Laughter, Falling Water and Time
Minneapolis: Home of Minnehaha; seat of a race of workers whose pride give VALUE RECEIVED. Favored civic offspring of the Father of Waters who’s perpetual annuity of $3,000,000 in hydro energy grinds her flour, lights her streets, propels her cars weaves her blankets, knits her garments and ramifies into her thousand industries. Head of the … Read more
The Edna S. Purcell house was designed by William Gray Purcell & George Grant Elmslie for Purcell and his family in 1913. The house is considered on of the finest examples of work done by the local architecture firm of Purcell and Elmslie. The structure’s horizontal plane, flat roof, use of natural materials and colors … Read more
The Mediterranean Revival was first introduced in the United States at the end of the nineteenth century. It became popular during the 1920s and 1930s. The style evolved from renewed interest in the Italian Renaissance architecture of palaces and seaside villas dating from the sixteenth century. The Grananda was built in 1929. For many years … Read more
Way back on page 255 of the Moon Handbook for Minneapolis & St. Paul there’s section devoted to the best blogs in the cities. We were so pleased to see ourselves listed there! Here’s what they had to say, Nokohaha www.nokohaha.com: The bloggers behind Nokohaha have a passion for history and for place, regularly pairing … Read more
Built in 1864, the yellow limestone walls of the Frederick Spangenberg House came from banks of the Mississippi River. The rocks were hauled up on a sled by oxen. Frederick Spangenberg was a German immigrant dairy farmer. His 80-acre farm become the best part of Saint Paul’s Highland Park neighborhood. When August Spanburg died at … Read more
In the late 1880’s, T. B. Walker’s brother-in-law, Andrew B. Robbins gathered a group investors and built the Hubbard Specialty Manufacturing plant in what would become Robbinsdale. The firm made chairs, wheelbarrows, camp furniture, grocery boxes and wooden washing machines. In 1891 Robbins sold the company to Sweatt Manufacturing. A year later, the Robbinsdale building … Read more
Wanda Gag was born March 11, 1893 in New Ulm, Minnesota. Her parents, Elisabeth Biebl Gag and Anton Gag, were artists and photographers of German and Bohemian descent. Her father died when she was 15 leaving her to support her ailing mother and six younger siblings. The Gag family was near destitute, but Wanda managed … Read more
Park Avenue— in the 1870s this lovely thoroughfare was better known as Russell Street it was renamed Park Avenue in 1888. A stylish boulevard of urban estates offering a wide street, generous setbacks, and spacious lots, the handsome residence street corresponds to 7th Av. S., south from 10th St. Park Avenue is 100 feet wide … Read more
Above the southern entrance to the Minnesota state capital building is a gilded quadriga called “The Progress of the State”. Standing upon a triumphal car drawn by four spirited horses, is the figure of “Prosperity,” holding in one hand the horn of plenty, in the other a banner with the symbols of state. The horses … Read more