important | | | | activities have been scaled back or modified |
| ones of the city, like Hennepin Ave. and | | | | within the city. In 2005, the City amended |
| Nicollet Ave., have both orientations at | | | | its Comprehensive Plan and adopted various |
| different points along their roadways. | | | | indicators that strengthen its commitment to |
| | | | sustainability. On the scale of individuals, |
| Following an initial burst of activity in the | | | | a ban on smoking in all bars, bowling alleys |
| lumber industry, the city's economy developed | | | | and restaurants went into effect in March |
| around the processing of grain from the Great | | | | 2005. |
| Plains, which is reflected by the presence of | | | | |
| companies such as General Mills and Pillsbury | | | | Minneapolis has a long history of prominence |
| in the city. In its heyday, it was known as | | | | as a center for the arts. The Walker Art |
| the "milling capital of the world." It was | | | | Center (opened in 1927) an early proponent of |
| the leading producer of grain in the world | | | | pop and postmodern art movements. The Guthrie |
| until 1932. Today, it is still referred to as | | | | Theater (founded in 1963) is a repertory |
| the mill city. More recently the city has | | | | company whose stage also showcases local and |
| become notable for its medical and financial | | | | international performances theatrical and |
| industries, as well as the largest shopping | | | | otherwise, and features workshops headlined |
| mall in terms of indoor space in the United | | | | by Emmy and Oscar-winning celebrities. The |
| States, the Mall of America (actually in | | | | new three-stage Guthrie complex opened in the |
| Bloomington, a suburb south of Minneapolis). | | | | old Mill District in 2006. In the 1980s, a |
| Minneapolis was the headquarters of Honeywell | | | | diverse range of musicians, including Prince, |
| International Inc. | | | | Hüsker Dü, the Replacements, the |
| | | | Suburbs, and Soul Asylum set the pace for the |
| The 1920s and 1930s were a rather dark period | | | | nation in pop musical innovation, and local |
| in the city's history, as organized crime and | | | | producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis's studios |
| corruption took hold of the region. The most | | | | became a destination for some of the 1980s |
| notorious gangster from this time was Kid | | | | and 1990s biggest acts. Prince's music and |
| Cann (real name Isadore Blumenfeld) who ran | | | | that of groups/artists in his artistic |
| much of his operation from the city's West | | | | influence gave rise to the term "the |
| Hotel and engaged in bootlegging, | | | | Minneapolis sound". |