Exploring Dayton's Bluff

The exploration of St. Paul’s Dayton’s Bluff neighborhood begins thousands of years ago, on the Mississippi river bank beneath the bluff in the Dakota village called Kaposia.
 
Next it’s the lost, found and lost-again history of Carver’s Cave, one of Minnesota’s early tourist attractions.

A visit to the Portage for Youth’s historic Mounds Theater offers a look into the history of Dayton’s Bluff as well as a unique reuse of an historic movie house.   

Turning to the architecture and community history of the Dayton’s Bluff historic district, learn about the Hamm’s mansion site, the commercial buildings of St. Paul architect A.F. Gauger, the homes of Supreme court Justices Blackman and Burger, and the history of the St. Paul Winter Carnival.
 
The tour ends with a focus on the indigenous history of the area with a visit to the picturesque and mysterious Indian Mounds Park.
 

Links to additional information

The Ramsey County Historical Society

The Dayton’s Bluff Community Council is a one-stop website for much of the history of this St. Paul community.   

Photo tour of Dayton's Bluff neighborhood

Chief Justice Warren Burger boyhood home
Former Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun boyhood home
Muench-Heinemann House

For more information about historic preservation in St. Paul, contact Historic St. Paul whose mission is to celebrate St Paul's cultural heritage and act as a catalyst for the conservation of neighborhoods, business districts and local landmarks.

Swede Hollow - from tpt's Lost Twin Cities program