A Forgotten Title: The Log of Tanager Hill
As I research new topics, I often find myself being lead down a deep, winding, path through what can be best described as, “the forest of all knowledge”. A path which frequently branches off into other smaller trails of subjects. Each branch beckons, by piquing interests and raising questions. Of which every question could easily become hours, if not days, spent on a tiny sub-topic. Frequently, I am coaxed down these trails. As you might guess, this is one of the little trails onto which I strayed. . .
The image below is a drawn map of the Tanager Hill area, circa 1930. Likely drawn by Mrs. Marie Commons, the map illustrates her residence on Minnetonka, abutting Highway 15 near Brackett’s Point.
Through her time on Tanager Hill, Marie Commons and her husband Frank were deeply interested in birding. In particular, they had interest in studying how birds banded and traveled together. In 1938, after 8 years of keeping a personal log of her studies, discoveries, and more, she published a book titled, The Log of Tanager Hill. This book would go on to great acclaim in the scientific and academic communities surrounding birding.
Their property, situated between what is now Highway 15 and Tanager Lake (Noted here as Round Lake), is largely unchanged today. The Commons’ sold Tanager Hill to Charles Bell, who we’ve discussed in previous editions. Bell razed the Commons’ home and built a new mansion. More recently, the property was owned by Irwin “the liquidator” Jacobs. After his death in 2019, the property was sold and the mansion was demolished in 2021. The lot was subdivided and a new home was built shortly after, with more homesites potentially on the way.
For those wanting additional information, I have published photos from Tanager Hill on my YouTube page, The Minnetonka Minute. (Link below) These photos include a news article on Mrs. Commons, photos of the estate during her residence there, and where to purchase an original 1938 copy of her book The Log of Tanager Hill.