A notable feature in the in the northwest portion of the park is the Seppmann windmill, a wind-driven grist mill. It was donated by Albert Seppmann, son of its builder, Louis Seppmann. Patterned after the mills in Seppmann's native Germany, it was one of the first stone grist mills in Minnesota. The mill was completed in 1864, and in a favorable wind could grind 150 bushels of wheat per day into flour. People from 20-30 miles away hauled their grist to it. Natural calamities plagued the mill. Lightning struck two arms in 1873. They were replaced, but when a tornado carried away both arms again in 1880, they were not replaced. By then, the windmills had become unprofitable to operate.
Early Inhabitants
Native American settlement in the Minneopa area stretches back thousands of years. A tribe that camped near the mouth of Minneopa Creek was known as the "tribe of sixes" because they always built their lodges in groups of six or multiple of six. Reports from pioneer settlers tell of their children playing lacrosse and other games with Native American children.
The first white settler to build a home on Minneopa Creek was Isaac S. Lyons. He built his cabin in July 1853 and opened a small water-operated sawmill the following summer. In spring 1858, Miner Porter built a summer resort near the scenic Minneopa Falls. He planted trees and flowers and built winding walkways arbors. The Civil War and the Dakota War of 1862 interfered with the success of the enterprise and it was abandoned in 1870.
A Town Called Minneopa?
The short-lived town of Minneopa was built around a depot near the falls. The townsite was laid out in October 1870. There was a grain elevator, hotel, store, blacksmith shop, and a lumber yard. Foot bridges were built over Minneopa Creek near the falls, and large picnic excursions, some as large as 5,000 people, came from neighboring communities during the summer. Minneopa Village was abandoned due to the great grasshopper plagues of the 1870s. All crops were wiped out for three consecutive years. People moved away and the grain elevator and depot were abandoned. Without the elevator and depot, there was no reason for the train to stop so the town withered away.
Text for the virtual tour drawn from Minnesota Department of Natural Resources materials.