Mound, MN - Local Government Cracks Down on Cleopatra 2525

Welcome to Mound, Minnesota, the birthplace of Tonka truck! The Village of Mound was settled in 1850s, but wasn't incorporated until 1912.  The town derived its name from prehistoric burial mounds thought to be created between 300BC and 100AD.  The mounds no longer exist, but were surveyed in 1883.  In 1946, Mound Metalcraft was founded in the town and began producing hat, tie, and shoes racks as well as gardening tools.  Edward Streater approached the company in 1947 about manufacturing steel toys.  The company introduced a small line of trucks made from leftover materials at the New York Toy Fair in 1947 under the name Tonka.  The name was derived from the Dakota Sioux word "tanka", which means "big" or "great."  The Tonka line was so popular that by 1955 the company had changed its name to Tonka Toys.  Mound has also been home to a number of notable people.  The Andrews Sisters, a female singing group popular in the 1930s and 1940s, spent summers in the area as children, and actor Kevin Sorbo was born and raised in Mound.  Sorbo is well known for his role as Hercules in the 90s TV series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys which birthed the spinoff series Xena: Warrior Princess.  We hope you enjoy our trip to Mound! Small Town News--whose headline is it, anyway? @SmallTownNewsImprov