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This derelict round tank, called the 'Morton Sphere', is part of the old Gopher Ordnance Works ruins - a long abandoned World War II era gun powder factory south of the Twin Cities in Rosemount, MN. The plant just started production when the war ended in 1945 and everything was shut down.
More than you probably want to know:
The University of Minnesota took over the Gopher Ordnance Works property and renamed it ‘UMore Park’ (That's 'industrial' park and not 'play' park because a big chunk of the place is still contaminated). Currently, the U of M’s Agricultural Research Station and the Dakota County Technical College are located on part of the site.
The Morton Sphere was used to hold anhydrous ammonia during the GOW (Gopher Ordnance Works) days and later for the University’s supersonic wind tunnel research. It sits empty and rusting now.
Thanks to my very smart friend Ralph who sent me info as to why it's called a Morton Sphere; apparently a person called Pierce Morton confirmed the focus-directrix property in 1829 that has something to do with geometric conic sections that include mathematically induced round shapes called dandelin spheres. The brainiacs that created this thing probably read Pierce’s books for fun and named this sphere after him – mystery solved, thanks Ralph!!
a sandy spit of land, split in half by the Duluth Ship Canal.
In the background you can see the breakwater that forms the southern pier of the canal, in the foreground the remains of a wooden groyne from yesteryear...
For those of us raised in rural areas, a relaxing scene like this was pretty common during summers. Decades ago on early June mornings you were more likely to hear the mournful bellow of a cow echoing across dew-laden fields than cars and trucks loudly whizzing by on a busy road.
One of my early jobs as an indentured servant to an older German man who ran our farm operation was to "go get the cows". In layman's terms, this meant to walk out to a distant pasture in the morning where our milk cows had spent their leisure time since the last milking of the day before.
Since our overseer was an early riser, he thought everyone else in the world, including cows, needed to adhere to his schedule. I saw many sunrises on my solitary walks to introduce myself daily to our dairy cows and to bring them slowly home walking through wet grass, opening a makeshift wooden gate and then guiding them into our faded red barn where over the next hour they were tugged free of the milk they were carrying.
The cows all had individual personalities, much like each of the eight people in my dad's involuntary workforce. Throughout the years of my four-faucet pulling experiences, we always had one cow who would defy orders and would be reluctant to calmly make the trek from the pasture to the barn.
That wayward cow ended up being called more names than I can remember, ones my saintly mother did not want to hear. My dad often said the only thing this cow was missing was red hair like mine.
(Photographed near Cambridge, MN)
An Ellis & Eastern eastbound is nearing its junction with the Union Pacific at Agate, Minnesota on September 21, 2023
A recent look at Minnehaha Falls in Minneapolis after a fresh snow, the fridig weather has eased up some this week,this was on 12-17-16.
The Saint Paul Cathedral was approaching it's 100th birthday (June 2-3, 2006) and in honor of the occasion the building, normally dark at night, was lit up.
Hundreds of people came to see the sight, and the whole thing turned into a kind of impromptu lawn party. And just about everybody had a camera. I've never walked through so many other peoples' frames in my life!
Ditch light on SD40-3 909 reflects off the ice-encrusted snow as 909 heads south on the Missabe Subdivision.
Minnesota will always have my heart ❤️
Couldn't have asked for a better back yard!
Wright County
West of the Twin Cities
Originally state highway 3 till 1926. Then from 1926 to 1934 it was marked as U.S. Highway 10S. Then from 1934 till I-94 was completed this was U.S. Highway 52.
The pavement on this stretch of old highway is about 100 years old as of the time this photo was taken!
"Minnehaha Falls Minnesota" by Patti Deters. Minnehaha Falls is a 53-foot urban waterfall surrounded by trees, cliffs, and a rocky shoreline. Located in Minnehaha Park on Minnehaha Creek, a tributary of the Mississippi River near Minneapolis, Minnesota, just off Hiawatha Avenue. Please enjoy more of my images at patti-deters.pixels.com/featured/minnehaha-falls-minnesot....
Winter shoreline Gooseberry Falls State Park.
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When I was 22, I was living in a small apartment in St. Paul, MN. and outside the windows next to my bedroom there was a thick row of tall bushes that separated us from the neighboring building (It was a strange place to live as Summit Ave, one of the richest neighborhoods in all of the Twin Cities, was about three blocks to one side of me, and Selby Ave., being about equidistant the other way, was hands down the seediest neighborhood in the city at that time owed to drugs, dealing, murders, etc.). That summer a Catbird had its babies in those bushes. I think only one survived and he lived right outside the window next to my bed. It was the worst for what I remember as months. I worked overnights and early, early every morning as I was trying to go to bed I would hear the most horribly annoying noises you can imagine for hours and hours on end, "wreeaah rhaw rwrhaw, wreeyat" etc. I thought, "This is the worst sounding bird in the world," In fact, I think it took me quite a while to even figure out that it was a bird. But what I realize now is that like a Mocking Bird, a Catbird is a Mimid, from the Latin Mimidae (mimic). And it has much more complex vocalizations than most other birds. They will learn and mimic other birds' songs, the sounds of other animals like frogs, and even those of machines. And because a Catbird has a songbird syrinx, it is able to make two sounds at once. Anyhow, I am sure that baby Catbirds sound so horrible because they have a much more difficult instrument and a great many more pieces to master ... (say a seven string guitar playing jazz fusion and then George Thorogood vs. a ukulele playing "Now I know my ABC's", and then "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star"). But when they reach adulthood their songs are absolutely wonderful. They are also visually a very beautiful animal, but it often goes unnoticed as they are not colorful. But, I like their tones of gray and their little black hats and their jet black beaks and eyes. Though that summer, I really hated that squawky little guy.
ReUSE Minnesota flyer on storefront board. The organization is coordinating the recovery of plywood across the twin cities after it was used to cover doors and windows.
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This image is part of a continuing series following the unrest and events in Minneapolis following the May 25th, 2020 murder of George Floyd.
Milwaukee Road 4-8-4 261 pulled the "Gourmet Express" from Chanhassen to Sumter, Minnesota, and return on October 2, 2022 over the tracks of the Twin Cities & Western (the original Milwaukee Road main line to the Pacific coast). A stop for lunch was made at Bongards, where 261 also performed two photo runbys. Since there are no turning facilities on the line, Milwaukee Road E9A 32A was used to pull the excursion back to Chanhassen.
Originally state highway 3 till 1926. Then from 1926 to 1934 it was marked as U.S. Highway 10S. Then from 1934 till I-94 was completed this was U.S. Highway 52.
The pavement on this stretch of old highway is about 100 years old as of the time this photo was taken!
The Minnesota River valley south of Moir Park in Bloomington is a fascinating place that can sort of feel "haunted" sometimes. Floodplains tend to elicit that feeling for me. It could be because there are often lots of trees, but still space to walk between them in almost any direction. This is from early November and you can see multiple Ash trees damaged by Emerald Ash Borer. Hennepin County, MN 11/05/23