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 Richfield, of which it was once a member. The area’s development was mainly built from 1900 through the 1920s when streetcar and residential rail became available. Also, the arrival of easy-to-build homes such as Sears Catalog Homes made owning a home available to the predominantly immigrant population who could not afford the expenses of building one. Most of these early homebuyers were first and second generation Scandinavians immigrants who moved out from Cedar Riverside. By 1930, the south area was still a major immigrant focus compared to the southwest area with a high foreign-born or second-generation population.

Longfellow’s famous The Song of Hiawatha encouraged national curiosity in Minnehaha Falls and his name became linked with the area. The poet’s name would be further highlighted when the Longfellow House was built in 1906. The house was placed as part of the Longfellow Zoological Gardens. The author of the piece died in 1934 and the house was dedicated to the city. For a brief phase it was a Minneapolis public library serving the community until it was moved and reestablished by the Park Board in 1994 to its current location near Minnehaha Falls. It is now an informational center for the Minneapolis Park System.

If you have any questions regarding the city of Minneapolis, the Longfellow Community, or if you would like to sell or buy a house in the area, please feel free to visit Twin Cities Property Finder or call 1-800-909-1953.