 The John Harrington Stevens House , built in 1849 or 1850 near St. Anthony Falls ( on the site where the Minneapolis Post Office now sits ) , was moved to Minnehaha Park in 1896 . According to the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board , the home has the distinction of being the first wood @-@ frame dwelling built west of the Mississippi . John H. Stevens was granted permission to build his house on land controlled by Fort Snelling in exchange for providing ferry service across the Mississippi River . In subsequent years it became a hub of civic and social activity . Dubbed the " Birthplace of Minneapolis " , both Hennepin County and Minneapolis were organized in Stevens ' home ; it was in this home that the name Minneapolis was suggested . 
