Fagerness Point - An Early History

May 25

Despite how intensely sought after this area has become, Fagerness Point is perhaps the least well known major formation on Lake Minnetonka. While many islands, bays, and peninsulas carry the surname of their original owners, Fagerness is different in that it’s actually a phrase derived from Old Norse language which roughly translates to “beautiful promontory."

After the territory of Minnesota was procured from the Natives in 1849, the United States Federal Government began dividing plots of land across central Minnesota and selling them to aspiring frontiersmen. On May 3, 1855, local resident Frank Carman filed the first subdivision of Orono which included Fagerness Point. He called his subdivision the “Town of Tazaska.” A name which, unsurprisingly, didn’t quite stick. Tazaska encompassed the area north of Crystal Bay, West of North Arm, and East of West Arm. I’d challenge you to memorize those directions! From the federal government, you could acquire 160 acres of land but purchasers must first erect a cabin no less than eight feet by ten feet and including a floor, at least one window, one door, a stove, and a bed. In addition, you must clear at least one acre of land, visit the home at least once per month, and swear allegiance to the U.S. Government. Once these requirements were met, the land could be purchased for $1.25 per acre. Imagine buying 160 acres of land, on Lake Minnetonka, for only $200!

The way in which these original property lines were drawn ensured that the main body of Fagerness Point was entirely cut off from the rest of its 160 acre plot, which lay to the south and encompassed essentially all of what has become “downtown” Spring Park. The base of Fagerness was under different ownership and the property line was just past the midpoint of the peninsula where Concordia Street meets Webb Street. That property line extended north, into the lake, and re-emerged where North Shore Drive meets North Arm Drive. In fact, North Arm Drive is the exact line which divided the properties, 150 years ago, in 1873.

The base of this peninsula was owned by Mrs. Lydia Webb and the point itself was owned by a small handful of others until 1883 when it came under the ownership of Mr. A.H. Bode, a member of the Saint Paul, Minneapolis, and Manitoba Railway. Mr. Bode was also a large landholder responsible for subdividing Minnetonka Beach for development into a summer colony surrounding James J. Hill’s new Hotel Lafayette.

Following the railway’s expansion west toward Spring Park and Hotel Del Otero’s opening in 1886, Bode continued subdividing his plat into individual lots. A 1903 map depicts Fagerness Point as being owned by seven people. Around the same time, Mrs. Webb sold off the portion of her property along Crystal Bay to four new owners. One of which was to the Coffee family. By this time, residents of the area would likely be accessing their properties by walking from the Langdon railway station, which was located just south of where the Dakota Trail crosses highway 19.

By 1914, Mrs. Webb was no longer in the picture and the Fagerness portion of her lot had been acquired by Mr. Alma Coffee. Coffee further subdivided the area and helped create the roadways on the point that are still in use today. The impact Coffee had on this area is hard to understate and the family's name lives on in Coffee Cove, Coffee Channel and in many of homesites on Fagerness Point which make up “Coffee’s Addition”.

During the time of Coffee’s subdivisions and improvements on Fagerness Point, Lake Minnetonka had undergone a transformation from one of mass tourism to one of cottages and ownership by average working people. By 1922, Lover’s Lane, which was a walking path in Spring Park, had been converted into a roadway and renamed Shoreline Drive. Fagerness, along with the rest of the lake area, was rapidly opened up for further subdivision, development, and construction. As the 20th century rolled on, the population grew and became more deeply entrenched as an outer metro suburb of Minneapolis.

Footnote:

This article may read differently from others we have published because it was initially written as a speech to be delivered at the 2026 Fagerness Point Memorial Day celebration. It has been heavily revised for readership comprehension, factual content, accuracy, etc.

Bibliography of sources:

UMN Digitized Plat Maps & Atlases: https://www.lib.umn.edu/collections/borchert/digitized-plat-maps-and-atlases
Once Upon a Lake, Thelma Jones, 1957 - throughout book
Navarre the Hub of Lake Minnetonka, Joan Wolfe, 2014 - throughout book