There’s something clearly magnetic about the secluded community of Amesbury. On May 6, 1965, six tornados tore through six counties around the Twin...
History
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....
In 1909, Thousands Watched a Fiery Funeral for Lake Minnetonka’s Largest Boat
Onlookers watched as a decommissioned vessel was set ablaze. In 1901, Dr. George LaPaul had a stern-wheel steamboat built bearing his name at a cost...
What’s at the Bottom of Minnesota’s Lakes? These Marine Archaeologists Are Finding Out
Husband and wife team of marine archaeologists have made it their mission to study what’s at the bottom of local lakes. Despite Minnesota’s early...
The History of Oak Hill Cemetery Holds Lessons for the Present
The graves of residents past can remind us of what’s important. Many have driven past and visited Oak Hill Cemetery, located along Excelsior...
Local Author Has Been ‘Hooked On History’ Since Age 12
Love of lake history. At age 12, Scott McGinnis read a biography about Winston Churchill that kickstarted his path as a historian. “His life was so...
The Tragedy of Lake Minnetonka’s Halsted Brothers
The lives of the Halsted brothers ended sadly near the Lake Minnetonka bay that bears their name. After serving in the Civil War as a Navy captain,...
The History of Boulder Bridge Farm
Boulder Bridge Farm, once owned by the Daytons, was at one point the largest of Lake Minnetonka's "gentleman farms." At one point, Boulder Bridge...
Learn the History of Woodbury from Those Who Were There
Recordings preserve history worth sharing. If journalism—my beloved former trade—isn’t quite a first record of history, oral history surely is....
