[3] The town began incorporation proceedings in 2003 but abandoned its petition and chose to sign a Joint Powers agreement with the nearby city of Rogers to annex the entirety of Hassan Township.

Since the then-township of Chanhassen had established two years before Hassan, the chan syllable was dropped to avoid confusion.

Hassan was located along the south bank of the Crow River and bisected by Interstate 94, approximately 20 miles (32 km) northwest of downtown Minneapolis.

Hassan's rolling landscape was composed of farmsteads, cultivated fields, scattered homes and subdivisions separated by wetlands, woodlands, and drainageways.

Originally, as part of the "Big Woods", the areas was heavily timbered with oak, elm, basswood, ash, and maple.

As settlers arrived, the woods were cleared and the land was tilled for farmstead construction and crop production.

Early on, small trade centers, known as hamlets, emerged in Hassan Township to serve the needs of the settlers.

Between 1854 and 1881, Hassan contained a clustering of houses, a post office, St. John's Episcopal Church, a school and a town hall.

Through the years, it became a major transportation route for Hassan Township and surrounding communities "because it was maintained and it provided relatively easy access to Minneapolis markets."