Dredging up Old Debates

Image as seen in The Minneapolis Journal, August 05, 1906

If you’re one to keep up on current events, you might have seen photos and discussions about a dredging project underway in Lost Lake. While the topic can be debated, it’s worth considering the history of this area and how it became what it is today.

In the late 1800’s, James J. Hill was rapidly expanding his Saint Paul, Minneapolis, & Manitoba railway west. This was the precursor to the Great Northern Railway. By the 1890’s, Hill had built hotels Lafayette (Minnetonka Beach) and Del Otero (Spring Park) to great acclaim. Yet, his ambitions were far from complete.

In the subsequent years, the railway was developed west into Saint Bonifacius. Directly in its path was the relatively small community of Mound. Aware of the successes that the railway brought towns like Wayzata, Minnetonka Beach, and Spring Park, Mound residents wanted to get in on the action. However, by the turn of the last century, much of Mound’s shoreline near the new train tracks was already developed and occupied. Despite this, there was still a desire to allow the shoreline meet the train station. . . A station which was half a mile inland from Cook’s Bay. Enter - Lost Lake.

Lost Lake was, at that time, much like it is today: A mucky swampland filled with reeds, lily pads, and algae. Yet, it was also extremely close to Minnetonka. In an era of ambition, perseverance, and debatably too little oversight, dredging land to open waterways was extremely common.

The project was undertaken in 1906 by captain John Johnson who, for roughly $3,000, opened a thirty foot wide canal through the swamp which was, “deep enough to float the largest steamers”’. This is the canal we still use today and it’s got a fitting name, Lost Lake, because it is truly just that: a lost portion of Minnetonka.

While dredging today is more heavily regulated and, perhaps, controversial, it’s worth remembering that there was once a time when the whole area was simply overgrowth. Yet the change had undeniable benefits which, today, we can all enjoy a piece of.