City of Maplewood history

In 1850, a group of families ventured from St Paul along an Indian trail that is now Hazelwood Street.

About this same time, southern Maplewood was first settled when Thomas Carver began farming in 1852 to the west of Carver Lake.

Finally in 1853, after the Ojibwa defeated the Dakota at Battle Creek, the former allowed the pioneers to build their cabins.

The area south of Hudson Road became McLean Township when Minnesota became a state in 1858, and the area north of Hudson Road was New Canada Township.

The line remained in service until the first railroad was completed from St Paul to Duluth in 1870.

In 1879, New Canada Township built a more centrally-located town hall near the north shore of Lake Phalen.

In 1886, the Wisconsin Central Railroad built a line that intersected with the St Paul and Duluth Railroad.

Lake Phalen Junction was changed to Gladstone in 1887 when William and Mary Dawson purchased the adjacent land, platted a town site and predicted it to "rival St Paul". The town site was named after William Gladstone, a popular British statesman of that time.

During the last half of the 19th century, the City of St Paul repeatedly annexed land from both townships and around 1890, the remaining five square miles of McLean merged with New Canada.

First, a fire destroyed the Plow Works in 1892.

The company rebuilt but in 1896, the major stockholder, William Dawson, filed for bankruptcy.

In 1910, the railroads changed the name of the depot to Gloster to avoid confusion with Gladstone, Michigan, but locals continued to call the area Gladstone.

The last straw for Gladstone's industries was when the railroad shops closed around 1917.

By 1920, several more stores had opened on Baker Street, Maplewood Avenue, and surrounding streets and electric utility poles with street lights had been installed.

In 1922, the Township hired the prominent landscape architecture firm of Olmstead Brothers to design a park for the center of the Maplewood.

In 1953, residents of Little Canada broke away from the township to incorporate as a village.

In 1955, 3M built its Central Research Laboratory on 150 acres along Highway 12 in New Canada Township.

After much discussion, the residents of the Township voted to incorporate as a village on February 26, 1957 by a vote of 5 to 1.

1976: Naturalist and Landscape Architect Megan Gange begins the nature center site clean-up.

In 1977, the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) provided funds to hire Naturalist Megan Gange and a crew to develop hiking trails and build benches.

In 1978, naturalists Jim McKee and Chris Soutter were hired under a CETA grant.

1979: Boy Scouts, 4-H and many volunteers work on bridges and planting projects.

1980: A prairie reconstruction is planted in the SE corner of the nature center.

Schools from Independent School District (ISD) 622 visit the nature center for an extended curriculum from Kindergarten through 6th Grade.1987: Naturalist Ann Hutchinson is hired.

Jean Nelson provides office assistance.1988: East Parks and Oakdale Lions Club donate and build an observation deck.

There is now a brick in her name in the children’s play area.1993: Maplewood voters approve a $5 million referendum to acquire and preserve open space throughout the city.

1994: An addition is put on the Interpretive Building, with offices and a second classroom (the Sunroom). Groups of up to 20 people rent this room for seminars and other private meetings.

Durand-Hedden House and Garden Association, Images of America: Maplewood (Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 1998), 7.

In 1999, these buildings were donated to the Maplewood Area Historical Society and moved to city-owned Open Space along County Road D.

2005: Bluebird Monitor Volunteer Program is established.

2006: Friends of Maplewood Nature is established (a non-profit group). Frog Monitor Volunteer Program is established.

Maplewood Historic Preservation Commission, “A Brief History of Maplewood,” Appendix A.1 of the Historic Preservation Plan Element for the Master Plan of the Township of Maplewood, February 2008, 16.

Big Tree Registry program is established.2009: Climbing Rock and Nature Play Area is installed, thanks to a Charitable Gambling Grant and Friends of Maplewood Nature.

Work is done by as a Girl Scout Service Project.2010: Solar Panels and educational display are installed, thanks to a Department of Natural Resources Solar Legacy Grant.