He Mni Can-Barn Bluff History
The Story of Barn Bluff.
The land that we now call Red Wing was settled by generations of Native Americans, most recently by Mdewakanton Dakota, who named the place He Mni Can or “Hill, Water, Wood.” He Mni Can encompasses Barn Bluff, one of the most spiritual places in the world to the Dakota.
The English name for the bluff derives from its French name, as Barn Bluff is a translation of Mont La Grange, the name given to the bluff by French explorers who thought it looked like a large barn from the Mississippi River.
The bluff is a powerful and iconic landscape; sacred to the Dakota, and for western culture, holds generations of memories and is key to the identity of Red Wing.
He Mni Can-Barn Bluff Timeline:
• 10,000 – 12,000 Years Ago – The glacial River Warren carved the Mississippi River channel. The harder Dolomite stone at the top of the bluff kept the bluff intact as the land around it was eroded away, making the bluff an island in the river valley.
• 1,000 Years Ago – The area around Red Wing was used by Native Americans with villages and earthworks on both sides of the river, including mounds on the top of Barn Bluff.
• 1600s – French explorers established posts along the Mississippi River including at Prairie Island and Lake Pepin.
• Early 1800s – A Mdewakanton Dakota village known as He Mni Can, sits at the bottom of the bluff. The village grew to a population of about 300 with approximately 22 lodges near what is now Main Street.
• 1853 – The Dakota were removed from Red Wing to a reservation on the Minnesota River Valley after the Treaty of 1851.
• Later 1800s – Henry David Thoreau visited Red Wing in 1861 and read his mail at the top of Barn Bluff. Phineas Fish operated the first lime kiln at Barn Bluff in the 1850s. Advances in the Lime kilning process led to major expansion of quarrying of Barn Bluff through the 1870s until 1908.
• 1911 – Barn Bluff was officially turned into a 48 acre City Park with the help of a group of philanthropic members of the community.
• 1929 – The Citizens Memorial Stairway was completed by the local Kiwanis Club. The stairway started at the end of Main Street and rose 472 steps to the top of the bluff.
• 1959/1960 – The Highway 61 and 63 bridge crossing replaced the original High Bridge and resulted in the removal of much of the Kiwanis Stairway along with removal of homes on East Third Street located along the south foot of the bluff. Only the upper two landings, the overlook, and 120 steps of the original stairway were left in place.
• 1975-1982 – Citizens Memorial Stairs were salvaged and relocated to the new park entrance on the east side of the bluff in 1975. In 1982, the Kiwanis raised funds and constructed the Central Kiwanis Stairway. The Carlson Kiln was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
1875, Goodhue Country Historical Society
1899, Goodhue Country Historical Society
1990 to Today:
• Barn Bluff was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. The park name was officially renamed He Mni Can Barn Bluff in 2016.
• Trailhead and trail sustainability improvements were completed in 2021 and 2024. Trailhead interpretive features were planned and designed with Prairie Island members.
• Friends of the Bluffs has been working with the City of Red Wing since 2018 to provide volunteer assistance with trail and sign maintenance, graffiti removal, and invasive plant removal.
Learn more from the City of Red Wing and Honoring Dakota Project.
Welcome sign to Entrance Plaza.