“The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) recently added 40 books and 272 maps related to Minnesota’s highway history to the Minnesota Digital Library, including planning information, proposed routes, and transcripts from public hearings.”
I read that and had to go look at the material. Historical information on maps, highways, interstates, and related things have always fascinated me. I was not disappointed in what I found!
Highway maps, state road improvements, and whether a road was paved, dirt, or other material were shown from the first part of the 1900s. I could see where roads were improving, what routes people likely took to go to a lake cabin or to visit relatives all around the state. Scrapbooks from employees, photos down sewers, photos of highway department facilities around the state, official trail registrations, and much more. A 1922 photo of state highway department staff WITH NAMES taken on University Avenue in Saint Paul.
This is where I found the original post: https://minitex.umn.edu/news/minnesota-digital-library/2023-02/new-mdl-content-minnesota-highway-history-mndot
This is the link to the Minnesota Digital Library for all of this. https://collection.mndigital.org/?f%5Bcollection_name_ssi%5D%5B%5D=Minnesota+Department+of+Transportation
Don’t blame me if you spend too much time on the Minnesota Digital Library for all this and for the other many thousands of photos, documents, maps, newsletters, oral histories . . .
© 2023, Paula Stuart-Warren. All rights reserved.
Thank you for including me!