The Glaciers Melt

Most lakes in New Brighton and the surrounding area occupy depressions produced by melting ice blocks left over by the glaciers when they left the area about 12,000 years ago.  If you want more information about the geological area, reference a report titled "Surficial Geology of the New Brighton Quadrangle, Minnesota" written by John E. Stone in 1966.  

First Inhabitants

The Sioux Indians clustered around Rice Creek at Long Lake in about 1755-1760.  The Indians named the lake after themselves - a lake whose name meant "people of the lake", and their village "Otonwewakpadan", or Village on a Stream.  French traders called the Indian settlement "Grand Village." 

There is no clear record of when or how long the Grand Village at Long Lake existed, but it is thought the 1755-1760 date extending about 15-30 years till about the end of the Revolutionary War in eastern America comes close. 

Many artifacts such as Indian mounds containing human bone fragments and pieces of pottery, pipes, arrowheads, and other items have been found at the confluence of Long Lake and Rice Creek.

The New Brighton Area Historical Society curates a large collection of stone arrowheads and spearpoints donated by Leone Langner Aronson. Skiba gives this account from early New Brighton resident Kenneth Gregson:

“Alongside of Long Lake was a sand dune during our childhood days...where we would go and find any amount of Indian treasures: arrowheads, Pipestone pipes, as well as pieces of junk earlier visitors had cast off. These would be uncovered as the winds blowing across the lake would blow that fickle sand. So we would hardly ever miss at locating something.”

In 2017, NBAHS Board President David Peterson shared photographs of the collection with archaeologist Kent Bakken, the foremost specialist on stone materials used to make ancient Native American aricfacts in Minnesota.  Peterson, who is also an archaeologist, suspected many were far older than the Long Lake village. Bakken confirmed this, indicating they include early Eastern Woodland types that may be as much as 1500 years old.

The Lakeside Berry Farm

Now part of Long Lake Regional Park, Peter Hipp began farming 40 acres of land on the east side of Long Lake in the 1880's.  Four generations of Hipps lived on the farm.  The Lakeside Berry Farm was in operation from the 1920's through the 1970's until New Brighton provided notice of vacation on May 1, 1971 and purchased the land. 

NBAHS sponsors an Annual Rhubarb Fest to honor the Hipp family and those that worked at the farm.  

Pictured on the right is the farm with homestead.

The Stockyards Rise (and fall)

The Minneapolis Stockyards and Packing Company purchased a 900 acre site along the southeastern shores of Long Lake.  The Stock Yards Land Syndicate bought 800 acres on the west side of the lake.  The stockyards along with packing houses were completed in 1889 and could house 5,000 cattle, 10,000 hogs, 20,000 sheep, and 500 horses at its 30 acres on the southeastern location on Long Lake.  

By 1901, the stockyard and packing houses met their demise and over the next 10 years were dismantled and sold off.  This included the Exchange Hotel which was described to be nearly as large as the Nicollet Hotel in Minneapolis.  

You can still see the remnants of the stockyard foundations as you walk around the lake.  NBAHS requested to preserve historic remains such as the ice house and stockyard building foundations.