Little did I realize how striking the view would be in the Twin Cities. I started exploring this “new” panorama in the company of my old hiking buddy from Wyoming, Eric Austin, soon after arriving in 1998. He and I began a series of urban hikes, starting with our first walk from the Mississippi River to Lake Calhoun along Lake Street. We were drawn to imagine ways during subsequent hikes of expressing or reading the landscape through which we walked. The Hiawatha Project traces its origin to those hikes.

Project members explored an estimated 14 square miles between Lake and 50th Streets in South Minneapolis during nine months of probing streets, alleyways, and trekking the boondocks of the grain elevator district. All the while, we were aware of the emerging Hiawatha Light Rail and the trainload of change barreling down the tracks with the new transit system.

We focused our camera lenses and author's notebook on neighborhood niches, businesses, South High, the Minneapolis Soldiers Memorial Cemetery, and marveled at the street art and murals of Lake Street and Minnehaha Avenue. We immersed ourselves in the splendor of Minnehaha Park and reveled in winter's deep solitude along the banks of the Mississippi. Still. Nine months later we realize we have only touched upon the richness of the Longfellow, Howe, Hiawatha, Standish, Ericsson and Corcoran Neighborhoods. Nonetheless, our hope is that this project will prompt others to sing their own "Hiawatha Songs" and share their perspectives on "Seeing Hiawatha!"
    Contact Randy Bunney: bunney@hiawathaavenue.com

Francine Corcoran
The Hiawatha Project is fortunate to have garnered the participation of a local South Minneapolis gal, photographer Francine Corcoran. Fran has her own following of fans who know her penchant for natural light photography and the landscape. Little did I know at the time, Fran is also an urban hiker. No, I am not talking about her daily commute by foot from the Longfellow neighborhood across the Mississippi to St. Catherine’s rain or shine, freezing temps or blistering hot sun. But rather, Fran has been walking Minneapolis neighborhoods for over 20 years. She has a map in her home marking the routes she has hiked since January 2002. Her goal is to hike all of Minneapolis’ streets over several years, and has completed about half.

Fran joined The Hiawatha Project during a time when the calendar pointed to March but the heavy snowfalls and frigid temps bespoke winter. Her image, “Winter’s Dream” captures the soft lighting and muted colors of a winter sunset and is one of my favorites. Yet Fran also turned her camera’s lens to industrial and architectural subjects, including the Ford Parkway Bridge and nighttime scenes of Hiawatha Avenue. Her website for nature photography is www.francinecorcoran.com. Look for her next photography show at Bethesda Rehabilitation Hospital in downtown St. Paul October- November 2004.