St. Anthony Falls in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is the only natural falls on the Mississippi River. Since almost the beginning of settlement in the area by European descendants, the St. Anthony Falls have been used for waterpower. The first allowed settlers were at Ft. Snelling, where construction began in 1820.[1] A sawmill was operating 1821 and a flour mill in 1823.[2] As soon as the land at the sides of the falls became available it was purchased with the intent of using the waterpower of the falls. First lumber mills covered the falls, cutting lumber floated down the Mississippi. After 1870 flour mills started to dominate the area.[3] From 1880 to 1930 the area was the number one flour producer in the US.[4] In later years, some of the power came from steam, but in 1923 half of the waterpower used was for flour milling. [5] Other industries have also used the waterpower.
Hydroelectric production started very early in 1881, and the companies that owned the waterpower rights encouraged or developed three early major hydroelectric plants 1894/1911, 1895 and 1908. For comparison, the first large scale production of electricity in the world was at the Adams (Tesla) plant at Niagara Falls starting 1895, which used alternating current. Large scale generation was not practical before alternating current was used. After the third plant was in operation in 1908, 45% of the waterpower being used was for hydroelectric.[6] One of the historic St. Anthony Falls plants is still operating.
Many of the features in this article are contributing resources to the St. Anthony Falls Historic District, which is on the National Register of Historic Places.