Plymouth History Center

The following is an excellently researched post from local high school student Ella Vincent. Ella is a Junior at Providence Academy here in Plymouth. She has volunteered previously and wrote this piece because of her personal interest in research and genealogy. The Plymouth Historical Society Collection contains many pictures donated by Plymouth families. Thisphotograph of a group of children tells a wintry tale of Plymouth’s past. The picture, which is part of the Mengelkoch Collection, was likely taken around 1920….

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My name is Ryan Barland, I am the Plymouth Historical Site Coordinator. I come to Plymouth from the Minnesota Historical Society, where I worked for 15 years. I am excited to get Plymouth’s Old Town Hall, located at 3605 Fernbrook Lane N, back open to the public. Everyone has their own story to tell – I love hearing those stories and look forward to inviting everyone to share theirs. If you want to chat about anything Plymouth-related feel free to…

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We’re grateful to have another round of blog posts written by student volunteers through Wayzata High School’s Club Y.E.S. program. This week’s post is by Harshita Rai. Minnesotans have treasured and enjoyed the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District’s water sources for decades. These water sources served as major transportation corridors as well as food and water sources for early settlements. In 1822, 17-year-old Joseph Renshaw Brown, set out from Minnehaha Falls, now part of Minnehaha Regional Park, in quest of the…

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We’re grateful to have another group of blog posts written by student volunteers through Wayzata High School’s Club Y.E.S. program. This week’s post is by Raksha Shankar. The War of 1862 was a tragic war that demonstrates the complicated legacy of the US land treaty system. Between 1805 and 1858, treaties made between the U.S. government and the Dakota nation reduced Dakota lands and significantly altered Minnesota’s physical, cultural, and political landscape. These treaties put a big strain on future…

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We’re grateful to have another round of blog posts written by student volunteers through Wayzata High School’s Club Y.E.S. program. This week’s post is by Brittany Wang. A chilly wind blows across Parkers Lake’s icy surface and the frosty air bites the cheeks of the crowd gathered on the lake’s frozen top.  Despite the cold weather, these attendees of Plymouth’s Fire and Ice Festival are kept warm with excitement by the celebration’s lively activities and family-oriented festivities. From wintertime games…

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By: Ella Vincent With the NFL season over, football fanatics should know about the Barbers, a Plymouth football family dynasty. From Father Marion Barber, Jr. to his three sons Marion III, Dominique, and Thomas, this family has made an impact in Plymouth football and beyond. Father Marion Barber, Jr. Marion Barber, Jr. played football for the Gophers in the late 1970s, where he set several records. The New York Jets picked him in the second round of the NFL draft,…

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By: Ella Vincent Happy Valentine’s Day from the Plymouth Historical Society! With Valentine’s delivered across the city this week, you might be interested to know how mail delivery in Plymouth began. Famed explorer Antoine LeCount was the first person on record to bring mail through the area.  The first post office in the Plymouth area was founded in 1859 at the Day home, near the shores of Medicine Lake. Back then, there was no mail delivery. People had to visit…

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By Ella Vincent Plymouth winters have long been cold, and our residents have always found ways to enjoy them! Let’s take a look back at our wintry past through historical items from the Plymouth Historical Society collection. More than 100 years ago during the winter of 1916-1917, Plymouth residents were challenged by an historically extreme winter, with widespread snow and cold by mid-October. From December to February, there were 12 days with temperatures of 30 degrees below zero, and some…

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By Ella Vincent Before Ryan’s Bass Lake Ballroom burned down in 1975, it was a major entertainment presence in Plymouth, Minnesota. More commonly known as Ryan’s Ballroom, it was a local music pavilion located just north of Bass Lake Road in what is now the Oakwood Shores neighborhood. Its dinners, dances and festive events helped shape our community.  Minnesota in the 1950’s was a burgeoning ballroom dancing scene, with mainstays like the Marigold Ballroom, Rogers Ballroom, Medina Ballroom, Prom Center…

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By Ella Vincent. Plymouth Ice Center, affectionately known as PIC, is our town’s epicenter for all things hockey. While the puck is just dropping on a new season, let’s look back on how it all began. Originally built in 1997, the Plymouth Ice Center was a groundbreaking collaboration between the City of Plymouth, Wayzata School District, Providence Academy, and Life Time Fitness as well as other hockey associations and the State of Minnesota. It is owned by the City of…

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