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Minnesota History
The stories behind our towns, from early settlers to the communities you know today. Thinking of selling or buying? Realtor David Olson knows these areas inside and out.
Minnesota History
109 articles · All articles
Minnesota HistoryWelcome to the “Jonathan Community” in Chaska
Most suburbs are built around roads. Jonathan was built around an idea: that people should live close to woods, water and each other.
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Minnesota HistoryProven Experience! Review of Realtor David Olson
I started in the trades. Then I spent years as a pastor. For about two decades since, I’ve been a real estate broker and home builder here in Minnesota, where I’ve…
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Minnesota HistoryBrief History of Lino Lakes
In 1955, the City of Lino Lakes was incorporated. Prior to 1955 the city of Lino Lakes was a part of the township of Centerville. If you’re thinking…
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Minnesota HistoryCity of Miesville: A Breif History
The small village of Miesville, Minnesota was founded in 1874. The village was named after its founder John Mies. Knowing a community’s story helps you…
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Minnesota HistoryCity of North St. Paul: A Brief History
The City of North St. Paul, Minnesota is one of the oldest suburbs in the entire state of Minnesota. Knowing a community’s story helps you understand…
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Minnesota HistoryCity of White Bear Lake: A Brief History
The first inhabitants of White Bear Lake were the Dakota and Ojibway Indians, who used this land for hunting and harvesting. If you’re thinking about a…
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Minnesota HistoryCity of North Oaks: A Brief History
Prior to becoming a city, the area that is now known as North Oaks was structured around Pleasant Lake and was intended to serve as a water source for…
Read more →Minnesota HistoryCity of West St. Paul: A Brief History
The first inhabitants of West St. Paul were the Sioux and Mendota Indians. Knowing a community’s story helps you understand its neighborhoods today.…
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Minnesota HistoryCity of South St. Paul: A Brief History
The earliest inhabitants to the South Saint Paul area were the Mdewakanton Dakota Indians. Knowing a community’s story helps you understand its…
Read more →Minnesota HistoryBrief History of Rosemount Minnesota
The area of Rosemount was first inhabited by the Lower Band Mdewakanton of the Santee Sioux Tribe, who settled on the glacial plains. Knowing a…
Read more →Minnesota HistoryBrief History of Northfield Minnesota
In January 1855, Northfield was first settled by John Wesley North who moved from St Anthony Falls, MN to settle land receded by the Dakota tribe.…
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Minnesota HistoryCity of Eagan: A Brief History
The first residents of the Eagan area were the Dakota or Sioux Indians. Around 1740, a settlement known as Black Dog Village was documented along the…
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Minnesota HistoryCity of Lakeville: A Brief History
The Sioux people were the earliest inhabitants of southern Minnesota, including the present day City of Lakeville. Knowing a community’s story helps…
Read more →Minnesota HistoryCity of Apple Valley: A Brief History
Apple Valley’s historical roots lead back to the mid-1800’s when it was a part of the Lebanon Township farming community. Knowing a community’s story…
Read more →Minnesota HistoryCity of Mounds View: A Brief History
The village of Mounds View, Minnesota, was established in 1958. However, its history starts much earlier. Knowing a community’s story helps you…
Read more →Minnesota HistoryCity of Little Canada: A Brief History
The city of Little Canada, Minnesota is home to just over 10,000 residents. A close-knit community, Little Canada shares much of its history with the…
Read more →Minnesota HistoryCity of Lauderdale: A Brief History
The city of Lauderdale, Minnesota shares much of its history with the surrounding area. A first ring suburb of Minneapolis, Lauderdale is a small…
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Minnesota HistoryCity of Stillwater: A Brief History
The beautiful town of Stillwater is located on the St. Croix river in the St. Knowing a community’s story helps you understand its neighborhoods today.…
Read more →Minnesota HistoryCity of Burnsville: A Brief History
The earliest inhabitants of the Burnsville area were the Mdewakanton Dakota Indians. Around 1750, Chief Black Dog established a permanent village…
Read more →Minnesota HistoryCity of Gem Lake: A Brief History
The city of Gem Lake, Minnesota shares much of its history with the larger, surrounding cities of White Bear Lake and Little Canada. If you’re thinking…
Read more →Minnesota HistoryCity of Falcon Heights: A Brief History
The city of Falcon Heights, Minnesota started off as a part of the Rose Township. This land area also encompassed the present-day cities of Lauderdale…
Read more →Minnesota HistoryCity of Blaine: A Brief History
The first recognized settler of modern day Blaine, Minnesota was Phillip Laddy, who was an immigrant from Ireland. Knowing a community’s story helps…
Read more →Minnesota HistoryCity of Vadnais Heights: A Brief History
Vadnais Heights, Minnesota started out as a small, agricultural town. However, the prompting of major highway access prompted the growth of this city…
Read more →Minnesota HistoryCity of Inver Grove Heights: A Brief History
In 1852, pioneers staked claims in an area known as Inver Grove. Attracted by the area's rolling green hills of the countryside and the close proximity…
Read more →Minnesota HistoryCity of Arden Hills: A Brief History
Prior to it becoming a city, the area that is now Arden Hills was a popular recreational area. Knowing a community’s story helps you understand its…
Read more →Minnesota HistoryCity of New Brighton: A Brief History
New Brighton, Minnesota, is a city with a young feel that is almost a century old. Similar to many of the cities in the metro areas of the state, New…
Read more →Minnesota HistoryCity of Shoreview: A Brief History
The city of Shoreview, Minnesota shares its rich history with many of its surrounding neighbors. Here’s their experience in their own words. Here’s an…
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Minnesota HistoryCity of Roseville: A Brief History
The city of Roseville, Minnesota began like many other cities in the Twin Cities metro area. Knowing a community’s story helps you understand its…
Read more →Minnesota HistoryCity of Maplewood: A Brief History
The origin and establishment of the city of Maplewood, Minnesota goes back nearly 150 years. Knowing a community’s story helps you understand its…
Read more →Minnesota HistoryCity of Fridley: A Brief History
The city of Fridley, Minnesota was formed in 1847, when John Banfill became the city’s initial settler as he established the Banfill Tavern (currently…
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Minnesota HistoryCity of Prior Lake: A Brief History
The first people to inhabit Prior Lake were Native American Indians. They remained in the area until the Mendota Treaty allowed European settler to…
Read more →Minnesota HistoryCity of New Prague: A Brief History
Anton Philipp, a German man, was the first settler of what is now known as New Prague. In 1856 Philipp purchased 160 acres of the Helena Township,…
Read more →Minnesota HistoryCity of Jordan: A Brief History
The city of Jordan, Minnesota has a history dating back to the early 1850's. In 1853, Thomas A. Knowing a community’s story helps you understand its…
Read more →Minnesota HistoryCity of Norwood Young America: A Brief History
The history of Norwood Young America is a unique, small-town tale of two villages that joined together over time. Knowing a community’s story helps you…
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Minnesota HistoryCity of New Germany: A Brief History
New Germany, Minnesota is a small town in the western metro portion of the state. It has a wealth of history that it’s locals appreciate and enjoy.…
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Minnesota HistoryUniversity: Nicollet Island/East Bank
The Nicollet Island/East Bank neighborhood contains a small residential population of 1,500 and Nicollet Island on the Mississippi River just east of…
Read more →Minnesota HistoryUniversity: Cedar-Riverside
Cedar-Riverside, located in the University community, is named after the intersection of the two main avenues of the neighborhood, which are Cedar and…
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Minnesota HistoryNortheast: Logan Park
Logan Park, located in the Northeast community of Minneapolis and is bordered on the north by 19th Avenue Northeast, on the east by Central Avenue…
Read more →Minnesota HistoryNokomis: Morris Park
Morris Park is located in the southeastern border of Minneapolis. The neighborhood borders the Twin Cities Air Force Reserve Base on the south, and is…
Read more →Minnesota HistoryNear North: Sumner-Glenwood
Located just west of the North Loop Neighborhood in Downtown Minneapolis, the Sumner-Glenwood neighborhood offers the best of traditional urban living.…
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Minnesota HistoryUniversity: A Brief History
The University community’s history is almost as old as Minneapolis’. In the late 1890’s, the area had a thriving community of Scandinavian immigrants,…
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Minnesota HistorySouthwest: A Brief History
As the streetcar system expanded further south, the opportunity for residential development became inevitable. Knowing a community’s story helps you…
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Minnesota HistoryPowderhorn: A Brief History
The Powderhorn community was initially established around the early 1900’s with the arrival and growth of the streetcar system in Minneapolis. Knowing…
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Minnesota HistoryPhillips Community: A Brief History
The name Phillips came from Wendell Phillips, a 19th-century abolitionist. Housing expansion in the Phillips community extended to its highest point in…
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Minnesota HistoryNortheast: A Brief History
Whether it be East Hennepin, The Northeast Neighborhood, or the “Nordeast,” as some locals refer to it as, what you need to know is merely this:…
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Minnesota HistoryNokimis: A Brief History
The Nokomis community has a rich history that was heavily influenced by Native Americans and streetcar lines.
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Minnesota HistoryNear North: A Brief Overview
The Near North community can be found in the north-western side of the city of Minneapolis. Here’s what to know, whether you’re selling, buying or just…
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Minnesota HistoryNear North: A Brief History
Like many other communities in Minneapolis, when the street cars stretched outward in the 1880s, development in Near North followed. Knowing a…
Read more →Minnesota HistoryLongfellow: A Brief History
The city of Minneapolis did not obtain land south of Franklin Avenue until 1881 and 1883 when the last half of Longfellow annexed in 1887 from…
Read more →Minnesota HistoryCentral: A Brief History
The Central community is commonly referred to as “downtown Minneapolis”. This area is home to the famous Minneapolis skyline, a dynamic nightlife, and…
Read more →Minnesota HistoryCamden Community: Parks & Trails
The Camden community is home to a wide array of parks and outdoor recreational spaces for residents to enjoy. Parks and trails are a big part of what…
Read more →Minnesota HistoryThe Camden Community: A Brief History
The Camden community is made up of four predominantly residential neighborhoods, which are Victory, Shingle Creek, Webber-Camden, and Lind-Bohanon.…
Read more →Minnesota HistoryCalhoun Isles: A Brief History
Before Europeans settled the area of the Calhoun Isles Community, Dakota Indians populated Lake Calhoun. Knowing a community’s story helps you…
Read more →Minnesota HistoryCity of Minneapolis: A Brief History
Minneapolis is the largest city by population in the state of Minnesota, and the county seat for Hennepin County. Knowing a community’s story helps you…
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Minnesota HistoryA Brief History of Edina Minnesota
The city of Edina, Minnesota was initially a part of the Richfield Township. By the 1870’s, close to twenty families, with many coming from Ireland…
Read more →Minnesota HistoryCity of Hanover: A Brief History
At one point, the area of Hanover, Minnesota was comprised of nothing more than woods, lakes, streams, and the occasional open space. Knowing a…
Read more →Minnesota HistoryCity of Greenfield: A Brief History
At one point, the area of Greenfield, Minnesota was comprised of nothing more than woods, lakes, streams, and the occasional open space. Knowing a…
Read more →Minnesota HistoryCity of Dayton: A Brief History
Dayton, Minnesota started as an early settlement. Like much of the surrounding area, Dayton was mostly an area filled with forests. Knowing a…
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Minnesota HistoryCity of Maple Grove: A Brief History
The city of Maple Grove, Minnesota is located in the north-central part of Hennepin County. Knowing a community’s story helps you understand its…
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Minnesota HistoryCity of Shakopee: A Brief History
The City of Shakopee is so rich in history, that it is difficult to discuss in a brief manner. Knowing a community’s story helps you understand its…
Read more →Minnesota HistoryCity of St. Paul: A Brief History
Saint Paul is the second biggest city in the state of Minnesota, the county head for Ramsey County, and home of the state capitol. Knowing a…
Read more →Minnesota HistoryCity of Corcoran: A Brief History
The first people living in the region now known today as Corcoran were members of diverse American Indian tribes. Knowing a community’s story helps you…
Read more →Minnesota HistoryCity of Champlin: A Brief History
The name Champlin was derived from the name of a U.S. Navy Commodore who was known as Stephen Champlin. Knowing a community’s story helps you…
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Minnesota HistoryCity of Brooklyn Park: A Brief History
"This is Paradise," Pierre Bottineau exclaimed, he took a look at the beautiful prairie and woods before him. Parks and trails are a big part of what…
Read more →Minnesota HistoryCity of Brooklyn Center: A Brief History
The area known today as Brooklyn Center, Minnesota was originally owned by the government, and was not made public for residential use until after the…
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Minnesota HistoryCity of Saint Anthony: A Brief History
St. Anthony, Minnesota started out as a township in 1861, and then became a village in 1945. Knowing a community’s story helps you understand its…
Read more →Minnesota HistoryHistory of Rogers Minnesota
Rogers, Minnesota started as an early settlement in 1884. Like much of the surrounding area, Rogers was mostly forests. Knowing a community’s story…
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Minnesota HistoryCity of Rockford: A Brief History
The history of Rockford, Minnesota dates back to 1855. In Illinois, two men, George Ames and Joel Florida, read about the spectacular land in…
Read more →Minnesota HistoryCity of Medicine Lake: A Brief History
The name Medicine Lake came from the Native American word "Mdewakan", meaning "Lake of the Spirit." The reason the lake was called "Lake of…
Read more →Minnesota HistoryCity of Savage: A Brief History
Although Savage is not the largest suburb in the state of Minnesota, its historical roots go deeper than many other cities in the area. Knowing a…
Read more →Minnesota HistoryCity of Maple Plain: A Brief History
At one point, the area of Maple Plain, Minnesota was comprised of nothing more than woods, lakes, streams, and the occasional open space. Knowing a…
Read more →Minnesota HistoryCity of Loretto: A Brief History
At one point, the area of Loretto, Minnesota was comprised of nothing more than woods, lakes, streams, and the occasional open space. Knowing a…
Read more →Minnesota HistoryCity of Independence: A Brief History
At one point, the area of Independence, Minnesota was comprised of nothing more than woods, lakes, streams, and the occasional open space. Knowing a…
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Minnesota HistoryCity of Medina: A Brief History
At one point, the area of Medina, Minnesota was comprised of nothing more than woods, lakes, streams, and the occasional open space. Knowing a…
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Minnesota HistoryCity of Hopkins: A Brief History
In 1852, Hopkins, Minnesota was settled by its first European pioneers. However, the true beginning of Hopkins did not start until 35 years later when…
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Minnesota HistoryRichfield Minnesota: A Brief History
Richfield, Minnesota is the perfect example of a city that came a long way from being a rural area to a suburban city. Knowing a community’s story…
Read more →Minnesota HistoryCity Of New Hope: A Brief History
New Hope, Minnesota was mainly an agricultural community in the early 1900’s. Most of the locals lived off of their grown goods and sold the rest to…
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Minnesota HistoryCity of Robbinsdale: A Brief History
The city of Robbinsdale, Minnesota started out as just a small township called Crystal Bay. Knowing a community’s story helps you understand its…
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Minnesota HistoryCity of Golden Valley: A Brief History
Golden Valley, Minnesota is a city that has significant history. Most of the area was originally inhabited by the Chippewa and Sioux tribes. Knowing a…
Read more →Minnesota HistoryCity of Crystal: A Brief History
In 1852, the area of Crystal, Minnesota became a part of Hennepin County. However, Crystal was not an official city, as was it actually called the…
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Minnesota HistoryCity of St. Louis Park: A Brief History
St. Louis Park, Minnesota began when two landowners from Minneapolis decided to hire a group of businessmen to start building homes in the late 1880’s.…
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Minnesota HistoryBloomington: A Brief History
From the year of 1843 until present day, Bloomington, Minnesota has experienced one of the most rich and dynamic histories of any city in the state.…
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Minnesota HistoryHistory of Waconia
For much of its history, Waconia Minnesota was a big tourist destination. It since then has become more residential. Knowing a community’s story helps…
Read more →Minnesota HistoryCity of Watertown: A Brief History
In 1851, the area of Carver County was opened up to settlers through the Mendota Treaty. The rivers and lake provided the best places for locals to live, as…
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Minnesota HistoryCity of Cologne: Brief History
The most interesting aspect of the history of Cologne, Minnesota is the fact that it started as two villages, Benton and Cologne. Knowing a community’s…
Read more →Minnesota HistoryCity of Mayer: Brief History
In 1851, the area of Carver County was opened up to settlers through the Mendota Treaty. The rivers and lake provided the best places for locals to…
Read more →Minnesota HistoryCity of Hamburg: Brief History
After the Mendota Treaty that allowed settlers to move into the Dakota Indian territory, European settlers flooded into the western area of Minnesota,…
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Minnesota HistoryLake Minnetonka: Iconic Houses
Lake Minnetonka is one of the most desirable and exciting places to live in the state of Minnesota. If you’re thinking about a home near the water,…
Read more →Minnesota HistoryLake Minnetonka: A Brief History
Lake Minnetonka is an integral part of each and every one of the cities that it touches. The main landmark of the western metro, it provides limitless…
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Minnesota HistoryCity of St. Bonifacius: A Brief History
St. Bonifacius, Minnesota has much of its history wrapped up in its neighbor city, Minnetrista. Knowing a community’s story helps you understand its…
Read more →Minnesota HistoryCity of Long Lake: A Brief History
Long Long, Minnesota was first inhabited by settlers in 1855. The group that settled the area were of Nova Scotian descent, and decided to establish…
Read more →Minnesota HistoryCity of Minnetonka Beach: A Brief History
Minnetonka Beach, which is known to the locals as “The Beach” provides a rich amount of historic value to the Lake Minnetonka area. Parks and trails…
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Minnesota HistoryCity of Spring Park: Brief History
Spring Park was mainly a tourist destination is the 1880’s. The reason it was such a popular attraction in the summer was because of the large and very…
Read more →Minnesota HistoryCity of Greenwood: A Brief History
Historical values are an important part of the community in Greenwood, Minnesota. Most of the city's history derived the city of Excelsior when from…
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Minnesota HistoryCity of Tonka Bay: Brief History
Tonka Bay, Minnesota did not become officially incorporated until 1901. However, it had been settled long before then. Knowing a community’s story…
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Minnesota HistoryHistory of Shorewood
Shorewood, Minnesota’s history dates back to when Lake Minnetonka was a secret that was only known by the local Native Americans. Knowing a community’s…
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Minnesota HistoryA Brief History of Plymouth Minnesota
The original inhabitants of the Plymouth, Minnesota were the Native American tribe called the Dakotas. Knowing a community’s story helps you understand…
Read more →Minnesota HistoryHistory of Minnetonka
The city ofMinnetonka, Minnesota was at one time a very sacred place for the Native Americans. Knowing a community’s story helps you understand its…
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Minnesota HistoryHistory of Excelsior
Historical values are an important part of the community in Excelsior, Minnesota. Colonists that came out of New York in 1853 were the first to settle…
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Minnesota HistoryHistory of Wayzata Minnesota
The city received inspiration for its name from the Native American word Waziyata, which had a very mystical and religious value to the Sioux tribes…
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Minnesota HistoryBrief History of Victoria Minnesota
Long before the settlers and pioneers arrived, Victoria Minnesota was inhabited by Native Americans. Knowing a community’s story helps you understand…
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Minnesota HistoryCity of Minnetrista: A Brief History
The city of Minnetrista, Minnesota is a land of hills, forests, and winding lakes. The Dakota Native Americans more than likely inhabited the wooded…
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Minnesota HistoryHistory of Mound Minnesota
The city of Mound was incorporated in 1912, but was actually settled earlier in the 1850's when the Minnesota Governor at the time, who was Alexander…
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Minnesota HistoryHistory of Deephaven Minnesota
Named for its harbor on Lake Minnetonka and located in the western region of Hennepin County, Deephaven is a suburb of Minnesota that provides rich…
Read more →Minnesota HistoryHistory of Orono Minnesota
The city of Orono, Minnesota was founded in 1858, the same year that Minnesota became a state. Knowing a community’s story helps you understand its…
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Minnesota HistoryHistory of Chanhassen Minnesota
The city of Chanhassen got its name from the Native American Dakota tribe’s word chanhassen, which means “sugar maple tree.” Over the past thirty…
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Minnesota HistoryHistory of Eden Prairie Minnesota
The city of Eden Prairie got its name from Elizabeth Fries Ellet, an author who visited the land and announced it to be the most beautiful spot in the…
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Minnesota HistoryHistory of Chaska Minnesota
Every old town has layers. In Chaska, you can still see them: the mounds in City Square, the brick buildings downtown, the river that started it all.
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Minnesota HistoryCity of Carver’s History
Carver Minnesota's history started as a major transportation center from the 1850s through the 1870s, because of the natural navigational barrier for…
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