Historic Downtown Walking & Driving Tour

The Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls, Minnesota, are a community of religious women committed to the Gospel and service to the poor in the spirit of Saints Francis and Clare of Assisi.

The Weyerhaeusers and Mussers built these beautiful homes, designed by architect Clarence Johnston Sr., along the Mississippi River.

Built for Barney Burton, clothing merchant, this was later the home of influential state senators Christian and Gordon Rosenmeier. This is a stop on a walking tour developed by the Heritage Preservation Commission.

The Elks Hotel was built in the 1920s to accommodate the growing tourist trade to northern Minnesota. It was later renamed the Pine Edge Inn. This is a stop on a walking tour developed by the Heritage Preservation Commission.

Clarence Buckman was a civic-minded man and opened this grand hotel to serve Little Falls. This is a stop on a walking tour developed by the Heritage Preservation Commission.

William Tonn immigrated to the United States from Germany and opened this saloon in the 1890s.

The Sand sisters opened a millinery shop and, later on, a very successful restaurant. This is a stop in the historic tour developed by the Little Falls Heritage Preservation Commission.

After the Lowell Theater burned down, this new “picture palace” took its place. This is stop 8 in a historic tour developed by the Little Falls Heritage Preservation Commission.

The hamburger became the most popular food in American when White Castle opened in the 1920s. The Black & White brought the look and the taste to town. This is stop 9 in a historic tour developed by the Little Falls Heritage Preservation Commission.

Alfred Tanner was one of the early settlers in Little Falls in 1857. As word spread that a new dam was going to be built, Tanner invested in this new two-story brick building. This is stop 10 in a historic tour developed by the Little Falls Heritage Preservation Commission.

They called it Bank Square — this intersection was the busiest in Little Falls, and it attracted some of the city’s most important investors. This building was erected in 1891 by William Butler. This is stop 11 in a historic tour developed by the Little Falls Heritage Preservation Commission.

John Rhodes was one of many professionals that made downtown Little Falls into a hub of activity. For most of its history, this has been a drug store. This is stop 12 in a historic tour developed by the Little Falls Heritage Preservation Commission.

This building was originally the German American National Bank, but its name was changed during World War I. The church was designed by St. Cloud architect Roland Buckley. This is stop 13 in a historic tour developed by the Little Falls Heritage Preservation Commission.

Two business partners opened a confectionery and ice cream shop in Little Falls, and it proved highly successful. This is stop 14 in a historic tour developed by the Little Falls Heritage Preservation Commission.

The Morrison County Lumber Company in Little Falls, Minnesota, was home of the Maud Moon Weyerhaeuser Auditorium and the Musical Art Club. This is stop 15 on a walking tour developed by the Heritage Preservation Commission.

One of Minnesota’s greatest lumber companies had its office here along the banks of the Mississippi. This is stop 16 in a historic tour developed by the Little Falls Heritage Preservation Commission.

During the Great Depression, the WPA created thousands of jobs. One project was a new water treatment plant in Little Falls, later converted into city offices. This is stop 17 in a historic tour developed by the Little Falls Heritage Preservation Commission.

Swedish immigrants began Bethel Lutheran Church in the late 19th century and erected this building in 1902. This is stop 18 in a historic tour developed by the Little Falls Heritage Preservation Commission.

Polish Catholics began this parish to serve the west side community. The church was designed by architect Vincent Cordello. This is stop 19 in a historic tour developed by the Little Falls Heritage Preservation Commission.

The Great Northern Railroad played a vital role in the Little Falls economy. The depot was designed by Cass Gilbert, one of America’s great architects. This is stop 20 in a historic tour developed by the Little Falls Heritage Preservation Commission.

The dam transformed the local economy and turned the city into a thriving milling center. This is stop 21 in a historic tour developed by the Little Falls Heritage Preservation Commission.

The postal service was undergoing major changes when this building opened. This is stop 22 in a historic tour developed by the Little Falls Heritage Preservation Commission.

Built by Alonzo Harrison in 1908, Munsingwear opened a factory here during World War II. This is stop 23 in a historic tour developed by the Little Falls Heritage Preservation Commission.

Route 10 became a major road — the Jefferson Highway — and Gregerson decided to open a car dealership here. He sold the Elcar in the early years. This is stop 24 in a historic tour developed by the Little Falls Heritage Preservation Commission.

This was one of the city’s most popular retail outlets. This is stop 25 in a historic tour developed by the Little Falls Heritage Preservation Commission.

The Kiewels operated one of Minnesota’s finest breweries. After incorporating, the company decided to diversify its income and invested in several downtown properties. This is stop 26 in a historic tour developed by the Little Falls Heritage Preservation Commission.

This is one of the oldest commercial buildings in town. Lyman Signor was a prosperous realtor. This is stop 27 in a historic tour developed by the Little Falls Heritage Preservation Commission.

The Y Block, named after a stone found on the site during construction, was built by Ludger Gaudet. This is stop 28 in a historic tour developed by the Little Falls Heritage Preservation Commission.

The American House opened for business in 1883 by Joseph Diedrich as a hotel, saloon, and boarding house. This is stop 29 in a historic tour developed by the Little Falls Heritage Preservation Commission.

Samuel Trebby was an unusual personality who often raised feathers in city government. He built this commercial block in 1885. This is stop 30 in a historic tour developed by the Little Falls Heritage Preservation Commission.

In 1890, Morrison County erected its new courthouse, designed by architect Charles Dunham. This is stop 31 in a historic tour developed by the Little Falls Heritage Preservation Commission.

After Minnie Crowder suffered a stroke, her family offered to help by providing Minnie with a service station to run. This is stop 32 in a historic tour developed by the Little Falls Heritage Preservation Commission.

The city turned to philanthropist, Andrew Carnegie for its new library in 1905. This is stop 33 in a historic tour developed by the Little Falls Heritage Preservation Commission.

The new minister, Rev. Francis Alleyne, insisted that the church build a new sanctuary. They hired architect John Sutcliffe to design this beautiful gothic-style building. This is stop 34 in a historic tour developed by the Little Falls Heritage Preservation Commission.