The East Lake Library Then and Now
The first East Lake Library opened in 1924.The little brick library looked like a storefront and was nicknamed the ‘Reading Factory’. The building made good use of its south facing location with a skylight and enormous front windows. In the early seventies, the library board started making plans for a larger branch a couple [...]
Bryant and Franklin Then and Now
Three views looking up Bryant Avenue toward Franklin in South Minneaplis. Bryant is named for the American Poet, William Cullen Bryant. He’s best remembered for his book Thanatopsis and Other Poems. Published in 1821. The slim volume was considered by many to be the first major work of American poetry. The Church on the right [...]
The St. Clair Substation Control House Then and Now
Here’s a picture of the guys building a long awaited, Northern States Power substation control house overlooking the Ayd Mill trench on St. Clair Avenue in St. Paul. Electric power often needs to flow through several substations between generating plant and your house and its voltage may change in several steps. Lowly substations like [...]
The Kimball Hotel Then and Now
The four story Kimball Hotel was built in 1925 and named after the owner and proprietor, Root. E. Kimball. At one time there was a barber shop and restaurant at basement level. The business was renamed as the Hamline Hotel in the 1940′s. The old place has been used as an apartment building for [...]
Riverview School Then and Now
Built in 1924, the old Riverview School still sits on a big green triangle lot between West 7th, Lexington Parkway and Albion. These days the building is used by the Saint Paul Public School System for it’s Riverside New Connections program and a variety of community and adult educational services .
