For over 50 years, a gas station has occupied the corner of Water and Third streets in Excelsior. In another lifetime, a noble two-story brick...
History
Club’s focus moves from suffrage to citizenship
After women won the right to vote in 1920, the Woman’s Club of Lake Minnetonka (WCLM) made sure its members and other women in the community were...
Most of Minnesota’s Game Birds Can Be Traced Back to Big Island
The Big Island Game Farm brought Minnesota its most iconic game bird, the ring-necked pheasant. In 1915, Frank Blair, a conservationist with the...
What Happened to the Excelsior Amusement Park Carrousel?
The Excelsior Amusement park closed and, in July of 1974, many of the items were auctioned off to the public. The carrousel at the former Excelsior...
Did You Know Lake Minnetonka Once Had Delivery Boats?
Delivery boats were both a reliable and direct way to deliver goods on Lake Minnetonka, as roads did not exist to all parts of the lake or were...
Big Island Legacy Gives Lake Minnetonka’s Most Prominent Landmark a Makeover
A local group's fundraising efforts have brought a wealth of improvements to Big Island. Rick Carter has deep affection for Big Island Park, and he...
The Story of the Minnehaha, Lake Minnetonka’s Streetcar Steamboat
The streetcar steamboat Minnehaha is one of the most iconic symbols of Lake Minnetonka’s heritage. The streetcar steamboat Minnehaha is one of the...
A Look Inside Amesbury, a Sanctuary in Shorewood
There’s something clearly magnetic about the secluded community of Amesbury. On May 6, 1965, six tornados tore through six counties around the Twin...
Local Filmmaker Documents Uncle’s Incredible WWII Story in ‘Stalag Luft III’
Deephaven filmmaker Louise Woerhle's new documentary tells the remarkable story of her uncle's time in Nazi captivity. The core of Deephaven...
The Forgotten Side of Lake Minnetonka’s Big Island
Read the lesser known history of one of Lake Minnetonka's most prominent landmarks. Boaters on Lake Minnetonka today might be confused by the fact...
Meet David Bell, Founding Father of Excelsior and Minneapolis
David Bell laid the cornerstone for Excelsior Academy and played a key role in several early Minneapolis institutions. In 1885, David Bell laid the...
The History of Ice Harvesting on Lake Minnetonka
The ice harvest was an important time on Lake Minnetonka in the early 1900s. Before refrigerators, ice was harvested from several bays on Lake...
‘I Love You So Deeply’: Wayzata Woman Finds Grandparents’ 90-Year-Old Love Letters
Martha Long couldn’t believe her eyes as she read the tender words from her stoic grandfather to her vivacious grandmother. I’ve told you so little...
100 Years Ago, a Flu Outbreak Shut Down Excelsior
Thirty-nine flu cases had been reported in the town in January 1920. One hundred years ago, Excelsior area churches, schools, and theaters were...
The History of Ice Boating on Lake Minnetonka
Ice boating came to Lake Minnetonka in the 1880s, and is still popular to this day. In the 1880s, ice boating came to Lake Minnetonka with the first...
Excelsior is Home to Minnesota’s Oldest Episcopal Church
Trinity Episcopal Church has a complicated and dramatic history. Places of worship are spaces that are often challenged by moments of turmoil....
Meet One of the Pioneers of Excelsior’s Horticultural History
A.W. Latham was a member of the State Horticulture Society for 59 years. A.W. Latham (1845-1932) was the epitome of the nurserymen who played a...
Part of Yellowstone Trail, Which Once Crossed America, Survives in Excelsior
The motto for the trail was “A Good Road from Plymouth Rock to Puget Sound.” Through the years, I’ve noticed signs for the Yellowstone Trail as...
‘Every View is Better When It’s Framed in Mahogany’: Meet Lake Minnetonka’s Wooden Boat Lovers Club
Drop anchor at the 44th annual Real Runabouts Rendezvous to see some of the country’s finest wooden watercraft. Sierra Nevada’s Lake Tahoe,...
The Return of Crona Craft: Restoring the Forgotten Boats Made on Lake Minnetonka
A family restores its legacy 1950s boat brand. In 2013, after a five-year search, Cheryl Ahlcrona finally found the boat she’d been searching for....
