 Statues on the grounds include a bronze statue of Hiawatha carrying Minnehaha created by Jacob Fjelde . It was created for the Columbian Exposition in 1893 and moved to the park in 1912 . Other statues commemorate several notable figures including John H. Stevens , the first authorized resident on the west bank of the Mississippi River in what would become Minneapolis . He was granted permission to occupy the site , then part of the Fort Snelling military reservation , in exchange for providing ferry service to St. Anthony across the river . A statue of Swedish musician and poet Gunnar Wennerberg has been in the park since it was created in 1915 . A mask of Dakota leader Taoyateduta ( Little Crow ) was placed overlooking the falls in 1992 . 
