ABOUT

Minnesota's first rail line started running in 1862 between Minneapolis and St. Paul. The population of Minneapolis was rapidly increasing due to flour milling and lumber production and the railroads were key partners in expanding the markets for these products.

Join us for a guided tour of railroad landmarks in the historic mill district. Along the way, find clues to the vanishing railroad landscape and learn about the legacy of the railroad's influence on Minneapolis.

The tour guide is David Berg. David is a lifelong resident of Minnesota and holds a degree in Wildlife Management from the University of Minnesota. He and his wife Linda reside in south Minneapolis. For 25 years Mr. Berg was employed by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources as a Ranger/Naturalist with Minnesota State Parks. A major portion of his time was spent presenting interpretive programs for school groups and the general public. Mr. Berg then took a position with the Minnesota Historical Society at their newest historic site - Mill City Museum in downtown Minneapolis- where, for 13 years, he portrayed William de la Barre, the hydro engineer who, in 1885, “re-engineered St. Anthony falls" to maximize the power of falling water to run the largest flour mills in the world, making Minneapolis the city that it is today! Mr. Berg and his wife both retired in 2016 and keep busy using their time and talents volunteering for church and civic organizations.