 Rich Hansen |
 Martha Hoover |
 Nancy Ritt Jim Althoff |
 John & Michele Anselmo |
In 1902, Marion Willis Savage, a prominent Minneapolis businessman, purchased 400 acres of land in an area bordering the Minnesota River and proceeded to establish a huge stable of racing horses. In the same year he acquired the famous Dan Patch, who, on Sept. 8,1906, startled the world by pacing the mile at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds in the record breaking time of 1:55 minutes. It was during that era that the town fathers decided to change the name of the steamboat landing town Hamilton to Savage, in honor of the man who brought world fame to the small community. Savage remained a relatively small town for the next several decades, and it was not until World War II that residential development began above the river bluffs.
Most of the growth of the city has occurred in the past two decades. On April 28, 1969, the village of Savage was consolidated with the adjacent Glendale Township to form the existing 17 square mile city.
The City of Savage is a dynamic, rapidly growing community offering many housing options, all with easy
access to surrounding urban areas and regional centers. Savage continues to be an interesting
mix of suburban and rural areas, older homes and new construction, and citizens young and old.
Savage is the fastest growing and most populated community in Scott County!
The community of Savage currently has 11 established city parks with a combined park area of 203 acres. The two largest parks, Savage Community Park (located along Dakota Ave., north of County Road 42) and Hidden Valley Park (located along Glendale Ave., south of County Road 16) are each 45 acres in size and represent the diversity of recreational amenities offered within the Savage park system.Community Park contains various playing fields and is designed for active recreational activities, while Hidden Valley Park is designed with a passive setting more apt for picnics and quiet gatherings. Both parks are designed as "community" parks with regard to their use by residents of the city.
Savage is fortunate to be the home of two regional park facilities: Murphy Hanrehan Park Reserve, located in the southeast corner of the city, and the James Wilkie sector of the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge (1,204 acres), located adjacent to the Minnesota River in the northwest corner of the city.
