In 1888, all the lands necessary to complete the improvements in the Lake of the Isles area had been acquired, with the purchase of the two islands and a piece of land formerly an island,the entire acquisition amounting to nine acres. The Lake of the Isles thus became the nucleus of the charming western system of parks and boulevards which is so characteristic of Minneapolis, the Beautiful in art and nature.
-History of Minneapolis, Gateway to the Northwest, edited by Rev. Marion Daniel Shutter, 1923
Named after its wooded islands, this former swamp reaches a long north arm, toward the stately homes of the Kenwood and Lowry Hill. Lake of the Isles originally contained four small islands, but two of them, in the southern half of the lake, were converted to parkland after the lake was dredged and developed into its current irregular size and shape. Peat, silt and other dredged materials were used to create about 36 acres of parkland around the lake.
Over the past hundred summers, the winding paths around Lake of the Isles have become a favorite destination for rolling and strolling. The romantic woods of Raspberry Island and Mike’s Island are designated .as wildlife refuges and circled by paddlers all summer long.
