Northfield Public Library: Cannon River Past
As the city of Northfield and the community contemplate removal of the Ames Mill Dam, questions are swirling about how we should preserve the dam and mill’s history and meaningfully engage with the Cannon River. Public art projects, particularly around the Bridge Square Riverwalk area, have the potential to be critical avenues for visitors and residents alike to engage with the Cannon River and the milling history of the city.
Northfield Public Library- Present, Methods
We used drones, cameras, and voice recorders to gather the media we included in our final map. Additionally, we researched ethical oral history before reaching out to interview people. The final map was created using Thinglink and a number of media and audio editors.
Northfield Public Library- Present, Sources
Almost all of our content for this project comes from field interviews and field research. Erin and I walked along the Cannon River a few times to better understand the setting we were talking about. Beginning with our own contacts and expanding to all Northfield residents, we took a number of interviews, learning about people’s different experiences. We paid particular attention to our own survey biases, both being Carleton students,
Northfield Public Library- Present, Intro
We recorded how people in Northfield see and perceive the Cannon River in the present day. Over the course of May 2023, we interviewed different Northfield residents and visitors, and took images and videos of the water as it moves downstream. The final map acts as a home to the collective experiences around the river in town. Below is our final project.
Methods
In terms of data collection, much of our methods were very experiential. The single most productive experience in gathering knowledge was a drive that we took with Mar Valdecantos, the director of Rice County Neighbors United. By simply taking us all throughout Northfield and showcasing individual examples of geographical and socioeconomic diversities, we garnered a much deeper understanding of the structures that make Northfield what it is. When making our
Rice County Neighbors United
Graham Gordon, Taylor Kang, & Jason Min HIST338 S23 – Professor Austin Mason Our project was conducted under the guidance of Mar Valdecantos from Rice County Neighbors United, also known as Vecinos Unidos/Vecinxs Unidxs. With a focus on the Viking Terrace manufactured home community on the Northwest side of Northfield, we explored different elements of geographic inequalities within the city. As Carleton students, it’s hard to get a pulse on
Sources
We used a variety of sources to show the imbalance within the city of Northfield. Firstly, we gained some baseline information from Mar’s presentation on Viking Terrace. Following that, we were able to tour the city of Northfield with Mar and we were able to see some of the inequalities firsthand. Additionally, each member of our team put in time to do individual research based on the StoryMap he or
Community Partner Projects
In Spring 2023, we conducted deep mapping Academic Civic Engagement projects with three community partners: Rice County Neighbors United, the Northfield Public Library, and the Rice County Historical Society.
Walking East Northfield: Between Winona Street and Nevada Street, from 5th to 9th
On Sunday, April 9, I wandered along the streets of my four blocks in East Northfield. I started off my walk musing about the bright, bold paint colors on the houses when I spotted the chickens. I did not expect to see chickens on my walk. My neighborhood in my hometown looks similar to this part of Northfield at first glance, so I had been expecting the two to feel
