Is it “Juicy” or “Jucy”?

Article by Michael Rainville, Jr.

It’s time to reveal a personal secret of mine that not too many people know about. I love cheeseburgers, and I hope my metabolism never changes as I get older so I can keep eating these delicious creations. That being said, as a cheeseburger connoisseur, I cannot think of a better city to live in than Minneapolis. The best thing that has ever been done to two beef patties happened in this city in the 1950’s, and almost 70 years later, it has become a worldwide phenomenon. That’s right, I’m talking about the Juicy Lucy, or is it the Jucy Lucy? That’s a debate that will never be settled.

A Juicy Lucy

The two establishments that claim to be the home of this infamous cheeseburger are Matt’s Bar, on 35th St. and Cedar Ave., and the 5-8 Club, on 58th St. and Cedar Ave. Matt’s opened its doors in 1954, and soon after their Jucy Lucy was created by owner Matt Bristol when a customer asked for a slice of cheese in between two hamburger patties and as soon as the customer bit into it he bellowed out “that’s one juicy Lucy!” It became an over night success and soon after, the “i” in “juicy” found its way out the door. Matt’s claims that “if it’s spelled correctly, you just might be eating a shameless rip-off!”

The 5-8 Club

The 5-8 Club, on the other hand, started as a speakeasy back in 1928 as a result of Prohibition. Not much is known about how the Juicy Lucy started at the 5-8, but it happened at some point in the 1950’s. Just as Matt’s has an opinion on their competition, so does the 5-8. They claim that "if it's spelled right, it's done right.” Is it really Minnesotan if there isn’t any passive aggressiveness? One of the main differences between the two cheeseburgers is the cheese. Where Matt’s only puts American cheese inside their Jucy Lucy’s, the 5-8 also offers pepper jack, Swiss and blue cheeses.

These two establishments have also garnered national attention. In 2008 Time Magazine briefly wrote about the cheeseburgers, in 2009 the Travel Channel show Man vs. Food put the rivalry in the spotlight, and a year later Food Wars, another Travel Channel show, based an episode around the two cheeseburgers. However, Matt’s might have a 1-up on the 5-8. Back in 2014 President Barack Obama paid them a visit to enjoy a Jucy Lucy, fries, and a couple sweet teas. A presidential seal of approval is hard to beat, but the rivalry is still churning.

President Obama visits Matt's Bar in 2014.

Spelling aside, putting cheese between two hamburger patties changed the burger game forever, and finding a Juicy Lucy on a Twin Cities restaurant menu is about as common as a snow storm in February. Thankfully the 5-8 and Matt’s decided to not put a stop to the spread of their creation. From The Blue Door Pub to The Nook, the Juicy Lucy has joined hotdish, lutefisk, and wild rice upon the Mount Rushmore of Minnesotan foods.

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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 lead guide at Mobile Entertainment LLC, giving Segway tours of the Minneapolis riverfront for 6+ years.

He can be reached at mrainvillejr@comcast.net.

Boom Island: One Thing After Another

Article by Michael Rainville, Jr.

Minneapolis skyline from Boom Island

Boom Island, a once bustling industrial island that has transformed into a large, quaint park. It is home to kayaks and canoes, perfect picnic spots, and great views of the Minneapolis riverfront and skyline. A lot has happened throughout the decades upon these 22.5 acres from 5K’s to concerts, and the history of this land is as much a part of humankind history as it is Minneapolis history.

Before humans started developing Boom Island, it was not a very attractive piece of real estate. The back channel of the island was very shallow which meant it was only a true island during high water, and during the rest of the time it was quite swampy. While little to no activity occurred on the island, a very important site lies just across the back channel. During the first decade of the 20th century a team from the Minnesota Historical Society travelled the state to inventory Native American mounds, pottery shards, stone pictographs, and everything in between. One of their discoveries was an ancient burial mound that was found 15 feet beneath the surface near the northwest corner of present-day B.F. Nelson Park. The soil layer that the bones and relics were found in dated the time of burial to the last glacial period, which ended roughly 12,000 years ago. It is somewhat eerie yet amazing to think that humans have found beauty in the back channels of the Minneapolis riverfront for thousands of years.

It was only when pioneers began settling the area that Boom Island saw significant use. During the years leading up to the establishment of the Village of St. Anthony in 1849, a Mdewakanton Dakota woman, who was in Cloud Man’s band on the shores of Lake Bde Maka Ska, ran a ferry service from Boom Island across the river to the area around the mouth of Bassett Creek using her log canoe. Once the first Hennepin Avenue Bridge opened in 1855, there was no need for a ferry service anymore, but Boom Island gradually transformed into Minneapolis’ lumber milling industry. During the industry’s peak, there were too many sawmills to count, so to make things easier the lumberjacks up in northern Minnesota would apply company stamps to the logs they cut down before they tossed them into the Mississippi. Once the logs floated down to Minneapolis, a boom, which is a bunch of logs chained together across the river from bank to bank, caught the logs at Boom Island where the sawmills would then find their company stamped logs and cut them into lumber. It was a log boom, not an explosion or Fourth of July fireworks, that provided the name for the island.

As the forests of Minnesota started to dwindle, the logging industry slowed down significantly. To make matters worse, in 1893, Minneapolis’ largest fire devastated the area, and most of the debris from the fire was bulldozed into the back channel of the island, which permanently connected it to the east bank. 

Boom Island when the railway owned it. Facing east, taken roughly where the current pedestrian bridge is; roundhouse can be seen in the background.

The turn of the century slowly saw Boom Island change from a sawmill hub to a rail hub. The Wisconsin Central Railway turned the island into a train yard with roughly 28 tracks and a roundhouse. The trains would enter the island via the current pedestrian bridge that connects Boom Island to Nicollet Island. The railway abandoned the train yard in the early 1970s, and the city quickly acquired the land. A few years later that land came close to being used for Interstate 335, which would connect I-94 to I-35W, but the local neighborhood had different plans and became the first neighborhood board to stop a federal project in the US.

After a decade of other industries occupying Boom Island, it was sold to the Minneapolis Park Board in 1982 for $2.6 million. During the clean up of the area, the Park Board also considered digging out the back channel to make it a true island once again, however, that would have been far too expensive. The park was opened in 1987 and was officially completed in 1988. Since then it has been a place to enjoy a walk along the river, launch a boat, have a party, and fly a kite. Important events have also taken place on Boom Island since it has turned into a park. Numerous concerts have been performed on the island from The Pointer Sisters and the Oak Ridge Boys to Hippo Campus and Chance The Rapper. In 1996, the Olympic torch relay made a pit stop at the park to spend the night before heading out on its way to Atlanta.

Credit: Michael Rainville. Jr. Taken at the February 10 Klobuchar event.

Most recently, on a very snowy Sunday along the riverfront, Boom Island became the starting point for Senator Amy Klobuchar’s 2020 presidential campaign. A lot has happened on this 22.5-acre piece of land, and I’m sure there will be more to come.

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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 lead guide at Mobile Entertainment LLC, giving Segway tours of the Minneapolis riverfront for 6+ years.

He can be reached at mrainvillejr@comcast.net.

New book "A People's History of the Seward Neighborhood" includes the story of Falls City

Article by Michael Rainville, Jr.

In December of 2018, a new local history book hit the shelves that tells the story of one of Minneapolis’ most vibrant neighborhoods. Included in the 2017 American Planning Association’s “Great Places in America” list, the Seward neighborhood has a very rich history, and their newest publication A People’s History of the Seward Neighborhood unveils the uniqueness of the area. The book chronologically lays out the neighborhood’s history while focusing on the important events and eras, made evident by the chapter headings.

Scattered throughout the book are also very interesting fun stories, such as Falls City: The City That Never Was. The story of Falls City starts back when Fort Snelling was the only non-native settlement on the west side of the Mississippi River from the fort to St. Anthony Falls. As westward expansion grew by the year, the U.S. government decided to allow the settling of the west side of the river near Fort Snelling. At the time, the Village of St. Anthony was becoming a booming industry town and in the area just across the river lied the wilderness. When settlers began establishing homes and businesses on the west bank, there became a very apparent need to improve infrastructure and transportation, because hauling goods via oxcarts from the river landings in St. Paul to what eventually became Minneapolis was not cutting it.

Edward Murphy, 1874The first attempt at bringing more commerce to the west bank was done by Edward Murphy. He formed a steamboat company that would traverse the small islands and rapids that occupied the river from Fort Snelling to St. Anthony Falls. Murphy even piloted his flagship steamboat, the Falls City, for several years. His other ambitious plan was to connect both sides of the river gorge just upstream from the current Franklin Avenue Bridge, and in 1857, his bridge was completed. It washed away in a flood just two years later. Oops.

Around this same time, plans were starting to take shape to build a series of locks and dams to raise the river level and cover up the small islands and rapids, which would make boat travel up to the mills around St. Anthony Falls a walk in the park. The first lock and dam to be built would be located at Meeker Island, but unfortunately it would take 50 years for the government and Army Corps of Engineers to approve its construction. At the time the businesses of the area did not foresee the lengthy delays and also planned warehouses to be built near the dam, which eventually lead to the panning of a small community. The Mississippi River Improvement and Manufacturing Company, the entity that was the mastermind behind these new developments, divided the land near the lock and dam into 600 plots.

There was a lot of expected success from those who invested in this idea, especially those who initially owned the land along the west bank. As word got out about this new town, the mapmakers of the time began including the area in their publications. Falls City was officially on the map. However, at its peak, there were only eight residents. Quickly after the town got up and running, the economy crashed and scared everyone away from this business endeavor. While Falls City never became the thriving river town that its founders envisioned, it still laid the groundwork for city planners to develop that part of Minneapolis and the Seward neighborhood.

Seward's riverfront facing upstream with the old Franklin Ave. Bridge in the background taken in 1910

This story, like others found hidden between the pages of A People’s History of the Seward Neighborhood, offers a glimpse into the past of an area that has been vital to the growth of industry, community, and inclusiveness in Minneapolis. From railroads to Co-ops and Scandinavian’s to East African’s, this book embraces the many identities that have left their mark on the neighborhood. If you’re like me and are always looking to further your knowledge on local history, this book is a must need for your bookshelf.

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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 lead guide at Mobile Entertainment LLC, giving Segway tours of the Minneapolis riverfront for 6+ years.

He can be reached at mrainvillejr@comcast.net.

A Holidazzle History

Article by Michael Rainville, Jr.

The holiday season in Downtown Minneapolis is a magical time of year. Colorful lights line the streets, the shops and restaurants play Christmas music, and the familiar jingle of Salvation Army bell ringers can be heard throughout the skyway system. There are many ways to celebrate this time of year, and one of the most fun ways to do so is attending the Holidazzle. It’s hard to imagine a holiday season without the joy and good tidings that fill the city when the Holidazzle takes place every year.

In the grand scheme of things, the Holidazzle is rather new. 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. Brookfield Development and Dayton’s each put down $200,000 to get things started, and when the City of Minneapolis saw this ambition, they contributed $1,000,000.

The Circus Train float   Photo: midwestliving.wordpress.com

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 four nights a week from the Friday after Thanksgiving to Christmas along Nicollet Mall, which oddly enough was made to counter the opening of the Southdale Mall. 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 City would also advertise other events going on during this time that would make coming into town worth your while, like these first-year events such as the Guthrie Theater’s A Christmas Carol, Sesame Street Live at the Target Center, the Lovely Liebowitz Sisters’ A Krakatoa Holiday music show, and Puss in Boots at the Dayton’s 8th Floor Auditorium. Metro Transit also offered the “Holidazzle Express” for those who didn’t want to deal with busy downtown driving. The shuttle service went from five metro Park & Ride locations, Brooklyn Park, Minnetonka, Richfield, South Minneapolis, and St. Paul, to Downtown Minneapolis. The parade became so popular it even made an appearance in the all-time classic Twin Cities Christmas movie Jingle All the Way when Arnold Schwarzenegger participated in a fictionalized version of the parade.

Michael Rainville, Jr. (left) in the circus seal costume with a friend.

The eight floats in the parade quickly grew to twelve, and the parade featured over 350,000 lights and 300 volunteers in costumes. For the 2000 edition, an almost 6-year-old Michael Jr. had the opportunity to sit next to Santa in his sleigh one night as he closed out the parade. However, little Michael was far too nervous to sit next to such a legend and ended up watching the parade from the sidelines with his parents. It was scary, okay? I did get my redemption the next week though. My father, Michael Sr., learned from his past mistake and this time pulled some strings to get two spots for myself and my friend Josiah to be seals in the Circus Train float. It took us about ten minutes to fit the costume over our bulky winter jackets and snow pants, but we had the time of our life and even made friends with the elephant and giraffe.

Fireworks over Loring Park Photo: Holidazzle website

In 2013, the organizers announced the biggest change the Holidazzle has seen when they decided to discontinue the parade and instead host a European-esque holiday village in Peavey Plaza. The Holidazzle Village would have live music, fireworks, great food, and vendors from around the world. Fortunately, the big change did not jeopardize the Holidazzle and they eventually moved to the even more spacious Loring Park.

From a magical holiday light parade to a festive village, the Holidazzle has been a Minneapolis and Twin Cites staple. While it has evolved over time, it has brought holiday cheer to the Twin Cities for almost thirty years, and hopefully many more. Happy holidays!

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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 lead guide at Mobile Entertainment LLC, giving Segway tours of the Minneapolis riverfront for 6+ years.

He can be reached at mrainvillejr@comcast.net.

The AWA: Professional Wrestling in the Twin Cities

Article by Michael Rainville, Jr.

The 1960’s was a good decade for Minnesota sports. The Vikings, Twins, and North Stars started their inaugural campaigns, the Golden Gophers football team won two Big Ten Championships and one national title, and the American Wrestling Association (AWA) took advantage of a very popular up-and-coming form of entertainment. Back when everyone thought professional wrestling was as real as any other sport, the AWA became the leader in sports entertainment. This is the company that put the Twin Cities on the wrasslin’ map.

In 1948, the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) was formed and quickly established a territory system across the entire U.S. where there were many regional promotions, and national champions who would travel to every one. One of the founding regional promotions was the Minneapolis Boxing and Wrestling Club, which itself was in existence since 1933, and owned by Anton Stecher. In 1959, the company was bought by Anton’s colleague Wally Karbo, who is a fellow DeLaSalle Islander, and the legendary Verne Gagne. With Karbo and Gagne at the helm, they pushed to be the best NWA territory in the company. Gagne tried numerous times to get the NWA national champion Pat O’Connor to come to the Minneapolis Boxing and Wrestling Club to put on a show for his loyal fans, but the NWA would not allow it. As frustrations grew, Gagne and Karbo were pushed to the limit and eventually broke away from the NWA to form their own independent wrestling promotion, the American Wrestling Association. Gagne declared the NWA champ Pat O’Connor as the inaugural AWA champ, but the NWA never acknowledged it, and soon after, the title was forfeited and granted to Gagne. Smart move. This marked the start of a three decade long run of being on top of the wrasslin’ game.

AWA yearbook featuring the AWA World Heavyweight Champion Verne Gagne

A big part of the AWA was their televised shows, and they needed a place to tape them. They ended up calling the Calhoun Beach Club their home. The AWA’s show All Star Wrestling became so popular that they consistently scored the 2nd highest TV ratings in the Midwest only behind 60 Minutes. The live crowd attendance was also just as impressive. It was the hottest ticket in town. The April 18, 1965 edition of the Minneapolis Tribune sports section noted that there were almost 4,500 fans in attendance to see the Twins beat Cleveland 3-0, and the AWA title match saw a crowd of 8,900. Later in the year when the Twins were hosting the Dodgers for a World Series game, the AWA still attracted over 9,000 fans. That is absolutely crazy to think about!

The quality of the wrestling was also top notch. Verne Gagne and the AWA became a place for young wrestlers to learn the business and become national, and international, superstars. Hulk Hogan and the ‘Nature Boy’ Ric Flair both got their starts in the AWA. They are the two biggest and most popular professional wrestlers of all time. However, the list continues: Bob Backlund, Eric Bischoff, Nick Bockwinkel, ‘Jumpin’ Jim Brunzell, The Crusher, ‘Superstar’ Billy Graham, Scott Hall, Bobby Heenan, Larry ‘The Axe” Hennig, his son Curt Hennig AKA Mr. Perfect, Paul Heyman, Killer Kowalski, Madusa, Sherri Martel, Gene Okerlund, Diamond Dallas Page, The Midnight Rockers Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty, Dusty Rhodes, Wendi Richter, The Road Warriors Animal and Hawk, The Iron Sheik, Sgt. Slaughter, Ricky ‘The Dragon’ Steamboat, ‘Mad Dog’ Vachon, and our former governor Jesse ‘The Body’ Ventura. All of these people and many more were household names throughout the 60s, 70s, and 80s, and many also went on to do better things with the giant of the wrestling world, the WWE.

Hulk Hogan from 1982 when he defeated Nick Bockwinkel in St. Paul to capture the AWA World Heavyweight Championship for the first time.

When professional wrestling hit its stride, the WWE started to form a monopoly of the business with the WWE having the funds to offer contracts to the top stars of the world. Because of this, in 1991, the AWA officially was no more, but their legacy continues to live on. Professional wrestling may not be as popular as it once was, but Minneapolis’ own AWA made it possible for wrasslin’ to go into the mainstream. It’s hard to think that the WWE would have been so popular if it wasn’t for the talent the AWA developed. The next time you’re strutting around Lake Bde Maka Ska imagine the immense crowds that would attend AWA events, or when you find yourself stylin’ and profilin’ at Mayslack’s Bar, have a drink for the wrasslers who used to celebrate a good match there. The AWA was a Twin Cities staple back in the day, and its memory lives on.

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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 lead guide at Mobile Entertainment LLC, giving Segway tours of the Minneapolis riverfront for 6+ years.

He can be reached at mrainvillejr@comcast.net.

The Pioneers Monument

Article by Michael Rainville, Jr.

Growing up in Northeast Minneapolis, I frequently passed by the stone sculpture depicting a family of pioneers on the corner of 5th Avenue and Marshall Street. It seemed like an odd place for a work of art, but I never really thought anything of it. As I grew older and the sculpture moved across the street to B.F. Nelson Park, I had to find out how this giant piece of granite found its way to Northeast. The journey of one of Minneapolis’ most forgotten icons is interesting to say the least, and it started half a mile south on the other side of the river in front of the downtown Minneapolis Post Office.

 1936 grand ceremony officially opening Pioneer Square.

The Great Depression was one of America’s darkest times, and while Minneapolis was not affected as much as other major cities, it still had its pockets of troubles. One of these areas was the block between 1st and 2nd Streets and Marquette and 2nd Avenues, which is now occupied by The Churchill Apartments. The city bought the block in the early 1930’s, installed walkways, benches, and a lawn, and in 1936, a grand ceremony took place to officially open Pioneer Square. This ceremony also celebrated the 103rd anniversary of the birth of Charles Loring, the first president of the Minneapolis Park Board. The focal point of the ceremony was the unveiling of a monument carved by the famous Norwegian-American Sculptor John Karl Daniels, and once the granddaughter of Charles Loring was done with her speech, the giant sheet was lifted off the sculpture and those in attendance were amazed by the grand monument.

John Karl DanielsFunded by the Pillsbury family, John Karl Daniels’ 23-foot-tall, 500-ton St. Cloud granite sculpture towered over the rest of the park and greeted patrons of the post office as they made their way to its entrance. The sculptor depicted a pioneer family consisting of a father with a plow, a mother with a baby, and a sitting grandfather with an axe and rifle. Three generations of pioneers. Three generations of those who paved the way for the city’s residents. The back of the monument also has a relief that depicts Father Louis Hennepin receiving a peace pipe from a Dakota chief, another important moment of Minneapolis history.

While the small park was nice to have in that part of town, it quickly drew interest for other uses. In the early 1940’s, a parking ramp was proposed for the site, and in 1951, a public atomic bomb shelter was even considered. The lack of maintenance on the park made it a less than ideal place to visit. A 74-year-old John Karl Daniels even got a ladder, bucket, and mop, and cleaned his artwork himself. As the years went on it became evident that the small park was more of a nuisance, and in 1967 it became no more. The Pioneer Monument was the only thing salvaged from the park, but moving it was a tall task. It was initially offered to anyone willing to move it, which greatly upset a now 90-year-old John Karl Daniels, as he thought his sculpture deserved much better.

The second home for the Pioneer Monument was a small triangular piece of land on 5th Avenue and Marshall Street NE. Not the best spot for such a sculpture. The very small triangular park was at a curve in the road, and many cars ended up crashing right into the monument. Also, the base the monument was put on was not properly built and started to sink into the ground as the decades passed. This once grand sculpture was now a forgotten piece of Minneapolis history. However, in 1993, the Saint Anthony West Neighborhood Organization board, which previously stopped the Interstate 335 expansion, now led by Michael Rainville, Sr., began discussing the possibility of raising money to move the monument. It took another ten years for plans to take shape, and the fundraising began. Finally, in 2010, the neighborhood board raised $75,000 to move the monument, clean it, and prepare its new spot across the street in the new B.F. Nelson Park.

B.F. Nelson Park with the statue and skyline in the background. Photo credit Twin Cities Property Finder 

Seventy-four years and two parks later, the Pioneers Monument found its new, permanent home. While it’s a far cry from its original spot next to the downtown Minneapolis Post Office, the redeveloped B.F. Nelson Park is the perfect fit for this sculpture. John Karl Daniels can now rest easy knowing one of his most prideful works of art is being taken care of in a park that offers great views of the Mississippi riverfront. Now that the leaves have fallen, take a hike through B.F. Nelson, stop in front of the Pioneers Monument, and gaze at the perfect backdrop to this statue, the Minneapolis skyline.

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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 lead guide at Mobile Entertainment LLC, giving Segway tours of the Minneapolis riverfront for 6+ years.

He can be reached at mrainvillejr@comcast.net.

A Haunting on Maple Hill

Article by Michael Rainville, Jr.

This is a spooky time of year. People are making last-minute changes to their Halloween costumes, jack-o-lanterns are popping up on doorsteps, and leaves have gave way, so the moonlight can reach the damp ground. There’s a lot of fanfare during this holiday season, and it’s easy to glance over the mysteries that seem to reappear ever year in this city like a midnight fog. Don’t let festive lawn displays and all the candy you can eat distract you from Minneapolis’ eerie past. Turn off the lights, snuggle up in your flannel blanket, light a candle, and feast your eyes on one of Minneapolis’ most ghostly destinations.

Photo of the abandoned cemetery taken in 1900, facing the southwest corner of the park with the intersection of Polk and Summer streets in the background.

Photo taken October 28, 2018 with a similar vantage point. Photo credit Michael Rainville, Jr.

The year is 1857. Minneapolis had a population of roughly 3,400 and its rival across the falls, Old St. Anthony, had about 5,000 residents. As the first generation of settlers began to age, the need for a cemetery became quite apparent. Thus, in 1857, the city’s first cemetery was established in a part of town, near the outskirts, that was known as Maple Hill. This cemetery narrowly beat out Layman’s Cemetery, which officially was recognized as a cemetery one year later in 1858. From its opening to its closing in 1890, Maple Hill Cemetery saw roughly 5,000 burials, some of which were Civil War veterans. Maple Hill was a popular place to lay loved ones to rest on the east side of the river because of its easy access, beautiful and peaceful scenery, and cheap costs. However, cheap costs also meant cheap labor. Not all the departed were buried six feet under. In fact, many were resting merely two feet under the surface. This would lead to problems that some might say are still lingering atop that hill to this day.

Minneapolis grew at an astronomical rate, absorbing Old St. Anthony on the way, and the Maple Hill Cemetery eventually became too full and unkempt. From 1890 to 1916, the cemetery was left for Mother Nature to reclaim. During the first few years of its closure, 1,300 caskets were moved by families of the dead to either Hillside Cemetery or Lakewood Cemetery. That still leaves 3,700 unclaimed bodies. At first, it was still a nice and calm cemetery, but as rain began to erode parts of the hill, those two-foot graves began to peek out of the ground. Grave robbers would frequent the old cemetery, and do you know what resting souls hate more than hooligans from Nordeast who are stealing their belongings? Absolutely nothing. The neighbors had their complaints heard about this dilapidated cemetery that would attract an unsavory crowd, and in 1908, the Minneapolis Park Board bought the land and turned it into Maple Hill Park. Unfortunately, the park board did not pump a lot of money into the park, and for the first few years, the only thing that changed was its name. This angered the neighborhood even more, and soon a few of the residents would take matters into their own hands.

In 1916, a group of men moved many of the remaining tombstones and visible caskets, and threw them into a ditch nearby. The city acted quickly yet only found two of the culprits, and the park board began to take the “park” more seriously. Soon after, the park board removed the rest of the tombstones except for a couple grave markers and a monument for the 46 Civil War veterans who were laid to rest there. As the park board began to install many nice features in the park, it became a very popular destination in Northeast Minneapolis. In 1948, the now largely Italian neighborhood petitioned to change the park’s name, and soon after, the park was renamed Beltrami Park after Giacomo Costantino Beltrami, who is credited with being the first European to discover the headwaters of the Mississippi River.

Photo taken October 28, 2018 of Louis LeDuc's tombstone. Photo credit Michael Rainville, Jr.

The surface may be almost free of signs that it once was a cemetery, but thousands of burials have still not been touched. Those souls still roam the park, some of them looking for their tombstone. One of those spirits goes by the name of Louis LeDuc. How do I know this? His tombstone is in my family’s possession. My great grandfather received it many decades ago from his neighbor who was redoing his front steps, and the first step was poor old Louie’s tombstone. Was Louie a victim of the irritated neighbors who threw tombstones into a ditch, or did the park board carefully remove his? We will never know, and it seems that only he knows that answer. If you hear a faint whisper in your ear when you enjoy the bocce ball courts or feel a tap on your shoulder during your next picnic, tell Louie LeDuc that his friend Michael Rainville Jr. is keeping his tombstone nice and safe. Well…let’s at least hope that whisper or tap is Louie and not one of the angrier residents of Maple Hill.

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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.

Upon the White Cliffs of Kaposia

Article by Michael Rainville, Jr.

As I research various topics for these history columns, I look to my everyday life for inspiration. While working, going for a bike ride, or running errands, something always catches my attention. This week, I found that inspiration at grad school. One of the classes I’m taking is focusing on various types of sacred places, and a local example that was recently discussed was Indian Mounds Regional Park in St. Paul. Let’s take a look into this often-overlooked park that has served as an important site throughout the history of the land we call home.

Long before the city of St. Paul would acquire the land to make it into a park, it was used by many Native Americans as a sacred burial site. Starting around 200 B.C.E., people used this high bluff, now known as Dayton’s Bluff, to perform ceremonies and bury their dead. These people were associated with the Hopewell tradition. One of the cultures that was included in the Hopewell tradition would eventually branch off a thousand years later to form the Mississippian culture, with their most prominent city being Cahokia, near modern day St. Louis. At its peak in the 13th century, Cahokia had a population of roughly 40,000 people, which made it the largest city in the world with London coming in at second, and the largest city to have existed in the U.S. until the 1780’s when Philadelphia grew to over 40,000. From Florida to Ontario, and New York to Kansas, the people in this large area of North America were all connected via trade routes. Because of this, all these cultures shared goods, ideas, and spiritual beliefs. A popular tradition for those cultures that lived in major river valleys, such as the Ohio and Mississippi, was building burial mounds for those who passed away. The 19 mounds at Indian Mounds Regional Park represent the northern most mounds on the Mississippi River.

A painting by Seth Eastman Little Crow's Village on the Mississippi from 1848.

Not much is known about the people who started this tradition of burying their dead in mounds on Dayton’s Bluff, but we do know that their spiritual successors, the Mdewakanton Band of Dakota have continued this tradition. When the Mdewakanton people first called Imniza-Ska, or “white cliffs,” their home, they established the village of Kaposia. The Mdewakantons were a migratory people, travelling between various locations throughout the seasons. Those who went to Kaposia every year also established a chief, who would go by the name of Little Crow. The most famous of these chiefs is Taoyateduta, who led the Dakota in the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862. He is also first cousins with Miniyuhe, who is my 9th great aunt. The first European-American to befriend the people of Kaposia was Captain Jonathan Carver, who explored the area in 1766. He noted that the people return to this site every year because of a burial site on the bluff above Wakon-teebe Cave, or “Dwelling of the Great Spirit,” now known as Carver’s Cave. In a later archaeological study over 100 years later, it was noted that there were 11 different sites of Kaposia along the banks of the river, which highlights the importance of this area and the burial mounds.

In most religious and spiritual beliefs throughout the history of humankind, the closer you are to the sky, the closer you are to heaven or the afterlife. Much like the Cathedral of St. Paul is located on the highest point of Summit Hill, the burial mounds are located on the highest bluff that overlooks the river valley. No matter where you are on the river, you will see the mounds. No matter where the Mdwakantons placed their village of Kaposia, they would see the mounds. All it takes is a visit to the park to realize why Native Americans have considered this area sacred land for over 2,000 years.

Postcard from 1900 that faces south.

Unlike most instances of settlers moving West and claiming land as their own, there has always been interest and respect for the burial mounds, but not everything can be perfect. Archaeological digs have been conducted numerous times in the 19th and 20th centuries to attempt to further understand the many cultures who visited the site. To preserve the mounds, the city of St. Paul began to acquire parcels of land in 1892 that would eventually make up the park. Unfortunately, as the city developed the park, they also leveled many of the mounds to make way for paths, open lawns, a pavilion, and other amenities.  During the Winter Carnival of 1987, one of the medallions was hidden somewhere in the park, which gave the public the idea to dig into the remaining mounds. Because of this, fences were installed around the mounds to prevent further destruction in 1990, and shortly after, a ceremony took place where repatriated remains of 61 Native Americans were reburied in the park.

A modern day image of the burial mounds at the park.

All in all, of the 19 mounds that were originally recorded, only 6 remain. The land may look different, but the natural beauty remains. From the people of the Hopewell tradition who originally saw the sacred power of the bluff, to the Mdewakanton Dakota who continue to honor those who walked the land before them, the white cliffs of Kaposia have been and will continue to be a spot of memory, serenity, and tranquility. Trees will grow, and new paths will be paved, but this area on Dayton’s bluff will always be one of Minnesota’s most important historical, spiritual, and naturally beautiful places.

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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 lead guide at Mobile Entertainment LLC, giving Segway tours of the Minneapolis riverfront for 5+ years.

He can be reached at mrainvillejr@comcast.net.

The Calhoun Beach Club

Article by Michael Rainville, Jr.

The 1920’s was one of Minneapolis’ most successful decades. Buildings for business and residential use were popping up left and right as the city’s population went from roughly 380,000 to 464,000, which sounds an awful lot like this city in the 2010’s.  Minneapolis was, and is, a bustling city. With people working long work days and tending to their families, the need to unwind and relax also grew. Social and athletic clubs were being established to cater to these needs, such as the Minneapolis Club, the Minneapolis Athletic Club, and the Minikahda Club. However, these clubs were very exclusive and were mainly for the city’s elite. Well what about those who couldn’t afford those high membership fees? This is were the Calhoun Beach Club comes in.

The future site of the Calhoun Beach Club as it appeared in 1926. 

Harry Goldie, a former featherweight boxing champion and boxing instructor at the University of Minnesota, operated a boxing camp on the site of the soon-to-be Club in 1916. Throughout the years he would acquire more parcels of land around his camp, and in 1923 he had the idea to build the Calhoun Beach Club, an apartment hotel with space for an athletic club. During the next few years, Goldie would welcome more business partners, such as Earle Buell, an editor at the Minneapolis Star, and they would look for buyers for their club’s membership. To get the ball rolling, they gave honorary memberships to Babe Ruth, Charles Lindbergh, and French tennis champion Suzanne Lenglen. Soon after in June of 1927, a groundbreaking ceremony for their eight-story building took place. The cornerstone was laid in 1928, with the inscription "Dedicated to Healthful Recreation, A. D. 1928.” Construction continued for over a year until the stock market crashed, and the Great Depression halted any more work on the building.

The beach and Beach Club, 1940. 

The building in 1944.

Harry Goldie would have to wait for WWII to come to a finish, and seventeen years later, in 1946, his Calhoun Beach Club & Apartments would officially open. His dream of having a social and recreational club that was affordable for the growing minority and working-class populations of Minneapolis came to fruition.  The club lasted nearly a decade, but the financial burden was too much, and the building was transitioned to a hotel. During this time, the Calhoun Beach Club hosted many proms, parties, banquets, and wedding receptions. WTCN, now known as KARE, also had their radio and TV studios on the second and third floors of the building complex. These studios saw popular shows taped there, such as Lunch with Casey and Verne Gagne’s AWA All Star Wrestling.

In 1976, the building was sold to Robert Mecoy and Gary Benson, who hired Arvid Elness, Architects, Inc. to transform the building back into its original intended purpose as an athletic club. The swimming pool reopened, the radio and TV studios were renovated back into a gymnasium, the handball and squash courts were restored, and an outdoor tennis court, saunas, and a jogging track were also added. A couple decades later, Mecoy and Benson constructed a twelve-story apartment building adjacent to the Club in 1997, and soon after, the original Calhoun Beach Club began a restoration process and was converted back into apartments.

For almost 70 years, the Calhoun Beach Club has not only added to the beauty of the Grand Rounds and chain of lakes, but it also has served as a focal point for recreational and social events for thousands of Minneapolitans. From weddings to wrestling, the Calhoun Beach Club has seen it all.

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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 lead guide at Mobile Entertainment LLC, giving Segway tours of the Minneapolis riverfront for 5+ years.

He can be reached at mrainvillejr@comcast.net.

The Minneapolis Marines

Article by Michael Rainville, Jr.

Long before the Minnesota Vikings played their first game in 1961 there was another NFL team in the city. The Minneapolis Marines introduced professional football to the city in 1921, and while their win-loss record was nothing to brag about, the team was a source of entertainment and pride for the communities they played in.

The Minneapolis Marines

A photo of Bobby Marshall taken in 1905Starting back in 1905, the Marines consisted of local neighborhood boys for their first few years of existence where they competed in city leagues. The team was the starting point for many future NFL players, which is a big reason why they saw regional success. The peak years for the team came shortly after they started bringing in ex-collegiate players from local colleges, such at the University of Minnesota, Augsburg, and Hamline. The most notable of these players is Bobby Marshall. After graduating from Minneapolis Central High School, Marshall attended the University of Minnesota where he became the first African-American to play baseball, hockey, and football at the university, as well as enroll in their law school.

From 1913-1917, the Minneapolis Marines were the best independent football team in the Midwest sporting a 33-0 record. With the United States’ involvement in World War I, all independent teams disbanded. During this time, the Marines’ star players, including Bobby Marshall, left for Illinois to play for the Rock Island Independents. In 1920, the Independents became a founding member of the American Professional Football Association, which later rebranded as the NFL. It was because of this that Bobby Marshall became the first African-American to play in the NFL.

A year later, the Minneapolis Marines would also make the jump to the NFL, however, they would not find the same success they had as an independent team. From 1921 to 1924 they went 4-17-3, including a 0-6 record during their last season. The financial burden was too much for the owners, so the team folded. A few years later in 1929, the owners of the Marines decided to give it another go and field another team in the NFL. This time they would be called the Minneapolis Red Jackets. Once again, the gamble did not payoff, and the team went 2-16-1 during their two seasons in the league. With the team never making money and the Great Depression in full swing, the owners folded the team one last time. The best thing to almost happen to this iteration of the team would’ve happened in 1930 when they offered a contract to legendary Golden Gopher, Bronko Nagurski. Unfortunately, the Chicago Bears offered a better deal, and Nagurski signed with them for $5,000.

Football game at Bottineau Field, 1926

From playing in parks like Bottineau and Camden to stadiums like Nicollet Park and Lexington Park, home of the Minneapolis Millers and St. Paul Saints, the Minneapolis Marines/Red Jackets found lots of success early on and unfortunately ended things on a bad note, much like the Vikings did last season, but let’s put that behind us. Will the Vikings ever dawn the red jerseys with red and white striped sleeves that the Marines once wore for a throwback game? Probably not, but the interest and passion that this team created for professional football in the city and state can still be seen throughout Minnesota.

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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 lead guide at Mobile Entertainment LLC, giving Segway tours of the Minneapolis riverfront for 5+ years.

He can be reached at mrainvillejr@comcast.net.

A Creek, a Library, and a Pool

Article by Michael Rainville, Jr.

For six of the past seven years, the Minneapolis park system has been rated as the best in the U.S. A great example of this success is Webber Park in North Minneapolis. It has seen its ups and downs, but for over 100 years this park has been an important focal point in the Camden community.

Second dam on Shingle Creek

For almost twenty years the Minneapolis Park Board planned on acquiring land near the Mississippi River in Camden for a new park. As the need for a park in the area became more apparent, Superintendent Theodore Wirth and his colleagues gathered enough votes to establish a park along Shingle Creek. While the neighbors and businesses in the area were split 50/50 on the idea of having to pay for the new park, the foundation was in place. In 1909 Camden Park officially opened, with one of its key features being a pond that the park board put there by damming Shingle Creek. The nucleus of the park would be a new recreation building next to the pond, featuring a library on the 2nd floor. This was made possible by Charles and Mary Webber, who donated the money for the construction with three conditions. The building had to be named after their 9-year-old son, John Deere Webber, who had recently passed away, a new dam had to be built along the creek, and an outdoor playground had to be installed for the children of the neighborhood to enjoy. Charles Webber, who was the grandson of John Deere, owned and operated the Minneapolis branch of his grandfather’s company, which made it possible for his family to give back to the community by helping create one of the nicest parks in the city. It is because of the Webber’s contributions that Camden Park was renamed Webber Park in 1939.

The pool and pond quickly became a popular spot to cool off during the summer, and events such as log rolling contests and canoe races were a frequent sight at the park. The pollution that ran through the creek eventually became too much of a hazard, and in 1927 a new pool was made that used city water and filtration and chlorination systems. These upgrades saw its popularity rise, and in the 1930’s, as many as 1,400 children per day would use the pool during the Summer months. It wouldn’t be until 1979 when significant upgrades to the pool would be made again, with the most recent renovations coming in 2015. The current pool went back to its roots and used natural filtration from the creek and pond, thus making it the nation’s first public natural swimming pool when it reopened in on July 24th, 2015.

From 1910 to 1953, the library on the second floor of the recreation building was a huge hit for the children in the area. During the early years of the first iteration of the library, Ms. Countryman noted that “when [the children] are tired of playing they come up and settle down happily with their books. The library to them is one of their happy recreational spots, a feeling that is shared by their parents, who also participate in the community pleasures offered in the park." In 1953, the park board and library system came to an agreement to renovate the first floor of the recreation building so the library could expand.

Original Webber Park Library

Webber Park Library

The current Webber Park Library sits in a brand-new building that opened just over a year ago in May of 2017. This came after a 17-year debate about what to do with the old library. Renovate it or build a new one? The new library is once again a place where children can go once they tire themselves out from a long day of swimming and playing, and is a state-of-the-art facility that will without a doubt contribute to the growth of the community.

While buildings, park equipment, and other amenities have been replaced throughout the long history of the park, one thing has stayed the same, and that is the importance it holds within the Camden community. For over 100 years people have enjoyed the trails, fields, pool, and library of Webber Park, and in this constantly changing world, it is always nice to have an anchor in this community that never fails to spread peace, joy, and love to everyone who calls North Minneapolis 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 lead guide at Mobile Entertainment LLC, giving Segway tours of the Minneapolis riverfront for 5+ years.

He can be reached at mrainvillejr@comcast.net.