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The Gateway area is located in Southeast Minnesota and Northeast Iowa between the Western Prairie lands and the Bluff lands of the Mississippi Valley. The Gateway Area Tourism Enterprise Company is composed of a group of local businesses with interests in promoting tourism and economic development within the general region and the many small Minnesota and Iowa towns. This area has always been known as the Southern Gateway Area. As best as can be determined this name relates to the fact that this area was shaped by the glacial waters of the last ice age. Evidence suggests that the Melt Water Sea of the North, drained Southeasterly through this area on its way to the ocean, leaving behind the rock outcroppings known as bluffs. Within the general location of the Melt Water Sea are vast deposits of sand and rock gravel. These treasurers of glacial till hold many secrets as to the formation of the basic land masses, and also tell the tales of ancient peoples that wandered this area long before Columbus set foot in this New World. A chert mine and chipping station, mooring rocks and unusual rock formations provide a cross section of the basic land features and tell of the presence of civilized man 500 years before the so called discovery of America by Columbus in 1492. Local folk tales speak of the presence of eastern European tribes, namely those from the Scandinavian counties as being in the area in large numbers around the year 1000 AD, and mounting physical evidence, namely mooring rocks and small tool artifacts and animal remains point in this same direction. Plus there is evidence that this area was visited by wandering native American tribes prior to the arrival of the so called White Man. Today the area is dominated by rich crop producing lands and several large feedlot operations. This is AG country and is home to man, family farms and is a transportation hub for grain and pork. The heart of the region is the eastern half of Mower County which places it between two large suburban areas, Rochester to the northeast and Austin/ Albert Lea to the west. As a transportation hub it is located along two major interstate highways I-90 which run east/west and I-35 which runs north/south. These two roads split the North American continent in half in all directions. It is home to five scenic byways and many secondary roads best suited for a leisure trip back in time. |
