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About MGHPS
Maple Grove's
Historical Site
Located
at 15310 Territorial Road, the Historic Oxcart Site was
built at the original location of downtown Maple Grove.
Territorial Road was once the most traveled road in
Minnesota. It ran from Fort Snelling to St Cloud. The site
and surrounding area once housed a cheese factory, a general
store that was converted from a garage, a confectionery
store, Parkers general store that was also known as Mummah’s,
a creamery and the Great Northern Train Depot. The Historic
Oxcart Site sits on the land where the cheese factory was
once located. The lot needed to be cleared of several old
concrete and stone foundations from the cheese factory and
garage buildings. It over looks a dry creek bed from Rush
Creek and is surrounded by wild flowers. You can also see
one of the groves of Maple trees this City was named for,
especially in the fall.
The Historic Oxcart Site
contains a two-sided kiosk that contains photographs of the
buildings that once resided there as well as a brief history
of Maple Grove. There are pavers located around the kiosk
from local businesses, older families of Maple Grove as well
as newly established households. It is a pretty and
interesting location, especially when the flowers are in
bloom and when fall colors are at their peak. When you look
over the fence, you get a sense of what the area must have
looked like when the original families settled in Maple
Grove. The Maple Grove Historical Preservation Society is
still selling pavers for families and businesses interested
in marking their place in Maple Grove’s history.
To
get to the Historic Oxcart Site, go north on Fernbrook past
Maple Grove Senior High. Take Fernbrook
over County Road 81. The next street is Territorial Road,
you would need to go west on Territorial. You will pass
Rush Creek Cemetery shortly before you reach the site.
You can call the Maple
Grove Historical Preservation Society, 763-494-5983 for more
information about purchasing a paver, Maple Grove’s History
or joining the Society. The Society meets the third
Thursday of every month at the Government center. All are
welcome!
Mission
Statement
The Mission
of the MGHPS shall be to identify, illustrate and
disseminate knowledge of the history of Maple Grove through:
1.
Location, collection and exhibition of historical materials
such as artifacts, photographs, biographies, genealogies and
other data.
2.
Conservation, preservation and interpretation of historical
information and properties, including historic buildings,
sites, monuments and markers, etc.
3.
Advocacy and education through books, a newsletter, displays
and a museum, etc. |
