On Colfax Then and Now
Colfax Avenue was named for Schuyler Colfax. Born in March of 1823, Schuyler became a United States Representative from Indiana, Speaker of the House of Representatives and the 17th Vice President of the United States under Ulysses S. Grant in 1869. After leaving office, Colfax embarked on a successful career as a lecturer. A [...]
Don’t Cross the Street in the Middle of the Block!
The first crossing walk signal was set up on Bridge Street in Westminster, London in December 1868. The signal consisted of semaphore arms raised and lowered manually by a police constable rotating a handle on the side of a pole. The arms were augmented by green and red gas lights. In January 1869, [...]
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 Calhoun Beach Hotel
Theodore Wirth claimed the tall building across the street from the bath house and beach on Lake Calhoun would “disfigure” the natural beauty of the area and probably disintegrate into a house of debauchery upon completion. Despite Wirth’s initial objections, in 1927 he recommended the Minneapolis Park Board consent to a building permit as [...]
