The city of Maple Grove, Minnesota is located in the north-central part of Hennepin County. At one time, the Federal Government moved Winnebago Indians from Wisconsin to Maple Grove because “no one lived there”. That all changed in 1851 when Louis Gervais and Pierre Bottineau arrived and staked their claims. W.E. Evans, Harvey Abel, Patrick Defer and O. R. Champlin also settled in Maple Grove, all prior to 1855. They were permitted to buy their claims at the fair market price and could not be forced out by land investors.

“This is Paradise”, Pierre Bottineau exclaimed, as he took a look at the beautiful prairie and woods before him. Pierre was a man that was traveling through the area from North Dakota, and he was one of the first people besides the Native Americans to visit the location.

After he had visited and made his reports of the land, a few settlers came to make residence within this beautiful place. They established their own small community that grew along with the surrounding communities of Osseo and Chaplin. Making use of the resources of the Maple Grove area, which mostly consisted of wood from the forests, the locals were able to make their own homes. Tensions were sometimes tight between the Indians and the settlers, but Pierre was always able to act as a peacemaker.

As more and more people, mostly French, Canadian, German, and Native American, settled here, more businesses were established and the community began to swell. One hot commodity was sheep, and the wool was used to make clothes and other necessities and sold in the local shops. Today, Maple Grove is mainly residential with a downtown area that offers several small businesses and shops.

If you have any questions regarding the city of Maple Grove, Minnesota, or if you would like to sell or buy a house in the area, please feel free to visit TwinCitiesPropertyFinder.com or call 1-800-909-1953.