Betsy Doermann helped reframe the river

Next time you see the Stone Arch Bridge in Minneapolis, think of Betsy Doermann.

Doermann was secretary of the St. Anthony Falls Heritage Board during the period when a stretch on both sides of the Mississippi River was turning from a polluted, blighted former industrial area to the swath of open space, culture and history that it is now.

Doermann died Jan. 22 at her home in Scarborough, Maine. She was 79.

Many worked on the riverfront, from government, nonprofits and businesses, and Doermann's role was to shepherd the project forward, said Nina Archabal, director of the Minnesota Historical Society from 1977 until her retirement in December.

"She was a combination of a terrier and a utility infielder; she was just an incredible person, and she was smart enough to capture the vision," she said. "I don't think the riverfront would have happened had I not asked Betsy to take that ball and run with it."

Doermann was born in Boston, and grew up in Weston, Mass., said her husband, Humphrey. They came to Minnesota in 1971.

Working for the Historical Society, she oversaw the transition of the James J. Hill House in St. Paul from church offices to historical site. In 1992, Archabal sent her to work full time with the St. Anthony Falls Heritage Board, created by the Legislature to preserve historical sites along the Mississippi north of downtown.

The idea was to use interpreted trails along the river and over the bridge and a mix of park, housing and businesses to reframe the river.

In a 2008 oral history interview with former Star Tribune architecture reporter Linda Mack, Doermann recalled a comment from a resident who wondered why, considering the dominance of the Mississippi, Minneapolis was not known as "City of River and Lakes."

"So much effort for so many decades has been put on the lakes," Doermann said. "It seemed like such an obvious statement. Not that you could change the license plates, but you have to change the way people are looking at the city."

Doermann made connections, directed money and energy, and helped make the vision a reality. One key was bringing people together, to reflect a fluid history, said Ann Calvert, Minneapolis' principal project coordinator.

"She was smart enough to realize there was important stuff that happened beforehand, and some of the stuff we've done to change the riverfront is its own history," Calvert said. "She was wise enough to see that some of those connections are what make things magical and powerful."