Earlier this week a question was posed about certain streets in Minneapolis
being designated as "grand boulevards". JoEllen Haugo, Librarian in the
Special Collections Department of the Minneapolis Public Library, provided
this information:
... I believe what the person is referring to is called the Grand Round.
The Grand Round included boulevards and parkways and was intended for
"pleasure driveways," according to Warren Upham in his book Minnesota
Geographic Names. On page 607 he lists the boulevards and parkways that
connected the parks and river for the drive around Minneapolis. Some of the
streets include River Road East, River Road West, Minnehaha, Lake Harriet,
King's Highway, Lyndale, Linden Hills, William Berry, Lake Calhoun, Dean,
Cedar Lake, Memorial Drive, St. Anthony, and Stinson.
Hennepin Avenue was definitely part of the Grand Round. It was H.S.
Cleveland who initiated the concept of the Grand Round back in 1883. Kenwood
parkway and other streets were intended as a series of "driveways to connect
the circuit at the Lake of the Isles. Portland and Park are not
specifically identified with any of the park system driveways in Warren
Upham's book.
Jan Feye-Stukas, Associate Director
Minneapolis Public Library
