Seek regular cache with room for TB's and trades. This should be
a park and grab. Happy Caching!
I had no idea about this area until I did a little research on
the internet. This small historic prairie area of Minneapolis has a
ridiculous amount of twisted history. I found this info on the
Internet, so it MUST be true!*
History
The University of Minnesota was founded as a preparatory school
in 1851, seven years before the territory of Minnesota became a
state. Just north of the school the rail roads had established
yards, but between the school and the yards a local horticultural -
Hugh Donhowe - had acquired an uncultivated area of unturned virgin
prairie. Control of this area has passed through many generations
of his lineage, and a small part of that original prairie still
exists today!
The Early Years
Encroachment to the prairie was a constant pressure. Rail
workers created paths as they waked to work from flop houses in
downtown, and less affluent students attending the University would
sometimes create squatters cities before being removed from the
area by Donhowe at gunpoint. Donhowe was diligent and watched that
the prairie maintained its pristine condition, including trucking
in South Dakota Bison to graze the prairie for the last 3 weeks of
June and the 2 first weeks of July.
The Great Depression - New Challenges
During the 1930's, Hugh's grandson Grover presided over the
prairie. Grover was a printer, and because of hard times, agreed to
sell off a part of the prairie to the grain barons. This area to
the east has now been converted to parking lots, and the grain
elevators that were built in this area are gone too. Grover died in
a freak printing accident in 1950. Both of his shirt-cuffs were
caught in a printing press. He was able to reach the phone with his
mouth, but could not make a call with the rotary dial phone.
The 50's - Further Decline
Grover's son Conrad Donhowe was a spoiled rotten brat, and acquired
the printing business and prairie from his father. As a local
resident Conrad was a heavy gambler who lost his entire fortune on
college football betting - most on the talentless University of
Minnesota Gophers. In 1955, Conrad traded the prairie property to
the U of M Athletic department for a pair of lifetime season
tickets to the Gophers home games. Unfortunately Conrad never
enjoyed those tickets - he was hit and killed by a slow moving
streetcar on the way to a game. He was the only fatality from the
Twin Cities Streetcar company.
Forgotten years - U of M
The prairie lay vacant during the 50's and 60's and sometime in
the 60's during the 'flower power' years, the deed and
documentation to the prairie were misplaced by a dope induced
intern during a love-in.
1978 - The Final Assault
In 1978, local historians unearthed the deed documents when the
Foley hall was renovated. The President of the University at the
time was an avid tennis player and football fan. In a sharply
contested move, the entire prairie was divided, the east section
being granted to the U of M parking authority, and the east to the
Athletic department. Enraged environmentalists from the botany
school staged a protest, and occupied the area blocking bulldozers
from the site.
The students started their siege on September of 1978, with more
than 500 protesters, and the entire area was surrounded by National
Guard troops. For 3 months the students held their ground in a cold
impass, but weather and school work commitments dwindled their
numbers. In late November 1978, the remaining 7 protesters met with
University officials and agreed to a compromise that would maintain
a protected prairie on the area occupied by their current meager
encampment. In addition the protesters requested bus passes home,
and all of the protesters were able to get home for Thanksgiving
break.
The Prairie Today
Nestled between the parking lots and tennis courts, the prairie
is a forgotten red-headed stepchild of the University. The fence
that was erected to protect the area after the '78 truce is in
disrepair, and is covered in wild grapes and vines. Since Buffalo
have not set foot on this area for 140 years, the native plants
have been crowed out and a large tree grows on the east boundary of
the prairie.
Ecologically this area is a nightmare, as heavy metals and
ground water run-off from the parking lot have collected in the
soil here. Environmental Restoration estimates for the 4500 square
foot prairie area have been estimated at more than $5 million, but
to date no group or governmental organization has extended support
or encouragement for the project.
The prairie is available for you to enjoy anytime. Permits
to visit this sensitive ecological area are available at the DNR
offices in Saint Paul.
* This is really NOT TRUE!