None of us who are old enough to remember, will ever forget the collapse of the I-35W Bridge, over the Mississippi. It was August, 1 2007, at 6:05 pm. I remember it was a beautiful day, I had company. Just enjoying a backyard barbecue with friends when the unbelievable happened.
I-35W Bridge Memorial & Remembrance Garden
Thirteen people died and 145 people were injured. The memorial overlooks the spot on the Mississippi River where the bridge fell. It consists of thirteen steel girders, one for each of the victims. Inscribed on each girder is the name of the victim and on most, the story of who they were. It’s very moving to go down the line and read about who these people were and how there tragic deaths affected their loved ones. The girders are eighty-one feet high, representing the date of the bridge collapse, 8/1. A black wall is located behind the girders, the wall is etched with the names of the 145 survivors.
The memorial is located a block east of the Guthrie Theatre and just north of Gold Medal Park, on the River Road.
In the decades I’ve lived in Minnesota, I have seen this iconic tower many times but only from a distance as I am driving around town. Finally, today, I decided it’s worth a closer look.
Witches Hat Water Tower
The Witches Hat Water Tower, is located in the Prospect Park neighborhood. And wow! What a beautiful neighborhood it is. The tower is located on the highest natural land area in Minneapolis. The tower stands at 110 feet and was built in 1913. Its capacity was 150,000 gallons. Now for this amazing fact – It was also built to be a bandstand! However, only one concert was ever held there as the musicians had trouble getting their instruments up the tower. Duh! The observation deck is open once a year, around Memorial Day. The opening coincides with the Pratt Ice Cream Social. Sad news it has been cancelled again in 2022, due to Covid. The last one they had was in 2019. The plaque at the base of the tower reads as follows:
PROSPECT PARK WATER TOWER THE WITCH’S HAT WATER TOWER WAS DESIGNED BY NORWEGIAN ARCHITECT FREDERICK WILLIAM CAPPELEN AND CONSTRUCTED BY THE CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS IN 1913. OCCUPYING THE HIGHEST NATURAL LAND AREA IN MINNEAPOLIS, THE WATER TOWER WAS BUILT TO IMPROVE WATER PRESSURE IN THE HOMES OF PROSPECT PARK RESIDENTS. THE TOWER WAS DECOMMISSIONED IN 1952, BUT HAS BEEN PRESERVED AS A SIGNIFICANT PART OF THIS CITY’S HISTORY. THE WITCH’S HAT WATER TOWER AND TOWER HILL PARK ARE LISTED IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES.”
NOW FOR A BITE TO EAT!
Marsala Dosa
Drive the short distance to The Market, at Malcolm Yards. It’s a food hall that offers nine different vendors and a self pour beer wall. I had a Marsala Dosa, at Momo Dosa. Very tasty. The market has plenty of seating and a great vibe. https://malcolmyards.market/location-hours/
So, I may be coming in late with this “discovery” you may have already embraced the shampoo bar switch but I just switched. Just like shampoo in a bottle there is a formula for different hair types. Shampoo and conditioner bars are eco-friendly, no plastic waste and the TSA won’t confiscate them.
