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CHistory
History · Eagan

2 of Eagan’s places are on the National Register

More historic than 32% of U.S. towns · #167 of 273 in Minnesota. What drives it

Most of Eagan was built recently: 1% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1988. Below: 2 old photos and papers, maps from 1896 on, and the census since 1860.

2on the National Register
1%homes built before 1940
2old photos & papers
9famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

About Eagan’s history

How historic is Eagan?

C

More historic than 32% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Eagan’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Eagan is more historic than 32% of U.S. towns, #167 of 273 in Minnesota. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.

C
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Eagan’s overall grade.
Founding eraNo founding year we can rely on, so the grade uses the other two–Homes built before 19401.0% of homes (±0.4) · typical MN town 8.1% · U.S. 8.4%DNational Register2 listings, 9 historic buildings, 1.3 per 10,000 residents · typical MN town 2.1 · U.S. 2.4B
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 32%
NewerOlder
Minnesota towns of 2,500+ (273)Ahead of 39%

Minnesota towns list about as much on the Register as the country (a typical Minnesota town has 2.1 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Eagan’s 1.3 sits near the middle of its state (52% of Minnesota towns have fewer) while its 9 historic buildings outnumber those of 75% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share (±0.4 points) is firm at this size.

Founding year: our sources. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Eagan’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenOnly 2 old photos are in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.Famous sons and daughtersBig Eagle, Joseph LaBate and 7 more were born here.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Eagan’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Eagan’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Famous people

9 famous people were born in Eagan

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Big EagleNative American leader · b. 1827
Joseph LaBateAmerican ice hockey player · b. 1993
R
Ryan KeesAmerican football player · b. 1986
Zach ZennerAmerican football player · b. 1991
D
Dan BjornlieAmerican ice hockey player · b. 1977
Doug WardlowFormer member of the Minnesota House of Represe… · b. 1978
The story

How Eagan came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Eagan.

Read it all →

Eagan was named for Patrick Eagan, who was the first chairman of the town board of supervisors. He farmed a 220-acre (0.89 km2) parcel of land near the present-day town hall. Eagan (born 1811) and his wife Margaret Twohy (born 1816) emigrated from County Tipperary, Ireland to Troy, New York, where they married in 1843. They arrived in Mendota circa 1853–54, before settling in the Eagan area.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Eagan, 1827 to 1993

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1827Born hereBig Eagle is born here
  3. 1874In the archiveMap of Dakota County from the 1874 Minnesota State Atlas
  4. 1896On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  5. 20th century
  6. 1986Born hereRyan Kees is born here
  7. 1991Born hereZach Zenner is born here
  8. 1993Born hereJoseph LaBate is born here
By decade

Eagan, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1870s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1870s2 items
Map of Dakota County from the 1874 Minnesota State Atlas1874Map of Dakota County from the 1874 Minnesota State At…MapMap of Inver Grove from the 1874 Minnesota State Atlas (cropped)1874Map of Inver Grove from the 1874 Minnesota State Atla…Map
Today28 recent
Meridien Accents Bathroom Sink Bowl2018Meridien Accents Bathroom Sink BowlKeurig hotel coffee maker machine2018Keurig hotel coffee maker machineI-494 Bridge over Minnesota River Aerial2018I-494 Bridge over Minnesota River AerialHoliday Inn Express and Suites2018Holiday Inn Express and SuitesHilton Garden Inn - Hotel in2018Hilton Garden Inn - Hotel inGround Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) Electrical Outlet2018Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) Electrical Ou…City of Eagan, Minnesota - Water Tower2018City of Eagan, Minnesota - Water TowerBed Bath & Beyond Store2018Bed Bath & Beyond StoreBank of America Branch Location in2018Bank of America Branch Location inHolz Farm 012017Holz Farm 01Laetiporus sulphureus pillar2016Laetiporus sulphureus pillarAntiMetCouncil2016AntiMetCouncilEagan Robotics 20152015Eagan Robotics 2015Eagan, MN, USA2014Eagan, MN, USAEagan, MN, USA - panoramio (4)2014Eagan, MN, USA - panoramio (4)Eagan, MN, USA - panoramio (3)2014Eagan, MN, USA - panoramio (3)Eagan, MN, USA - panoramio (2)2014Eagan, MN, USA - panoramio (2)Eagan, MN, USA - panoramio (1)2014Eagan, MN, USA - panoramio (1)EHS Eagan AM Studio2014EHS Eagan AM StudioMinnesota Interstate 35E Sign2012Minnesota Interstate 35E SignInterstate 35 - Minnesota2011Interstate 35 - MinnesotaNWAHeadquartersMinneapolisMN2009NWAHeadquartersMinneapolisMNEagan Station2007Eagan StationEagan Station (cropped)2007Eagan Station (cropped)Wescott Library2006Wescott LibraryEagan Water Park2006Eagan Water ParkEagan Civic Arena2006Eagan Civic ArenaEagan City Hall2006Eagan City Hall
On the map

Eagan on the map, 1896 to 1993

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Eagan. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Eagan on the 1896 USGS mapEagan on the 1993 USGS map1896St Paul sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Eagan.

On the National Register

2 listings protect 9 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
2
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
9
each building in a district counts
first listed
2007
Holz Family Farmstead
Holz Family FarmsteadCaponi Art Park
BuildingsDistricts
Holz Family FarmsteadBuilding
All 2 listings
Caponi Art ParkDistrict · listed 2025

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

People over time

Eagan, census by census

05,00010,00015,00020,00025,00030,00035,00040,00045,00050,00055,00060,00065,00070,00075,00019001950200068,855

Grew from 565 people in 1860 to 68,855 in 2020, more than tenfold.

17 censuses, 1860–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Eagan’s Wikipedia page.

Places that used to be

Old corners and burying grounds

Old hamlets and crossroads still carry their names on the map.

Hamlets and corners on the map
Cedar GroveNicols
2cemeteries and burying grounds inside Eagan
Saint JohnsTrinity Lone Oak

Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Bloomington3 historic placesB−Inver Grove Heights1 historic placeCApple ValleyIts storyDMendota Heights3 historic placesCBurnsville1 historic placeC

Questions about Eagan’s history

How does Eagan rank for history?

Eagan is more historic than 32% of U.S. towns, #167 of 273 in Minnesota. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

What is on the National Register in Eagan?

Two places: the Holz Family Farmstead (listed 2007) and the Caponi Art Park (2025).

How old are the homes in Eagan?

1% of Eagan’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 8.1% for a Minnesota town; the median home was built in 1988.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (30), the National Register of Historic Places (2), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.