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40-561: MN 55 serves as a northwest–southeast route between Elbow Lake, Glenwood, Paynesville , Annandale , Buffalo , Plymouth , Minneapolis , Mendota Heights , and Hastings . MN 55 begins at the Bois de Sioux River , at the Minnesota—North Dakota state line near Tenney . North Dakota Highway 11 (ND 11) is its counterpoint upon crossing the state line. MN 55 continues east to Tenney, Nashua , and Wendell . The route has

80-602: A tallgrass prairie , the naturally occurring spring, and the historic springhouse and reservoir . There is a .25-mile (0.40 km) crushed limestone path from the entrance that winds through the restored savanna to the historic springhouse structure. Beyond the springhouse, a 1-mile (1.6 km) hiking trail crosses the creek into the nearby woodlands and connects with the multi-use Minnehaha Trail , leading northward to Minnehaha Park or southward to Fort Snelling State Park. Bird watching and wildlife viewing are popular activities for visitors. The park has limited parking and there

120-628: A 100,000-acre (400 km ) land purchased from the Mdewakanton Sioux Indians by Zebulon Pike . The land was designated as a military reservation. On May 5, 1820, Lieutenant Colonel Henry Leavenworth moved his troops to the spring area because their former encampment, on the Minnesota River , was causing unhealthy conditions. Leavenworth was succeeded by Colonel Josiah Snelling in August of that year. The soldiers lived in tents and huts on

160-673: A junction with Interstate 494 (I-494) in Plymouth. MN 55 continues east and has a junction with US 169 at the Plymouth– Golden Valley boundary line. MN 55 continues through Golden Valley to its junction with MN 100 . The route then continues east and enters the city of Minneapolis . The highway has been designated Olson Memorial Highway, named for Floyd B. Olson , a popular Minnesota governor of Norwegian ancestry. Olson grew up in North Minneapolis, near where

200-537: A junction with MN 3 in Inver Grove Heights . MN 55 then runs concurrently with US 52 through Inver Grove Heights and into Rosemount . At Rosemount, MN 55 leaves US 52. MN 55 continues independently again to its eastern terminus at its intersection with US 61 in the city of Hastings . MN 55 was authorized in 1933. The original alignment for MN 55 in Minneapolis

240-691: A junction with U.S. Highway 59 (US 59) before entering the city of Elbow Lake. US 59/MN 55 runs concurrently for 11 miles (18 km) until reaching Barrett . MN 55 then continues independently again to Hoffman , Kensington , Farwell , and Lowry before reaching the city of Glenwood. At Glenwood, MN 55 has an intersection with MN 29 and an interchange with MN 28 . The route continues southeast to Sedan and Brooten before reaching its junction with US 71 in Belgrade . MN 55 passes through Regal before reaching its junction with MN 4 and MN 23 at

280-492: A national precedent in 2003 by welding 28,000 square yards of eight-layer synthetic liner, covering approximately six acres to protect the water flow to the spring. The liner isolated the interchange of Minnesota highways 55 and 62 , allowing it to sit below the water table and remain dry, while also letting the water flow beneath the interchange to the spring. The National Park Service led an environmental impact statement process in 2006 to consider potential future uses of

320-513: Is a city in Stearns County , Minnesota , United States, on Lake Koronis, in the central part of the state. The population was 2,388 at the 2020 census . It is part of the St. Cloud Metropolitan Statistical Area . Paynesville was platted in 1857 by Edwin E. Payne, and named for him. The town was completely evacuated to the relative safety of Richmond and St. Cloud during the 1862 Dakota War ;

360-513: Is located on MN 5 at Post Road. MN 55 crosses the Minnesota River via the Mendota Bridge, which was the longest continuous bridge made of poured concrete when it was completed in 1926. It is 4,119 feet (1,255 m) in length. The route enters Mendota Heights , diverges from MN 62, and then has a junction with MN 13 . MN 55 continues southeast through Eagan , joining briefly with MN 149 . The route then has

400-677: Is located on the west bluffs of the Mississippi River directly south of Minnehaha Park and adjacent to Fort Snelling State Park . Waters from the naturally occurring spring flow continuously year round and remain unfrozen in winter months. The spring and surrounding area is managed as a protected historic site and natural park by the National Park Service as part of the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area . For hundreds of years, Dakota people have considered

440-499: Is no visitor's center or restroom facility. Early in the Spring [of 1820] Col. Leavenworth discovered the fountain of water where the troops now are, & to which they moved as soon as the ice would permit. It is a healthy situation, about 200 feet above the river, and the water gushing out of a lime stone rock is excellent. It is called "Camp Cold Water." [It is] a situation which is extremely salubrious, and where they will remain until

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480-571: Is provided by the Soo Line's Paynesville Subdivision . Passenger rail service was formerly provided by the Great Northern Railway and by the Soo Line's Winnipeger until 1970; since then the nearest active train station to Paynesville has been in St. Cloud. The City of Paynesville operates Paynesville Municipal Airport (PEX/KPEX), a small general aviation airport. One mile south of Paynesville,

520-573: Is public lake access on the northwest shore, at the end of 180th Street, and on the southwest shore, at the end of 253rd Avenue. Camp Coldwater Coldwater Spring ( Dakota : Mní Ówe Sní ) is a spring in the Fort Snelling unorganized territory of the U.S. state of Minnesota , that is considered a sacred site by the Dakota people , and was also the site of the U.S. Army's Camp Coldwater for troops that constructed Fort Snelling . Coldwater Spring

560-562: The Lower Sioux Indian Reservation designated Coldwater as a traditional cultural property, making an official statement that the area "has been used for traditional, spiritual, religious and cultural ceremonies by the MN. Mdewakanton and their hereditary descendents [sic] for thousands of years" and that "the water of Coldwater Spring has been traditionally utilized for healing of Dakota people and others." The National Park Service held

600-505: The census of 2010, there were 2,432 people, 1,065 households, and 635 families living in the city. The population density was 1,048.3 inhabitants per square mile (404.8/km ). There were 1,148 housing units at an average density of 494.8 units per square mile (191.0 units/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 97.0% White , 0.5% African American , 0.1% Native American , 0.4% Asian , 0.9% from other races , and 1.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.2% of

640-588: The 1880s, the Army built a formal waterworks at the site, including the extant springhouse and reservoir. Following the closing of Fort Snelling after World War II , the site was turned over to the United States Bureau of Mines as their Twin Cities Research Center, where mining research was carried out for over 40 years. Several buildings were constructed in the 1960s for over 200 workers. Researchers at

680-428: The 3014-acre Lake Koronis offers some of the best fishing in the area, with an abundance of walleye, bass, and northern pike. It reaches a maximum depth of 132 feet and averages 29 feet deep. Aquatic invasive species found in the lake include starry stonewort and zebra mussels . About five miles east-southeast of Paynesville, the 1639-acre Rice Lake also offers excellent walleye, bass, and northern pike fishing. There

720-572: The Dakota burned the townsite to the ground. The town was subsequently rebuilt, this time with the addition of a wooden stockade built by the U.S. Army. The arrival of the Soo Line and Great Northern Railway in 1886 spurred increased settlement near the railroad lines, leading to the formation of the new settlements of Jim Town along the Soo Line and North Paynesville near the Great Northern. Jim town, on

760-570: The Hiawatha Avenue stretch. MN 55 runs concurrently along I-94 / US 52 . MN 55 exits just before downtown at the westbound I-94/northbound US 52 exit, and leaves the concurrency at the exit for the Olson Highway, marked with the MN ;55 shield. Eastbound, MN 55 leaves the Olson Highway at the interchange for I-94 eastbound/US 52 southbound, and leaves the freeway at

800-579: The Mississippi River and settled in what eventually became Saint Paul, Minnesota . The Coldwater area once housed blacksmith shops, stables, trading posts, a hotel, and a steamboat landing, but nearly all of those buildings were gone by the time of the American Civil War . With the re-opening of Fort Snelling during the Civil War, Coldwater Spring was once again used to supply water to the fort. In

840-593: The Mississippi River. Water from Coldwater Spring is not considered drinkable. The site was extensively re-landscaped in 2012 with native grasses and wildflowers in an attempt to restore the original oak savanna landscape. Prairie restoration efforts had the similar aim as those at Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary in Saint Paul a few years prior. Much of the restored landscape is maintained by NPS biological staff in partnership with biweekly volunteer crews. The main features of Coldwater Spring park are walking paths through

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880-414: The average family size was 2.95. In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.0% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 25.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40. For every 100 females, there were 88.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $ 34,000, and

920-542: The city of Paynesville . MN 55 continues east to Eden Valley and Watkins before reaching its junction with MN 15 at Kimball . The route has a junction with MN 24 in Annandale. MN 55 continues to Maple Lake and then Buffalo, where it has a junction with MN 25 . MN 55 enters the Twin Cities area at Rockford and Greenfield , continuing east to Medina and Plymouth . MN 55 has

960-416: The city. The population density was 1,715.2 inhabitants per square mile (662.2/km ). There were 984 housing units at an average density of 744.5 units per square mile (287.5 units/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 98.81% White , 0.04% African American , 0.09% Native American , 0.31% Asian , 0.22% from other races , and 0.53% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.28% of

1000-425: The exit for Hiawatha Avenue, which is also marked with the MN 55 shield. There has been some controversy with expansion of the highway. An area known as Camp Coldwater , considered by some as the "birthplace of Minnesota", was dug up during some construction. MN 55 joins with MN 62 at this point. Fort Snelling State Park is located near the junction of MN 55 and MN 5 . The park entrance

1040-582: The highway runs. While the entire route is designated as the Olson Memorial Highway, it is only consistently signed as such between Interstate 494 and N 7th Street in Minneapolis. The part of MN 55 southeast of downtown is known as Hiawatha Avenue. Light rail trains on the Blue Line , and Little Earth Trail and Hiawatha LRT Trail for bicyclists/pedestrians, run parallel to the highway for much of

1080-421: The median income for a family was $ 42,500. Males had a median income of $ 30,978 versus $ 20,219 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 17,246. About 4.5% of families and 8.1% of the population were below the poverty line , including 4.6% of those under age 18 and 15.2% of those age 65 or over. Minnesota State Highways 4 , 23 , and 55 are three of Paynesville's main highways. Freight rail service

1120-409: The permanent works [Fort St. Anthony, later Fort Snelling ] are completed upon the bluff at the junction of the two rivers. I was a little surprised on arriving here, to find that there is no such place as St. Peters proper. Fort Snelling, New Hope, and Camp Coldwater, comprise all the settlements here; and St. Peters seems to have been used, by common consent, as a name for the whole settlement around

1160-441: The population. There were 1,065 households, of which 26.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.9% were married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.4% were non-families. 35.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size

1200-406: The population. There were 934 households, out of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.1% were married couples living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.4% were non-families. 32.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and

1240-434: The public in 2012. Coldwater Spring emanates from Platteville limestone bedrock near the river gorge that was formed over 10,000 years ago by glacier melt at the end of the most recent ice age . Water flows at 144,000 gallons per day at 47 °F (8 °C), remaining ice free in the winter with ducks present. Waters exit the spring into a reservoir before tumbling into a wetlands waterfall and eventually reaching

Minnesota State Highway 55 - Misplaced Pages Continue

1280-476: The site during three summers while they built the permanent stone fort south of the location, which was completed in 1825 and named Fort Snelling . The spring continued to supply water to the fort, first via water wagons and then via a stone water tower and underground pipes. Settlers who had left the Red River Colony settled near the spring location in 1821, but were forced to leave in 1840. They moved down

1320-619: The site of today's downtown Paynesville, became the largest of the three Paynesvilles, eventually merging with the others as New Paynesville, later shortened back to Paynesville. A post office has been in operation at Paynesville since 1857. Paynesville lies along the North Fork of the Crow River and Lake Koronis. According to the United States Census Bureau , it has an area of 2.32 square miles (6.01 km ), all land. As of

1360-489: The site that had been largely abandoned for the past ten years. If disposing of the site, the federal government was required by law to sell the land to a state or local government, American Indian tribe, or an academic institution. Some of the vacant mine research buildings may have been eligible for National Register for Historic Places status, but would have required expensive repairs. Hennepin County officials wanted to convert

1400-411: The site to a suburban business park . Conservationists argued that the spring area should be repurposed as a publicly accessible natural park. The property was transferred to the National Park Service in 2010, and made a unit of the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area . Plans to restore the native landscape led to discussion about Dakota history and ownership of the area. The community at

1440-438: The site were credited with developing an air filtration system to eliminate black lung disease among coal miners , and creating a beeping device to alert people when a heavy truck is backing up. The Twin Cities Research Center closed in 1996 and several buildings were left abandoned. For many years, efforts to protect the spring delayed planned freeway construction in the area. The Minnesota Department of Transportation set

1480-506: The spring and area around it to be a place of spiritual importance. The confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers was a neutral and sacred place where the Ojibwe , Dakota, Sauk , Meskwaki and Potowatamie tribes moved freely. The spring area was explored by early European-American settlers who were interested in expanding the fur trade . In September 1805, the area was part of

1520-503: The view that while there were Dakota villages along the lower Minnesota River, there is little evidence the spring itself was a ceremonial site. National Park Service crews at Coldwater Spring repaired the springhouse structure, restored the creek and wetlands, removed invasive species like buckthorn, and removed several abandoned buildings. The result was a savanna landscape said to resemble pre-settlement by European-American people. The National Park Service opened Coldwater Spring park to

1560-431: Was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.83. The median age in the city was 42.4 years. 22.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.6% were from 25 to 44; 21.9% were from 45 to 64; and 25.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.7% male and 52.3% female. As of the census of 2000, there were 2,267 people, 934 households, and 594 families living in

1600-475: Was along old US 52 (now County State-Aid Highway 81 , CSAH 81) to Rockford Road, then Rockford Road to MN 55's present-day alignment (now CSAH 9 ). The present-day alignment was constructed in the early 1950s. In July 2005, the section of MN 55 that runs through downtown Minneapolis was turned back to local maintenance. To fill the gap, MN 55 was rerouted along I-94 /US 52. Paynesville, Minnesota Paynesville

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