05/29/2026
Did you know?
Edina was originally part of Richfield.
When this area opened for settlement in 1852 Township 28 was created with borders set on the east at Fort Snelling, south at current day 494, west at current day 169 and north at current day Lake Street.
On the day Minnesota became a state, May 11, 1858, a meeting was held in a schoolhouse at 53rd and Lyndale to organize a municipal government and officially name the Township. Three names were considered, Richfield, Richland (the unofficial name that was used at the time after the mill in the area), and Harmony (which was the name of the local post office. By unanimous vote Richfield was chosen.
In 1886, a vote was held in the northwest part of the area and they chose to leave Richfield and become St. Louis Park. Minneapolis at this time also began annexing sections of the north. This worried the residents in west Richfield, as they didn’t want to be a part of Minneapolis. Also the people lamented about the poor condition of the roads and other issues that they felt was not being adequately addressed by the town supervisors. There had been a divide developing since 1857 when what would become Edina Mill opened. Richfield farmers east of modern Penn Ave. would use Richland, eventually Richfield, Mill while the west would go to Edina Mill. These mills would become sort of de facto meeting places and centers of civic discussion.
A petition was submitted in 1888 for a vote to separate from Richfield from Xerxes Ave west to the current border and create the Village of Edina. Why a village? Because a township had no protection from a city annexing parts of it, whereas a village has to vote and get two thirds of the voters to approve of annexation, thus offering some protection.
The vote was held on December 12, 1888 and was approved. Edina was created a couple weeks later with the delivery of the results to the state and the filing of a charter.
Thus began the journey of Edina, which incorporated as a city in 1974.
Learn more about the history of Edina in our exhibit “Edina: From Farm To City” at the Edina Historical Society at Arneson Acres Park, 4711 70th St.
Image: Map of Richfield 1874 close up of the area that would become Edina in 1888. Courtesy of the Richfield Historical Society.
