Upper Missippi River Map Fridley-Wabasha

Famous Folk on the River

This map depicts the upper portion of the Mississippi River from Fridely to Wabasha. This is a portion of the river that is rife with historical importance, as well as being touched by significant famous figure or two. For instance, Pepin is the birthplace of Laura Ingalls Wilder, best known from the book and television series, Little House on the Prairie. It is also the location where Mark twain sketched an illustration of Maiden Rock as a passenger aboard one of the steamboats used for commerce and trade up and down the waterways of our budding nation.

The Legend of Maiden Rock

Today, Maiden Rock is a sleepy little Wisconsin town. However, the region itself is rooted in an Indian legend. According to the story, a young Indian woman named Dakota, lips to her death from the highest bluff in the area because she did not want to marry the individual that her father, chief Red Wing, had selected for her. Since that time, the bluff has been known as maiden rock. That is the very bluff that

Mark Twain sketched during his trip.

Important Historical Places

Other places of historical significance include St. Anthony Falls.The birthplace of Minneapolis, this town rose to prominence in the 1800s when the Mississippi's only waterfall was used to harvest electricity for local sawmills. Today, it is a thriving metropolitan district in the heart of Minneapolis and is known for using its own storage buildings for modern spaces such as residential dwellings and retail shops.

Another point of historical significance is the Lake City Marina. Originally used for the logging
industry during the 1800s, it contained little more than a hotel and a few residential dwellings adjacent to the lumberyard. However, in the early 1900s, the city acquired the property and over time it developed into the beautiful resort area that it is today.

Since this area was powered by the river, Birdseye view maps of its day featured the logging industry and steamboats prominently as they constantly feel the landscape. You would be hard-pressed to go anywhere up and down this stretch of river and not see a steamboat or two carrying people and goods for sale. Much of what happened in the past is responsible for establishing several towns and towns in Minnesota and Wisconsin that are still as quaint today as they were more than one hundred years ago.

All sizes are approximate.