About
Background
Between July 1996 and December 1998, MnDOT conducted a statewide inventory of its wayside rests on Minnesota trunk highways. The purpose was to identify roadside structures that were eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. The initial research report, Historic Roadside Development Structures on Minnesota Trunk Highways, was published and distributed in September 2000; a supplement that adds eight new properties and updates was completed in 2005.
Many of these historic roadside facilities were built during the 1930s and early ‘40s by unemployed Minnesotans under the federal relief programs of President Roosevelt's New Deal. The facilities were built in cooperation with the Minnesota Department of Highways, as MnDOT was known at the time. The partnership produced roadside facilities built to meticulous standards with local materials. Many of these properties are state, regional, or local landmarks and are important to regional tourism services. They include features such as scenic overlook walls, picnic tables and fireplaces, interpretive markers, and small bridges.
Original historic plans
Historical roadside development sites are ranked by factors of historical and design significance, such as quality of craftsmanship, important designer, integrity of setting, outstanding scenic value and other criteria. This ranking process enables MnDOT to make more informed decisions about the long-term management of these resources.