James T. Elwell

James Tallmadge Elwell (July 1855 – August 1933) was a Minneapolis, Minnesota real estate developer and state legislator.

After some early success as an inventor and manufacturer, Elwell turned in the 1880s to activities in real estate and city development.

For this real estate development, he applied his gift for practical invention to devise effective drainage of marshy areas into buildable residential lots.

In line with his intentions, the neighborhood had a notable demographic blend of blue collar residents (often associated with the adjacent railroad and milling industries on the main lines between St. Paul and Minneapolis), white collar office professionals, and faculty and staff of the adjacent University of Minnesota.

"[4] Along with its designers and superintendents, Elwell as a public financing architect played a key role in creating one of the leading city park systems in the U.S.[5] As a state legislator representing the University of Minnesota campus, Elwell was responsible for funding appropriations providing the significant expansion of the campus, from the original Knoll area southward, as envisaged by a Cass Gilbert plan.