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Sugar Loaf, Winona, MinnesotaToday Sugar Loaf is a rocky pinnacle overlooking eastern Winona above the junction of Highways 61 and 43. It towers 500 feet over Lake Winona (former part of the Mississippi River main channel) and more than 85 feet above the remainder of the bluff. It resulted from the quarrying in the 1880s of the limestone which was then used for Winonas sidewalks and brick buildings. The use of limestone (Oneota dolomite - a sedimentary limestone composed mainly of calcium carbonate and magnesium) began with the need to improve city sidewalks made of wood. Many miles of this limestone were installed before the turn of the 20th Century and met with such success that a city ordinance was passed in late 1890 specifying stone only for sidewalks. Buildings in the area also began to utilize the stone because of its texture. In March, 2004 a rare event occurred. Tons of limestone sheared off the northwest face of the landmark, leaving a dark trail of rock rubble in the snow, down a lower cliff face and onto the tree-covered slope below. The cascade stopped about 100 yards short of the nearest house. The layers of stone came loose and fell because of the freezing and thawing action of water over time, especially from the unusually wet winter. In its original configuration of the bluff was as a rounded dome with a fringe of evergreen on the crown was well known to early explorers, traders, tourists, and river boat pilots. Indian legend has it that the mountain represented the cap of Chief Wa-pah-sha (Wabasha) transformed into stone. The name "Sugar Loaf" refers to the former formation's resemblance to the conical loaves that sugar used to be packaged and sold in. There are many hills and mountains named "Sugar Loaf" in the United States. At least two other hills bearing the name "Sugar Loaf" are located in or near the Mississippi River Valley in close proximity to Winona. The former Sugar Loaf Brewery (Peter Bub's Brewery) building is nestled into the northeastern slope. It is in the National Register of Historic Places, as is the hill itself in a separate entry. The brewery operation extended caves into Sugar Loaf. The Sugar Loaf name is also given to a very small community located south and east of the hill. External Links 1869 engraving of Sugar Loaf 1908 photo Sugar Loaf today
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