Apple Valley

Apple Valley turns 35 (Country to city in a blink of the eye) excerpt from the Sun Current Newspaper, September 23, 2004 In 1974 Apple Valley became a statutory city, formerly known as Lebanon Township. In the grand scheme of things, 35 years isn’t a long time. But it was long enough for Apple Valley to transform from a humble farming community to what is now a bustling south suburban city. “It’s just tremendous how things have changed,” Barb Linkert said. “It seemed to be a very progressive city.” Most of Apple Valley as it’s seen today did not exist before the 1960s. The first settlers arrived I the area around 1855 as the soil appealed to farmers. In 1856 the first religious service took place at local farms and in 1857 a school was built. In the mid-to late ‘60s and by 1970 the population had grown to 8,502, after hundreds of homes were built. Construction projects on interstates 35E and 35W made the area more accessible and the growth continued. “The city became a convenient place to live. “There were a lot of things that we had that a lot of places didn’t have.” The Apple Valley Medical Center, which opened in 1974, made history being one of the first medical centers and emergency facilities under one roof. Gravel mining took off as a large Apple Valley industry during the past 35 years. A commercial hub was developed at Cedar Avenue and County Road 42 for Apple Valley and neighboring communities. Looking toward the future, in another 35 years, Apple Valley will be completely built up, technology will continue to advance. Sourced with thanks from http://www.applevalleychamber.com<br>

Apple Valley is a city located in northwestern Dakota County in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and a suburb of the Twin Cities. It was incorporated in 1969, and was known before then as Lebanon Township. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 45,527, making it the 15th most populous city in Minnesota. Apple Valley is home to the Minnesota Zoo, a nationally-famous zoological garden which houses hundreds of animals from several distinct climatological zones. There are six elementary, three middle and three high schools in the city, all operated by Independent School District 196. Apple Valley High School and Eastview High School have maintained a strong, intra-city rivalry since the opening of Eastview (the younger school) in 1997. In addition to the two comprehensive high schools, Apple Valley is also home to a high school-level magnet school, the School of Environmental Studies, which focuses on (as the name suggests) sciences, especially environmental sciences. In fall 2007, Independent School District 196 will open three elementary school-level magnet schools. The three schools are Cedar Park Elementary, which will become a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) magnet; Diamond Path Elementary, which will have an International Studies theme, and Glacier Hills Elementary with an Arts and Science theme. Sourced with thanks from En.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Valley,_Minnesota