The Church of the Assumption Then and Now
The Church of the Assumption was founded by Bishop Joseph Cretin in 1856. The original church, known as the Feast of the Assumption was just north of the present site. The congregation, made up of immigrants from Germany outgrew their original building, and work began on the new church in 1871. The Romanesque [...]
The Covered Wagon
The Covered Wagon had two twin city restaurants, one at 110 S. 4th Street in Minneapolis, and the other at 320 Wabasha in St. Paul. The decor was that of a wagon train, with items on the menu like Mallard Duck, Ring-neck Pheasant and Partridge. Red checkered tablecloths covered the tables and in the 50′s [...]
The Big River in ’52
In 1952 the Mississippi flood waters managed to work their way over Robert Street and almost halted traffic in Saint Paul’s Loop district. The First National Bank building was never threatened. Spectators crowded the edge of downtown as the Mississippi approached a 14 foot flood stage and overflowed its banks. On April 9th water [...]
Naomi’s Family Center Then and Now
The building originally opened as a motel in 1959, but I remember walking by this little tower in the middle of the 1980′s after it had been converted to apartments. There was a big old banner hanging the length of the building advertising studio apartments for $299. It seemed like a heck of a [...]
The World’s Tallest Indian
Here’s a beautiful old postcard! The skyline of Minnesota’s capital city, with a strange superimposed image of Swedish sculptor Carl Miles’ “Indian God of Peace”. The 45 foot high, 60 ton, white onyx statue, unveiled in 1936, sits on a revolving base in City Hall’s three-story memorial concourse lobby. It 132 degrees every 2.5 [...]
