"Where the Waters Meet"

"Where the Waters Meet" (HMP6T)

Location: Mendota, MN 55150 Dakota County
Buy Minnesota State flags at Flagstore.com!
Country: United States of America
Buy United States of America flags at Flagstore.com!

N 44° 53.263', W 93° 10.004'

  • 0 likes
  • 0 check ins
  • 0 favorites
  • 575 views
Inscription
Called M'Dote or "the place where waters meet" by the Dakota, this area is central to many Dakota creation stories and is significant to Dakota people today. Just west of this site is Pilot Knob, which was used extensively for burials by the Dakota up to the 1850s.

Archaeological research has uncovered evidence of habitation at this location going back at least 9,000 years. Artifacts such as French gunflints and other trade goods clearly show this was one of the earliest fur-trading locations in Minnesota, perhaps as early as the 1660s.

The John Casper Wild painting above shows how much the site has changed since its heyday in the 1830s. The warehouses once stood directly on the riverbank, approximately where the railroad tracks run today. Much of the landscape changed in the early 20th century when barge channels were cut and natural burns were stopped in the state park along the river.

The trees now block what was once a tremendous view of the junction of the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers with Fort Snelling standing over them on the opposite bluff. The river was the lifeblood of the fur trade, and was the major travel artery until the railroad came to Minnesota in the 1860s.

Today the land along the rivers are part of Fort Snelling State Park. Although the contact station and visitor center are across the river, rough trails for running, hiking, and walking follow the banks of this back channel between the Minnesota and Mississippi.

Historic Fort Snelling
Minnesota Historical Society
Sibley House Historic Site
All images are from the collections of the Minnesota Historical Society
Details
HM NumberHMP6T
Tags
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Thursday, September 11th, 2014 at 11:19pm PDT -07:00
Pictures
Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)15T E 486833 N 4970490
Decimal Degrees44.88771667, -93.16673333
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 44° 53.263', W 93° 10.004'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds44° 53' 15.78" N, 93° 10' 0.24" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 47-549 D St, Mendota MN 55150, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

Is this marker missing? Are the coordinates wrong? Do you have additional information that you would like to share with us? If so, check in.

Check Ins  check in   |    all

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.

Comments 0 comments

Maintenance Issues
  1. Is this marker part of a series?
  2. What historical period does the marker represent?
  3. What historical place does the marker represent?
  4. What type of marker is it?
  5. What class is the marker?
  6. What style is the marker?
  7. Does the marker have a number?
  8. What year was the marker erected?
  9. Who or what organization placed the marker?
  10. This marker needs at least one picture.
  11. Area Code
  12. Can this marker be seen from the road?
  13. Is the marker in the median?