Homes hold stories of the past and progress. For older homes, those stories can be mysterious. If you own a story-filled house in the Lake...
Excelsior Lake-Minnetonka Historical Society
Bringing Local History to You Since ’72
The Excelsior Lake-Minnetonka Historical Society (ELMHS) is celebrating its 50th anniversary, but collecting history in the Lake Minnetonka area...
School Building has its Own History Lesson
In March 1915, ground was broken for the construction of Excelsior High School on the corner of what is today Highway 7 and Oak Street. The red...
Excelsior Building has a Dynamite History
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
