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Case Study |
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Photo by Matthew Lewinski |
Red Wing, Minnesota
Cities large and small are often built on rivers, and Red Wing is no different. Settlers used the Mississippi River as an important trade route and transportation artery. For instance in 1823, the first steamboat reach the Twin Cities. “A period of rapid growth was upon the Upper Midwest, and the Mississippi River was the great river highway that made it all possible,” said Richard Moore in his paper The History of Transportation on the Mississippi.
This transitioned during the 19th century to include railroad. The US government-supported network of railroads connected ports that had formed on rivers. The river declined as a transportation source for a period but rebounded eventually. In the 1870s, Red Wing peaked as the world’s strongest wheat port. Grains were transported with the Mississippi River. In 1970, 18 million tons of grain were transported along the Mississippi River—almost three times the river traffic in 1940.
Red Wing established out of these early transportation roots. Today Red Wing continues to outpace many other small cities in terms of their transportation options even with low population density of 443 people per square mile.
- Red Wing is served by a couple of transit agencies. Hiawathaland Transit is a function of Three Rivers Community Action, Inc., and provides service to the counties of Goodhue and Wabasha, specifically in the communities of Cannon Falls, Randolph, Red Wing, Lake City, Frontenac, Plainview, Elgin, Wabasha, Kellogg, Mazeppa and Zumbrota. It will take anyone anywhere within city limits and up to two miles outside of city limits. Routes also travel between some of the cities.
- Amtrak has a station in Red Wing. Amtrak is built on railroad lines that were established decades ago. The Empire Builder, which stops twice daily in Red Wing, goes to and from St. Paul, Chicago or Seattle.
- There is a Red Wing Trolley Car that gives hourly tours of town. People are welcome to hop on and off all day for one fare. It operates Memorial Day through October.
- The Cannon Valley Trail is used for bikes and skiing during the winter months. It is a nearly 20-mile trail that formed along the old Chicago Great Western Railroad line. It offers beautiful views and connects Cannon Falls to Red Wing. See a map of the trail.
- Red Wing has four marinas that offer overnight docking and local transportation. It is also a stop for trips on the Mississippi River taken by the Delta Queen, the Mississippi Queen and the American Queen.
- The City of Red Wing's Public Works Department runs Red Wing RIDE. It is listed as a separate transit-providing entity by the Minnesota Public Transit Association.
- Red Wing also has a Municipal Airport with local ground transportation.
| "Every city built has grown from the spine of its transportation system, like flesh around bones, whether it be a river, a trail, a railroad, or a highway. If we want to shape a city, we have to shape its transportation system.
If we want a particular type of place, then we have to look at what kind of transportation system produces that kind of place. If we want to control or shape the type of development in a metropolitan area, we have to grapple with the highways, rails, and other systems that move people around within it."
–Alex Marshall, How Cities Work: Suburbs, Sprawl, and the Roads Not Taken (University of Texas Press 2002) |
TODAY—Red Wing Is Worth It
Does great transportation lead to great cities or do great cities lead to great transportation?
- Red Wing was named number 23 in a list of 109 Historic Destinations in the World by National Geographic Traveler magazine. The magazine describes the award as “not a popularity contest but rather an assessment of authenticity and stewardship.”
- Red Wing was named one of the 2008 Dozen Distinctive Destinations by the National Trust for Historic Preservation “for its vibrant downtown, cultural diversity, attractive architecture and strong commitment to historic preservation and revitalization.”
- Red wing boasts 25 buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The St. James Hotel and the Sheldon Theatre are among its best known landmarks. Tourism is a draw for the city with its quaint Main Street with historic significance and natural resources such as nearby Frontenac State Park and Lake Pepin.
- Red Wing is known for their Red Wing pottery—made from local clay. Red Wing shoes, which founded in 1905 in Red Wing, continue to be manufactured there.
- The 2008 Cost of Living Index rates Red Wing as “low,” meaning it is less expensive to live in Red Wing. It is 82.3; the average is the U.S. is 100.
“A wonderful river community that still has the charm of a small community.”
–National Geographic Historic Places Rated |
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