New Brighton went through many incantations before it became the city it is today. It started as the home of the Dakota and the Ojibwe in the mid-18
th century, and then the European settlers came--mostly from France and Britain. The first settler was Charles Perry, who bought 89 acres of land by Lake Johanna in 1849 in what was to become the Mounds View Township (1858).
One of the mainstay industries in New Brighton's history was the stockyard industry. The Minneapolis Stockyards and Packing Company was formed in 1888, and it was located in what would later become New Brighton. Five years earlier, the Minnesota Transfer Railway Company was formed, and the creation of these two businesses started a boon for the stockyard industry in New Brighton that is still celebrated today. The
New Brighton Stockyard Days is an annual festival held in August, starting in 1981, and it's a celebration of New Brighton's history.
New Brighton, named after Brighton, Massachusetts, was incorporated in 1891. At the time, there were 14 passenger trains that ran daily throughout the city. Not long after, the streetcar system expanded, and people started moving around more.
Today, it is mostly a residential area with most homes being built from the 70s through the 90s. There are plenty of parks in which you can enjoy some physical activity, a picnic, or read a book while sitting on a bench. Such parks include
Sunny Square Park. The people are friendly, and there is a real sense of community in this middle-class suburb.