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 [...]
The Marshall Avenue Bridge
The current Marshall Avenue Bridge replaced an old wrought-iron span erected for horse and buggy traffic in 1889. The previous bridge was designed by J.S. Sewall of St. Paul. Built on three stone piers the old bridge had hinges at each end and in the crown of each arch to allow for expansion and contraction [...]
Wonderland on Lake Street
Wonderland Amusement Park opened in 1905 and operated every summer until 1911. Visitors to Wonderland came on the street car from all over the cities to see tightrope walkers, acrobats, plays, a 120-foot illuminated tower and to try out the park’s Old Mill Boat Ride. The only evidence other than old pictures and postcards that [...]
The Lake Street Bridge Then and Now
The current Lake Street-Marshall Bridge replaced the previous bridge, a wrought-iron span built in 1889. The previous bridge was the second-oldest bridge in use over the Mississippi when it was demolished at the end of the last century. In 1874 the the Minneapolis Tribune said the bridge was a “foolish extravagance,” since there [...]
