03-31-1997 Council Packet Special Meeting

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H. Historical and Archeological Significance Saga Hill is an area of historic, litera^ and religious significance. It is bounded on the west by the Mdewakanton trail, now known as County Road 19. The first white settlers came to the area around 1864 according to records on file with the Western Hennepin Historical Society. By 1875, the neighborhood included a church and a "Swede School" or Eckstrom. In 1890, E. August Skogsbergh came to Saga Hill. This evangelist, the "Billy Graham of his day", established a congregation that survives today on property adjoining the proposed Saga Hill Natural area. Skog.sbergh preached in Swedish on Saga Hill to recent immigrants who commuted to his services by train and ferry. A colony of Norwegian academics purchased land adjacent to Saga Hill in the early 20th Century. Dr. Theodore C. Blegen created an enduring memoir in his book. The Saga of Saga Hill. in which he speaks of the milk cow residents grazed in the meadows above Forest Lake. Another noted Minnesota writer, Borghild Dahl, wrote vivid descriptions of her years growing up on Saga Hill. In Minnetonka Memories, she recounts stories of the gypsies who traveled County Road 19 and the luxury Hotel del Otero across the bay in Navarre. The high ground on Saga Hill has escaped development for more than 130 years and serves as a monument to the rich natural and human history of the area. L Transportation The Saga Hill natural area is accessed by County Road 19 and Tonkaview Lane. Both are served by mass transit. The Fairview Covenant Church, whose property adjoins the natural area, has made its parking lot available to visitors. The smaller, upland Sollner-Webb parcel could eventually accommodate a small parking lot and trailhead. A safety access will become another entry point for foot traffic. The expansion of the Saga Hill natural area should not increase traffic significantly. \