Pipestone Area Guide

AREA GUIDE

Pipestone MN

Pipestone, Minnesota is a beautiful town rich in history and culture. It is located in the heart of Pipestone county, where State Highways 30 and 75 meet. Pipestone is the perfect combination between modern and vintage. Located in town is Suzlon Rotor Corporation, supplier to over 1000 local Wind Turbines. The town also has one of Minnesota's largest Historic Districts containing over 20 gorgeous Sioux Quartzite buildings.

- History

Thousands of years before Pipestone became a town, it was sacred land for many Native Americans. Natives would travel great distances to quarry the sacred soft red rock. The first recorded trip to the Pipestone quarries from a European was a fur trader in 1831. A short five years later, famous writer and artist, George Catlin, visited the site. Through his writings and paintings, the quarries became known about around the world. The red stone became scientifically recognized as "Catlinite", after George Catlin. Just two years later a photographer took the first actual photographs of the quarries. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was inspired to write his worldwide recognized poem, "Song of Hiawatha" about the Pipestone area.

Pipestone became a city in 1876 by Charles Bennett and Daniel Sweet. They were inspired by Longfellow's poem, and set out to the great plains. Regardless of the many hardships, the little village survived. By 1879 there were 22 business, and only a year later, the businesses more than doubled. For twenty years, Pipestone was considered a real "boom town".

Today, Pipestone is a lively little town with much character.

- Parks and Recreation

Pipestone has many parks to fit you and your families needs! Citizens of Pipestone consider recreational programs to be important to your quality of life. Pipestone has everything - from major parks to neighborhood playgrounds.

Hot summer day? Enjoy the Pipestone Family Aquatic Center! Maybe the pool's not your thing! Hit the green at the Pipestone Golf & Country Club. Wanna get a little more rugged? Pipestone has great hunting grounds, especially for phesant and deer! Afterwords, take your family to spend some quality time together at the Pipestone County Fair!

- Attractions and Activities

Pipestone's Historic District has twenty beautiful Sioux Quartzite buildings built between 1880-1900. Take a walk and enjoy the scenery - stop in and learn about the rich history of Pipestone! Every building has a story. Every single building is listed in the National Registry for Historic Places! How cool is that?

One "must see" for all ages is  the Pipestone National Monument (hyperlinked to http://www.nps.gov/pipe/index.htm). Many people don't realize that for thousands of years, Native Americans from all over the nation would trek many miles in search of the valuable red rock found in Pipestone. Native Americans still quarry for Pipestone today, and visitors are welcome to watch them quarry and carve. Not only do you learn a lot at the monument, but you are welcome to walk through the beautiful trails outside. Enjoy a sarene day underneath the sun gazing on Winnewissa Falls.

Interested in Native American Culture? You're invited to the Keeper's Traditional PowWow (http://www.pipekeepers.org/)  during the last weekend of July. Feel free to join for music, dance, arts, crafts, and Indian Tacos! You'll feel like you're living before the year 1840 with real buckskinners, fur traders, Native American Camps, and authentic black powder shooting!

Civil War Days (hyperlinked to http://www.pipestoneminnesota.com/cwd/Home.html) are held every even numbered year in August. Come celebrate our country's past with infantry, artillary, and even an authentic Civil War battle!

The Pipestone County Museum (hyperlinked to http://www.pipestoneminnesota.com/museum/index.htm) holds the history to this amazing town. History buff or not, you'll want to check this out!

For entertainment, check out the Pipestone Performing Arts Center (hyperlinked to http://www.pipestoneminnesota.com/artscenter/index.htm) and see who's performing next! If it's a movie you want to see, the Quarry Twin (hyperlinked to http://www.quarrytwin.webs.com/) movie theatre has your favorite one playing! If it's shopping you want, downtown has a great array of shops and stores to fit your fancy, such as Fort Pipestone! If eating out is your thing, you've got many selections, from fast food to fine dining to down home cooking (make sure to check out Lange's Cafe (hyperlink to http://www.roadfood.com/Restaurant/Reviews/659/langes-caf)!) to your soon to be favorite pizza place (Dar's Pizza) to a quiet coffee shop (Kelly's Koffee) to spectaular Chinese and EVERYTHING in between! Pipestone is sure to satisfy your hunger!