Everybody’s Heard about the Bird at Barnes and Noble February 6th, 1-3pm.

Local author, Rick Shefchik will be signing his new University Of Minnesota Press book “Everybody’s Heard About the Bird” The True Story of 1960s Rock ‘n’ Roll in Minnesota on Saturday, February 6th at the Calhoun Village Barnes and Noble from 1:00-3:00pm If you didn’t experience rock and roll in Minnesota in the 1960s, this … Read more

Going to the Gopher

The Gopher Cafe’s 9th and Hennepin location put the eatery in the heart of the Minneapolis theater district. The restaurant had a informal modern atmosphere featuring cozy booths, a swivel chair lunch counter and a swanky cocktail bar with an entrance on 9th Street. The Gopher’s digs are probably better remembered as Duff’s Bar. Originally … Read more

Fun at Fair Oaks

The Fair Oaks Motor Hotel was named for Minneapolis Milling Tycoon, William D. Washburn’s demolished mansion. Built in 1884 by E. Townsend Mix, the imposing pile of rock and brick known as Fairoaks was one of the grandest houses of era. The grounds of the 40 room mansion took up two square blocks. Washburn lived … Read more

The Gateway

The triangular space bounded by Nicollet, Hennepin and Washington Avenues forming a vista from the Great Northern passenger station, where a majority of the visitors in the city arrive. A portion of the ground is parked, and fronting on Washington Av. is the Gateway Building for the convenience of the public, erected at a cost … Read more

Three More Falling Waters

Before the dirty old men who built Minneapolis had their way with them, the far side of the Mississippi River Gorge was graced by three delicate attractions. Bridal Veil Falls, Fawn’s Leap and the Silver Cascade provided lovely picnic settings and a much needed respite from the cobble stone hustle and bustle of the big … Read more

The Little Church on Market Street

The Rev. Benjamin Close organized the Market Street church on December 31, 1848. The modest house of worship, built for less than $3000 was the first Protestant church in the territory and the first brick building in St. Paul. In 1855 a new church building was built at 9th and Jackson. The congregation had agreed … Read more

The Hotel Majestic

In September of 1906 W.S. Dwinnel purchased the newly completed Hulett Block building. The lease was made for ninety-nine years. Exact terms were never announced, but the deal was negotiated by the firm Chase & Scanfeld for W. J. Mc Quaid, a St. Paul grocer who erected the building and owned the ground lease. The … Read more

Brown & Bigelow

Brown & Bigelow was founded in 1896 by Herbert Bigelow and Hirm Brown. Throughout its history, Brown & Bigelow has been a St. Paul resident. In its first 11 years, the firm outgrew three locations and then settled on a 17-acre site that was once the Lexington horse race track in the Hamline-Midway area of … Read more

The Minneapolis Union Depot

In 1879 James J. Hill bought the bankrupt St. Paul and Pacific Railway Company and renamed it the St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railroad. A couple months later, railroads in Saint Paul banded together to build a union station and Minneapolis leaders asked Hill to build a union station on their side of the river. … Read more