Minnesota’s vintage river towns offer peek at days gone by

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Flag day 2011 in Red Wing, MN. | Bruce and Deb Reuter

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Updated: November 11, 2011 5:45PM

Minnesota is known as the Land of 10,000 Lakes — but let’s talk about the rivers. They’re where many an alluring vintage town is docked, anchoring the waterways that served as the Interstates of their day. When autumn splashes their woodsy borders with oranges, reds and golds, they’re at their prettiest.

Stillwater, on the scenic St. Croix River dividing Minnesota from Wisconsin, is the state’s oldest town, and, from the very outset, a potpourri of lumber barons’ mansions (many now serve as B&Bs). Take a tour on the Stillwater Trolley to get the lowdown on the Victorian, Empire and Gothic gewgaws that adorn them, plus tales of the eccentric magnates who lived in them.

Main Street’s red brick facades once held the saloons (57) and cathouses (6) that regaled their randy loggers. Today, they’ve been revived as art salons, bookstores, boutiques of every flavor, citadels of regional antiques, and cafes where “farm-fresh” is the mantra.

One storefront now houses Northern Vineyards, a winemakers’ cooperative offering tours and tastings; another houses Stillwater Brewing Co., with free tours, tastings and eccentric conversation. Or BYOB and board a skiff from Gondola Romantica for a river tour.

The old feed mill now sports a climbing wall, while nearby Teddy Bear Park offers climbers for the sandbox set. The park is transformed to a concert stage for free live music at night.

The topmost hill in this village of vertical thoroughfares holds the vintage red brick courthouse-cum-jail of 1867, where visitors can view a video of the town’s founding and memorabilia of the Civil War. Outside, a sole cannon remains, pointing straight at the headquarters of Cub Foods.

Information: discoverstill water.com

Red Wing

If you despair that the good old days are gone forever, a visit to Red Wing can renew your spirits. Named for the Dakota chief who ruled his people here, the town hugs a bend in the mighty Mississippi River where barges still pull up to load on wheat to feed the world.

Trains chug into the landmark railroad depot of 1905 beside the river, where today it does double duty as Visitor Center and gallery of regional art. Paddleboats depart here for dreamy river cruises, and a vintage trolley tours mansions of the upper crust of the 1800s — an ebullient collection of painted ladies, several of which now serve as B&Bs.

Others remain the homes of the town’s premier industrialists, who run the famed Red Wing Pottery Works (watch artists creating the signature salt-glazed stonewear) and Red Wing Shoe Company.

Back in 1875, the town’s leaders believed the need of an elegant hotel was to cater to railroad guests, and today the red brick St. James still beds visitors amid its Victoriana, updated with Whirlpool tubs and spa. To catch fall colors at their peak, hike to Barn Bluff, hugging the river. Colvill Park is the site for year-round eagle watching, while Central Park boasts a old-time bandstand that hosts concerts on the green.

Red Wing’s enterprising immigrants erected 40 churches, whose spires still pierce the sky. However, Main Street’s historic brick buildings are devoted to those who worship shopping. Uff-da proffers all things Scandinavian, while Red Wing Confectionary doubles as a coffeehouse and ice cream parlor. Hamsche’s Bakery opens early for those who cannot wait for their daily Danish.

Information: redwing.org

Lanesboro

Some say Lanesboro occupies the prettiest corner of Southern Minnesota, where brawny limestone bluffs plunge into deep gorges spliced by a rambunctious river. Caught in a hairpin bend in the water is the tiny town (pop. 788).

Its downtown — all two-blocks of it — is lined with brick and clapboard buildings from the 1870s. Following decades of faltering fortunes, they’ve been restored by feisty young entrepreneurs and mellow folks fleeing the city who credit the town’s new lease on life to its burgeoning arts scene, backed by nature’s own palette: the great outdoors.

The Root River Bike Trail bisects Main Street. Called “the Cadillac of trails” for its wide, smooth surface, it follows the rippling river where kayaks and canoes also flourish.

Back in town, Commonweal Theatre Co. stages year-round shows, highlighted by its annual Ibsen Festival. Nearby, the Lanesboro Arts Center celebrates exhibits of regional artists’ creations. Local craftspeople took the hint and set up shops of their own, such as Frank Wright, Spoonmaker, who creates wooden kitchenware, and the contributors of Lanesboro Local, proffering handmade wares from goats’ milk soap to calico aprons and foodstuffs like honey, cheese and lefse. Add a bottle of wine from Scenic Valley Winery, and your picnic is secure.

Enjoy it in nearby Sylvan Park, amid spring-fed ponds, a horseshoe pitch and kids’ playground. It also serves as hitching post for the Amish buggies that clop into town for farmers’ markets.

For a glimpse into the way of life of this tightly knit community, sign up with Bluffscape Amish Tours to chat and shop with half a dozen families who sell leather goods, handmade baskets, baked goods and jellies.

To tour the town itself, pick up a self-guide map at the Lanesboro Historical Museum, where you’ll also pick up the scoop on Buffalo Bill, who stopped here in 1883 to perform his very first show.

Some of the town’s historic edifices have found new life as B&Bs. Premier among them is Mrs. B’s, housed in a limestone building of 1872 right beside the tumbling river.

Information: lanesboro.com