Schmid Farmhouse Ruins

The Schmid Farmhouse is located on a hill above Lake Minnetonka. It was constructed in 1876 by German immigrants Joseph and Benedict Schmid. Although Benedict was known to have lived in the home at one time, Joseph and his family spent the most time living and working on the 156-acre farm. Their livestock included dairy cows, horses, cattle, pigs, chickens, and sheep and the primary crops were wheat, oats, corn, hay, potatoes, and apples.

Joseph’s son, Joseph Jr. began selling acreage in the 1890s after the farm was transferred to him. It wasn’t until 1905 that the farmhouse and the last of the land was sold to a nearby dairy farmer. That farmer rented the old farmhouse out to workers of his farm until 1948. Thankfully, the abandoned farmhouse was spared the wrecking ball because it was located within the private estate of professional wrestler Verne Gagne. The Schmid farmhouse is now part of the Lake Minnetonka Regional Park.