Minnetonka, Minnesota

Since the mid-19th century, Minnetonka has evolved from heavily wooded wilderness through extensive farming and industrialization to its present primarily residential suburban character. The Minnetonka area was home to the Dakota and Ojibwe Native American tribes before Euro-Americans arrived in the 1800s. They believed Lake Minnetonka (mni meaning water, and tanka meaning big, anglicized to Minnetonka) and the land around it to be sacred. The first recorded exploration of the area by Euro-Americans was in 1822, when a group from newly constructed Fort Snelling made its way up Minnehaha Creek (then known as Brown's Creek or Falls Creek) to the lake. In 1851, the Dakota sold the area including Minnetonka to the United States with the Treaty of Traverse des Sioux. The first census, the Territorial Census of 1857, lists 41 households. Twenty-nine of the heads of households are listed as farmers. The occupations of the remaining twelve are associated with the operations of Minnetonka Mill and a nearby hotel.[5]

In 1852, a claim was staked on Minnehaha Creek near McGinty Road. The sawmill that was constructed in the thick woods of maple, oak, elm, red cedar and basswood was the first privately operated mill in Minnesota west of the Mississippi River. Oak timbers from this mill were used to build the first suspension bridge across the Mississippi River at Saint Anthony Falls in 1853. The settlement of Minnetonka Mills that grew up around the mill was the first permanent European–American settlement west of Minneapolis in Hennepin County. In 1855, a two-story sawmill was constructed with a furniture factory on the second floor. A building for varnishing furniture was built on the south side of the creek, at the present Bridge Street. Production consisted mainly of chairs and bedsteads.

The Charles H. Burwell House

The Cargill Lake Office, occupying a former mansion, formerly housed the company's top executives.

In 1860, after only 8 years of operation, the sawmill closed. In 1869, a flour and grist mill were constructed and operated until the late 1880s. In 1874, Charles H. Burwell came to manage the Minnetonka Mill Company, and he built a Victorian home on the north bank of Minnehaha Creek (Minnetonka Boulevard at McGinty Road East) for his family. The Charles H. Burwell House is now on the National Register of Historic Places and is owned by the city. There were two other mills in Minnetonka: the St. Alban's Mill, which was less than 1 mile (2 km) downstream from Minnetonka Mills on Minnehaha Creek, operated as a flour mill from 1874 to 1881. A grist mill built on Purgatory Creek was washed out in a flood shortly after construction. Minnetonka Mills, with its post office and port for Lake Minnetonka, was the principal business and trading center for a large area until the 1870s.

Between 1883 and 1956, the area within the original 36-square-mile (93 km²) township grew smaller as Wayzata, Hopkins, Deephaven, Woodland and Saint Louis Park incorporated or annexed portions of then-Minnetonka Township.

Until as late as the 1960s, many portions of Minnetonka were still rural in character, with horse pasture and farms. Those final areas have since been developed with the city now a fully developed suburban community.[6]

The Minnetonka Town Hall, built in 1906, is on the National Register of Historic Places.[7]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 28.22 square miles (73.09 km²), of which 26.93 square miles (69.75 km²) is land and 1.29 square miles (3.34 km²) is water.[8] Part of the city includes the eastern tip of Lake Minnetonka, one of the largest lakes in Minnesota. The outlet of Lake Minnetonka is Minnehaha Creek, which winds through south Minneapolis and flows over Minnehaha Falls and into the Mississippi River. Minnetonka is located 8 miles (13 km) west of Minneapolis, in Hennepin County.

The headquarters of Carlson are in Minnetonka.[9] The headquarters of Cargill are located in Minnetonka and are in the Wayzata Post Office area.[10][11][12] Founded in 1865, Cargill is the largest privately held corporation in the U.S. in terms of revenue.[13] Other companies based in Minnetonka include Digital River, Radisson Hotel Group, and the uniform companies AmeriPride Services and G&K Services.

Minnetonka Police Department and City Hall

The City Council of Minnetonka consists of the mayor and six council members. Of the six council members, two are elected at large and the remaining four are elected from wards. The council exercises the legislative power of the city and determines all matters of policy. It has the responsibility of basic decisions for the community, including appointment of the city manager. The city manager is responsible for putting council policies into effect and administering affairs of city government.[20]

The United States Postal Service operates the Minnetonka Post Office and the Minnetonka Carrier Annex.[21][22] In addition, Minnetonka is served by four zip codes: one representing Minnetonka (55345), two representing Hopkins and Minnetonka (55305, 55343) and one representing Wayzata (55391).

Minnetonka is located in Minnesota's 3rd congressional district, represented by Democrat Dean Phillips.

The Minnetonka Dynamo, a bandy club, became national champions of bandy in 1994, 1998 and 2000.

The Minnetonka Millers, a Class A baseball club, became state champions in 2015, 2016, and 2017.[24] The Millers play at Veterans Field, located on the campus of Minnetonka High School.

• Beau Allen – Defensive Tackle, NFL, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Douglas Ewald - Minnesota state legislator
• Jake Gardiner – professional hockey player currently with the Carolina Hurricanes
• Jack Hillen – retired professional ice hockey player
• Kris Humphries – retired professional basketball player.
• Gary Jacobson – professional golfer.[25]
• Ryan McCartan – Disney channel actor[26]
• Sidney Morin – professional ice hockey player currently with HV71
• Tom Petters – former CEO of Petters Group Worldwide convicted of running a 3.65 billion dollar Ponzi scheme.
• Al Quie – former Governor of Minnesota (1979–1983)[27]
• Gretchen Quie – artist and former First Lady of Minnesota (1979–1983)[27]
• Mike Ramsey – member of United States 1980 Olympic Gold Medal hockey team, the "Miracle Team"
• Terrell Sinkfield – American football cornerback who is currently a free agent
• Dave Snuggerud – professional ice hockey player drafted by the Buffalo Sabres
• Wesley So – Chess Grandmaster[28]
• David Stenshoel — musician (Boiled in Lead)
• Judy Traub – Minnesota state senator and community volunteer
• Jill Trenary – professional figure skater
• Will Leer – professional runner

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Minnetonka.

• City website
• Minnetonka Historical Society