On This Date in Minnesota History: May 28

May 28, 1896 – If you’ve ever wandered through Minnehaha Park in Minneapolis, you’ve most likely seen a small white clapboard house situated on the edge of the park. Maybe you read the sign in front of the house, maybe you didn’t.

Stevens House¹

Called the Stevens House, it is the first house built in Minneapolis, preserved in the park for the role it played in the city’s history. It was moved on this date next to Minnehaha Park by relays of school children pulling the house with ropes along the city streets.

Moving the Old Stevens House²

The house was originally built for Col. John H. Stevens in the latter part of 1849 and completed in the first part of 1850. It was occupied by the colonel and his bride, whom he had married on Aug. 6, 1850. The Col. and Mrs. Stevens’ first child, the first white child born in Minneapolis, was born in the house.

Col. John H. Stevens³ 

Stevens had the house built on land that at the time was within the Fort Snelling reservation, near the new Federal Reserve Bank Building, 90 Hennepin Ave. downtown Minneapolis today.⁴

Minneapolis Federal Reserve Building⁵ 

The Secretary of War gave him permission to “squat” upon the claim he had picked out on a condition that he would maintain a free ferry for the use of the government.

Under the roof of that primitive house occurred many historical events. It was a great rallying place for all the settlers and travelers west of the river, both Native American and white. At times there were as many as 30 people sheltered there at the same time. Mrs. Stevens had a hard time entertaining them, and it is recorded that though their entertainment was free, they often complained of close quarters. For the special delight of Native Americans visitors, a barrel of pork and a barrel of crackers were always kept available. Little Crow, the ferocious chief of the Sioux, Good Road, Gray Eagle, Shakopee and other Dakota chiefs often met the government agents in that house.

Little Crow⁶ 

Among the more extraordinary events that occurred there, were the organization of Hennepin County and the election of its first officers, organization of the first school district, organization of the first agricultural society in Minnesota, organization of the first singing school and first literary society in Minnesota west of the Mississippi River. Gov. Isaac I. Stevens started from it in 1853 on his famous overland trip to the Pacific Coast. Charles Hoag sat in its parlor when he proposed to the county commissioners that they call the infant city Minneapolis.

At the time of today’s move, the house had already been moved twice from its original site along the river. An energetic Minneapolis Journal reporter discovered the rundown house, verified its authenticity, and put together a plan that would both give the newspaper some advantageous publicity as well as save the house for posterity. The Journal bought the house and offered to give it the schoolchildren of Minneapolis as long as the children helped relocate the house next to Minnehaha Park.


In 1982 the house was moved into the park. It was turned into a museum and opened to the public in 1985.⁷

Ironically, Col. Stevens passed away on May 28, 1900, four years to the day his house was moved by Minneapolis’ schoolchildren.⁸


The Minneapolis Journal; “’Twas a Gala Day. Minneapolis School Children Move The Old Stevens House. Thousands Grasp The Rope. And the Historic Structure is Drawn to Minnehaha. No Hitch Occurs Anywhere. Upon Arrival at the Falls the House is Formally Presented to the City.”; May 28, 1896; pp. 1, 7 & 8.


¹Photo taken by Pamela J. Erickson. Released into the public domain Nov. 25, 2013, as long as acknowledgement included.

²http://thomaslowrysghost.tumblr.com/post/4024840408/john-h-stevens-house-being-moved-across-the

³http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_H._Stevens

⁴http://blog.startribune.com/may-29-1896-schoolchildren-move-a-house/286391561/

⁵https://solutionproblem.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/minneapolis-fed-building.jpg

⁶http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Little_crow_c1862.jpg 

⁷http://www.nps.gov/miss/planyourvisit/johnstev.htm

⁸Photo taken by Pamela J. Erickson. Released into the public domain May 28, 2015, as long as acknowledgement included.

Col. John H. Stevens8

Born June 13, 1820 

Died May 28, 1900

First Settler in the City of Minneapolis

Do you know how many times the Stevens House has been moved?

In 134 years, this small wood structure has been moved four times. The third move, which brought the house to Minnehaha Park, is heralded as the first act of historic preservation in Minneapolis.

Built on the banks of the Mississippi in 1849, just south of St. Anthony Falls, the house was the “birthplace of the city” and the site of many firsts in its establishment. As industry took hold of more and more land near the falls, the house was moved short distances in 1872 and 1881. Neglected and forgotten, the sturdy little house was rediscovered in its third location by a reporter of the Minneapolis Journal. The Journal identified the house’s historical importance, saw its potential for publicity and purchased the house.

The Journal noted that every school child in Minneapolis knew the history of the “old Stevens House,” so the paper decided to donate it to the school children of Minneapolis. The Journal then arranged for it [to] be moved to Minnehaha Park, where it would be safe from future city growth. The catch was, the children would receive the gift directly by pulling it into the park themselves!

On May 28, 1896, a public holiday was proclaimed. Children were given badges to take part in one of six relays of the moves. Two 500 foot long ropes (with a team of horses as back up) were hitched to the house. Upon arriving in the park, the house was presented to the Park Board on behalf of the children.

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