A historical presentation to the Wayzata Planning Commission traced the city's complex relationship with alcohol regulation from its early days as a "dry community" through the establishment of municipal liquor operations.

The presentation detailed how Wayzata residents voted against alcohol sales in both 1884 and 1885, with 25 residents opposing and only seven supporting the measure in the first vote. The community maintained its dry status despite being a popular resort destination during Lake Minnetonka's "glory years," when 18 to 20 trains daily brought visitors to the area.

During national Prohibition from 1920 to 1933, the presentation noted that Wayzata began issuing 3.2 beer licenses in 1933 to establishments including Hart's Cafe, Bay View Cafe, and several grocery stores and pharmacies. By 1937, the city expanded to both off-sale and on-sale licenses for businesses including the Wayzata American Legion and Woodhill Country Club.

The presentation covered a 1945 ballot question asking residents whether the city should establish a municipal off-sale liquor store as an additional revenue source. According to the historical account, voters rejected the proposal 171 to 106, with supporters arguing the city needed new revenue to maintain services without substantially increasing taxes.

The presentation also addressed fire department infrastructure needs in 1947, when state fire prevention officials criticized the city's facilities as inadequate for community growth. At that time, the fire department was housed in the back of the 1904 City Hall building, sharing space with city maintenance operations.