Overview of the History of Lake Minnetonka 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 recreational activities, supported by nearby parks, and serene hiking trails. On an average summer day, the iconic lake will be bustling […]

St. Bonifacius, Minnesota has much of its history wrapped up in its neighbor city, Minnetrista. However, there is something to learn from the brief history of St. Bonifacius as well. St. Bonifacius was originally inhabited by German settlers. The city of Minnetrista, Minnesota is a land full of hills, forests, and winding lakes. The Dakota […]

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 the small community near the large lake known today as Lake Minnetonka. The early settlers had a unique relationship with the nearby Native american tribes of the Dakota and Chippewa […]

Minnetonka Beach, which is known to the locals as “The Beach” provides a rich amount of historic value to the Lake Minnetonka area. The history dates back to 1855 when the first settlers made their homes in the area. The city was not officially incorporated until 1894 however but received its title a few year earlier in […]

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 beautiful Lake Minnetonka. The lake caused so much traffic in the area that the town built several hotels and inns for tourists to stay. A man by […]

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 Colonists came out of New York in 1853 in order to be the first to settle the town. Excelsior is a small area, but has been a focal point of the […]

Tonka Bay, Minnesota did not become officially incorporated until 1901. However, it had been settled long before then. The cities geographical region covers only 1-square mile. With its location within both the upper and lower parts of Lake Minnetonka, Tonka Bay has more shoreline on the iconic lake than any other city its size. In […]

Shorewood, Minnesota’s history dates back to when Lake Minnetonka was a secret that was only known by the local Native Americans. The lake was named for the Indians words that meant “Big Waters”. Lake Minnetonka plays a large part in Shorewood’s history. Save for the Native Americans, the lake was a secret to all. The […]

The original inhabitants of the Plymouth, Minnesota were the Native American tribe called the Dakotas. Their main village was near Medicine Lake. The name Medicine Lake came from the Native American word “Mdewakan”, meaning “Lake of the Spirit.” The reason the lake was called “Lake of the Spirit” was because the tribe had evidently lost […]

Overview of the History of Minnetonka The city of Minnetonka, Minnesota was at one time a very sacred place for the Native Americans. There was plenty of game that was offered by the surrounding lake and prairies, as well the large lake, Lake Minnetonka. The Dakota Sioux and Ojibway Chippewa would cross through Minnetonka as […]

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 the town. Excelsior is a small area, but has been a focal point of the lower portion of the Lake Minnetonka location for years. It was the first official […]

If you can appreciate living in a city with rich history, then Wayzata is the perfect place. 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 that previously inhabited the area. “Waziya” was the name of their god of […]

Long before the settlers and pioneers arrived, Victoria Minnesota was inhabited by Native Americans. The Native group was the Dakota Indians, and the tribe that settled in the Carver area was the Mdewakanton tribe.Michael Diethelm, from Switzerland, is said to be the first European settler in the Victoria area when he set up a temporary […]

The city of Minnetrista, Minnesota is a land of hills, forests, and winding lakes. The Dakota Native Americans more than likely inhabited the wooded area long before the settlers arrived. The Dakota’s largest tribe, the Mdewakantonwan, survived off of game within the woods and lakes. After Minnesota became a state in 1851, the government pushed […]

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 Ramsey was given credit for  naming Lake Minnetonka, which in the natural Indian language of the time meant “place spread over by water.”  Mound derived its name from the […]

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 historical value. Like much of the surrounding area, Deephaven was largely influenced by the nearby Lake Minnetonka. Originally kept secret by the Native Americans, who referred to it as “Big […]

The city of Orono, Minnesota was founded in 1858, the same year that Minnesota became a state. In April, 1889, Major George Brackett, who was a pioneer from Orono, Maine, founded the area of today’s city of Orono to be a separate township from the surrounding locations. The town got its name, Orono, from Chief […]

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 years, the city has grown from a small and sparsely populated town to an affluent and successful city of over 24,000 residents. Much like that of its neighboring cities, Eden Prairie, Chaska, […]

Overview of Eden Prairie’s History 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 area. While looking at the scenery, she was sure that the prairie-like land looked like the Garden of Eden, hence the […]

The history and growth of Chaska Minnesota over the years The recording of Chaska’s history began in 1769, though several markers indicate that the area was inhabited before this time.  The city’s name comes from the word Shaska, which is derived from a Dakota name often given to a first-born son. The first inhabitants of […]

Carver Minnesota’s history started as a major transportation center from the 1850s through the 1870s, because of the natural navigational barrier for river traffic. During this period, the city was an important shipping center and supplier for much of the county.  Due to its attractive location on the Minnesota River, trading posts were established on the […]