Editing Wayzata, Minnesota (section)

===Early history===
The name "Wayzata" comes from the [[Dakota people|Dakota]] word ''wazíyata'', meaning “north” or “north shore.” The [[Mdewakanton]], a subtribe of the Dakota nation, treasured Lake Minnetonka—the "Big Water"—as a place for [[hunting]], [[fishing]], and harvesting [[wild rice]] and [[maple sap]]. Spirit Knob, a peninsula in Wayzata Bay, was regarded as a particularly sacred place.<ref name=":1">[http://www.wayzatahistoricalsociety.org/AboutWayzata.htm Wayzata Historical Society], City History</ref> The Dakota resided in this area of Minnesota until 1851, when the [[Treaty of Mendota]] was signed and land west of the Mississippi was opened for [[Euro-American]] settlement. Most Dakota were exiled from Minnesota after 1862.

Oscar E. Garrison originally platted Wayzata in 1854. In 1855, it saw an influx of [[settlers]], who built a [[sawmill]], a [[hotel]], and a [[blacksmith shop]]. Most early settlers made their living by [[clear-cutting]] the land to grow [[corn]] and [[wheat]]. In 1857, this flourishing economy was nearly terminated by a [[grasshopper]] infestation, but the community rebounded when [[American ginseng|ginseng]] was discovered in the remaining [[hardwood forest]]. Ginseng root was in great demand as an [[aphrodisiac]] in [[China]]. During this boom, Wayzata became a collection center for ginseng roots discovered around Lake Minnetonka.

In 1867 the [[Saint Paul and Pacific Railroad]] extended its tracks to Wayzata, making it the area's transportation hub. The railroad was particularly important to local [[farmers]] because they now had easy access to markets in [[Minneapolis]], [[Saint Paul, Minnesota|Saint Paul]], and beyond. The railroad also made Wayzata the original "gateway" to Lake Minnetonka, which was billed as a place of commanding beauty and good health.