Imagine displays of a bear, carousel, ostriches, and Shetland pony rides at Lake Harriet to entertain visitors who came down to picnic, boat, or enjoy a concert. Concessionaires J. Palmer, A.O. Hoyt, H.M. Barnet, and J.H. Eschman welcomed visitors and helped shape their experiences in a picturesque setting once described as the "Coney Island of […]

From 1890 to 1953, the Lyn-Lake and East Harriet neighborhoods were served by the Bryant Avenue streetcar line that traveled from Lyndale Avenue to Lake Street, then east and south of Lake Harriet and crossing Minnehaha Creek. Historian Aaron Isaacs will take us on a then-and- now photo tour of the line from downtown to […]

In 1876, the Corps of Engineers finished a massive concrete wall under the Mississippi River at St. Anthony Falls. It stands three stories tall and spans the river. It is an essential piece of Twin Cities infrastructure that no one can see and few know exists. It safeguards Minneapolis' water supply and helps ensure the river doesn't undermine bridges […]

Streetcars ran on Nicollet Avenue from 1879 to 1954. Take a trip from downtown to the Richfield city limits with Minnesota Streetcar Museum historian Aaron Isaacs. He'll contrast historic photos with the same locations viewed in 2021. Attendance will be limited to 50. Suggested donation $5 for non-members of LHHSG.

As one of Minnesota’s pioneering women architects, Elizabeth Scheu Close overcame many obstacles, explored new horizons, and earned her profession’s highest honor: the Gold Medal. Jane King Hession, a Minnesota-based architectural historian specializing in modernism, presents her book Elizabeth Scheu Close: A Life in Modern Architecture, which traces her upbringing in Vienna, how it shaped […]

According to the U.S. census, in 1940 there were only 51 people of Japanese ancestry living in the entire state of Minnesota. Today, that number is in the thousands. Sally Sudo, retired Minneapolis public school teacher and survivor of an American concentration camp, will share her story of why her family and hundreds of other […]

Named by real estate speculators, shaped by railroads, and the subject of a huge social experiment by one of the world’s richest men, St. Louis Park has stories to tell. Industry rode the rails but fizzled in financial panic. Today, "fossil streets" drop historical hints, and a bankrupt bank sends us down a rabbit hole […]

The history of Lake Street is being made as we speak. Join Lake Street historian Cara Letofsky for a combination history and current events of 27th and Lake, otherwise known as Downtown Longfellow. The discussion will cover the development of the area from Dakota land to a working-class community fueled by immigrants and industry, to […]

Linden Hills resident and historian Karen E. Cooper has spoken to LHHSG on several occasions sharing the history of Minnehaha Falls. Now she will tell stories of the rowdy mayhem and boozy carryings on at the Falls in the years between 1850s and the 1900s. These stories are told in Karen’s book, When Minnehaha Flowed […]