Halsted Bay is Lake Minnetonka’s most westerly bay and is the uppermost bay in the watershed. It is fed by Lake Minnetonka’s main water inlet: Six Mile Creek. It is also the bay on Lake Minnetonka with the most shoreline mileage at 7.3 miles. The entirety of Halsted Bay exists in the township of Minnetrista, MN. The bay is connected to the rest of the lake via the Eagle Bluff Channel, which is spanned by the Halsted Bay Bridge.
Onomatology
Halsted Bay gets its name from the succession of brothers who were the first to inhabit the local area in their legendary cabin they called ‘The Hermitage’. The first was Captain Frank Halsted and later –after he had passed– his brother Major George Halsted.
History
Around 1855, Frank Halsted built a small cabin on the southern widening of the isthmus between Halsted Bay and The South Upper Lake (presently county Hwy 44). The cabin, technically on the shore of the Upper South Lake, had peak views of Crane Island from its vantage atop a small bluff above Lake Minnetonka. After returning home from the civil war where he served as a naval captain, Frank built on to his cabin and started to take on his reputation as ‘The Lake Minnetonka Hermit’.
In the 1870’s, Frank began constructing a passenger steam ship with the intention of it serving in a business capacity. He named the ship “Mary” after his mother. Unable to complete the project, Frank found himself and The Mary in financial ruin. Despondent about his situation, Frank drowned himself in Lake Minnetonka.
When Frank’s older brother George came to settle his brother’s affairs, he fell in love with The Hermitage and Lake Minnetonka. He proudly took on his brother’s ‘Hermit’ moniker, yet he opened his cabin for visitors.