Grand Rounds—what a unique and royal sounding concept! It makes me think of the king making grand rounds amongst his subjects, doctors at the hospital making grand rounds of their patients or golfers making grand rounds of the golf course. Or maybe Santa Claus making his grand rounds at Christmas time! How many other cities have this wonderful feature? I doubt very many!
So what are the Grand Rounds made up of? They exist because nearly the entire Minneapolis area is encircled by pleasure driveways! Let us go on a tour then, and we will start the journey at the River Road East, and crossing thence by the Franklin Ave. or Lake St. bridges to the River Road West, each of these roads being named for their following the shores of the Mississippi. The Grand Rounds continue by Minnehaha Park, named from its falls, and the Minnehaha Parkway, with Lake Nokomis Park, named respectively for the Minnehaha Creek and the lake, to the outlet of Lake Harriet. In Longfellow’s grand poem, Nokomis was the grandmother of Hiawatha.
Thence the circuit includes the Lake Harriet Boulevard, surrounding this lake, with Lyndale Park and farmstead and King’s Highway, named for its donor, Hon. William S. King, from whose large Lyndale farm came the names of the park and farmstead, as also of Lyndale Avenue.
Next are Linden Hills Boulevard, named from the residential district adjoining it on the west, William Berry Park, formerly called Interlachen from its position between Lakes Harriet and Calhoun, renamed in 1916 in honor of William Morse Berry, formerly superintendent of the park system, 1885-1906; and the Lake Calhoun Parkway, passing around this largest lake in the western lake chain or series of this city.
Minikada, a club ground west of Lake Calhoun means “beside water.” Northward this circuit of driveways comprises Dean Boulevard, named in honor of A.J. Dean, one of its donors in 1892, the Lake of the Isles Park. Cedar Lake Boulevard, and the large Glenwood Park, 586 acres, named for its glens and woods. In this park are Hillside Harbor, formerly called Brownie Lake, connected with Cedar Lake, Birch and Lily ponds, Glenwood Lake, and the South and North Lagoons, through which Bassett Creek runs, receiving also the outflow of this lake.
Memorial Drive, the part of the Grand Rounds west of Glenwood Park and east to Camden Park, three miles long, to be shaded with rows of elms given by Charles M. Loring, planned in October, 1919, commemorates Minneapolis soldiers of World War I.
Camden Park and the adjacent residence area, to the Mississippi, are named from the city of Camden, N.J., opposite to Philadelphia.
After crossing the river, the northeastern part of the circuit is named St. Anthony Boulevard, passing through Columbia Park, 185 acres, and thence southeast and south to the Stinson Boulevard and Van Cleve Park, and onward to the northern end of the River Road East, with which this description began. James Stinson donated the boulevard to the city in 1885, and the last named park honors Gen. Horatio P. Van Cleve and his wife, Charlotte Ouisconsin Van Cleve.
There you have it—the total Grand Rounds, but this was written in 1969, so I have no way of knowing if it is the same today. I guess we will have to make the circle to see if it is correct.
Note: Taken from 1969 Minnesota Geographic Names by Warren Upham.