Why is Dinkytown called Dinkytown?

The origin of this colloquial name is uncertain, says U assistant archivist Lois Hendrickson, although there are several theories:
 
• The trolleys that used to provide transit throughout the area were called Dinkys.
• Similarly, the tenders at the nearby rail yard were called Dinkys. “Dinkies,” or “dinkeys,” are defined in Webster’s New World Dictionary as small railroad cars used for hauling freight, logging, and shunting (shifting cars). At the turn of the century, many dinkeys were stored in the railroad area near the south edge of Dinkytown.
• The theatre in Dinkytown had only four rows of seating and for years was known as "The Dinky."
• It’s a small town-like area, with everything within walking distance. The name was perhaps shortened from “dinky downtown,” a small downtown away from the main central business district.
• A prominent building at the main intersection has the name of an early owner carved in stone over the doorway: "grodnik," a word of Slavic language origin meaning “a small (or dinky) town.”
 
The name was definitely in use by 1948 when the Dinkytown Business Association formed.
 
To answer this question, assistant archivist Lois Hendrickson used primary source material from University Archives, a department of the University Libraries that collects and preserves the history of the University of Minnesota.