Stillwater Levee
Lowell Park
Stillwater Levee View NW from Dock Cafe 2020
This is a photograph of Stillwater ca.1870’s. It shows what a busy place the levee was and what a utilitarian role it played in the early days of Stillwater. You can see the Lincoln School on the upper left, and also see the Isaac Staples mansion in the upper center. The view is to the Northwest from where the Dock Cafe stands in 2020. The water came all the way around and probably ended at Water Street nearby the Freight House building today. In the background on the right you can also see the Union Elevator, the tallest building in Stillwater. This photo is courtesy of the Murphy Library Special Collections/ARC, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Use this link to go to the Special Collections Site.
Stillwater Levee 1872
Stillwater Levee View South from Present Lift Bridge ca. 1872. This photo is courtesy of the Murphy Library Special Collections/ARC, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.
Photos showing a hot air balloon ascension at the Levee in the late 19th Century in Stillwater, MN. There is also a GIF file in the third slide that shows the location in a “Time Tunnel” that takes you from 2020 to the 1880’s. What you should notice is the log rafts being towed in the background of the historical photos and of course the absence of the Lift Bridge or the St.Croix Crossing Bridge. The historical photos are courtesy of the Murphy Library Special Collections/ARC, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. The photo used by Robert Molenda for the time tunnel GIF comes from Google Maps, street view Stillwater, 2020.
Pontoon Building on the Levee, 1894
The Levee was used for all kinds of activities. This photo shows how the levee was used to build a Pontoon for the first wooden bridge in 1894
This is what the Levee looked like before Lowell Park was built. The view is to the Northwest from the Flagpole. This photograph is from the John Runk Collection, courtesy of the Stillwater Public Library.
Levee During Construction, 1921-1929
Various views of the Levee showing the old wooden bridge, a Theater Steamboat and Capital in 1931
UWL is a Special Page Partner who has given us permission to use their digital photographic property. If you like their images, you can look at them by just clicking on the above logo. You will need to go thru the University in order to use the photos for resale, distribution or commercial purposes. They have worked hard to secure and digitize these photos.
