The separate but equal doctrine established in Plessy v. Ferguson, (1896) was eventually overturned by the Warren Court in Brown v. Board of Education, (1954).
The lake lies within Hennepin and Carver Counties and is surrounded by thirteen different municipalities. At 14,528 acres (59 km 2), Lake Minnetonka is Minnesota's ninth largest and is one of the state's most popular lakes among boaters, fishermen, and recreationists.everal streams flow into Lake Minnetonka, the largest of which is Six Mile Creek. The only outlet from the lake is Minnehaha Creek at the lake's eastern end. At the headwaters of Minnehaha Creek, the Gray's Bay Dam helps maintain an average water level of 929 feet (283 m) above sea level.
The reservation is 335 acres (136 ha) in size, and its principal feature is Walden Pond, a 64.5-acre (26.1 ha) body of water. A short way north of the pond the site of Thoreau's cabin is marked by a series of granite posts.