Lakeville is a suburb, about 20 miles south of Minneapolis-Saint Paul.
It is one of the fastest-growing cities in the Twin Cities area.
Lakeville first became notable in 1910 when Marion Savage built the Dan
Patch Railroad Line to service his Antlers Amusement Park. Later it
became a flourishing milling center; its agriculture industry is still
in operation. Lakeville has had major industry since the 1960s —
including the Airlake Industrial Park, which is served by Airlake
Airport, a regional reliever airport.
History
The Sioux people ceded most of southern Minnesota in the Treaty of
Traverse des Sioux in 1851. In 1855, J.J. Brackett, a Saint Paul lumber
baron, decided to plat a site halfway between Saint Paul and Saint Peter
on a lake. The village was established as Lakeville Township in 1858.
With the mostly rural landscape, early settlers were mostly
Scandinavians farmers.
The later 20th century followed typically for the outer-ring suburban
Twin Cities with official incorporation as the City of Lakeville in
1967. Since the early 21st century, rising metroplex housing prices are
causing Lakeville to become a boomtown.
Geography
A branch of the Vermillion River flows through Lakeville. Its headwaters
are just west of the city limits in Credit River Township, and it flows
eastward across Dakota County until it empties into the Mississippi
River at the Wisconsin border. The Vermillion River has been designated
as a trout stream by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
Lakes
As its name implies, Lakeville contains several lakes as well as smaller
ponds and wetlands within its borders. The two largest lakes are Lake
Marion and Orchard Lake, which are used heavily for recreation such as
fishing, boating, and swimming.
Recreation
Lakeville has many recreational opportunities. The Parks & Recreation
Department maintains a total of 62 public properties, including
neighborhood and community parks, athletic fields, playgrounds,
greenways, trails, tennis courts, skating rinks, picnic areas,
conservation areas, nature areas, several public fishing areas, swimming
beaches, the City's Central Maintenance Facility, Senior Center, and the
Lakeville Area Arts Center. Notable parks include Ritter Farm Park,
North Park, Antlers Park, King Park, Valley Lake Park, and Aronson Park,
which features a Veterans Memorial.
Antlers Park features a large swimming beach with volleyball courts,
baseball diamonds, a playground area, water equipment, a picnic area, a
fishing pier, and horseshoe pits. Orchard Lake Beach has a picnic area,
shore fishing, playground equipment, and volleyball courts. Valley Lake
Beach includes playground equipment, a picnic area, a walking trail
around the lake, a fishing pier and seasonal restrooms.
People
Some very talented sports personalities have called Lakeville their
home, namely:
- Elisabeth Bachman, Olympic volleyball player
- Rachel Banham, UofMN basketball player and WNBA player for the
Connecticut Sun
- Kevin Kaesviharn, pro football player
- Paul Krause, Pro Football Hall of Famer, Minnesota Vikings
- Jordan Schroeder, National Hockey League (NHL) centerman for Columbus
Blue Jackets
- Brady Skjei, UofMN hockey player
- J.P. Macura, Xavier University basketball
- Ryan Poehling, St. Cloud State hockey