Lake Minnetonka Magazine respects the importance of local history, and each month offers Discover in this section. Contributors include the...
Excelsior-Lake Minnetonka Historical Socirty
A Quick History of Excelsior Academy
The Lake Minnetonka area offers students a variety of educational opportunities. In the past, it also offered a unique college. Long a community...
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...
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...
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...
How a Minnetonka Sloop Changed Sailing Boat Design Forever
The history of a popular sailing boat. The Onawa, a 26-foot, shallow-draught sloop, was instrumental in changing the design of sailing boats at the...
The History of Minnesota’s Second Most Famous Apple, the Wealthy
After much trial and error, Peter Gideon developed the hardy fruit. In the fall of 1853, Peter Gideon came to Minnesota with his wife, Wealthy Hull,...
The History of Tonka Bay Boat Works
The history of the business also serves as a family history. My father, Edgar Ahlcrona, owned Tonka Bay Boat Works from 1947 through 1972 and...
