Document - Historical information/data - History Overview of Eagan - 2/1/1995 r l
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CITY OF EAG AN
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Eagan's heritage dates back to the earliest Organizing a new township, Eagan
United States land acquisition in Minnesota. In Eagan citizens organized the township on April
1805 Lt. Zebulon Pike acquired nine square miles 3, 1860, at the home of Michael Comer. The first
from the Dakota Indians for Fort Snelling. The town board chairman was Patrick Eagan. During
military reservation included a portion of Eagan. the next 100 years Eagan developed as a farming
For 50 years Eagan's history was tied to community with wheat, corn and onions as major
activities related to Fort Snelling, Mendota's fur crops. Early farmers delivered their produce to
trade, and Black Dog's Village. All were within Mendota and St. Paul. The "Lone Oak" tree at
the military reservation where whites could live Dodd Road and Highway 55 became a meeting
at the government's discretion. An 1833 map by place and bulletin board. The Dodd Road and the
Lt. Thompson shows three roads (trails) crossing Sibley Highway were the north-south travel
Eagan to Mendota and Fort Snelling: the St. routes. The Wescott Inn on Dodd Road became a
Croix, the Traders, and Black Dog's. favorite stop, later known as Wescott Station.
In 1837 the government hired Louis Martin to In 1865 the first two railroads in Dakota County
teach farming at Chief Wamditonka's Black Dog crossed Eagan, the Minnesota Central on the east
village. Martin's cabin was near today's Highway and the Minnesota Valley along the Minnesota
13. Hazen Mooers succeeded Martin in 1849. River. A small business community called Nicols
Station grew up on the valley route in the heart
Opening a new territory of the onion fields.
When the Minnesota Territory formed in 1849 In 1890 the Cedar Avenue Swing Bridge
Dakota County was one of the first nine counties. provided access to Bloomington and in 1926 the
However, Dakota remained Indian territory until Mendota Bridge to Minneapolis.
the Treaty of Mendota opened it to settlement in
1854. Virtually all Eagan land was claimed by One hundred years, then suburbia
1853, a year before filings were legal. Whites Eagan remained a farming community through
connected with Mendota knew the land and made World War II. Its population of only 1,185 in 1950
the early claims. An example is the two LeMays. was about to change. Returning GI's and family
Telesphore set his stake in Eagan and Constant formations resulted in a home building boom.
in Mendota Twp. The result is the two LeMay Eagan's population tripled to 3,382 by 1960 and
lakes in different cities but only two miles apart. tripled again in 1970 to 10,398. Growth required
John W. Brown, son-in-law of Hazen Mooers, is services beyond the capability of a township, but
considered Eagan's first white settler. a vote to incorporate was defeated in 1970.
In April 1858 the Dakota County commissioners After hearings in May 1972 the Metropolitan
formed the county's first townships including Council ordered Eagan's incorporation as a
Mendota which included today's Eagan. An village. The first village election was held October
attempt was made to form Montgomery 19, 1972. Herbert Polzin was elected mayor and
Township using the bottom two-thirds of today's council members were Arthur Rahn, James
Eagan. The state legislature rejected the attempt Smith,Theodore Wachter, and William Rydrych.
and proceeded to create Eagan Township on In 1974 Eagan became a City when the
March 6, 1860. At the time Eagan's population of Minnesota legislature designated all incorporated
565 was the fourth largest in Dakota County. municipalities as cities. a
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Basic map by Dakota County Survey and Land Information Office
Eagan History
Use the letter to match historic places and sites with location on today's map.
The word "site"identifies locations of historic subjects that no longer exist.
Military reservation line. The portion of Eagan to the left of the line was
part of Lt. Zebulon Pike's 1805 purchase from the Dakota Indians.
++++++++ Railroad routes. On the east the Minnesota Central. On the west the Minnesota
Valley. They were the two earliest railroads in Dakota County.
Bill Wolston, 1998
FBlack Dog's Village site District 14 School(Town Hall)
Ifl
A Dakota village located near Location was at intersection of
Highway 13 and Blackhawk Road. Diffley and Lexington. The original FK] Trinity Lutheran Church
It consisted of several lodges and at 1860 log house was replaced by a The first services were held in a to
times a population of 200. Louis frame building in 1875 and a brick cabin in today's cemetery. Trinity
Martin served_ as the first structure in 1898. The school was Lutheran became a frame structure
government farmer in 1837. the site of Annual Town Meetings in 1882. When the church was
from 1860 to 1892, destroyed by fire in 1901 the
Dodd Road G present impressive brick structure
A road project promoted by Captain Robert O'Neill farm site was completed.
William Dodd to connect St. Peter In 1857 O'Neill was elected to the
with
ne went ahead onMinnesota statehood od conent on.
receivingr not territorial legislature, vlater o the FLI St.John's Lutheran Cemetery
government aid h
is own in 1853. The 65 mile road, a The 1888 site of St.John's Lutheran
hewn path, was completed in 109 Church. After moving seven times
days. Dodd eventually received a Rosemount became its home. The
overnment ant. The road became `" "= ' -
cemetery is at the original site.
a major north-south artery. The
portion between Eagan and St. Paul ` z
was the first state road to be paved.
C Patrick Eagan farm site -
Eagan arrived in 1853 and in 1860 FHI Nicols Station site
was elected as the town's first Located at Nicols Road and Union M Old Cedar Ave.Bridge
chairman. His name was chosen for Pacific tracks. A flag station in 1867 Completed in 1890 it was the last
the township name. that grew into a little community in hand opened, swing bridge in the
the 1870s with a depot, stores, and state. It took six men and a car at
houses surrounded onion fields on a one end, for weight, to open it.
wescorr L large peat bog. When trains passed Designed for horses and cattle, thethrough the buildings shook. Hence bridge's limitations resulted in
oil - the name "Rubber Town." automobile bottlenecks especially
when it had to be opened. It was
replaced in 1980.
FDJ
T FN] Site of Shields sorghum mill
Wescott Station The mill operated by Michael
James Wescott opened an inn here Shields from 1899 to 1911 produced
in the 1850s. It became a favorite syrup from amber sugar cane in two
wagon and stage coach stop. In 1866 --Mop 200 gallon boilers. The boilers were
it became a flag stop of the C.M. & [—I] Site of the Lone Oak Tree fired night and day during
S.P. railroad (Minnesota Central). For 115ears the oak tree on the September and October with 11
Later a depot was built followed by y men working 12 hour shifts.
general store, grist mill, school, Trinity Lutheran Church property
telegraph office and other buildings. on Dodd Road was the meeting and d }
message place for farmers in Eagan - -•� =- -
��:-,,( � Township. They met at the Lone
Oak on the way to market and the _
way home. If they had equipment to
sell they nailed a notice to the tree. -
Notes were posted by four
- generations. The oak died and was 0� Old Town Hall
aHalfway House cut down in 1984. The Town Hall is located at the
Originally opened in 1865 as a dry southwest corner of Pilot Knob and
goods store and saloon and the first Site of original town hall Wescott. It served from 1914 to
Fstagecoach stop south of St. Paul. Built at southwest intersection of 1965. It has been restored and is
Continues today as restaurant and Lone Oak and Pilot Knob roads in opened on special occasions. The
saloon. Name means halfway point 1892, destroyed by fire in 1914. hall has wooden benches, wall of
from Hastings to St. Paul. voting booths,and pot bellied stove.
f�--- _ From Suburbia to Cit
�- Y
t From truck farms
to national corporations
Shields-by-the-Lake �DB� The transition from township to city
Shields was a very popular dance - iriswas rapid as the population
the
hall from the 1920s to 1940s. The multiplied. Here are some of -
dance hall was a converted barn S bench marks of the change and
and the building still exists. Radio Center site, 1928-30 growth through the years.
The National Battery Company • Opening of the Ced4rvale
L`�l Moonshine Park selected the high and dry site at shopping center; the first in
Wescott on the recommendation of a Eagan.
On the south shore of LeMay Lake. university professor in 1928. It . Completion of the new Cedar
opposite"Moonshine" does not refer to the turned out to be the o of p
Pp a Bridge in 1980.
moon. It refers to the production of desirable site. In 1930 it was moved. . Sperry Corp. building its Pilot
liquor at the site during prohibition The KSTP call letters were first Knob plant in 1967. Now
days of the 1920s. Undoubtedly used at the Eagan location and later
Eagan was a major supplier to the became the company name. Lockheed-Martin, the company
Mendota marketplace. Some building employees now number over 5,000.
remains can still be found. -- Blue Cross-Blue Shield of
Minnesota constructing its home
office on Sibley Highway.
West Publishing the world's
leading law book publisher,
_ - headquartering on Dodd Road in
R❑ Ames ❑T 1965 Munipical Center site 1983. Now known as the West
estate and library Group.
In 1926 Charles Lesley Ames Eagan was a township with over y
• The Interstate 494 freeway and
started collecting books on 5,000 citizens when it decided the
Minnesota River Crossing.
Southeast Asia atn his estate). town hall with the pot bellied stove
Blue needed a replacement. A new • Interstate 35E. The freeway has
Gentian Road (now O'Neill). After municipal-building was built on the become the commercial and
the collection outgrew his office and
gatehouse hnorthwest corner of Wescott and e built a library. In 1961 transportation spine of the city.
he gave the 25,000 volume collection Pilot Knob. It closed out the . The construction of Northwest
to the University of Minnesota. The township years and oversaw thefirst ten years of city government. It Airlines corporate headquarters
library building is on O'Neill Road. was razed in 1998. off Dodd Road in northern Eagan
in 1985.
The Eagan Municipal Center
Eagan's Municipal Center retains its place at the city's the city offices. By 1995 city growth required an
center at the southeast corner of Pilot Knob and additional expansion. A new police structure was added
Wescott.The modern center grew as the city grew. and the city took over the entire former building.
In 1978 a police station was built on the current site. In The main entrance to the Eagan Municipal Center is
1983 a second floor was added to the police building for now on the south side of the building.
Prepared by the Eagan Historical Society with the assistance of the Dakota County Historical Society
Published with the much appreciated support;of the
City of Eagan
6-0898