Mound

The Village of Mound was incorporated in 1912, but was settled much earlier, in the 1850's. In 1852, Territorial Governor Alexander Ramsey was credited with naming Lake Minnetonka which meant 'big water' in the Dakota language. Mound derived its name from the burial mounds once found within the present city limits. The mounds were not built by the Dakota, but were made by earlier Indigenous people between 300 BC and 100 AD.

Mound, in the early days, was known as Mound City, a bustling business district on the shore on Cooks Bay. Mound City was frequented by the streetcar boats prevalent on Lake Minnetonka and the neighborhood was known as Busy Corners. In 1900, the railroad passed to the north, requiring the business district to move to where it is today.

The city grew in size over the years. The Three Points area, north of Mound, was annexed to Mound in 1959, both Island Park and Halstead Heights were annexed in 1960, and Shadywood Point was annexed in 1963.

One of the most famous business ventures to come out of Mound was Tonka Toys. It served as a major employer and business leader for more than 36 years.