Road Work Starting This Week on Pilot Knob and County Road 42 in Apple Valley

Construction starts May 18th (today) near Pilot Knob Road and Upper 147th Street, with a second project on County Road 42 kicking off in July, expect lane restrictions and delays through September.

Lakeville Voters Approve $139.6 Million Middle School Referendum

The Growing Together referendum passed 54% to 46% on May 12, funding additions and renovations at all three middle schools, Century, Kenwood Trail, and McGuire.

You're driving across the Mendota Bridge, 150 feet above the Minnesota River, traffic moving at 60 miles an hour. The crossing takes 30 seconds.

In 1850, the same crossing took all day. You waited in line with your wagon. You paid your fare. You watched the ferryman pole you across the current, hoping the river wasn't running too fast, hoping the weather held.

Before the bridges, the rivers were walls. And the ferries were the only doors.

THE CHOKEPOINTS

The Minnesota River runs 330 miles from Big Stone Lake to Fort Snelling. For most of the 19th century, if you wanted to cross it in the south metro, you had three options: wait for winter and walk across the ice, swim, or pay the ferryman.

The ferries became chokepoints. Everything funneled through them — fur traders, soldiers, settlers heading west, ox cart caravans creaking down from Winnipeg. The roads didn't go to towns. They went to ferry landings.

MENDOTA

The oldest crossing operated between Fort Snelling and Mendota, running by at least 1839. Every road in early Mendota terminated at that ferry landing.

Franklin Steele, the sutler who supplied Fort Snelling, operated ferries serving the post. For decades, if you wanted to move between the fort and the fur trading village below, you rode his boats.

The Mendota ferry ran for nearly 90 years. It ended November 8, 1926, when the Mendota Bridge opened. President Coolidge sent a telegraph. Roughly 15,000 cars met in the center. Governor Christianson untied golden ropes. At 4,119 feet, it was the longest continuous concrete-arch bridge in the world.

BLOOMINGTON

By the early 1850s, another ferry crossed from Bloomington toward Shakopee — the western route for settlers pushing past the established towns.

William Chambers operated it and built his house nearby in 1856. That house still stands, the second oldest in Bloomington. Fares: 10 cents for a foot passenger, 15 cents for a horse with or without rider.

In the early 1890s, a bridge replaced the ferry. That bridge lasted almost a century, closing in 1976. Today, a pedestrian trail bridge stands at the old crossing site.

MURPHY'S FERRY

The third crossing was Murphy's Ferry at Shakopee, on the Red River ox cart trail. Métis traders drove their carts 400 miles from Winnipeg to St. Paul, hauling buffalo hides and pemmican. Murphy's Ferry was one of their regular crossings.

On May 27, 1858, Murphy's Ferry became a battleground. Ojibwe warriors ambushed a Dakota camp on the south bank. The Dakota fighters boarded Murphy's Ferry to cross the river and counterattack. It was the last battle of the Dakota-Ojibwe War.

Today, the site is The Landing — Minnesota River Heritage Park. The 88-acre living history museum preserves the historic Murphy's Landing area, including the inn site and the approximate ferry crossing location.

WHERE TO GO

The Landing — 2187 Highway 101 East, Shakopee. The actual Murphy's Ferry site, now a living history museum. Open Memorial Day through October.

Bloomington Ferry Trail Bridge — Access from Bloomington Ferry Road. Pedestrian bridge at the historic crossing, connects to Minnesota River Bottoms trails.

Sibley Historic Site — 1357 Sibley Memorial Highway, Mendota. Near the Mendota ferry crossing. Tours May-October.

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Wild Workouts: Zumba (Apple Valley)
Dance your heart out at the Minnesota Zoo at 6:30PM, the wildest Zumba you'll ever do. Dance wild.

Lakeville Weekly MTB - Ages 7-13 (Lakeville)
Kids hit the mountain bike trails at West Lake Marion at 6PM, a great way to build skills and confidence on two wheels. Ride on.

Firefly Fest (Rosemount)
Bring the family to Emerald Trail Elementary at 5PM for a magical evening of fun and community celebration. Light it up.

Friends Trivia at OMNI (Rosemount)
Could this BE any more fun? Test your Friends knowledge at 7PM, grab your crew and compete for bragging rights. Pivot.

Out of This World: Space Foods (Apple Valley)
Kids ages 6-16 explore what astronauts eat at Falcon Ridge Middle at 6PM, a tasty STEM adventure. Blast off.

Denny McGovern at OMNI (Rosemount)
Denny McGovern returns to OMNI Brewing at 6PM for another night of crowd-pleasing live music. Encore.