View of St. Anthony, Minneapolis and St. Anthony Falls

This lithograph shows St. Anthony Falls in the mid-1850s, and it springs from an intriguing moment for both Minnesota and the artist. British-born Whitefield first visited Minnesota Territory in 1855, just three years before it became a state. Liking what he saw, he returned the next year to create art and help stake out townships. Those twin pursuits intertwined for several years, as Whitefield used his landscape lithographs to promote settlement in the land he loved. This particular piece appeared in the book Whitefield’s Original View of North American Cities, No. 39 and was printed by New York City’s Endicott & Co. printing house.