Harriet Island, initially known as Wakan Island,[1] is a former island and urban park located near downtown Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. It was named after Harriet Bishop, an American educator who helped found the First Baptist Church of Saint Paul.[2]
.jpg) Map of Harriet Island and Saint Paul c. 1900 | |
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| Coordinates | 44°56′15″N 93°05′48″W / 44.93750°N 93.09667°W |
| Area | 705 sq ft (65.5 m2) |
| Additional information | |
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In 1900, the island was sold to Saint Paul to be converted into a park. Initially successful as a tourist attraction, over the years, the island fell into disuse. In 1950, the channel separating Harriet Island from the mainland was filled, merging the island with the mainland.
History edit
Harriet Island was initially an enlarged sandbar located in the Mississippi River, but was later populated by trees.[3] In 1900, Justus Ohage, a German doctor who had acquired the island, sold it to the city of Saint Paul for use as a park. At first the park was successful, drawing in tourists, but by the 1920s, sewage from the Mississippi River had caused tourism to die down. Before he died in 1935, Ohage threatened to take back the island. However, this did not occur.[4] In 1950, the neglected island's back channel filled up, merging Harriet Island with the mainland.[1] In 1969, a proposal to expand the island was rejected due to the Mississippi River still suffering from pollution. However, as the river's water quality improved, the island has had renewed interest.[5]
Geography edit
The climate of Harriet Island is hemiboreal.[6] The temperature varies yearly, peaking at 24 °C (75 °F) in July and dropping to −10 °C (14 °F) in January.[7] Additionally, the island gets around 1,022 mm (40.2 in) of rainfall yearly.[8]
Tourism edit
The Harriet Island Pavilion is located in the island, also being named after Harriet Bishop.[9] The park also features walking and biking trails, and paddleboats.
References edit
- ^ a b Breining, Greg (2006). Minnesota. Compass American Guides. ISBN 978-1-4000-1484-2.
- ^ Upham, Warren (1969). Minnesota geographic names; their origin and historic significance. Harvard University. [St. Paul] Minnesota Historical Society.
- ^ Collections of the Minnesota Historical Society. The Society. 1915.
- ^ Nelson, Paul. "Harriet Island". Saint Paul Historical. Retrieved 2024-02-22.
- ^ "Harriet Island Regional Park – Mississippi National River & Recreation Area (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved 2024-02-22.
- ^ Peel, M. C.; Finlayson, B. L.; McMahon, T. A. (2007-10-11). "Updated world map of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification". Hydrology and Earth System Sciences. 11 (5): 1633–1644. Bibcode:2007HESS...11.1633P. doi:10.5194/hess-11-1633-2007. ISSN 1027-5606.
- ^ "NASA Earth Observations Data Set Index". Archived from the original on 2013-08-06. Retrieved 2024-02-22.
- ^ "NASA Earth Observations: Rainfall (1 month – TRMM)". Archived from the original on 2020-05-10. Retrieved 2024-02-22.
- ^ Millett, Larry (2007). AIA Guide to the Twin Cities: The Essential Source on the Architecture of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Minnesota Historical Society Press. p. 404. ISBN 978-0-87351-540-5.