Editing North Oaks, Minnesota (section)

==History==
Structured around Pleasant Lake, the area began as a water source for the Saint Paul municipal water system, which still maintains water access rights today. The land was later purchased by Saint Paul magnate [[James J. Hill]] in 1883 and expanded into a {{convert|5000|acre|km2|adj=on}} breeding and hobby farm.

His son Louis Hill later owned North Oaks Farm until death in 1950. Ownership passed to Louis' children who decided to develop the land into a model residential community. They incorporated the North Oaks Company with a mission to build with respect for the natural environment, having witnessed metropolitan sprawl during this time. To ensure their mission would be fulfilled, land was subdivided and sold with a warranty deed that created the North Oaks Home Owners’ Association (NOHOA) to be responsible for roads and recreation. Each deed placed each home's property line halfway into the street, placing all roads into private ownership.

Remaining land in the city is owned by the North Oaks Company. The original farm buildings have been restored with informational displays. They are not open to the public however as North Oaks is private.  Two of the remaining structures, the [[James J. Hill's North Oaks Farm, Blacksmith Shop and Machine Shop|Blacksmith Shop and Machine Shop]] and [[James J. Hill's North Oaks Farm, Dairy Building|Dairy Building]], are listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].

In May 2008, NOHOA sent a letter to internet search company [[Google]], stating that its [[Google Street View|Street View]] software contained images that violated their trespassing ordinance, and requested their removal. Google complied, so there is no street view available for the roads within North Oaks.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/19416279.html |title=North Oaks tells Google Maps: Keep out - we mean it |author=Pabst, Lora |newspaper=Minneapolis Star-Tribune |date=May 31, 2008 |access-date=2009-04-01}}</ref>