First, a step back in time, where we land at The Landing a part of the Three Rivers Park District in Shakopee, MN.
Minnesota River
I stumbled upon The Landing as I was riding my bike and exploring my new neighborhood. I was originally heading to Memorial Park, but right next door a group of well-maintained century homes and businesses caught my eye.
I was lucky enough to find The Landing, a Minnesota River Heritage Park. An idyllic, historical village bordering the Minnesota River?! This is my type of place! Perfect for biking through and stopping to explore the sites, but I wanted even more information. Most buildings have a sign outside that tells a short history of the building, and how it would have been used during the 1890s, but if you want to visit inside the buildings definitely sign up for a tour.
My husband and I signed up online for a Saturday morning tour and arrived a few minutes early to meet with Katie, our guide. Dressed in late 19th century garb, and an absolute treasure trove of information for the era, Katie kept our entire group engaged for the next hour.
Costumed Guide Works in Progress at the Seamstress
Eagle Creek is a fictional village created and located along the MN River created to show future generations what life would have been like in the 1890s. Each building has been saved from demolition at various locations around MN, relocated to the Landing, then loving restored with a great attention to detail.
This tour focused on the homes within the village, and the economic status of each home's occupants with a special focus on sustainability. After the tour Katie took over the seamstress's shop and offered instructions as she worked on another period dress.
Weavers Workspace
One Room Cabin for a family
From simple one room log-cabin to two story homes overlooking the MN river, we are brought on a journey into the past. Meticulous details surround and fill each home, leaving one to believe the occupants just stepped out for a moment to gather eggs for breakfast or to place laundry on the line.
Churches, schools, businesses and homes line the streets.
Toward the edge of town, these sites are replaced with bee hives, summer gardens, barns, farm animals and farm steads. As we tour the homes, we are shown the importance and need to recycle and reuse all that they own. Clothes are passed down from child to child; when too tattered to be worn they become a rag rug. As a homeowner prospers, he doesn’t tear down the one room log cabin; he adds on to it; then he used brick or board and batten cover the basic, more modest hand-hewn beams. Leather shoes are repaired by the local cobbler, not tossed aside. From the weaver to the homemaker, seeing the tools that are worked with to the items that are created we can recognize that while it wasn’t easy these pioneers took pride in their craft and in their homes.
Cozy and decorative start to find a place alongside simple, practical homes
A few of my family members actually still have similar dog and child art work from this era hanging in their homes.
While this one may be a piece we still see today, how about "hair art?" Keep an eye out for that one and let me know if you would keep that in your home today!
Even as income levels rose, sustainability or reusing what these settlers already had was still an important part of their everyday life. Thankfully the preservation and relocation of these homes and buildings have allowed us to catch a glimpse of the past.
Regular tours, and events occur at The Landing for a variety of ages. Within our group tour, we had young children through adults, and some events are even geared toward toddlers. You can also register to bring a group to the landing for specialty group programming.
Park hours are 5am-10pm, but may be open additional hours for specific events. Even if you don’t join a tour, it's definitely worth a stroll through the ground, a hike along the river and stopping to enjoy a picnic lunch.
Thanks for stopping in today and remember to get out there and explore, because it's all an adventure!
Amy N
Hiking and Biking Trails, Dog Friendly, Picnicking, and Historical Exploration
Birthday parties, field trips, scouting, homeschooling, family-friendly, adults
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