The Conservatory Then and Never Again
On the back of my sleeve I have a fading memory of a five or six floor hedge maze on Nicollet Mall. I’ve pre-spotted and rubbed a little vinegar and lemon juice into the fabric, but the stain just won’t come out. Seems like I got lost for hours in there and never bought [...]
The Kelly Inn Then and Now
Located just off the interstate in Pig’s Eye, the Best Western Kelly Inn opened up as a Holiday Inn a couple years before I was born. The hotel is well-appointed with 10 floors and over 120 guest rooms. Destinations found nearby include the Minnesota History Center, the Cathedral of St Paul, the Minnesota State [...]
I’m not anti-semantic!
Dear Edina Prairie, How’s things? Did that sore on your lip ever heal properly? Don’t worry about it. Things are pretty busy at B. Dalton’s. I spent the week closing up and boxing down the Pillsbury Center store. It was a little sad, but most of the employees are going to work for the [...]
Kavoukjian’s Persian Rug House Then and Now
In the early part of the 20th Century, the Oriental rug business in Minnesota was booming. Behind this huge success were the Armenians. As early as 1903, advertisements were placed in the local papers in Minneapolis to mobilize hard-working Armenian men to assist with rug repairs. Many of these early pioneers then went on [...]
The University Club Then and Now
The University Club’s Summit Avenue Clubhouse was completed and opened for member use in 1913. The building was designed by Reed and Stem, designers of Grand Central Station in New York City, The Saint Paul Hotel, the Downtown Saint Paul Athletic Club and quite a few Summit Avenue homes. The clubhouse was modeled after London’s great turn-of-the-century city clubs, both in [...]
Fika: Sweets for the Swedes
My family hails from mixed marriages- between Swedes and Norwegians. My grandfathers were of Swedish heritage and my grandmothers were of Norwegian. Don’t laugh- it’s far more contentious than you might imagine. They have all passed now- but while living there was a gently simmering disagreement about which nationality was superior. The culture and customs [...]
The Amazing Avis
A daughter of Duluth, Avis Claire Darrow, won the title of Miss Minnesota in 1938. In September she went to Atlantic City, New Jersey where the 12th Miss America pageant, was held on the infamous Steel Pier. In 1938, talent became a mandatory category to win the Miss America title and a tap dancing Miss [...]
American Rug Laundry on East Lake Then and Now
American Rug Laundry is the largest and oldest rug cleaning facility in the Upper Midwest. Established in 1895, the company has been doing business on East Lake street for generations. Lorraine Sullivan of St. Paul worked at American Rug for thirty-two years. She was kind enough to sit down and share her memories of dance [...]
Rockin’ Sockin’ Sheriff Tommy Gibbons
Saint Paul native, Thomas J. Gibbons was a nearly undefeated heavyweight boxer. He started boxing professionally as a middleweight at the tender age of 20. Tommy was often compared to his brother Mike as he advanced to the Heavyweight class and developed a respectable punch. His biggest fight came near the end of his [...]
“For Particular People “
Here’s a lovely aerial view of the old Suburban Motel out in Crystal. The place was about 3 miles northwest of the city and boasted 40 units with private bathrooms and showers. Rooms were heated with thermostatically controlled vented gas floor furnaces. I found this old card on ebay, but I should have checked over [...]
St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church Then and Now
The First Trinity Church of God in Christ was founded in September, 1976 by then, Minister Henry Brown. Church was held in the Whittier Community Center at 2600 Grand Avenue in Minneapolis. Back in 1978 the congregation left the fun side of the river and moved into the old St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran [...]
The Andrews Hotel Then and Never Again
The 10-story, twin-towered 328-room Andrews Hotel rounded out the corner of Fourth Street and Hennepin Avenue for most of the twentieth century. The grand old place, designed and built by the H. L. Stevens Company opened September 4, 1911, after only six months of construction. Originally six floors and mezzanine, three additional floors were added atop [...]
A Women’s Lib Hang-up
In August 1970 activists hung a “Women Unite!” banner from the observation deck of the Foshay Tower. The effort was part of the Women’s Liberation Movement call for a nation wide strike to coincide the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the 19th amendment.
The Associated Bank Building Then and Now
Associated Bank is the successor to Liberty State Bank, which opened its doors at Selby and Snelling in 1917. I’m going to guess the building got boarded up and had its bottom rocked out in the late 70′s. Associated came into the neighborhood after acquiring First Federal Capital Corporation and Liberty in 2004. [...]
Every Seventeen Seconds
The 26-story Rand Tower on Marquette still has one of the most beautiful art deco interiors in town. Terrazzo floors are inlaid with star and crescent shaped ornament and a large star burst. Hallways are adorned with glass, nickel, enamel and marble. Indirect lighting and panels of glass are etched to simulate clouds. The lobbies [...]
