History of Eden Prairie
American Indians were the first to live in the area now called Eden Prairie. In 1851, a treaty opened land west of the Mississippi River to settlement allowing pioneers to settle there. The city of Eden Prairie owes its name to Elizabeth Fries Ellet, an East Coast writer, historian, and poet who visited the area and proclaimed it to be the garden spot of the territory. She was the first writer to record the lives of women who contributed to the American Revolutionary War. From 1851 to 1857 she wrote Watching Spirits, Pioneer Women of the West, Novelettes of the Musicians and Summer Rambles in the West. This book was inspired by a boating trip along the Minnesota River in 1852. Eden Prairie, Minnesota, got its name from Ellet and has dedicated a nature trail in her honor. She never did live in the city, though.
The town of Eden Prairie held its first town hall meeting in May 1858, the same year that Minnesota became a state. This first meeting was held in a log school house built for the newly created town. For the remainder of that century and up to the 1960s, Eden Prairie changed very little. It was always known as a sleepy farming village on the outer west corner of the Twin Cities. Homes were few and far between with most of those homes having been built by their farming occupants. The town actually grew so slowly that from 1880 to 1960 (80 years), the population of Eden Prairie changed only from 740 to 2,000 residents!
In the 1960′s, Eden Prairie saw an explosion in its population; up to 60,000 in 2000. Most of this was spurred on by the competition of Highway 5 and Highway 62. Farm land was cheap and homes were built by the 100s each year. It was originally designed to complete with the then desirable Edina community, but with larger homes and more space. During the 1960s and 1970s, parks and recreations systems were built. The 1970s brought the completion of Interstate 494 and Eden Prairie Shopping Center, making this area easy to get to from anywhere in the Twin Cities and a desirable place to build a home. It also became the destination for many large businesses including headquarters for Supervalu, ADC, and the Minnesota Vikings.
Eden Prairie continues to be a desirable place to own a home and raise a family with the median age of residents at 36 years old. It has been named one of Money Magazine’s “Best Places to Live” in America since 2006. The average household income within the city is $123k and the median value of Eden Prairie Homes is $305,000. It is the 12 largest city in Minnesota.
I am a licensed Realtor in the State of Minnesota. This website is not a multiple listing service, but each Minnesota & Minneapolis real estate agent is a member of the Regional MLS of MN, inc., a provider of the Minnesota MLS.
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