The Lake District of Minneapolis

A History of the Calhoun-Isles Community

2004
Authors:

David A. Lanegran and Ernest R. Sandeen

A colorful history of one of the city’s most beloved neighborhoods—now back in print!

David A. Lanegran and Ernest R. Sandeen give us the history of the Minneapolis lake district—from Native American villages and pioneering missionaries, through the era of the grand resort and the coming of the streetcars, to the park board’s remaking of the lakes and the landscape in 1911. With many vivid photographs and illustrations, the book concludes with historical neighborhood walking tours.

Enhanced with superb historical photographs and illustrations. The Lake District of Minneapolis is superbly organized and presented—and would well serve as a template for other localized and regional histories of American communities elsewhere in the country.

Midwest Book Review

The Minneapolis lake district, which includes Lowry Hill, Kenwood, Lake of the Isles, and East Calhoun, has always attracted a unique mix of people. Some came to make their fortune, others to live a splendid life in what was then open country. Some came to build comfortable family homes, others to promenade along the lake shores or to revel in outdoor sports and recreation. No matter the year or the season, the lake district has always taken center stage in Minneapolis’s urban life.

David A. Lanegran and Ernest R. Sandeen give us the complete history of the area—from the early Native American villages and pioneering missionaries, through the era of the grand resort and the coming of the streetcars, to the park board’s remaking of the lakes and the landscape in 1911. With many vivid photographs and illustrations, the book concludes with historical walking tours of the Lowry Hill, Kenwood, East Lowry Hill, Lake of the Isles, East Calhoun, and Cottage City neighborhoods.


David A. Lanegran is professor and chair of geography at Macalester College. He is the author and coauthor of several books on the history and geography of the Twin Cities, including Grand Avenue: The Renaissance of an Urban Street (1996).

Before his death in 1982, Ernest R. Sandeen was the James Wallace Professor of History and codirector of the Living Historical Museum at Macalester College. He served as a member of St. Paul’s Historic Preservation Commission and as a partner in Lanegran, Richter, and Sandeen, an architectural preservation, design, and land-use firm.

Enhanced with superb historical photographs and illustrations. The Lake District of Minneapolis is superbly organized and presented—and would well serve as a template for other localized and regional histories of American communities elsewhere in the country.

Midwest Book Review