Wong Wen’s Kin Chu Cafe
Wong Wen came from California to Minnesota with his family in 1912. He opened Kin Chu Cafe on Hennepin Avenue in 1926. Dishes ranged from simple egg patty to lobster tail adorned with Chinese green pea pods. Wong was an important member of the local Chinese community and president of theMinnesota branch of the [...]
Golden Memories at the Gay 90′s
Here’s a souvenir photo folder of the guys out having a good time at the Gay 90′s. Back in the middle of the last century the bar sat on the edge of the Gateway District. It brought in all sorts with cheap steak dinners and burlesque stars like Miss Topsy, pictured below. I wonder if [...]
First and Franklin Then and Now
Crown Medical is a people-oriented, health care provider that started up in 2005. The desire to bridge the gap in health care service disparities was the driving force behind the establishment of this clinic on 1st and Franklin in Minneapolis and another in Brooklyn Park. The check cashing business that’s located a block down [...]
The Minneapple
Back in the 80′s City of Lakes boosters made it their mission to nickname the city. Minneapolis as a Midwestern Manhattan seems like quite a stretch, but the name almost stuck and I remember seeing Minneapple postcards, prints and bumper stickers in kiosks at the airport. These days if you ask somebody if they’ve [...]
When Furloughs were Fleeting
In the early days of Minneapolis, the captains of industry had high hopes for developing a textile industry at Saint Anthony Falls. Textiles never really took off. Minneapolis was just to far away from eastern markets and shipping centers to compete. The North Star Woolen Mill was an exception. In 1925 North Star became [...]
