Brief Bloomington, Minnesota History

Since its founding in the early 1830s, Bloomington, Minnesota has thrived, emerging as a dynamic urban township that rivals nearby Minneapolis and St. Paul as a major Twin Cities retail and hospitality center. Dakota Indians were the area’s first residents, followed by missionaries and pioneers. In 1851, the area was formally opened up to settlers and named after Bloomington, Illinois. The population continued to grow from Minnesota’s 1858 admission to statehood, through WWI and into the 1950s. After WWII, the development of low-cost housing, the completion of Interstates 35W and 494 and the relocation of many large businesses to the Bloomington area sparked major growth and expansion. In the 1960s, another boost came from the Minnesota Twins and Vikings who both played their home games in Bloomington’s Metropolitan Stadium. Sporting events brought traffic and revenue to the city, until the teams were relocated to the Metrodome in 1982. The old “Met Stadium” transformed into an even bigger draw – the Mall of America®. Today, Mall of America and the hospitality industry is the largest private employer in Bloomington and is perhaps the most popular attraction in Minnesota. As its past attests, Bloomington, Minnesota’s history of continual development has helped to foster this beautiful city into the thriving hospitality hub it is today.