Vadnais Heights, Minnesota started out as a small, agricultural town. However, the prompting of major highway access prompted the growth of this city until it became the thriving place that it is today. In the 1840’s, there were three families that settled the area of modern day Vadnais Heights. these Canadian families went by the […]

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 to the Mississippi River, these settlers from Ireland and Germany quickly established a community. Those of Irish descent clustered their farms along what is now Rich Valley Boulevard. Settlers […]

Prior to it becoming a city, the area that is now Arden Hills was a popular recreational area.  Lake Johanna and Lake Josephine were popular were the hot spots for these recreational activities. They were popular with fisherman, swimmers, boaters, families on picnics, and outdoor lovers. In 1906, state senator Joseph Hackey bought a land […]

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 Brighton was initially inhabited by Native Americans. The main two groups were the Dakota and the Ojibwe, and their main goal was to harvest treks. […]

The city of Shoreview, Minnesota shares its rich history with many of its surrounding neighbors. Before being colonized by white settlers, the area in which modern-day Shoreview exists was primarily owned by the Ojibwe and Dakota tribes. This was also the case for many of the neighboring cities. It wasn’t until 1837 that the land […]

The city of Roseville, Minnesota began like many other cities in the Twin Cities metro area. The land that modern-day Roseville occupies was originally the home of the Dakota and Ojibwa tribes. It wasn’t until 1843 that the first non-Native American settlers arrived and began to colonize the area. In 1850 a township was formed […]

The origin and establishment of the city of Maplewood, Minnesota goes back nearly 150 years. Before the settlers appeared, the Dakota Indians mainly occupied the land in Maplewood. The topography was a combination of small forest and open prairie, with several pockets of wetlands and lakes scattered about. In 1850, a small group of families […]

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 the site of Banfill-Locke Center for the Arts). At that time, the area was call Manomin. In 1851, the next settler, by the name of Abram M. Fridley, settled in Manomin. […]

The first people to inhabit Prior Lake were Native American Indians. They remained in the area until the Mendota Treaty allowed European settler to occupy the land. Named after General Winfield Scott, Scott County was established by the State Legislature in 1853. Many settlers had been in the area previously in order to trade with […]

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, Scott County. Philipp did not make an official plat for the town but began selling lots that same year, marking the beginning of New Prague. Several other families came […]

The city of Jordan, Minnesota has a history dating back to the early 1850’s. In 1853, Thomas A. Holmes sent a group from Shakopee to build a sawmill in the area of what is now modern day Jordan.  Thomas Holmes and his family lived in a log house which would eventually be the start of the […]

The history of Norwood Young America is a unique, small-town tale of two villages that joined together over time. Young America was founded in in 1856, while Norwood was not founded until almost thirty years later. Young America’s first settlers were mainly belonging to one of two heritages, German or English. The town experienced tension […]

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. New Germany has gone through many name and boundary changes, which make its history difficult to understand and grasp. The Great Northern Railroad first entered the Carver County […]

The Nicollet Island/East Bank neighborhood contains a small residential population of 1,500 and Nicollet Island on the Mississippi River just east of downtown Minneapolis as well as a share of the eastern riverbank located between Central Avenue and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad line. The neighborhood is the geographical center of Minneapolis. The island […]

Cedar-Riverside, located in the University community, is named after the intersection of the two main avenues of the neighborhood, which are Cedar and Riverside. The neighborhood is triangular-shaped with three ultimate boundaries. The Mississippi River is on the east side, Interstate 94 on the south side, and Interstate 35W on the west side. Cedar-Riverside is […]

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 Northeast, on the south by Broadway Avenue Northeast, and on the west by Washington Street Northeast. This 150-acre neighborhood of over 2,000 residents is nearly half residential with the other […]

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 within the Nokomis community. Morris Park got its name from Mary C. Morris, daughter of Franklin Steele. Steele was the first European-American settler of St. Anthony, which is north of […]

Located just west of the North Loop Neighborhood in Downtown Minneapolis, the Sumner-Glenwood neighborhood offers the best of traditional urban living. The homes are mainly new constructions with modern features and design details. The neighborhood has something for everyone with its many housing styles. The streets are tree-lined and welcoming and the neighborhood of just […]

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, many of whom worked in the milling and lumber industries on the Mississippi River. As time passed, the community shifted and became a beehive of hippies, intellectuals, actors, artists and musicians. Presently, […]

As the streetcar system expanded further south, the opportunity for residential development became inevitable. This is the main reason that the southwest corner of Minneapolis was developed, and became known as the Southwest community. Parts of the community were originally part of Richfield but annexed to Minneapolis in the mid-1920s. Homes in the area began to rise […]

The Powderhorn community was initially established around the early 1900’s with the arrival and growth of the streetcar system in Minneapolis. The community began to develop commercial and residential properties around the major intersections of the area. The community got its name from its local park, Powderhorn Park. The park served, and remains to serve, […]

The name Phillips came from Wendell Phillips, a 19th-century abolitionist. Housing expansion in the Phillips community extended to its highest point in the years of 1890–1910, after the new streetcar routes down Lake Street and Franklin Avenue were established. Industrial and commercial endeavors also played a key part in the neighborhood’s history, with shops and […]