Learn more about the history of Greenwood/Greenfield ...

 

Why do we constantly refer to Greenwood/Greenfield, Greenwood or Greenfield?

 

There is a simple reason to this, the place changed its name in 1958, from the original Greenwood to Greenfield. This fact is obviously reflected in all documents and accounts related to this town.

 

The background of this name change is the following:

 

It was settled first in 1855 not unlike the rest of Hennepin County and was organized as Greenwood Township in 1858. The township took its name from the town of Greenwood in the southwest corner of the township along the Crow River. The town of Greenwood was soon superseded as a trading center by Rockford and Greenwood died as a town. So at that time there was not a town of Greenwood but only a Township called Greenwood. There was another area down by Lake Minnetonka called Greenwood that incorporated in 1956, they were a city and used the name of Greenwood. Later in 1958 when the old Greenwood Township was incorporated as a fourth class city, it could not use the name of Greenwood anymore, so the name was changed to Greenfield.