Excelsior in Hennepin County, Minnesota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
A History of Excelsior
| | Excelsior | |
Photographed by McGhiever, April 14, 2023
1. A History of Excelsior Marker
This photo is of Water Street in 1864 looking towards the lake.
1851: The Excelsior area was a longtime hunting and fishing grounds for the Dakota people. In 1851 the area was opened for settlement following the treaty of Traverse des Sioux and the Dakota were relocated close to the Minnesota River.
1852: As settlers began moving west, New Yorker George Bertram toured the Lake Minnetonka area and in 1852 formed the Excelsior Pioneer Association. He wrote: "I have selected a site for a village and farming country, that for healthfulness of climate, fertility of soil, beauty of scenery and nearness to markets cannot be surpassed by any other locality in the country, being within twelve or fifteen miles of two of the most important towns in the territory, and having a front on a lake navigable for steam and other boats over forty-one miles, its waters clear as crystal and abounding with fish the whole country, in fact, possessing almost everything that the heart of man could wish for."
1853: Excelsior was founded in 1853 and became the first village on Lake Minnetonka. "Excelsior" means "Ever Upward" in Latin, is the state motto of New York, and is the title of a popular poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow written in 1841, but the exact reason the name was chosen for the new town is unknown.
Top photo: Excelsior Docks in 1857
Bottom photo: Excelsior Docks in 1887.
Erected 2017 by City of Excelsior Park and Recreation Commission.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1851.
Location. 44° 54.275′ N, 93° 33.907′ W. Marker is in Excelsior, Minnesota, in Hennepin County. It is at the intersection of Water Street and Lake Street on Water Street. Touch for map.
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Regionally, this marker is in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American Midwest, in the Corn Belt, and in the Great River Road Region. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once Ruperts Land, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Louisiana Purchase.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Big Island History (here, next to this marker); The Excelsior Commons (here, next to this marker); Excelsior - Who We Are (here, next to this marker); Your Are Here (here, next to this marker); The Excelsior Amusement Park (here, next to this marker); The Minnehaha - Then & Now (here, next to this marker); The Legacy of Excelsior (here, next to this marker); Port of Excelsior (here, next to this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Excelsior.
Photographed by McGhiever, April 14, 2023
2. A History of Excelsior Marker (second from left) on the kiosk at the Port of Excelsior
Credits. This page was last revised on September 17, 2024. It was originally submitted on September 17, 2024, by McGhiever of Minneapolis, Minnesota. This page has been viewed 467 times since then and 60 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on September 17, 2024, by McGhiever of Minneapolis, Minnesota. 2. submitted on September 5, 2024, by McGhiever of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
