Meet You in Minneapolis!
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- General News
The site of the 2015 U.S. Trade Global Trade Exchange, the Hilton Minneapolis, is just steps from theaters, shops, restaurants and other cultural attractions including Target Center, Target Field, Minnesota Orchestra, and Guthrie Theater. The Mall of America, Minnesota Zoo, and TCF Bank Stadium are just a short car ride away.
The Mississippi riverfront is the very heart of Minneapolis. The Dakota and Ojibwe people first populated the riverfront. As Europeans moved into what would become Minnesota, the riverfront was alternately controlled by the French and the Spanish from the 1600s until 1803, when it became part of the United States. The river provided energy and transportation, which allowed the city to grow.
The only waterfall on the Mississippi River, St. Anthony Falls, was considered sacred by the Native Americans. By the 1850s, the falls had been harnessed as a source of power for the lumber and flour milling industries, and the riverfront settlement transformed into a city that led the world in flour production for nearly 50 years, beginning in 1882.
Later, changes in transportation and industry led to a move away from the river, and as business departed, the area declined. Today, the Minneapolis Riverfront has been revitalized. Residents and visitors alike enjoy sightseeing, walking and biking trails, dining, live music and theater.
Many historic buildings have been developed for new uses, including the Mill City Museum, where USSEC will hold its opening reception on the evening of September 9. The Mill City Museum is an award-winning museum operated by the Minnesota Historical Society that tells the story of how flour milling developed at St. Anthony Falls – dating back to the 1870s – through its eight-story Flour Tower and hands-on exhibits.
Minneapolis has more bridges across the Mississippi River than any other community, including suspension, stone arch, steel truss, and concrete-arch bridges. It's also the site of the first bridge across the Mississippi.
The Mississippi River is one of the most important waterways in the U.S. Visitors to the U.S. Soy Global Exchange will get to see this important highway that is so critical in transporting U.S. Soy from farm to port.