The Cream of Wheat Building

ATTRACTS WIDE ATTENTION Minneapolis Manufacturing Building Rouses Interest in the East With the ground floor plan and complementary references, Howard Knowlton devotes over page of matter in the Engineering Record of New York to the new Cream of Wheat building in Minneapolis he begins with this statement that it is unusual in these days for … Read more

Don’t say underwear, say Munsingwear!

Northwestern Knitting Company was established by Frank Page, Edward Tuttle, and George Munsing in 1885.The company began production in a rented North Minneapolis warehouse. In 1888, when Northwestern Knitting decided to build their own factory. The founders saw Minneapolis as an ideal center for textile production and set about convincing local businessmen to invest in … Read more

Zahnen’s Affenkasten

A Grill Room has been unknown to Minneapolis men until Peter Zahnen opened his German Grill Room at 253 Hennepin. You cannot do better than to pay this excellent little cafe a visit. The sea foods are excellent. If you are tired of the ordinary restaurant, you will do well to try Zahnen’s German Grill … Read more

The Butler Brothers Warehouse

In 1900, Thomas Barlow Walker purchased the 1.4 acre “baseball block” to use as a site for a nine story warehouse building. The property formerly housed a 1,800-seat ballpark that hosted the Minneapolis Millers and the St. Paul Saints. Walker hired master architect, Harry Wild Jones to design a 500,000 sq. ft. warehouse for the … Read more

The Star and Tribune Building

After the big newspapers of Minneapolis were consolidated during the Depression, many of their offices were moved to the Daily Star building on Portland Avenue. Extensive renovations on the original 1919 structure were completed in 1940, and after World War II the facility was expanded. In 1949, the building housed the presses and offices of … Read more

The Kasota Building

Designed by the Minneapolis firm, Long F.B. & Co, construction on the seven story Kasota Building began in 1884. In August of that year, the Minneapolis Tribune reported that the building, on the corner of 4th and Hennepin had reached the sixth story. There were rumors that the remaining vacant space east of the part … Read more

The New Nile

Sydney, William and Julius Volk arrived in Minneapolis by way of Lithuania at the dawn of the Jazz Age.  When the Great Depression hit they took out loans, pooled their savings and went into the movie theater business.  During the 1930’s, old silent movies houses were retrofitted for sound and new theaters opened all over … Read more

Coal Troops in Action

What these poster stamps are worth as an advertising medium is best told by Mr. Hartin, who says; ” This advertising has given us more general publicity than any piece we have put out in our ten years of business experience. Many of our customers have called at our office for another copy.” Poster stamps … Read more

The Queen of Commission Row

In the late 1800s and the early decades of the last century, produce passed through a corner of the old Minneapolis Warehouse District called Commission Row. The heart of the bustling business of farmers and grocers,  the Central Market was just behind the Butker Brothers Warehouse, where 2nd Avenue North crossed 6th Street. There was … Read more