The Curtis Hotel: Where the Guest is King

Article by Michael Rainville, Jr.

During a time before giant hotel chains dominated the hospitality industry in major cities, Minneapolis was full of independent, successful hotels. There was The Nicollet, The West, The Drake and The Sheridan, but in this article, I will discuss one of the more iconic hotels, The Curtis Hotel.

This story starts with a family named Curtis from Portland, Maine. Theodore Lincoln Curtis, a ship builder, and Esther Curtis had seven children, the third of whom was Theodore F. Curtis, born in 1854. A year later, the Curtis Family moved to St. Anthony looking for more manufacturing work as the small village was quickly growing. The elder Theodore built very large flat-bottomed barges along a low spot on the Mississippi’s shoreline at what would later be known as Bohemian Flats. Among other construction jobs, he also worked on the first iteration of the Nicollet Hotel.

During this time, the younger Theodore worked his way through school at Central High. At the age of nineteen, his father passed away, and his mother sold the family lot, a block of property along Third Avenue North between Fourth and Fifth Streets, for $18,000, almost $390,000 after inflation. The developers who bought the land promptly split it up and sold the smaller lots for over $100,000 total, or over $2,150,000 today. This was an eye-opening experience for Theodore, and it was at that moment when he saw the real estate potential for the swiftly growing City of Minneapolis.

Once Theodore F. Curtis gained more wealth from buying land and building houses along the city’s border and apartments around downtown, he ventured into the lodging business. In the center of the block between Tenth and Eleventh Streets South and Third and Fourth Avenues South, Theodore bought a lot and constructed the first building of Curtis Court in 1903. Each suite featured a parlor room, bathroom, and kitchenette. Eight years later in 1911, Theodore bought more properties on the block and constructed the first of two towers. In 1919, he finally had the opportunity to purchase the last lot on the block, then owned by Alexander Boyd who bought it from Fred C. Pillsbury, and erected the second tower. In 1920, the name changed to The Curtis Hotel, and it would see much success for decades to come.

Postcard with a photo of the main restaurant taken in 1920

John Willy of The Hotel Monthly magazine wrote about his visit to The Curtis Hotel in 1924. “First of the kitchenette apartments has developed into a modern, first class, transient and residential hotel of more than eight hundred rooms; and to be still further enlarged.” After gloating about the amazing features of the hotel, he lists a typical menu with prices. Here are a few that stood out to me:

Bluepoint cocktail - 50¢

Green corn on the cob - 25¢

Half spring chicken, fried, country style - 90¢

Fried frog legs, breaded, julienne potatoes, tartar sauce - 75¢

Appetizing lamb chops, broiled, French fried potatoes - 75¢

Filet mignon, fresh mushroom sous cloche - $1.25

Fresh apple pie, Orange cream pie - All pies 15¢ per cut

The Curtis in 1940

Guests and a bellhop, 1948

The Curtis in 1958

At its peak, The Curtis Hotel featured the Mesabi Coffee Shop, barber and beauty shops, a gym, a post office, ballrooms, a luxurious dining room, and three music venues, to list a few. The Turquoise Lounge, the Garden Lounge, and the Cardinal Room showcased acts from pianists to big bands, including nightly performances by Dick Long’s Orchestra. In the 1950s, the hotel decided to open up the Curtis Motor Lodge, an inner-city suburban motel with two pools, one indoors and one outdoors.

The Curtis Motor Lodge, 1960

The Tropical Indoor Pool, 1970

By 1984, The Curtis Hotel had run its course. The Curtis family ran one of the more popular hotels in Minneapolis for over eight decades, but it was time for a new beginning.

The hotel complex was demolished and was replaced with an office building. It is currently the headquarters for Sleep Number. At least there’s some continuity. A city block that once housed a popular hotel with well over 800 beds is now home to one of the world’s most popular mattress brands.

Dayton’s Eighth Floor Holiday Show Through the Years

Article by Michael Rainville, Jr.

Winter in Minneapolis can be a struggle sometimes. Vehicles take forever to warm up, if we don’t shuffle our feet, we might slip on ice, and snow mounds become some of the tallest structures in the city. However, throughout the years as the winter solstice passes and the days get longer, there has been a ray of light at the end of this dark, frigid tunnel: The Dayton’s Eighth Floor Holiday Show.

Originally called the “Christmas Show,” from 1963 through 2016, the eighth floor of the old Dayton’s building was the most magical place in the Twin Cities. The Dayton’s wanted their department store to be more than just a store. They wanted to be a pillar of the community, so they offered a wide variety of merchandise that most stores didn’t, they’ve supported many charities through the Dayton’s Foundation, and they offered many forms of entertainment, from flower exhibitions to fashion shows.

The Holiday Show started out by having a different theme every year, such as The Grinch, Cinderella, The Nutcracker, and even Harry Potter. Starting in 2008 until the last show in 2016, the theme was the same; A Day in the Life of an Elf, with the opportunity to meet and take a photo with Santa Claus himself. Children and adults alike would be filled with wonder and amazement as they walked through the animatronic show and live the many stories that have passed through the eighth floor auditorium.

While the holiday shows have stopped, the many memories are alive and well thanks to the Minnesota Historical Society’s Dayton's Downtown Minneapolis department store event files collection. Take a trip down memory lane and enjoy these select photos:

1982, Pippi Longstocking

1985, The Velveteen Rabbit

1988, The Polar Express

1989, Cinderella

1991, model of floor layout for Pinocchio

1997, The Nutcracker

1998, exhibition model for The Grinch

2000, Harry Potter

2006, gift store for Mary Poppins

2008, setting up for A Day in the Life of an Elf

Photo credit: Holiday compilation photographs, 1977-2008. Macy's (Firm). Dayton's downtown Minneapolis department store event files. Minnesota Historical Society.

Here is the complete list of shows:

1963: Santa’s Enchanted Forest
1964: Land of Trolls
1965: Nameless, animated animals preparing for Christmas
1966: Dickens’ London Towne
1967: Dickens’ Village
1968: Under the Giant Christmas Tree
1969: Peter Pan
1970: Santa’s Toy Workshop
1971: Santa’s TV Studio
1972: Joy to the World
1973: Nutcracker
1974: Grandma Moses’ “Christmas in the Country”
1975: ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas
1976: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
1977: How the Grinch Stole Christmas
1978: Once Upon a Christmastime
1979: Babes in Toyland
1980: Alice’s Wonderland Christmas
1981: Hansel and Gretel
1982: Pippi Longstocking
1983: Babar and Father Christmas
1984: Animalen, “The Peaceable Kingdom”
1985: The Velveteen Rabbit
1986: Santabear’s First Christmas
1987: Santabear’s High-Flying Adventures
1988: The Polar Express
1989: Cinderella
1990: Peter Pan
1991: Pinocchio
1992: Puss in Boots
1993: Beauty and the Beast
1994: The Wizard of Oz
1995: The Wind in the Willows
1996: A Christmas Carol
1997: Nutcracker
1998: How the Grinch Stole Christmas
1999: The 12 Days of Christmas
2000: Harry Potter
2001: ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas
2002: Paddington Bear and the Christmas Surprise
2003: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
2004: Snow White
2005: Cinderella
2006: Mary Poppins
2007: Nutcracker
2008-2016: A Day in the Life of an Elf

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Click here for an interactive map of Michael's past articles.

Wintertime in Minneapolis

Article by Michael Rainville, Jr.

This time of year is known for its cold days and long nights, but it’s nothing us Minnesotans can’t handle. In order to pass the time and make the most of this chilly season, we have to be creative, and there has been no shortage of that in the Mill City. Throughout history, wintertime in Minneapolis has been a time of celebration and fun, so let’s take a look at how Minneapolitans thrived during this frigid season.

The Gateway Park Holiday Tree

From the city’s establishment through the milling boom, the center of town was Gateway Park, where Hennepin and Nicollet Avenues once met. In December of 1913, newly elected mayor of Minneapolis Wallace Nye proposed that a giant evergreen tree be placed in Gateway Park and illuminated with lights, along with other festivities taking place, such as caroling, live music, and outdoor motion pictures. Soon after, a 50-foot tree from Frazee, Minnesota was placed in the middle of the park and 3,000 colorful lights were wrapped around it.

The 1925 edition of the Christmas tree lighting ceremony was quite an exciting one, too. Standing in the White House, President Calvin Coolidge was given a signal and flipped the switch to turn on the tree’s lights from across the country to kick off the festivities. That part of downtown saw a lot of change in the 1960s and 70s, so there’s no more Christmas tree in Gateway Park, but that was one of the first citywide holiday traditions in Minneapolis.

Gateway Park with its Christmas tree circa 1930s.

Holidazzle

In the summer of 1992, a group of businesses in Downtown Minneapolis were worried that the small national recession the year earlier, combined with the opening of the Mall of America coming up in October, would be disastrous for them during the holiday shopping season. A plan needed to be made to keep shoppers in Downtown.

As different ideas were being tossed around, they finally settled on hosting a parade. Inspired by the daily extravagant parades at Walt Disney World, the new Holidazzle parade would run along Nicollet Mall four nights a week from the Friday after Thanksgiving to Christmas. The first year saw only eight floats, but it was an instant success. Shops were full, the sidewalks were packed, and everyone was happy. The eight floats in the parade quickly grew to twelve, and at its peak, the parade featured over 350,000 lights and 300 volunteers in costumes. 2012 was the last year the parades were put on, and the Holidazzle transformed into a holiday winter market with most activities taking place in Loring Park.

Circus train float in the Holidazzle parade

The Christmas Card Queen

It happens every year, you flip through your address book to see who to send your yearly holiday cards to. It can be tiresome yet rewarding, and it sure helps if you have a fancy card to show off. That’s where Mary Moulton Cheney comes in to play.

Born in 1871 in St. Anthony, a year before it was annexed by Minneapolis, Mary Moulton Cheney was an extraordinary artist and teacher. She studied at the University of Minnesota, the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and Harvard University. In 1897, when she came back to Minneapolis after her studies, she organized and taught the first class on design for the Minneapolis School of Fine Arts, now known as the Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD). She would later become the principal of the design department, the Dean of Women, and then the college’s president. After her tenure at MCAD, she taught at Vocational High School.

Back in 1897 when she returned to Minneapolis, she opened her own studio and printmaking shop called The Artcraft Shop: Sign of the Bay Tree. Working with her business partner Mary Marsh Smith, they made calendars, tags, personal bookplates, and a plethora of cards, from greeting cards to Christmas.

Here are some of my personal favorite Christmas cards of hers.

Minneapolis Diamond Jubilee

After the holiday season when things calm down, the weather gets colder and time seems to slow. Social gatherings and parties are a great way to help the time pass and keep spirits up, and the year of 1928 was no exception. On February 5th of that year, the City celebrated the seventy-fifth anniversary of the naming of Minneapolis with a Diamond Jubilee Ball at the Minneapolis Auditorium, which opened the year before. While the name was made official in 1853, the Minnesota Territorial Legislature didn’t recognize Minneapolis as a town until 1856, nine years before it was incorporated.

When celebrating the diamond jubilee, attendees ate cake, danced the night away, and more importantly, crowned a winter princess. Mary Ellen Selden was the lucky winner and was given a beautiful crown as she sat on her throne and polar bear rug. I think it’s time to bring this tradition back.

The North Commons Ice Carnival

Outdoor gatherings were also quite popular during wintertime such as the North Commons Ice Carnival. It was put together by the West Broadway Commercial Club and Northside Commercial Club, and some say it was better than Saint Paul’s Winter Carnival! Pictured below is the newly chosen queen of the carnival, Phyllis DuLac, on January 25th, 1936 in front of a snow sculpture of the famous City Hall sculpture Father of Waters.

The Best Sledding Hill in Minneapolis

One of my favorite wintertime traditions is to go sledding and enjoy a cup or two of hot chocolate afterwards. Minnesota is the fifth flattest state, but that’s okay; the bigger the hill, the quicker you’ll run out of steam trying to climb back up. Everyone has their go-to sledding spots that they think is the best, but I’m here to tell you that Columbia Park is thee best spot in town to dust off the ol’ saucer and snow pants. Honorable mentions go to Theodore Wirth Park and Powderhorn Park.

Above, women enjoying the sledding at Columbia Park in 1925. Below, the Powderhorn Park toboggan run in 1910.

What are your favorite wintertime traditions?

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About Michael Rainville, Jr.

A 6th generation Minneapolitan, Michael Rainville, Jr. received his B.A. in History, Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies, and M.A. in Art History from the University of St. Thomas.

Michael is a historical interpreter at the Minnesota History Center and has been a lead guide at Mobile Entertainment LLC, giving Segway, walking, and biking tours of the Minneapolis riverfront for 9+ years.

 

He can be reached at mrainvillejr@comcast.net

The Great Northern Depot

Article by Michael Rainville, Jr.

The Great Northern Depot, one of Minneapolis’ former wonders, saw millions of passengers travel through during its over six decades of use. Minneapolis became a major transportation hub around the turn of the twentieth century thanks in large part to James J. Hill, a railroad tycoon and resident of Saint Paul. Hill, along with a group of investors, began purchasing railroad companies in 1878 and eventually formed the Great Northern Railway in 1889.

Great Northern Depot postcard from 1914.  Photo: MNHS

The first depot in Minneapolis for the Great Northern Railway was known as the Union Depot and was located on the south side of Hennepin Avenue, between the Mississippi River and High Street, a road that no longer exists. After thirty years of operation, a larger station was greatly needed. Construction for the new station began in 1913 across Hennepin Avenue from the old station. A year later, on January 22nd, 1914, the new Great Northern Depot opened with a cost of $1.9 million, or roughly $53.2 million after inflation.

The architect hired to design the building was Charles Sumner Frost, who also designed the Milwaukee Road Depot in Minneapolis, the Saint Paul Union Depot, and the Navy Pier Auditorium in Chicago. Made from Kettle River Sandstone, Frost utilized the Beaux-Arts style of architecture for the overall design and featured a row of granite Doric columns lining Hennepin Avenue that gave the building its iconic look. The two main entrances were located on each side of the colonnade, facing Hennepin, and inside was a 11,540 square foot, two-story waiting area that could hold 250 passengers. Other features of the new depot included a travelers’ aid desk, eleven ticket windows, eighteen telephone booths, a newsstand, a barber shop, a dining room, and an infirmary.

By 1916, the new depot had 174 different routes stop at its platforms and saw about 20,000 passengers a day. Other than the Great Northern, other railroad companies to use the depot during this era were Burlington, Omaha Road, Chicago Great Western, and Northern Pacific, and famous trains also frequently stopped at the depot. Those included the Empire Builder, the Twin Cities Zephyr, the Twin Cities 400, and the North Coast Limited.

The way trains traveled to the depot from the east was over the Stone Arch Bridge, then northwest along what is now West River Parkway and underneath Hennepin Avenue to the depot platforms. Leaving the depot continuing westbound, trains would take a left turn onto the tracks that run under Target Field today. Trains were also able to take a right over the river and Nicollet Island to head back east or north.

Photo of the main lobby taken in 1925.  Photo: MNHS

There were two peaks for train traffic at the depot, first in the early 1920s and later during World War II where 125 trains would come each day. After the war when the Interstate Highway System began developing along with an increase in air travel and personal vehicle ownership, train travel rapidly decreased. In 1971, passenger trains stopped going to the Milwaukee Road Depot and the Saint Paul Union Depot, and Amtrak became the only railway company to make stops at the Great Northern Depot, using it for only one route, the Empire Builder. During the next few years, more routes would be added, such as the Arrowhead to Duluth, the Twin Cities Hiawatha to Chicago, and the North Coast Hiawatha from Chicago to Seattle.

Photo of the 2nd floor waiting area taken in 1950.   Photo: MNHS

An aerial photo of the Minneapolis riverfront with the depot in the upper left taken in the 1950s.  Photo: Hennepin County Library

Photo of Hennepin Avenue looking towards Nicollet Island with the depot on the left taken in 1951.  Photo: MNHS

Amtrak train at the depot, 1974.  Photo: Hennepin County Library

Unfortunately, the amount of train traffic was not enough to justify the operating costs, so Amtrak built a new station in the Midway area of Saint Paul which operated from 1978 to 2014 when Amtrak returned to the Saint Paul Union Depot. Later in 1978, the Great Northern Depot was demolished and the land laid vacant until the Federal Reserve of Minneapolis built its third and current location in the city.

Aerial photo of the depot taken in 1978.  Photo: MNHS

Demolition of the depot, 1978.  Photo: Hennepin County Library

The last remnants of this once great train station can be found near the Grain Belt Brewery in Northeast Minneapolis, where artist Zoran Mosjilov has the granite Doric columns that once lined Hennepin Avenue at his outdoor art studio.

When train travel was the go-to mode of intercity transportation in the United States, the Great Northern Depot proudly stood over Hennepin Avenue and the Mississippi River for sixty-four years. Now, with $66 billion set aside in the 2021 Infrastructure and Jobs Investment Act for modernizing rail transportation, it would sure be nice to have an easily accessible train station in Minneapolis, so residents and visitors alike don’t have to use the light rail Green Line to get to the Saint Paul Union Depot to catch an Amtrak train. Can more platforms be added at the Target Field Station? Is there room to create a new, iconic depot in the parking lot of the Federal Reserve that already borders existing train tracks? Perhaps one day, Minneapolis will once again become a transportation hub as we look towards a greener, more affordable future for long-distance travel in the United States.

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About Michael Rainville, Jr.

A 6th generation Minneapolitan, Michael Rainville, Jr. received his B.A. in History, Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies, and M.A. in Art History from the University of St. Thomas.

Michael is a historical interpreter at the Minnesota History Center and has been a lead guide at Mobile Entertainment LLC, giving Segway, walking, and biking tours of the Minneapolis riverfront for 9+ years.

 

He can be reached at mrainvillejr@comcast.net

Columbia Park: 129 Years of History

Article by Michael Rainville, Jr.

Spanning over 180 acres, Columbia Park along Central Avenue in Northeast Minneapolis has been an indispensable feature to the city for almost 130 years. The surrounding communities enjoy amenities such as a dog park, archery range and an 18-hole golf course, but over the course of its long history, major changes have taken place. Today we will look at how the park has transformed throughout the years.

Section of a map from 1898 that shows Sandy Lake

In 1892, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board made plans to create an ice rink on Sandy Lake for the coming winter season. During this time, land was being plotted and people were moving in, so the park board decided to purchase 144 acres, including the majority of the 40-acre Sandy Lake. The price was high, coming in at $208,000, or over $6,000,000 after inflation. Many park commissioners were in favor of acquiring the land but were still hesitant. In order to show their enthusiasm for a very large new park, the neighbors petitioned the park board to approve their purchase plans, and the sellers put $20,000 of their own money on the table for immediate parkland improvements.

The park board officially acquired the land in December of 1892, 400 years after Christopher Columbus became the second recorded European to lead a crew to the Americas, thus Columbia Park was born. The acquisition of this park also rekindled the idea of having a parkway encircle Minneapolis, the Grand Rounds. The next summer, following the success of the ice rink on Sandy Lake, a bandstand was erected in the park for seasonal entertainment. Various ideas were thrown around for what to do with all this land, such as putting in an arboretum, a nice resort, athletic fields or a golf course, but in the meantime, the lowland areas of the park were used to grow hay. Over the next decade and a half, the park expanded by another thirty-one acres.

Sandy Lake, thought to be spring fed, began to retreat during the early years of the park. By 1910, the lake was only filled during the wet season and even then, it was more of a pond with marshland surrounding it than a lake. In 1914, the City of Minneapolis was installing storm sewers in that part of Northeast, so superintendent Theodore Wirth talked them into putting in the sewer at a level that would drain the lake. Since then, the lowlands of Columbia Park have had flooding issues in the Spring from time to time.

With more land at their dispense, the park board was ready to connect Columbia Park to the Grand Rounds. In 1912, a plan was made for the Northeast stretch of the Grand Rounds and two years later, Thirty-third Avenue was renamed “St. Anthony Parkway” from University to the Camden Bridge. This Northeast section was completed in 1924 and inaugurated with a parade. It became the first east-west route north of Lowry Avenue.

Photo from 1925 of the clubhouse under construction

The 18-hole golf course in Columbia Park looked a little different when it first opened. With the success of the 9-hole course at Glenwood Park, now known as Wirth, the park board installed six holes with sand putting greens at Columbia in 1917. Three years later, they put in three more holes, and two years after that in 1922, nine holes were added to make eighteen with the sand greens being replaced by grass. The new 18-hole course quickly became a must-play for local golfers, but there was not a system in place to handle the high demand. In order to cater to the needs of a popular course, the park board constructed a clubhouse in 1925 that would later be named “The Manor” in 1930.

Wirth's 1930 park plans

That same year, superintendent Wirth created a plan to connect Columbia Parkway, that runs along the northern edge of the park, to Thirty-third Avenue next to the clubhouse. This plan included a large picnic shelter, many athletic fields, and an indoor swimming pool situated along Central Avenue. This new road would wind its way between the recreational parkland and golf course, crossing the Soo Line Railway tracks at the Columbia Park Bridge that was installed in 1895. This bridge is only one of two steel, ribbed-arch bridges in Minnesota, was closed to vehicle traffic in 1958, and currently connects holes two and three at the golf course. The Great Depression immediately halted Wirth’s 1930 plan and it never came to fruition.

Women's golf national champion Patty Berg playing an exhibtion match, 1940.

A shoe race on the 4th of July at the park, 1947.

In 1956, the Northeast Lions Club paid for the park’s first picnic shelter, which was the first of many in the park system to have coin-operated electric outlets and hotplates. In the late 1960s, the golf course was expanded in order to stay competitive from roughly 4,600 total yards to 6,200 yards. Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing were also become popular activities and the golf course began manicuring trails in the winter. In the 1990s, Columbia Park became home to the park system’s first golf learning center, across the parkway from the dog park. The next major upgrade came in 1997 when the park installed a new playground with a very fun but dangerously long slide, updated paths, volleyball and basketball courts, and a soccer/rugby field that has became a popular spot for rugby clubs around the Twin Cities.

More recently, the park board and the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization are working to mitigate flooding and improve the ecosystem of the park. The first phase of this project, which started in October of 2020, includes replacing the storm sewer system along with controlled burnings and trimmings of sections of the park for a total of twenty acres with the intent of planting native prairie vegetation and oak savannahs. Phase two, which is scheduled to begin in May of 2021, includes grading and reseeding the golf course. The work that is being done will greatly enhance the experience for its visitors, human and animal alike, and I soon look forward to walking the greens of Columbia Park when improvements are complete.

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Click here for an interactive map of Michael's past articles.

When Firefighters Saved Downtown: The Minneapolis Thanksgiving Day Fire

Article by Michael Rainville, Jr.

Thanksgiving Day, November 25th, 1982. After a long day of eating turkey, visiting with friends and family, and taking a nap, a 29-year-old Michael Rainville got in his 1973 Cadillac Coup de Ville and made his way to pick up his longtime friend Greg and his two sons to go to the St. Paul Civic Center to watch the superstars of the AWA duke it out in the squared circle with Nick Bockwinkel vs. Rick Martel for the AWA World Heavyweight Championship as the main event. Capping off an eventful day of eating and napping with some good ol’ wrasslin’ sounds like the perfect Thanksgiving to me.

Around this same time, two boys, twelve and thirteen, crawled through a snow fence, broke down a plywood door, and started exploring the partially demolished former location of Donaldson’s department store. As they were rummaging around, they stumbled upon some matches and a butane torch.

As Michael pulled up to Greg’s house just past 5pm, Greg, an off-duty Minneapolis firefighter, received an urgent message; Donaldson’s and the Northwestern National Bank Building were ablaze.

Read the full story from Minneapolis Times...

New Local Book: “When Minnehaha Flowed with Whiskey: A Spirited History of the Falls”

Article by Michael Rainville, Jr.

Above, Karen E. Cooper and the book cover of When Minnehaha Flowed with Whiskey: A Spirited History of the Falls. Graphic courtesy of Ice House MPLS

Front view of one of Robert E. Fischer's sand art works depicting Minnehaha Falls, courtesy of MNHSIn August of 2022, the Minnesota Historical Society Press published a book by Karen E. Cooper about the lively history of Minnehaha Falls, one of Minneapolis’ treasures. Cooper, once a resident of Minnehaha Parkway, is an avid collector of all things Minnehaha, including over 1,000 images of the falls and its surroundings. She has dedicated a great amount of time researching, studying, and giving tours about the history of the falls, its landscape, and the many people who have lived around and visited Minnehaha. This is evident in her new book. She leaves no stone unturned as she travels through time from the early 1800s when Fort Snelling was established through the beginning of the next century when the Minnehaha Park we all know and love was starting to take shape.

When Minnehaha Flowed with Whiskey is full of raucous, liquored-up stories that Cooper brings together to give readers a sense of what living in Minneapolis in the 19th century was like, the good and the bad. One of the stories I found particularly interesting is about sand art. While there are still many sand artist throughout the country today, that art form was very popular in the 19th century. One of the more popular sand artists was Andrew Clemens, who was born in Iowa and made breathtaking art that was coveted by many. In 1889, a dime museum in Saint Paul hosted a show featuring the work of Clemens, who also was on hand to showcase his work.

Back view of the same art piece, courtesy of MNHSMinnehaha Falls attracted many entrepreneurs and people who were trying to make a quick buck. Stands selling many types of souvenirs to the tourists at the falls were a common site in the later half of the 19th century, and one man decided to try his hand at making and selling sand art, perhaps inspired by the popularity of Andrew Clemens. That man was Robert E. Fischer, a onetime park policeman, park board member, and sand artist. Fischer learned the craft of sand art from a man by the name of Luther Melvin Hyde, also known as L. Mel. He would have attended the dime museum to witness Andrew Clemens create his art according to author Karen E. Cooper, and L. Mel in turn passed down his knowledge to Fischer.

Fischer claims to have created over 45,000 pieces in his day, including those of Minnehaha Falls that he sold as souvenirs. He eventually moved out west to create sand art of picturesque scenes around Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks, using sand found in those locations. If sealed properly, sand art can last for a very long time. However, it can be difficult to track down those works of art that have stayed in a good condition. Fortunately, local institutions have acquired some of his work, such as the Minnesota Historical Society and the Hennepin History Museum, which put on an exhibition on Fischer’s work from March 20th, 2019 to May 31st, 2019 titled “Robert Emil Fischer: The Sand Man of Minnehaha Falls.”

The story of Robert E. Fischer and many others can be found throughout this fascinating, new book, When Minnehaha Flowed with Whiskey: A Spirited History of the Falls. Karen E. Cooper has done an outstanding job at compiling the remarkable history of Minnehaha Falls and its surroundings. Saying this book is a page-turner is an understatement. If you’re a local history buff, want a glimpse into Minneapolis past, or love taking strolls along Minnehaha Creek, this book is a must-have.

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About Michael Rainville, Jr.

A 6th generation Minneapolitan, Michael Rainville Jr. received his B.A. in History from the University of St. Thomas, and is currently enrolled in their M.A. in Art History and Certificate in Museum Studies programs. Michael is also a historic interpreter and guide at Historic Fort Snelling at Bdote and a lead guide at Mobile Entertainment LLC, giving Segway tours of the Minneapolis riverfront for 7+ years. Contact: mrainvillejr@comcast.net. Click here for an interactive map of Michael's past articles.

The Forgotten Islands Beneath the Falls

Article by Michael Rainville, Jr.

Before Minneapolis turned into the Mill City and tamed the riverfront, there was a clump of three islands located downstream of St. Anthony Falls. Cataract, Spirit, and Upton Islands were limestone outcroppings left behind from the receding waterfall. While these islands were not large, like Hennepin and Nicollet Islands, that did not stop early settlers and entrepreneurs from attempting to start up businesses on these river islands.

Light pole powered by the first hydroelectric plant in the US.The first of these islands, Upton, was located immediately downriver of the falls, roughly where the northern portion of the Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam lies today. The island’s claim to fame is that it was home to the first hydroelectric power station in the United States. In 1881, a group of men, which included Joel Bassett and C. M. Loring, started the Minnesota Brush Electric Company. Once the company bought land on Upton Island, they built a small central power station with five generators that used power lines to connect to businesses along Washington Avenue. The island was completely removed by the Army Corps of Engineers when they built the upper lock and dam.

About 1,000 feet to the East and between Spirit and Hennepin Islands was Cataract Island. In 1855, the Lovejoy Brothers constructed a shingle factory, with a small wooden bridge that connected the island to Hennepin Island. This was done so their employees could have easier access to Cataract Island. Unfortunately, since the island was very small and in the middle of turbulent water, the sandstone located underneath the island eroded rapidly, and Cataract Island collapsed into the river in 1860.

Spirit Island, 1899

The most well-known of the three islands, Spirit Island, held high importance to the Dakota who called this part of Minnesota home well before pioneers settled the area. The mist of the falls would float over the majestic spruce trees that sprouted from the rocky surface, and to top it all off, bald eagles frequently nested on the island. However, once more and more people started moving to the area, the beauty of the island started to decrease. While the island never had any structures built upon it, Minneapolitans, or rather mill owners, valued the island even more than the previous two. For a few decades, the island turned into a Platteville Limestone quarry that provided building materials for many of the mills along the river. In 1882, the St. Anthony Water Power Company purchased the island, and they owned it up until 1957, when they ceded it to the federal government. This was necessary as Spirit Island was right where the lower entrance for the upper lock would eventually be constructed.

Both nature and humans have leveled the islands that once occupied the river at the base of St. Anthony Falls, but let us not forget the practical and spiritual role they once played for the many people that have called the Minneapolis riverfront their home.

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About Michael Rainville, Jr.

A 6th generation Minneapolitan, Michael Rainville Jr. received his B.A. in History from the University of St. Thomas, and is currently enrolled in their M.A. in Art History and Certificate in Museum Studies programs. Michael is also a historic interpreter and guide at Historic Fort Snelling at Bdote and a lead guide at Mobile Entertainment LLC, giving Segway tours of the Minneapolis riverfront for 7+ years. Contact: mrainvillejr@comcast.net. Click here for an interactive map of Michael's past articles.

The St. Anthony Zouaves

Article by Michael Rainville, Jr.

Sunday, April 14th, 1861, two days after the first shots of the Civil War were fired upon Fort Sumter; Governor Alexander Ramsey was visiting Washington D.C. when the news broke and became the first to offer troops to President Abraham Lincoln in order to quash the rebellion. Lt. Governor Ignatius Donnelly was notified of the situation and two days later, sent out a proclamation calling for one infantry regiment consisting of ten companies. At the time, many up-and-coming Minnesota communities had their own volunteer militias, and these militias would come together at Fort Snelling to form the 1st Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment.

1864 painting "The Brierwood Pipe" by Winslow Homer depicting two Zouave members of the 5th New York Volunteer Infantry.

As one of the state’s older towns, St. Anthony was well-prepared for the call-to-arms. On July 12th, 1856, the Falls City Light Guards formed and would march around the town practicing their drills. No conflicts arose during this time, so the militia disbanded. In 1859, a twenty-two-year-old Colonel Elmer E. Ellsworth formed the United States Zouave Cadets in Chicago and traveled across the East Coast and Midwest preforming drills in front of interested crowds. Zouaves, phonetically pronounced as ‘zwav,’ were a French North African light infantry regiment that became a popular model for militias across the world.

Brigadier General George Morgan, 1863Col. Ellsworth introducing Zouaves to the U.S. mixed with the large population of French-Canadian immigrants in St. Anthony was the perfect recipe for a new local militia to form. At 8:00pm on August 3rd, 1860, twenty-two citizens attended a meeting hosted by Col. Richard Chute in his building, the first building of the University of Minnesota, in what is now Chute’s Square. Other notable attendees were George Eastman, one of the first entrepreneurs to utilizes the power of the falls, George Morgan, owner of the first foundry in the town and would later become a brigadier general in the Civil War, and John Gilfillan, a lawyer, congressman, University Regent, and one of the founders of the Minneapolis Public Library system. Hours later, the St. Anthony Zouaves were born. After the militia’s constitution was drafted, guidelines for admission were set, such as a payment of fifty cents, all members must acquire a uniform within thirty days of admission, and a height requirement of at least 5’6". A month later, the militia moved their meeting place to a hall located above a hardware store owned by John S. Pillsbury.

After months of meetings and many fundraising events, the Falls Evening News noted in the December 14th edition of their newspaper that “the Company has been drilling twice a week for the last four months. From the accounts which leak out, some of the maneuvers must look ludicrous to a looker-on. They all go to make up the drill. Look to your laurels, Chicago,” a not-so-subtle jab at Col. Ellsworth’s United States Zouaves Cadets. As the months continued on, a rival militia formed across the river in Minneapolis, with Capt. W.D. Washburn at the helm. Surely this was the first account of the legendary Pillsbury-Washburn rivalry.

A member of the 11th New York Regiment wearing a Zouave uniform, 1861.Wednesday, April 17th, 1861, the day after Lt. Governor Donnelley sent out a request to the militias of Minnesota to form an infantry regiment, the St. Anthony Zouaves held a meeting after they practiced drilling to inform their group of the call-to-arms. Six days later, the company held an election to determine who would lead their group. George Morgan was elected to the position of Captain, John Gilfillan became the 1st Lieutenant, and George Pamroy became 2nd Lieutenant.

While the other militias to report to Fort Snelling arrived in their uniforms, the St. Anthony Zouaves reported in their civilian clothing, black slouch hats, black trousers, and red flannel shirts. It is not known why they did not show up in their uniforms, but it is likely that they were embarrassed to show up wearing their Zouaves colors, as traditional Zouaves uniforms consisted of a fez, an embroidered vest, and red baggy pantaloons. During the following month, Company E, as they were now called, were a popular sight at Fort Snelling when they drilled, and civilian spectators would make the trek to the fort just to see the Zouaves in action. Their popularity grew, and on May 21st, 1861, they were invited to a dinner hosted by the ladies of Nicollet Island where they presented the Company with a handsewn American flag that they would carry throughout the duration of the war.

34-star silk American flag, handmade by women in St. Anthony in May 1861 and given to the 1st MN Volunteer Infantry Regiment during the Civil War.

Of the eighty-nine St. Anthony Zouaves members, thirty-six committed to the original ninety-day deployment. Five were transferred, seven were discharged for disability, twelve were wounded in battle, six were killed, one lost a leg, one died from effects of the war, and four served for the length of the war, holding on tight to that Nicollet Island-made American flag. 

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About Michael Rainville, Jr.

A 6th generation Minneapolitan, Michael Rainville Jr. received his B.A. in History from the University of St. Thomas, and is currently enrolled in their M.A. in Art History and Certificate in Museum Studies programs. Michael is also a historic interpreter and guide at Historic Fort Snelling at Bdote and a lead guide at Mobile Entertainment LLC, giving Segway tours of the Minneapolis riverfront for 7+ years. Contact: mrainvillejr@comcast.net. Click here for an interactive map of Michael's past articles.

Bohemian Flats and Its Bygone Village

Article by Michael Rainville, Jr.

Nestled along the west bank between limestone bluffs and the Mississippi River once sat a small community of immigrants that garnered the name Bohemian Flats. This community popped up around the same time Minneapolis became incorporated as a town in 1867 and lasted roughly 100 years. Today, a park with the same name sits at the location of this bygone village, but what exactly happened on this strip of shoreline we call Bohemian Flats?

Photo of Bohemian Flats during the construction of the Northern Pacific Railway Bridge taken in 1880, courtesy of MNHS.

As milling continued to grow in Minneapolis and St. Anthony, so did the cities’ immigrant population. On the east side of the river in St. Anthony, many of them lived in what is now Northeast Minneapolis, but on the west side of the river, the young town of Minneapolis did not have much room for affordable residential growth at the time. This led to many immigrants from central Europe congregating at a low point along the shores of the river and created their own Old World-style village in which to raise their families.

The first major groups to call Bohemian Flats home were the Czechs and Slovaks, and soon after, immigrants from places like Austria, Hungary, Germany, Poland, Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway all came to this location. Throughout its existence, many names have been given to this village. Dane Flats, Little Ireland, Little Lithuania, and Connemara Patch, to name a few, were all used at one point or another, but “Bohemian Flats” stood the test of time.

Many of the houses built in this village were shacks at best. None had foundations, and yearly flooding made it difficult for families to truly invest in their homes. Later on, nicer homes were constructed atop the bluff, separated from the lower bluff by a flight of seventy-nine stairs. Homes on the upper bluff could be rented out for between $15 and $20 a year, while homes on the lower bluff went for $0.50 to $2 a year. Only a few families were able to find enough economic success to be able to afford moving up the bluff, and the majority of the residents of this village lived close to the river’s shores. 

Photo of boys rowing a boat down Cooper Street, next to the Immanuel Evangelical Slovak Lutheran Church during a flood in 1898, courtesy of MNHS.

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Photo of Polish immigrants searching for their belongings that floated away during a flood in 1900, courtesy of MNHS.

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Life at Bohemian Flats was quite difficult compared to the rest of the city. Fresh water was hard to come by as many of the shared wells were close to outhouses. Materials to build a house were too expensive to buy, so families waited for logs to sneak away from the log booms of the lumber mills and float over St. Anthony Falls for them to fish out of the river. Crime would also create chaos, especially on Sundays when workers at the nearby breweries would throw keggers along the bluffs. These breweries, the Heinrich Brewing Association and the F.D. Noernberg Brewing Company, would eventually merge with the Orth Brewery in 1890 to form the Minneapolis Brewing Company, later known as the Grain Belt Brewery.

Photo of Bohemian Flats taken in 1910 with the F.D. Noernberg Brewing Company in the background on the left, courtesy of MNHS.

A plat of Bohemian Flats in 1910 created by Joseph W. Zalusky in 1940, courtesy of the Hennepin History Museum.

It was also a common practice for families who resided on the lower bluff to live with family or friends during high water season in the spring, because much of the lower bluff was swallowed up by the river, flooding all the homes. For this reason, the area also was called Little Venice. As more people started living at Bohemian Flats, the small village made their own streets, Mill, Cooper, and Wood, named after the most common occupations the residents had. In 1890, things got much worse for the residents of Bohemian Flats. The City of Minneapolis was ordered to stop dumping garbage in the river, so instead, they dumped it next to the river, by the Washington Street Bridge. Their reasoning for that decision was that the location was “away from the settled city.” This lasted nine years, until the State Board of Health ordered the city to move their dump once again in 1899.

1919 painting by Samuel Chatwood Burton titled Christmas Eve on the Flats, courtesy of MNHS.

The first round of evictions started in 1915 when the city and Army Corps of Engineers was planning to build Lock & Dam No. 1, which would raise the water level of the river. In 1921, landlord C.H. Smith started buying properties at Bohemian Flats and attempted to collect rent from the residents. They claimed, “squatters’ rights,” refusing to pay rent or leave, battling eviction notices in court for ten years. One of the main reasons residents were able to fight in court for so long was because of the efforts of John Medvec. He noted,

“I bought that little house in May 1884. I paid $210 for it but never paid for the land. I'm there all the time. I move in the spring because the river rolls over my floor. I raised my family there... The land belongs to the river if anybody. That's the property of the government. We'll pay taxes, but it isn't fair to ask rent for a riverbed.”

Unfortunately for the residents, the court ended up siding with the landlord in 1931, and evictions started happening once again.

Soon after the evictions, that land was turned into a municipal barge terminal with coal and oil storage. The last resident to live at Bohemian Flats was Joseph A. Kieferle, who was eighty years old in 1963 when he was forced out of his home for the construction of the new Washington Avenue Bridge.

Photo of the barge terminal and coal storage taken in 1949, courtesy of MNHS.

With the extension of West River Parkway and the Grand Rounds in the 1980s, Bohemian Flats turned into park land. From 2007 to 2010, the park housed the wreckage from the I-35W Bridge collapse until it was moved to a warehouse in Afton, MN. The closure of the Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock & Dam was scheduled for 2015, so Paradise Charter Cruises moved their river operations, along with their boats the Paradise Lady and Minneapolis Queen, from Boom Island Park to Bohemian Flats in 2013. From 2015 to 2017, a part of the park was used as a staging area for the reconstruction of the Franklin Avenue Bridge, and in 2018, that area was turned into a nursery site for saplings that were to be planted throughout the park system.

This land that once was home to a small village of 100 homes, a variety of shops and a church has gone through many transformations in the last 150 years. It was never an ideal spot to house struggling residents, and using the land for heavy industry and storage was hardly a good idea in retrospect. But now the land is serving nearby residents once again, providing pedestrian paths, perfect picnic spots, a sandy canoe and kayak launch, and picturesque views of the Mississippi River Gorge, hopefully, for generations to come.

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Click here for an interactive map of Michael's past articles.

Beneath the Banks: Caves and Tunnels Along the Riverfront

Article by Michael Rainville, Jr.

Five hundred million years ago a giant, shallow, tropical sea covered the vast majority of what later became North America, including the central and eastern portions of Minnesota. This resulted in a very thick layer of St. Peter Sandstone developing with a thinner layer of Platteville Limestone forming on top of it. These layers made it possible for St. Anthony Falls to erode upstream to where it sits today along the downtown riverfront. However, these geological layers are also the perfect recipe for caves and tunnels to naturally form. Once European settlers established the towns of St. Paul, St. Anthony, and Minneapolis, they too took advantage of the soft sandstone and dug out cave systems for various uses. It is because of this that some say the subterranean world of the Twin Cities is comparable, if not grander, than the catacombs of Paris. These next three stories are just a small portion of what lies beneath our feet.

Chute’s Cave

Photo of a collapsed section of Chute's Cave taken in 2000 by urban explorers, Action Squad.It didn’t take a well-learned person to figure out that the exposed sandstone along the bluffs of the Mississippi can be easily manipulated. Once the riverbanks were filled with lumber and flour mills, entrepreneurs began exploring the possibility of using tunnels to power their mills. One of the first to try this out was Samuel H. Chute, namesake of Chute Square, the location of the oldest house in the city, and an agent for the St. Anthony Falls Water Power Company. He wanted to dig a tunnel underneath Main Street of over 1,100 feet. Workers digging out Chute’s Tunnel were stopped a few hundred feet in from the shoreline when they broke through into a large cavern.

Photo of the formation "Chute's Medusa" taken in 2001 by Action Squad. It measures roughly six feet wide.

Originally, Chute’s Cave was 200 feet long and 100 feet wide, and in the middle was a large geological formation, likely a stalagmite, that was dubbed the Tower of St. Anthony. In 1866, the St. Paul Daily Press reported that some explorers lifted up a slab of malachite in the cave, and underneath was a spiral staircase. After descending 123 steps, it opened up into Chute’s Cave, where they saw human-sized stalagmites rising up, and diamond-like stalactites glistening on the ceiling. The columnist then ended their report by saying that Chute’s Cave “is supposed to be the place where good St. Antonians go when they die.” It must’ve been a slow news day.

Woman entering Chute's Cave by boat, photo courtesy of Dr. Greg Brick

A resort was opened on the bluffs near the cave’s entrance and even offered torchlight boat tours of the stunning cave system. Unfortunately, the beauty of the cave changed on December 23rd, 1880 when a portion of the cave collapsed, taking some of Main Street with it. Once the area was stabilized and the street was back up and running, the cave was deemed unsafe and the resort was abandoned. Years later in the 1960s, the city pondered the idea of turning the cave into a fallout shelter, but that idea was abandoned.

The Eastman Tunnel Collapse of 1869

Before Main Street sank into Chute’s Cave, businessmen William Eastman and John Merriam purchased the majority of Nicollet Island with the intent to mill along the island’s shores. The two argued that the St. Anthony Falls Water Power Company controlled all of the water power on the east side of the falls, so they sued the company and won. The two parties agreed that Eastman and Merriam could dig a tunnel underneath the falls from Hennepin Island to Nicollet in order to take advantage of the falls fifty-foot drop to create 200 horsepower to operate their mills.

Digging started in September of 1868 and workers slowly dug their six-by-six-foot tunnel 2,500 feet to Nicollet Island. By early October 1869, the crew made it 2,000 feet in and reached the southern tip of Nicollet Island. They were almost there. Towards the end of the workday on October 4th, some workers noticed a very small leak in the tunnel. The next day when they arrived at the site, they discovered that that the river turned the small leak into a giant hole, and the river quickly carved out a seventeen-foot deep hole ninety feet wide!

Photo of the Eastman Tunnel collapse taken in 1869

Over 100 men from St. Anthony volunteered to help save St. Anthony Falls, and more important to them, the power it was capable of producing. They started throwing rocks and logs into the giant hole, but they were tossed around and swept away like toothpicks. The power of the mighty Mississippi was just too much. Eventually, the Minneapolis Fire Department came to the rescue, and with the help of even more volunteers, they constructed three cofferdams to stabilize the falls. Wood will obviously erode over time, so the dams had to be replaced every four years or so until the 1950s when the Army Corps of Engineers installed the concrete apron that makes up St. Anthony Falls today.

1940 photo of the remnants of the Eastman Tunnel

Nicollet Island’s Many Secrets

Remnants of tunnels from the Eastman tunnel collapse are still located throughout the southern tip of Nicollet Island. These are known as the Neapolitan Caves because of iron-red swirls mixed into the white and green sandstone walls. Further up the island is a tunnel dubbed the “bloody snake passage” by local explorer, historian, and author of the book Subterranean Twin Cities, Dr. Greg Brick. He gave this tunnel, which dead ends at the foundation of DeLaSalle High School, its name because of scarlet-red flowstones along the walls that resembled dripping blood.

The two most prominent caves can be found around the northern tip of the island. First, accessible from an old utility tunnel that forms a loop around the island, Satan’s Cave is aptly named because of bas-reliefs carved in the sandstone of demonic figures and a small alter with a candelabra on top. The carvings were created in such a way that when lit candles are placed in the mouths of the carvings, light glows out of their flaring nostrils. These carvings and the alter are fairly recent, appearing no earlier than the mid-1970s when a Minneapolis Star reporter explored the caves on the island and did not note anything demonic. Satan’s Cave used to have a more important use, however. When John Orth became the first brewer in Hennepin County in 1850, he would use this cool cave to keep his lager chilled. Eventually, Orth would go on to establish the Minneapolis Brewing Company. Once Orth left the cave, it was used the grow mushrooms through the 1920s.

Underground entrance to Satan's Cave

Carvings and candles inside Satan's Cave

The last notable cave on Nicollet Island is Santa’s Cave, a transposition of Satan’s Cave, done by Dr. Brick. Prior to this name, it was known as Cave X, for its cross-like shape. While more impressive than Satan’s Cave, Santa’s Cave is hard to access, so most urban explorers leave it for the two species of bats that hibernate there in the winter months.

These caves are still around today, but don’t be fooled, they are still dangerous. That early explorer who found a spiral staircase down into Chute’s Cave said the stairs were made out of polished marble with brass bannisters. Earthly gasses, like methane, can get trapped in these caves. Perhaps this explorer’s tall tale was influenced by trapped gasses and a lot of time on their hands? A French explorer claimed to have studied hieroglyphs in a vault on Nicollet Island, and he concluded that beyond the vault was a room full of treasures where an extinct race of very smart, flying humans kept their knowledge. Maybe the gasses got to him and he saw bats flying by his head? More recently, in the late 1900s, a resident of Nicollet Island was exploring one of the many tunnels and passed out from inhaling too much methane. Luckily, he was with a friend who pulled him out and he came to once they were topside. Caves are pretty neat, but they are blocked off for a reason. Hopefully one day we can safely explore Minneapolis’ subterranean world.

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About Michael Rainville, Jr.

A 6th generation Minneapolitan, Michael Rainville Jr. received his B.A. in History from the University of St. Thomas, and is currently enrolled in their M.A. in Art History and Certificate in Museum Studies programs. Michael is also a historic interpreter and guide at Historic Fort Snelling at Bdote and a lead guide at Mobile Entertainment LLC, giving Segway tours of the Minneapolis riverfront for 7+ years. Contact: mrainvillejr@comcast.net. Click here for an interactive map of Michael's past articles.

Remembering the Minneapolis Auditorium

Article by Michael Rainville, Jr.

Where the Minneapolis Convention Center stands today was a venue that dominated the event scene in this city for more than sixty years. The Minneapolis Auditorium hosted many gatherings, from circuses and concerts to political rallies and hockey games. This grand building, now lost to time, was a significant cultural hub for the Twin Cities.

Photo of the auditorium's Grant Street side taken in 1935

The city’s first “Minneapolis Auditorium” was built in 1905 on Nicollet Avenue and 11th Street. In 1924, that venue changed its name to the Lyceum Theater, and many decades later was torn down to make way for Orchestra Hall. The city would not be without an “Auditorium” for very long, however. In 1927, the new Minneapolis Auditorium opened up shop at 1301 2nd Avenue South with its main entrance on 3rd Street. The highlight of the June 1st, 1927 grand opening was the unveiling of a Kimball pipe organ known as the “Voice of Minneapolis.” It was the fourth largest pipe organ in the world at the time, consisting of 10,000 handcrafted pipes, and weighed over thirty tons. Now, it is sitting in storage at the current Convention Center waiting to be put back together.

Once construction was completed, the Auditorium cost over three million dollars, or almost forty-five million after inflation. The concrete stadium seating in the balcony could hold 4,160 people, the floor held 5,687, and the stage held 698 for a total of 10,545. The ceiling was eighty feet tall and was sloped, even though the outside roof was pitched, to give it more of an arena feel. The building itself was constructed with 3.25 million bricks, 15,000 yards of concrete, and 5,000 tons of steel. Etched into the side of the Grant Street entrance, the Minneapolis Auditorium read “builded for a community knit together by common needs with a common devotion directing its common life.” While not very common anymore, “builded” was past tense for “build” back in the day.

Photo of a car show from 1935

In 1947, Ben Berger and Morris Chalfen needed a home court for their newly acquired professional basketball franchise. With help from Sid Hartman, they recruited former DeLaSalle High School head coach and former head coach of St. Thomas College, John Kundla, and shortly after, they acquired the legendary George Mikan. The new Minneapolis Lakers would call the Auditorium home along with The Armory just a few blocks away.

Elvis signing autographs at the Auditorium, 1956

Elvis and his band on stage in 1956

Jefferon Airplane poster from 1970Perhaps the Auditorium events most people have fond memories of are the many concerts. The acts who performed there the most were Johnny Cash at six times, Jefferson Airplane coming in at four times, and Ray Charles, The Moody Blues, and four others at three times each.

The most notorious concert to have taken place here was Elvis on May 13th, 1956. People were excited and the expected crowd number for the combined shows in Minneapolis and St. Paul was set at 25,000. Earlier in the day, Elvis and his band played a show at the St. Paul Auditorium to a crowd of 2,000 fans and about 4,000 showed up in Minneapolis that evening. Local film and music critic Bill Diehl posed the question, “Do you wonder why flops No. 2 in St. Paul and No. 3 in Minneapolis happened? Oh, they’ll blame the weather and Mother’s Day and anything else. We’ve been asking around, though, and I’ll tell you one big reason: Moms and Dads had seen you on TV and didn’t like your unnecessary bump-and-grind routine. Why, Elvis, do you resort to your ‘Pelvis Presley’ routine? You’d better drop it before more and more people drop you.”

The critics didn’t have a fun time, but the fans went crazy. A crowd of mostly women had the times of their lives and Elvis even stayed into the night signing autographs for them.

In August of 1964, a grand re-opening ceremony took place. The now christened Minneapolis Auditorium and Convention Center now included an auditorium-arena, convention hall, and exhibition hall. The building would continue to host numerous events from high school basketball finals to car shows, and continued bringing in all-star music acts like Aretha Franklin, Simon and Garfunkel, Jimi Hendrix Experience, and The Doors all in 1968. Unlike Elvis, local critics were fond of The Doors performance. I’m sure it helped that Jim Morrison always had a Hamm’s cracked open on stage that night, too. Later in 1972, the building manager began refusing to allow hard rock groups to perform at the auditorium, because of a Black Sabbath concert at the St. Paul Civic Center earlier that year when many windows were smashed out during the chaotic concert.

The Auditoriums hockey layout, 1967

The Auditoriums basketball layout, 1968

Photo of the Auditorium taken in 1968 from 211 E Grant Street.

As the City of Minneapolis was growing, so did the need for a larger facility to host conventions and large events. Lead by Alice Rainville, the first woman to be president of the Minneapolis City Council, planning efforts began in the 1980s for an upgrade to the convention and tourism industry in the city. The final nail in the Minneapolis Auditorium coffin came in 1989 when the Grammar Research Association of Minnesota Media, Austin-Rochester chapter (GRAMMAR) wrote a letter to the Minneapolis City Council requesting that the message on the façade of the Grant Street entrance be changed from “builded” to “built,” or tear down the complex completely. Okay, maybe that didn’t happen, but 1989 was the last year it stood until it made way for the new and current Minneapolis Convention Center, the largest convention center in the Midwest and a big reason why we get national events like the MLB Allstar Game, X-Games, Super Bowl, and NCAA Men’s and Women’s Final Four basketball tournaments.

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About Michael Rainville, Jr.

A 6th generation Minneapolitan, Michael Rainville Jr. received his B.A. in History from the University of St. Thomas, and is currently enrolled in their M.A. in Art History and Certificate in Museum Studies programs. Michael is also a historic interpreter and guide at Historic Fort Snelling at Bdote and a lead guide at Mobile Entertainment LLC, giving Segway tours of the Minneapolis riverfront for 7+ years. Contact: mrainvillejr@comcast.net. Click here for an interactive map of Michael's past articles.

Fort Snelling National Cemetery

Article by Michael Rainville, Jr.

Fort Snelling National Cemetery was established in 1939, but dedicated burial sites for United States veterans have been around since the Civil War. Prior to the Civil War, soldiers were buried relatively close to where they passed away, next to field hospitals, campgrounds, and battle fields. Because of the high death count during the Civil War, President Lincoln signed legislation authorizing the federal government to purchase land for use as national cemeteries. After the war, on February 22nd, 1867, the National Cemeteries Act was passed by Congress that allowed the Secretary of War to mark burials in national cemeteries with permanent headstones, and to construct permanent buildings and structures within cemeteries.

Post Cemetery, 1905  Photo: Minnesota Historical Society

The first cemetery at Fort Snelling, known as Post Cemetery, was established around 1826 and became the final resting place for soldiers and veterans from conflicts such as the Mexican–American War, the Civil War, and the Spanish–American War. The Twin Cities became home to many veterans after World War I came to an end, and after the passage of a law in 1920 that extended burial benefits to honorably discharged veterans of all wars, the need for proper burial grounds for those veterans quickly became apparent.

In the 1930s, local members of the Grand Army of the Republic, the American Legion, Spanish-American War Veterans, Jewish War Veterans, Disabled American Veterans, and Veterans of Foreign Wars all petitioned to have a national cemetery in the Twin Cities. After years of lobbying, in 1936 and 1937, the United States Congress passed laws to put in motion the creation of the Fort Snelling National Cemetery. After 180 acres of land in the southwest corner of the Fort Snelling Military Reservation were set aside for the cemetery, WPA workers began grading and landscaping the area while contractors constructed the site’s buildings.

Dedication ceremony, 1939  Photo: Minnesota Historical Society

When the cemetery opened in the summer of 1939, the total cost of the project was roughly $500,000, or over $10M after inflation. The first burial occurred on July 5th when United State Army Captain George H. Mallon, a World War I Medal of Honor recipient, was laid to rest. After the formal dedication on July 14th, the 680 soldiers from the old Post Cemetery were reinterned at the new cemetery. With the influx of veterans after World War II and the Korean War, the cemetery was looking to expand its land. The cemetery grew to its current size when the Fort Snelling Air Force Station gave the cemetery 146 acres in 1960 and 177 acres in 1961.

Burial plots of unknown soldiers, 1939  Photo: Minnesota Historical Society

Aerial photo of the cemetery before it expanded to its current size taken in 1958.  Photo: Minnesota Historical Society

There are a total of nine Medal of Honor recipients interred at Fort Snelling National Cemetery, including Captain George H. Mallon. The others are Commander Oscar F. Nelson, who received the military decoration in 1905, World War II veterans Captain Richard E. Fleming, Private First Class Richard E. Kraus, Private First Class James D. LaBelle, Captain Arlo Olson, Second Lieutenant Donald E. Rudolph, Sr., and First Lieutenant Richard Keith Sorenson, and Vietnam veteran Staff Sergeant Robert J. Pruden.

Other notable interments are longtime Minnesota Twins P.A. announcer Bob Casey, Charles W. Lindberg who was one of the Marines who raised the American flag on Iwo Jima, hockey legend John Mariucci, Heisman Trophy winner Bruce P. Smith, formerly enslaved person and Civil War veteran Henry Mack, and United Airlines Flight 93 passenger Thomas Edward Burnett, Jr. There is also one British Commonwealth grave located in the cemetery, that of Royal Canadian Air Force World War II veteran Russell J. Wicklem.

Support for living and deceased veterans has always been a point of pride for Minnesotans, and there are companies that help make that possible at the cemetery. Fort Snelling Cemetery Flowers, a veteran family-owned business, has an online store where family members and friends can purchase a variety of flower bouquets during the warmer months, and artificial bouquets and holiday wreaths during the colder months. Customers can schedule dates for the company to deliver the flowers straight to the gravesite.

Contemporary photo of the cemetery  Photo - Fort Snelling National Cemetery Wikipedia by Kozarrj

Another organization that helps keep the memories alive of Minnesota veterans is Flags for Fort Snelling. Since 2018, the organization has been placing flags at every gravesite in the cemetery on Memorial Day. Starting in 2020, they have been using Legacy Flags that are made out of recyclable materials, feature a retractable and removable flag, and are sturdy enough to withstand every Minnesota season.

With the weather slowly becoming warmer and Memorial Day around the corner, now is the perfect time to keep in mind those family members, friends, neighbors who have made the ultimate sacrifice and passed away while serving in the United States armed forces. Soon, American flags and colorful bouquets will fill the elegant and serene landscape of the Fort Snelling National Cemetery, a place full of emotion, honor, and remembrance.

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About Michael Rainville, Jr.

A 6th generation Minneapolitan, Michael Rainville, Jr. received his B.A. in History, Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies, and M.A. in Art History from the University of St. Thomas.

Michael is a historical interpreter at the Minnesota History Center and has been a lead guide at Mobile Entertainment LLC, giving Segway, walking, and biking tours of the Minneapolis riverfront for 9+ years.

 

He can be reached at mrainvillejr@comcast.net

Turmoil in the Twin Cities: How Daylight Saving Time Briefly Divided a State

Article by Michael Rainville, Jr.

A few weeks back, the United States Senate passed an act that may impact our everyday lives come wintertime, so hold your clocks up to a mirror, because it’s time to reflect on Daylight Saving Time in the Twin Cities.

This past March 13th, we switched to Daylight Saving Time (DST), a tradition that has been around since 1966. While adjusting our clocks twice a year is an easy task, it wasn’t always this way. As the world became more global, coordinating transportation, meetings, events, etc., became increasingly more difficult as most towns followed local solar time, meaning noon was when the sun was at its highest point in the sky. Locally, this confusion reached its tipping point in 1965 when Minneapolis and Saint Paul followed separate times.

In order to get a better understanding of the 1965 debacle, let’s start with the origins of Standard Time.

WWI poster used as a reminder to end DST come October 27th, 1918As railroads grew and expanded across the United States in the later half of the 1800s, it became a nightmare to coordinate arrival and departure times since there were over 300 different times at the many railroad stations across the nation. At first, railroad managers implemented 100 time zones in the United States, but that quickly proved to be ineffective. In the 1880s, railroad companies took note of Cleveland Abbe, a meteorologist, who assigned four time zones to his various weather stations across the nation. Once the planning of creating four time zones for railroads to use was complete, Standard Time with four zones became official at noon on November 18th, 1883, in Chicago, Illinois.

Standard Time and the four time zones were predominantly used by railroads and cross-country business affairs up until World War I. During the war, Germany created Daylight Saving Time in order to save fuel, with Britain following suit. The United States, too, implemented DST on March 31st, 1918, which also meant the four time zones were federally recognized. With backlash from farmers, DST was dropped once WWI ended. However, it was still an option on a more local level. One of the main metropolitan areas to still use DST was New York City, and since that city was so influential in the financial sector, many large cities also used DST including Minneapolis, home of the Grain Exchange.

A local conductor and engineer synchronizing their watches for the start of "War Time" during WWII

The federal government would once again institute DST during WWII, this time calling it “War Time,” and made it an option for local municipalities to use once the war was over. With no federal regulations regarding DST, confusion was plentiful.

In 1957, Minnesota passed a statewide DST act much to the chagrin of the farmers. DST was used between Memorial Day and Labor Day, the shortest timeframe in the nation, and counties were allowed to set their own DST. However, a group of drive-in movie theater owners successfully sued the state and counties were no longer able to set their own DST. This also caused confusion on a regional level as North Dakota did not use DST and Wisconsin did, but between April and October.

May 2, 1965 Pioneer Press cartoon 

In 1965, everything came to a boil when towns in the western section of the state, like Breckenridge and Moorhead, opted to stay on Standard Time while towns in the east, like Duluth and Winona started DST in April along with Wisconsin. This caused a chain reaction of towns either switching to DST before the state allowed it, or not switching to DST at all.

Saint Paul would soon jump on the bandwagon of having an earlier DST starting date when their city council voted to switch to DST on May 4th, roughly two weeks before the rest of the state would. This greatly angered Governor Karl Rolvaag, the state legislature, and Mayor Arthur Naftalin of Minneapolis. Not every organization in Saint Paul switched to DST on May 4th either. The fire department did, but the police did not as it was against state law. The Ramsey County Board scheduled meetings using Standard Time, but the Saint Paul council chambers where they met had clocks set to DST. At the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, Northwest Airlines had two clocks at their front desk: one set to Minneapolis time and one to Saint Paul time. Despite there being two weeks of the Twin Cities being an hour apart, there were not many reported problems of employees showing up to work an hour early or an hour late.

The inconsistent implementation of DST throughout the United States was never really a major problem until this debacle in the Twin Cities. Congressmen Don Fraser of Minnesota’s 5th district, and future mayor of Minneapolis, brought legislation to the nation’s capitol that would bring uniformity to DST across the United States. Enacted on April 13th, 1966, and implemented a year later, the Uniform Time Act finally brought the nation together for the first time since WWII. States were allowed to opt out, with only Arizona and Hawaii still choosing to. For those states who chose to follow the Act, DST began at 2:00 A.M. on the last Sunday in April and ended at 2:00 A.M. on the last Sunday in October. The most recent change to this came in 2007 when Congress moved the start day up to the second Sunday in March and the end date pushed back to the first Sunday of November.

Current time zones in the United States

This year, the United Stated Senate unanimously voted to pass the Sunshine Protection Act, which would make DST permanent if the House of Representatives also passes it and President Biden signs it into law. If this were to happen, clocks will not be returned to Standard Time come November 5th, 2023.

Switching between Standard Time and Daylight Saving Time has become second nature to us all, but the times may be changing soon, or never again. Will this latest time legislation bring back the century’s old rivalry between Minneapolis and Saint Paul if one city tries to pull a fast one again? Only time will tell.

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About Michael Rainville, Jr.

A 6th generation Minneapolitan, Michael Rainville, Jr. received his B.A. in History, Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies, and M.A. in Art History from the University of St. Thomas.

Michael is a historical interpreter at the Minnesota History Center and has been a lead guide at Mobile Entertainment LLC, giving Segway, walking, and biking tours of the Minneapolis riverfront for 9+ years.

 

He can be reached at mrainvillejr@comcast.net

The Grand Rounds

Article by Michael Rainville, Jr.

Minneapolis is full of wonderful parks, from Columbia and Webber to Minnehaha and Boom Island. The most remarkable facet of our parks is that many of them are connected via the Grand Rounds Scenic Byway System; an over fifty-mile parkway that creates a loop around Minneapolis, well, almost. The last segment needed to complete the Grand Rounds, dubbed “the missing link,” would connect East River Parkway near the University of Minnesota to St. Anthony Parkway in upper Northeast. Funding for the missing link was included in Governor Walz’s 2020 capital bonding proposal. Of the $2 billion that would be used throughout the entire state for various construction projects, $12.35 million would be used to complete the Grand Rounds. With the Grand Rounds on the cusp of completion, let’s take a look at how it became the nation’s and world’s best example of an urban byway.

Surveyors along Minnehaha Parkway with the Nicollet Ave. Bridge in the background, 1935.Parks and Minneapolis go together like peanut butter and jelly. The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board was established in 1883, and its first president, Charles Loring, immediately hired Horace Cleveland, a well-known landscape architect, to create a masterplan for the park system. Cleveland had been lobbying for the creation of a unified park system between Minneapolis and St. Paul since 1872. From then until his hiring eleven years later, he fleshed out his ideas and even implemented some of them when designing the St. Paul neighborhood of Saint Anthony Park. Cleveland wanted to create a network of boulevards and parkways that connected parks and utilized the natural beauty of the area. Once hired, his plan quickly took shape with the creation of the Chain of Lakes parks and Minnehaha Parkway. The project would be named “The Grand Rounds” in 1891 when his updated plans for the Northeast and Southeast sections of Minneapolis were seen as ambitious and inspiring.

Cleveland’s ultimate goal was to create these natural areas for everyone to enjoy, especially the poor and less fortunate. At the time, Minneapolis was a small city, but the milling industries contributed to the city’s population drastically rising throughout the years. Cleveland wanted to make sure those with money didn’t buy all the naturally beautiful land and take away the opportunity for those with less income to experience the calming and peaceful splendor of what he experienced when he first came to Minneapolis in the 1870s.

1940 photo of workers building a brick wall along East River Parkway near the U of M.

A project this grand was not going to be completed overnight, so it was up to future Park Board presidents and superintendents to continue Cleveland’s and Loring’s vision. Theodore Wirth did just that when he acquired land to extend the parkway system to what it is today during his thirty-year tenure in the early 1900s. It would not be until the 1970s when the Grand Rounds would receive a facelift. The Park Board hired the famous San Francisco landscape architect firm Eckbo, Dean, Austin & Williams to update the park system. This led to a uniform look for the Grand Rounds. Pavement would be a different color than city streets, the parkways would be narrowed and bays for parking in certain areas would be added, the speed limit would be dropped to twenty-five miles per hour, separate paths would be made for bikers and pedestrians, and signage would be consistent throughout the system. All of these changes can still be seen today.

Once the Grand Rounds was completely updated and extended to include the downtown riverfront, it started to garner national attention. In 1997, it was designated as a Minnesota State Scenic Byway, and in 1998 it was designated as a National Scenic Byway, recognized as the premier national urban scenic byway by the Federal Highway Administration, and it provided the last link in completing the Great River Road along the entire Mississippi River.

Preferred and alternate routes of the "missing link" in SE and NE Minneapolis.

137 years in the making, the completion of the Grand Rounds is upon us. Minneapolis will soon once again show the world why we have the best and most comprehensive park system there is; a city of lakes, a city of nature, a city that inspires. The addition of the missing link and completion of the Grand Rounds is still quite a few years away, but if you’re interested in what this missing link will look like, check out the Park Board’s East of the River Park Master Plan they made available in February of 2019.

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About Michael Rainville, Jr.

A 6th generation Minneapolitan, Michael Rainville, Jr. received his B.A. in History, Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies, and M.A. in Art History from the University of St. Thomas.

Michael is a historical interpreter at the Minnesota History Center and has been a lead guide at Mobile Entertainment LLC, giving Segway, walking, and biking tours of the Minneapolis riverfront for 9+ years.

 

He can be reached at mrainvillejr@comcast.net

America’s First Basilica

Article by Michael Rainville, Jr.

Church of the Immaculate Conception, 1875Towering over Hennepin and Lyndale Avenues, the Basilica of St. Mary has been an integral institution in Minneapolis for over 100 years. Whether you’re strolling through the Sculpture Garden or cruising north on I-94, it’s hard to miss the grandeur of this Beaux-Arts Basilica.

The story of St. Mary’s starts before the first cornerstone was laid. In 1868, Minneapolis’ first Catholic church was established at Third Avenue North and Third Street and was given the name the Church of the Immaculate Conception. The building was simple to put it nicely; some called it a shed. Soon after in 1873, a new building was constructed at the same spot under the leadership of Rev. James McGolrick, who later served as the first bishop of the Diocese of Duluth after his tenure in Minneapolis. This new church was built in the Gothic Revival style of architecture and served the community for over thirty years.

As the church and its parishioners were growing, so were the city’s industries. The warehouse district began encroaching on the church and by the 1890s, it became clear that a new, less industrial location was a must.

1911 photo of the Basilica under construction.At the turn of the century, Archbishop John Ireland began planning to build two large new churches for the growing Catholic communities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. In 1904, Ireland attended the World’s Fair in St. Louis, Missouri and was greatly impressed by its architecture. Ireland got in touch with the lead architect of the World’s Fair, Emmanuel Masqueray, and convinced him to come to the Twin Cities. Ireland’s and Masqueray’s plans were to build a cathedral in Saint Paul and a pro-cathedral in Minneapolis. For this case, a “pro-cathedral” is a temporary co-cathedral. In other words, both locations were the main churches of the Diocese of Saint Paul.

Now that Archbishop Ireland had his architect, he needed to find land in Minneapolis. In 1905, Lawrence Donaldson, one half of the Donaldson brothers who started the famed department store, and parishioner of the Church of the Immaculate Conception, donated one-block of land worth $40,000, or roughly $1.25M after inflation. This location was ideal for the new pro-cathedral as it sat on the city’s main thoroughfare, Hennepin Avenue, and was in close proximity to downtown, Loring Park, and many neighborhoods.

Emmanuel Masqueray and his crew began work on the foundation in 1907 and the cornerstone was laid on May 31st, 1908, with 20,000 citizens in attendance. The building’s exterior of Rockville granite, Vermont granite, and copper was completed in 1913. The barrel-vaulted nave reaches a height of eighty-two feet, which is two feet taller than St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. That same year, a school for the new church opened on the back half of the property along Laurel Avenue. The school closed in 1975.

Photo of a baseball game being played at The Parade Grounds with the Basilica in the background, circa late 1910s.

With the Baroque exterior completed, the first Mass was celebrated on May 31st, 1914, and the building’s dedication was on August 15th, 1915. Once the United States entered World War I in April of 1917, work on the interior of the pro-cathedral stopped and the school turned into a Red Cross center. Just a month later, Emmanuel Masqueray passed away and the interior work was completed by his former assistants Frederick Slifer and Frank Abrahamson. Over a year later, Archbishop Ireland also passed away and was succeeded by Archbishop Austin Dowling.

Under this new leadership, the interior was completed and consisted of a marble altar and baldacchino, a wrought iron grille around the sanctuary, sculptures of the Twelve Apostles, elaborate stained glass windows, and an organ to list a few of the features.

With the exterior and interior now complete, the pro-cathedral was given the honor of becoming the first basilica in America in 1926 when Pope Pius XI raised its rank to a minor basilica, and it became known as the Basilica of St. Mary of Minneapolis. In 1930, a celebration was held to honor the 250th anniversary of Father Louis Hennepin becoming the first non-Native American to see Owamni, or St. Anthony Falls. A statue of Fr. Hennepin was placed in front of the Basilica along Hennepin Avenue with the statue facing St. Anthony Falls.

Postcard of the Basilica from 1930

During World War II, the Basilica once again did what they could to hep the war effort, this time by making garments and surgical clothing and helping with hospital work. Between the two world wars, 1,147 male and female parishioners served in the U.S. military. After World War II, two white silk ciborium covers were made from a parachute that fell in Belgium during the war. In the Catholic Mass, ciboria hold the hosts and are the counterpart of the chalice. In 1954, the final structural piece of the Basilica was added when eight double bronze doors cast by the Flour City Ornamental Iron Company of Minneapolis were installed.

The 1960s was a decade of highs and lows. On July 11th, 1966, Pope Paul VI changed the name of the Diocese of Saint Paul to the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, as it is known as today, and the Basilica was officially designated as a co-cathedral. Also in the 1960s, freeway expansion wreaked havoc in Minneapolis and Saint Paul. Interstate 94 fragmented the Basilica’s surrounding neighborhood, tearing down homes, and its close proximity would later cause major damage to the building because of the vibrations. Between that and the constant pollution and noise, the neighborhood suffered greatly. This also played a role in the school’s closing in 1975.

Photo of I-94 construction with the Basilica in the background, 1968

Although the school had to close, that same year, the Basilica was put on the National Register of Historic Places for its exceptional Baroque architecture, its role in Catholicism in Minnesota, and its designation as the first basilica in America. Now that the building is protected historically, much needed repairs and renovations were pushed to the front of the to-do list. The copper dome and ceiling were replaced in 1992 and structural changes were made to allow better distribution of weight throughout the building.

One of the ways the Basilica raised money for repairs was the creation of the Basilica Block Party, with the first one held in July of 1994. I-94 splintered the community, and this was a way for the Basilica to reconnect the surrounding area. While a rock concert at a church was controversial to some of the parishioners, it turned out to be an amazing yearly event for the community and has grown to attract top local and national acts such as Weezer, The Jayhawks, the Goo Goo Dolls, Father John Misty, and Kacey Musgraves. The Basilica Block Party took a break in 2020 for the pandemic, returned in 2021, and is taking 2022 off to rethink what the event should be.

Modern photo of the Basilica's interior

From a purely architectural standpoint, the Basilica of St. Mary is awe-inspiring to say the least, and the parish and its parishioners have worked tirelessly to build and re-connect a severed community throughout the years, from the world wars to the expansion of the interstate highway system. The Basilica of St. Mary is more than just the first basilica in America, it’s a fixture of the community.

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About Michael Rainville, Jr.

A 6th generation Minneapolitan, Michael Rainville, Jr. received his B.A. in History, Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies, and M.A. in Art History from the University of St. Thomas.

Michael is a historical interpreter at the Minnesota History Center and has been a lead guide at Mobile Entertainment LLC, giving Segway, walking, and biking tours of the Minneapolis riverfront for 9+ years.

 

He can be reached at mrainvillejr@comcast.net

Charity, Education, and Social Engagement: The Woman's Club of Minneapolis

Article by Michael Rainville, Jr.

Minneapolis has always been a hotbed for politics. From the rise of the Farmer-Labor Party in the early 1900s to the starting point of presidential campaigns, we are a progressive city. A major player in bringing forward these progressive ideals is the Woman’s Club of Minneapolis and its members who have fought for equal rights for everyone no matter where you come from, what you believe, or how much money you have.

Gratia Countryman, 1917Like most things, the Woman’s Club of Minneapolis started out as an idea in 1907 when two friends, Mrs. Rankin and Mrs. Keyes, approached the Chief Librarian of the Minneapolis Public Library, Ms. Gratia Countryman and discussed the possibility of starting a new women’s organizations. Soon after, twenty-five prominent and influential women were invited to Ms. Countryman’s library office and the Club was born. The early years of the Club were vital to not only the Club’s success, but also the success of women in the area. Many members were involved in the rapidly growing women’s suffrage movement, such as Clara Ueland. When she wasn’t too busy campaigning for women to serve on the Minneapolis Board of Education, she was establishing free kindergartens throughout the city. Clara Ueland would later go on to be president of the Minnesota Woman Suffrage Association when the Nineteenth Amendment passed, which prohibits the state and the federal governments from denying the right to vote to citizens of the United States on the basis of sex.

The Woman’s Club of Minneapolis quickly began working with many areas of the community to better their lives. In 1908, they partnered with the Minnesota Visiting Nurse Agency to provide access to better health services to those who could not afford it. This partnership also made it possible for the Minnesota Visiting Nurse Agency to open one of the nation’s first public school nursing programs in St. Paul. The Club also helped those who are visually impaired. Starting in 1914, they brought in Helen Keller two years in a row as a guest speaker, and the event’s popularity was so high that the Club started their Annual VIP Luncheon (Visually Impaired Persons), which continues to this day.

This early success meant that the Club needed to expand in a hurry. In 1927, architect Léon Arnal of the Magney and Tusler firm, who also worked on the Foshay Tower, was hired to design a new headquarters for the Club near Loring Park. In order to aesthetically flow with the surrounding buildings, Arnal designed the new clubhouse in a Second Renaissance Revival style and utilized wrought-iron balconettes, an arched loggia, and wonderful patterned brickwork. The Clubhouse was officially designated a Historic Building by the City of Minneapolis in 1998.

Woman's Club clubhouse, 1930

The theater within the Woman's Club clubhouse.

During the next decades, the Club was involved with many important causes. In 1942, during World War II, members spent over 5,000 hours making 13,715 surgical dressings for the war effort, as well as selling over $60,000 in war bonds, or almost $935,000 after inflation. A feat that deserves more recognition, if you were to ask me. Programs about China, Canada, Mexico, Russia and Philippines were also held for members at the clubhouse in order to get a better understanding of the ever-growing global world.

Another important cause that can still be seen to this day happened in 1975 when President Catherine Lenmark suggested to the board to buy and restore the oldest house in the city, the Ard Godfrey House. 500 people volunteered over 10,000 hours in order to restore the house back to its original 1849 appearance, including tracking down and bringing back many of the home’s original furnishings.

In more recent times, the Club began admitting men into the organization with the first being Herb Bissell on June 22nd, 1990. In honor of the Club’s centennial, they opened a newly constructed Rooftop Terrace in 2006, and during the week of April 22nd - April 28th, Mayor R.T. Ryback declared that week "The Woman's Club of Minneapolis Week" in the city of Minneapolis.

Building upon the growing success of the Club and its important impact on the community, they have been including in National Geographic’s Partners in Preservation, which “is an initiative created by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and American Express to engage the public in preserving and increasing awareness of America’s historic places and their role in sustaining local communities.” This year their campaign emphasizes historic buildings and sites that celebrate the contributions of women in Main Street communities across America. Twenty different sites across the United States are included in a contest that see’s the highest vote getter receive a share of $2 million in preservation funding.

Keeping the city’s history alive is important. Recognizing the political, cultural, and historical impact the Woman’s Club of Minneapolis has had on our many communities is important. In order to help the Club receive this funding, which they will use to restore their 600+ person theater, head on over to https://www.nationalgeographic.com/voteyourmainstreet/, cast your vote for the Woman’s Club of Minneapolis, and show your support for one of the city’s most important institutions. 

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About Michael Rainville, Jr.

A 6th generation Minneapolitan, Michael Rainville, Jr. received his B.A. in History, Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies, and M.A. in Art History from the University of St. Thomas.

Michael is a historical interpreter at the Minnesota History Center and has been a lead guide at Mobile Entertainment LLC, giving Segway, walking, and biking tours of the Minneapolis riverfront for 9+ years.

 

He can be reached at mrainvillejr@comcast.net

The Origins and Growth of Skiing in the North Star State

Article by Michael Rainville, Jr.

Children taking ski lessons in 1945.

Skiing has been around for quite a while. It can be traced back to prehistoric times, in fact, as evidence of early skis has been uncovered in peat bogs in the northern countries of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia. The word "ski" itself comes from the Old Norse word skíð, which translates to "split piece of wood or firewood." After developing over the course of thousands of years, early Norwegian and Swedish immigrants to Minnesota brought skis with them, and one of the earliest documented cases of skiing in the area happened in 1853 when a Norwegian man skied from Saint Paul to Lake Superior.

During the first few decades of people skiing in Minnesota, they were mainly being used for transportation, from delivering mail to grocery shopping. It wasn’t until 1886 when skiing for sport began to grow. It was that year when the first Saint Paul Winter Carnival took place where they had many events such as toboggining, sleigh rides, ice skating, and of course, skiing. By the time the next Winter Carnival took place, the first ski club in the state was established. Named the Scandinavian Ski Club of St. Paul, they hosted the first official tournament to be held in the United States during the winter Carnival of 1887. The winner of the event finished the one-mile course in about four and a half minutes.

The next year in 1888, Martin Strand arrived in Minneapolis from Rendalen, Norway and enrolled in the University of Minnesota’s civil engineering program. After the economy collapsed in 1893, Strand began experimenting with making his own skis as the activity was, and still is, a point of Norwegian pride. Starting out of his basement, warping wood planks with a kettle, Strand quickly mastered the craft. The abundance of trees and Scandinavians in Minnesota meant that Strand was able to make a living off his new skillset, so he began selling his skis in 1896. Three years later, he had his own shop on Cedar Avenue.

Northland Ski Manufacturing Company current logoMartin Strand’s next shop was located at 2427 University Avenue, where the Tea House Chinese Restaurant now stands. Unfortunately, his entire operation burned to the ground, as was a common occurrence for many ski manufacturing buildings, so Strand moved his business to a new location two miles away at Hampden Avenue and University Avenue in Saint Paul. Six months later, this factory also burned down, so Strand sold what was left of his business to his foreman Ole Sigurd Ellevold. Strand started a new ski business in a brick building in New Richmond, Wisconsin, and Ellevold rebuilt a factory at University and Hampden. Ellevold’s new company was called The Northland Ski Manufacturing Company.

Cover of a Northland how-to-ski pamphlet from 1923.

In 1916, Christian A. Lund, a Norwegian-born Minneapolitan, bought enough stock to gain control of the company. Under Lund’s control, Northland Skis became world-renowned. Lund took it upon himself to provide skis to Team U.S.A. during the first Winter Olympics which was held in Chamonix, France in 1924. While Team U.S.A. finished fifth in the medal count standings with four, athletes from wintery nations took note of his product. In 1927, Lund opened a factory in Hastings, Minnesota where he continued manufacturing his famous skis, toboggans, and snowshoes. Lund’s hickory skis and how-to-ski pamphlets soon spread throughout North America and Europe and are credited with helping the sport rise in popularity in the mid-20th Century.

Christian A. Lund, 1923

C.A. Lund Company factory located in Hastings, MN

After years of global success, the rise of modern skis, made of wood, fiberglass, and metal, became too much for Lund’s company and the last pair of Northland Skis were sold in 1970, five years after his passing. However, the brand has been revived as of late and picked up right where they left off, making wooden skis, now in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

With the Saint Paul Winter Carnival in full swing, the 2022 Winter Olympics starting, and hopefully no more sub-zero temperatures, now is a great time to dust off your skis and hit the slopes of the Twin Cities or glide through the cross-country trails found in our many parks.

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About Michael Rainville, Jr.

A 6th generation Minneapolitan, Michael Rainville, Jr. received his B.A. in History, Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies, and M.A. in Art History from the University of St. Thomas.

Michael is a historical interpreter at the Minnesota History Center and has been a lead guide at Mobile Entertainment LLC, giving Segway, walking, and biking tours of the Minneapolis riverfront for 9+ years.

 

He can be reached at mrainvillejr@comcast.net

Milwaukee Avenue: A Stroll Back in Time

Article by Michael Rainville, Jr.

The Minneapolis riverfront is home to many remnants of the Flour Milling Capitol of the World. Many mills, factories, and train bridges have stuck around and are constant reminders of the city’s past, but what about the workers? Houses from the flour milling era are scattered throughout the city, and one of the most cultural and historical areas where many of these houses can be found is the Milwaukee Avenue Historic District.

Current day Milwaukee Avenue

Nestled in the western half of the Seward Neighborhood, the houses along Milwaukee Avenue have provided beautiful housing for the working-class since 1883. It was that year when real estate developer William Ragan began prepping the land between Franklin Avenue and 24th Street, and 22nd Avenue and 23rd Avenue to build the first planned workers community in Minneapolis. Trying to build as many houses as he could, Ragan turned the alley into 22½ Avenue. He managed to fit in forty-six single-family houses with each lot roughly half the size of a typical residential lot. Ragan’s inspiration for the architecture of the houses came from design book plans that were popular in the latter half of the nineteenth century. Every house is one-and-three-quarter stories, made from brick and wood and features a porch, to list a few similarities.

Early on, many of the residents of these houses were Scandinavian, and had careers as bakers, carpenters, blacksmiths, general laborers, and railroad workers. In 1906, the residents petitioned to change 22½ Avenue to Woodland Avenue, because they felt that the “half” carried a negative connotation. There’s no clear reason as to why the name Milwaukee was chosen over Woodland, but the Milwaukee Short Line Railroad was very close by and many of the residents worked for that railroad.

As the decades went by, many of the houses were in disrepair, some to a point of no return, so the City of Minneapolis began to plan the demolition and redesign of the Milwaukee Avenue area in the 1960s and 70s as a part of Urban Renewal. There were many reasons why this outraged the neighbors, such as a majority of the houses were salvageable and the history of the area would be lost. Thankfully, the neighborhood did not back down and did everything they could to keep the city from razing the houses of Milwaukee Avenue. Seward’s Project Area Committee (PAC) representatives started the process of saving the houses by asking the city to designate the houses facing Milwaukee Avenue as a historic district. The request was denied, and things were looking grim, but Charles W. Nelson of the Minnesota Historical Society noted the importance of the houses as perfect examples of working-class housing and typed up the form to submit to the National Register of Historic Places. On May 5th, 1974, the Milwaukee Avenue Historic District was officially designated as a historic place.

Milwaukee Avenue in 1974

This designation meant that none of the houses could be demolished or significantly altered without a public hearing. Seward’s PAC members, lead by Bob Roscoe, walked through the area and inspected all the structures to see which ones were able to be restored and which ones had to be replaced. The nine houses that could not be saved were then replaced by structures that aesthetically matched the original houses of Milwaukee Avenue and fit in with the area. With help from grants for homeowner restoration and low-interest mortgages, the rest of the houses were successfully restored to their former glory, and then some.

Photo by Matt Dahlman, Red Pine Photography

Nowadays, Milwaukee Avenue is a pedestrian-only, landscaped walkway that offers one of the prettiest walks in town. In 2015, the Milwaukee Avenue Homeowners Association received grant money to install a bronze plaque on Milwaukee Avenue recounting the history and importance of the area. Like many areas throughout Minneapolis, Milwaukee Avenue’s future was once very bleak, but with passion and love for the area, the residents of Seward Neighborhood saved not only a piece of their history, but Minneapolis’ history. With autumn slowly approaching, now is a great time to take a stroll back in time and indulge yourselves in the history and beauty of Milwaukee Avenue.

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About Michael Rainville, Jr.

A 6th generation Minneapolitan, Michael Rainville Jr. received his B.A. in History from the University of St. Thomas, and is currently enrolled in their M.A. in Art History and Certificate in Museum Studies programs.

Michael is also an intern at the Hennepin History Museum and a lead guide at Mobile Entertainment LLC, giving Segway tours of the Minneapolis riverfront for 7+ years. Contact: mrainvillejr@comcast.net.

Click here for an interactive map of Michael's past articles.

The Stone Arch Bridge: A Minneapolis Icon

Article by Michael Rainville, Jr.

I know, I know, I’m surprised it took me eleven months to finally write about the Stone Arch Bridge too, but alas, the time has come. This grandiose railroad bridge is one of Minneapolis’ most iconic destinations, and the second oldest continually used bridge on the entire Mississippi River. It is featured on postcards, t-shirts, hats, posters, and everything in between. Not only does the bridge provide emblematic imagery, but it is an essential component of this city’s history as it has contributed to the successful milling and railroad operations in the area as well as the revitalization of the riverfront.

The 1870s was the first of many booming decades Minneapolis has seen. Both sides of the Mississippi River were united under one city, lumber mills were hitting their stride, and flour mills were starting to turn some heads. Local business owners quickly noted that having only one way to bring goods and commerce across the river, the Hennepin Avenue Bridge, was starting to hold the city back. During this time, railroads were also becoming vital to the growth of the United States, and the majority of tracks in the Twin Cities were on the east side of the river. These local business owners came together in 1881 and decided to work with James J. Hill, a local railroad owner, to construct a bridge to cross the Mighty Mississippi that would then lead trains to a brand-new Minneapolis Union Depot.

"Mill Pond at Minneapolis" by Alexis Jean Fournier, which is a part of MIA's collection.

The bridge from 1900

Acquiring land on both sides of the river was not as easy as first thought. While building a railroad bridge received mostly positive praise, the mill owners along the river had a hard time parting with their land, which no one can blame them for. In a perfect world, the new bridge would have crossed perpendicular to the river, because it would take less time and materials to complete. However, this land issue forced the bridge to be build diagonally across the river heading upstream on the west side. James J. Hill and Co. used this to their advantage and built the Minneapolis Union Depot about a third of a mile upstream from the bridge, which allowed the trains to roll right into the depot instead of having to use a roundhouse. At the end of the day, it worked out for everyone.

The Sauk Rapids granite and Mankato limestone bridge contributed an unthinkable amount to the industrial growth of Minneapolis, and eventually the northern and western parts of the United States. Once the Stone Arch Bridge was up and running, James J. Hill rapidly continued his pursuit to expand his railroad empire. Throughout the next decades his railroad acquisitions would become the Great Northern Railway, famous for connecting Chicago to the Pacific Northwest which contributed to the speedy development of the American frontier. While Hill is almost always overshadowed by his empire builder colleagues, such as Rockefeller, Vanderbilt, and Carnegie, he is just as important, especially in the land west of the Mississippi River as his legacy has shown.

One of the more major renovations of the Stone Arch Bridge came between 1961 and 1963 when the Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam was built. Everything was going according to plan up until the inaugural barge attempted to make its way into the lock. Unfortunately, it took about three hours for that to happen, because it had to maneuver around the arches. To fix this, the railroad company offered to tear down the bridge and build a new one. Even though Urban Renewal was very popular in Downtown Minneapolis, the city was not going to let this historic and iconic bridge be torn down, so there was a compromise. If the city could fix the problem without disrupting the bridge’s train traffic, the bridge could stay. What ended up happening was that a 200-foot metal truss was prefabricated up in Northeast Minneapolis. When the first train of the day crossed the bridge, two of the twenty-three arches were blown out, the truss was lowered in, secured, and about six hours later, the next train crossed the bridge with no problems. When that train approached, a few thousand people gathered on a hill on the west bank of the river to see if the new addition would hold up. I don’t know what they were hoping for, but I’ll be honest, it would be kind of cool to see a train plummet into the river. How many people would get to see they’ve seen that? It’d be like a real-life movie!

As the milling industry left Minneapolis, the amount of trains crossing the bridge quickly decreased, and in 1978, the bridge officially stopped all railroad operations. During the next decade it became apparent that the vacant bridge was a safety hazard, so in 1989 the Hennepin County commissioners, led by John Derus who also established the Merriam Street Bridge, purchased the bridge and began the process of restoring it for future use.

Contemporary photo of the bridge. Photo credit

In 1994, the old railroad bridge was converted into a pedestrian bridge, and for twenty-four years, millions of residents and tourists have enjoyed the bridge. From artists and photographers to joggers and people enjoying a fabulously narrated Segway tour, generations have appreciated what the Stone Arch Bridge has done for our city and riverfront, and hopefully we can cherish this ambitious and monumental bridge for years to come. Thank you to Governor Dayton for ensuring it will happen, as reported in this Minnesota Daily article.

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About Michael Rainville, Jr.

A 6th generation Minneapolitan, Michael Rainville, Jr. received his B.A. in History, Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies, and M.A. in Art History from the University of St. Thomas.

Michael is a historical interpreter at the Minnesota History Center and has been a lead guide at Mobile Entertainment LLC, giving Segway, walking, and biking tours of the Minneapolis riverfront for 9+ years.

 

He can be reached at mrainvillejr@comcast.net