Excelsior in Hennepin County, Minnesota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

The Minnehaha - Then & Now

— Excelsior —

Photographed by McGhiever, April 14, 2023

1. The Minnehaha - Then & Now Marker

Inscription.

[Captions:] 1908

2014

Streetcar Boats: The Twin Cities Rapid Transit (TCRT) Company extended their streetcar lines to Excelsior in 1905 and launched six 70-foot steamboats on Lake Minnetonka in 1906 to provide transportation for lake residents and tourists. An estimated 12,000 people rode the streetcars to Excelsior on summer holidays.

Those six ships, styled after streetcars, were named after six stops on the trolly [sic] route—Como, Harriet, Hopkins, Minnehaha, Stillwater and White Bear. They could carry more than 150 people. Use of these boats was discontinued in 1925 and most were scuttled to the bottom in 1926.

The Minnehaha - was located in 1979 at the bottom of the lake and raised to the surface in 1980. By 1996, it had been restored and placed back in service, transporting paying customers on tours of the lake. It is presently owned by the Museum of Lake Minnetonka and is available for charters.

Erected 2017 by City of Excelsior Park and Recreation Commission.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Railroads & Streetcars • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1906.

Location. 44° 54.275′ N,

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

93° 33.908′ W. Marker is in Excelsior, Minnesota, in Hennepin County. It can be reached from the intersection of Water Street and Lake Street. The marker is inside the kiosk at the Port of Excelsior. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2 Water Street, Excelsior MN 55331, United States of America. Touch for directions.

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 Rupert’s 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: Your Are Here (here, next to this marker); Port of Excelsior (here, next to this marker); The Excelsior Commons (here, next to this marker); A History of Excelsior (here, next to this marker); Big Island History (here, next to this marker); The History of Lake Minnetonka (here, next to this marker);

The Minnehaha - Then & Now Marker (second from right) inside the kiosk at the Port of Excelsior image. Click for full size.

Photographed by McGhiever, April 14, 2023

2. The Minnehaha - Then & Now Marker (second from right) inside the kiosk at the Port of Excelsior

The Excelsior Amusement Park (here, next to this marker); Excelsior - Who We Are (here, next to this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Excelsior.

Credits. This page was last revised on November 9, 2024. It was originally submitted on November 9, 2024, by McGhiever of Minneapolis, Minnesota. This page has been viewed 144 times since then and 13 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on November 9, 2024, by McGhiever of Minneapolis, Minnesota. 2. submitted on November 5, 2024, by McGhiever of Minneapolis, Minnesota.