Laughter, Falling Water and Time
Inspired by a spirited effort to keep up with the cities of St.Anthony and St. Paul, the founding fathers of Minneapolis lured a couple Boston businessmen west to build the Nicollet House Hotel. James M.Eustis and W.H. Judd promised the new city a five floor, brick building equal to any of the fine hotels that … Read more
The primary question is not “What can the tenant afford?” it is “What can Minneapolis afford ?” If we are to develop in Minneapolis the highest type of civilization, if industry is to thrive permanently, if art and music are to serve their highest purposes, we must first recognize as an essential prerequisite to the … Read more
Axel Anderson opened up Axel’s Lunch Room at 2217 East Lake Street in 1912. The restaurant served railway workers from the nearby Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railroad yard and Twin City Rapid Transit employees from the Lake Street Station across street. Axel came to America from Sweden in 1888. He got his start in … Read more
Music by Muzak at the First National Bank of Minneapolis The Second tallest structure in the Minneapolis skyline is the first national bank building> This progressive organization selected music by Muzak to complement their modern approach to banking. With its handsome façade of gleaming metal and glass the 28 story First National headquarters structure provides … Read more
Designed by the Minneapolis architectural and engineering firm of Hewitt and Brown, construction on the 13 story Northstar East building began in 1916. An early downtown home for the Pillsbury Corporation, the Art Nouveau office tower was completed the following year. The building was eventually renamed The Metropolitan Bank Building. The bank hired Chicago … Read more
Built along Washington between 2nd and 3rd Avenue South, the new Minneapolis Post Office, designed by James Knox Taylor, was completed in 1915. Construction involved clearing an acre of land and took almost two years. The “Temple of Mail” was used as a United States Post Office until 1936 when it was converted into a … Read more
Completed in October of 1887, the Swedish Tabernacle still stands on the northeast corner of 7th and Chicago Avenue. Way back when, the building’s 2,500 seat assembly hall was the biggest meeting place in Minneapolis. During the 1890’s, the Swedish Tabernacle hosted tremendous gatherings of city-wide interest. Explorers, scientists, statesmen, and preachers spoke here on … Read more
The Gopher Cafe’s 9th and Hennepin location put the eatery in the heart of the Minneapolis theater district. The restaurant had a informal modern atmosphere featuring cozy booths, a swivel chair lunch counter and a swanky cocktail bar with an entrance on 9th Street. The Gopher’s digs are probably better remembered as Duff’s Bar. Originally … Read more
The triangular space bounded by Nicollet, Hennepin and Washington Avenues forming a vista from the Great Northern passenger station, where a majority of the visitors in the city arrive. A portion of the ground is parked, and fronting on Washington Av. is the Gateway Building for the convenience of the public, erected at a cost … Read more