
8 The Aerial Lift Bridge is an iconic landmark located in Duluth, Minnesota. The bridge was first constructed in 1905 as a transporter bridge to move people and goods across the Duluth Ship Canal. In 1929, the bridge was converted into an aerial lift bridge, allowing it to raise and lower to accommodate large ships entering and leaving the harbor. Over the years, the bridge has undergone several renovations and upgrades to ensure its continued operation and safety. Today, the Aerial Lift Bridge remains a vital transportation link for the city, and its unique design and engineering make it a symbol of Duluth's industrial heritage.

16 After the 1856 organization of Steele County, a store was rented in Owatonna to conduct court business, By 1874, a one-story brick building for county offices had been completed at a cost of $5,000. The building still stands at 139 East Main Street and houses the Owatonna Chamber of Commerce. However, court was held at that time in the second story of a building on the corner of Cedar and Vine.
In 1884, voters defeated a $35,000 bond issue to build a new courthouse. Bonds were finally sold for a new building in 1891, after voters approved $30,000 in bonds.
The classical Romanesque Revival style courthouse was designed by T.D. Allen of Minneapolis and built by Leck and McLeod. It is shown above in a 1958 photograph. Built of Austin red brick set with red mortar, and trimmed with Lake Superior brown stone, the 115 by 86 foot courthouse rises three stories above a full basement. Coupled arches supported by polished granite columns protect the north and south entrances. A large sculpture representing Mercy, Law, and Justice is set in a niche above the north entry.
On the northwest corner, the main tower rises five stories to its pyramidal cap with a clock on each side, as well as minarets and gables. A low circular tower is located on the northeast corner and on the southwest sit a minor square tower and roof ridges emphasized with tile crowns.
Changes in the courtroom were made with federal money in 1934. A two-story brick addition at the rear of the building was designed by Gauger-Parrish of St. Paul in 1975-76. The inside of the building has also been remodeled. An elevator was installed in 1975, a sprinkler system was installed in 1977-78, and air conditioning and other restoration work has taken place. However, the wainscoting, woodwork, and ornate oak staircase have all been retained.
In 1884, voters defeated a $35,000 bond issue to build a new courthouse. Bonds were finally sold for a new building in 1891, after voters approved $30,000 in bonds.
The classical Romanesque Revival style courthouse was designed by T.D. Allen of Minneapolis and built by Leck and McLeod. It is shown above in a 1958 photograph. Built of Austin red brick set with red mortar, and trimmed with Lake Superior brown stone, the 115 by 86 foot courthouse rises three stories above a full basement. Coupled arches supported by polished granite columns protect the north and south entrances. A large sculpture representing Mercy, Law, and Justice is set in a niche above the north entry.
On the northwest corner, the main tower rises five stories to its pyramidal cap with a clock on each side, as well as minarets and gables. A low circular tower is located on the northeast corner and on the southwest sit a minor square tower and roof ridges emphasized with tile crowns.
Changes in the courtroom were made with federal money in 1934. A two-story brick addition at the rear of the building was designed by Gauger-Parrish of St. Paul in 1975-76. The inside of the building has also been remodeled. An elevator was installed in 1975, a sprinkler system was installed in 1977-78, and air conditioning and other restoration work has taken place. However, the wainscoting, woodwork, and ornate oak staircase have all been retained.

17 The same year Le Sueur County was established -- 1853 -- the county's first grand jury convened in Peck and Bean's Boarding House in the village of Le Sueur. Its first indictment was against one of its own members for selling liquor to Native Americans. Judge A.G. Chatfield, founder of Belle Plaine, officiated.
The village of Le Sueur fought against Cleveland to be the county seat for the next 22 years. During this time, the boarding house burned and court convened above Myrick's Store and then on the second floor of the Smith Building, which was built in 1868 on the northwest corner of Ferry and Main. Sessions of court were also held in Cleveland until citizens compromised and made the new settlement of Le Center the county seat in 1875.
As part of Le Center's establishment as the county seat, two blocks of land were set aside for a courthouse square. A two-story brick building was leased by the county for 10 years with an option to purchase. The current courthouse, pictured above, was built on the site in 1896 and the old building, furniture, and fixtures were auctioned off to help pay for building expenses.
Louis M. Curry of the firm of Mayo & Curry of Chicago designed the building and James Dolan & Co. of Waterville built it at a cost of $55,000. The courthouse has buff-colored brick walls that are trimmed with both smooth and rusticated Kasota stone. The cornice and its supporting modillions are made of wood. The Richardsonian Romanesque Revival building is more symmetrical than usual, with a central bay flanked by side pavilions. A square tower rises two stories to a truncated hip roof. An octagonal drum with arched windows on top of that is crowned by a domical roof and the figure of Justice. The tower was originally one story taller but was damaged by lightning and rebuilt in 1920.
In the 1930s and in 1967, federal work projects remodeled the courtroom. Since a major renovation in 1975, the entire second floor has been devoted to court business. An original oak balustrade guards the central opening on the second floor of the rotunda.
The village of Le Sueur fought against Cleveland to be the county seat for the next 22 years. During this time, the boarding house burned and court convened above Myrick's Store and then on the second floor of the Smith Building, which was built in 1868 on the northwest corner of Ferry and Main. Sessions of court were also held in Cleveland until citizens compromised and made the new settlement of Le Center the county seat in 1875.
As part of Le Center's establishment as the county seat, two blocks of land were set aside for a courthouse square. A two-story brick building was leased by the county for 10 years with an option to purchase. The current courthouse, pictured above, was built on the site in 1896 and the old building, furniture, and fixtures were auctioned off to help pay for building expenses.
Louis M. Curry of the firm of Mayo & Curry of Chicago designed the building and James Dolan & Co. of Waterville built it at a cost of $55,000. The courthouse has buff-colored brick walls that are trimmed with both smooth and rusticated Kasota stone. The cornice and its supporting modillions are made of wood. The Richardsonian Romanesque Revival building is more symmetrical than usual, with a central bay flanked by side pavilions. A square tower rises two stories to a truncated hip roof. An octagonal drum with arched windows on top of that is crowned by a domical roof and the figure of Justice. The tower was originally one story taller but was damaged by lightning and rebuilt in 1920.
In the 1930s and in 1967, federal work projects remodeled the courtroom. Since a major renovation in 1975, the entire second floor has been devoted to court business. An original oak balustrade guards the central opening on the second floor of the rotunda.

18 The Blue Earth County Courthouse, completed in 1886, was the second courthouse in the county. The first courthouse in the county, a 20-by-24 foot one-story stone building, was built in 1857. It served as the location for the trial of 392 Dakota Indians after the Dakota Conflict. Thirty-eight Dakota were simultaneously hanged in December 1862. The new building combined a Second Empire roof and dome with Italianate features. The stone was provided by a local quarry, with various techniques giving it both rusticated and ashlar surfaces. The copper-sheathed dome is capped with an 11,000 pound statue of Lady Justice. The statue was last removed and restored in 1990, although more recently in 2013 the statue lost her sword in a wind gust. The sword and statue were promptly repaired.
Lady Justice is a depiction of the Greek goddess of justice, Themis, with the scales of justice and a sword. But she is unusual in that she is without a blindfold and her eyes are wide open. Regular court business no longer takes place in the building. Judicial proceedings were moved in 2009 to the new Blue Earth County Justice Center.
Lady Justice is a depiction of the Greek goddess of justice, Themis, with the scales of justice and a sword. But she is unusual in that she is without a blindfold and her eyes are wide open. Regular court business no longer takes place in the building. Judicial proceedings were moved in 2009 to the new Blue Earth County Justice Center.
Minnesota