The Minnesota Historian

Minneapolis, Minnesota is a city steeped in history, with a rich cultural heritage and a diverse population that has shaped its...

“The lake was a perfect inland sea, surrounded by the most beautiful timber and wherever we landed the soil was of the richest...

"Children living in the Lake Harriet district were dusting off their toboggans today and getting them ready for the advent of the first...

This year, Hennepin County's population surpassed a whopping 1.3 million Minnesotans. This vibrant county is composed of 45 unique...

During the last ice age, St. Paul and by extension most of Minnesota was covered by an enormous glacial ice sheet. The pressure of the...

In the late 1800s, Lake Minnetonka and the small towns that dotted its shores were considered one of the finest resort areas in all of...

Lake Nokomis and Lake Hiawatha are two bodies of water central to south Minneapolis. Although these lakes are often overshadowed by the...

Few people are aware that an extra county once existed within the present metropolitan area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. For a few years...

As this history blog has grown, I frequently have individuals reach out with historical questions. Most of these exchanges are quick in...

“That pleasant Minneapolis summer resort known as the Lyndale Hotel was opened for the season of 1884 yesterday morning… For some time a...

The Chain of Lakes are often considered the crown jewel of the Minneapolis park system. Lake of the Isles, Bde Maka Ska, and Lake Harriet...

Minneapolis and St. Paul are aquatic cities. More than 100 springs of varying flow can be found on the west bank of the Mississippi River...

Now you’ve hit it, and I hope will keep at it. When the Council passes an ordinance let it be rigidly enforced, and if it proves not to...

10,000 years ago, when the Wisconsin Ice Sheet was retreating to the north from Minnesota, it left behind an insurmountable amount of...

“Minnehaha Creek rises in Grays Bay, at the east end of Lake Minnetonka, flows through a fertile valley about 16 miles long, makes itself...

This is in partnership with my friends at Southwest Voices, a local news and information site for all things southwest Minneapolis. The...

If you’re anything like me, you experience the world around you behind the screen of your phone. Panning through Google Maps to find the...

On June 19, 1954, the last of the Twin Cities lemon-yellow streetcars rumbled into their station and marked the end of the era of...

Imagine visiting the Twin Cities in the early 1900s. Where would you go? How would you get there? How much will it cost? What's there to...

The mobilization of an army! But it was an army of peace. The youth of Minneapolis today paid a glorious tribute to the city's past. A...