Mindekirken Then and Now

1930 On the edge of downtown Minneapolis, just off Franklin Avenue is Den Norske Lutherske Mindekirke, the Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church, commonly called Mindekirken. This church was founded seventy-five years ago on Jan 9, 1922. At that time this area was teeming with Norwegians, part of the last wave of immigration in the early 1900′s. This last group of immigrants were city dwellers, part of the modest working class that made up most... Read More

The Oldest Tree in Minneapolis is Dead

A special ceremony was held Sunday night to honor the oldest tree in Minneapolis. Nobody invited me, but I guess the old bur oak tree near east Franklin Avenue and Franklin Terrace is coming down after 333 years. Theodore Wirth, Park Board superintendent (1906-35), wrote in his 1941 book, Minneapolis Park System, that the tree was “estimated by various botanists to be all the way from 150 to 700 years old….” This mighty oak stands 44 feet today,... Read More

Milwaukee Avenue Historic District Now and Then

Street scene, Milwaukee Avenue Historic District in 2010 Milwaukee Avenue South in 1974  Read More

Franklin Co-operative Creamery Then and Now

Then Franklin Co-operative Creamery, 2601 Franklin Avenue East, Minneapolis in 1921 This building was constructed in 1920 to house a new milk-processing plant. It grew into a huge business in just a few years. By 1924, profits from the sale of high-quality milk, cream, butter, buttermilk, cottage cheese and ice cream were over $3 million dollars a year. The business employed 418 people and had 175 delivery routes that served over 50,000 customers... Read More

1916 Park Avenue Then and Now

Then Residence, 1916 Park Avenue, Minneapolis ca. 1910 and Now The Pursuit Hometel Boarding House  Read More

The Zipps Sign

If you’ve been flipping through any of the posts on this blog, you’ve probably figured out that the author is not a trained photographer. I usually just point the camera out the car window as I drive by. That being said I was pretty happy this this little cell phone camera shot of the Zipps Liquor sign and the verticle slum behind it. I don’t remember when they tore down the old Zipps building, but it was good of them to save the... Read More

2627 Franklin Then and Now

Then Ross Pharmacy, 2627 Franklin Avenue East, Minneapolis in 1957 There is still a Pharmacy on the West Bank using the name Ross. It seem likely they are related somehow. and Now The Tru Thai Restaurant The Tru Thai is a Thai select restaurant meaning The Royal Thai Government and Thai Trade have bestowed the Thai Select label onto what is considered to be the best Thai restaurants. “Thai Select” certifies that the food, the hospitality and... Read More

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