Urban Archaeology, Preservation, and Collaboration on the Minneapolis Riverfront

Madeleine T. Bray

Urban Archaeology, Preservation, and Collaboration on the Minneapolis Riverfront

Year: 2020

Summary

This is a paper/report submission presented at the 2020 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

In the field of Cultural Resource Management, archaeology is often carried out in a reactive manner – in response to regulatory requirements or unanticipated discoveries. In contrast, this paper highlights the crucial role that archaeology played throughout the design and development of the Water Works city park in downtown Minneapolis. Minneapolis’s riverfront was historically the center of the city’s first industry, milling, and the once-industrial riverfront is now being revitalized. The Water Works project intends to balance new development with historic preservation, incorporating the ruins of 19th century flour mills and sawmills into the park design. To meet this goal, we worked collaboratively with a team of architects, engineers, and planners to implement a program of research, consultation, oral history, and archaeological excavation. The results of this effort were critical to informing project design and ensuring that the history of the site is preserved and celebrated.