In 1905, Wonderland Park on East Lake Street was a popular amusement park where the people of Minneapolis could ride one of the world’s finest carousels, witness amazing, death- defying acts, and even tour a display of local premature infants being treated in the new scientific marvel, an electric incubator. Susan Hunter Weir, Director of […]
In 1936, the Park Board designated 31 acres of the land along the north shore of Lake Harriet as a bird sanctuary that was later named for Thomas Sadler Roberts, considered the father of Minnesota ornithology. Constance Pepin and Stephen Greenfield, co-founders of the Friends of Roberts Bird Sanctuary, will share history and images of […]
John Scott Bradstreet, leading interior designer of the early 20 th century in the Twin Cities, traveled extensively to Europe and Asia on buying trips to furnish his retail shops and clients homes. Early on, he became enamored with the simple but elegant gardens of the Japanese artisans. Over the course of three decades, he […]
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 […]
The Linden Hills History Study Group is excited to offer historic walking tours of Linden Hills during the upcoming Linden Hills Fall Festival on September 18, 2021. The group will offer two tours, beginning at 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m., leaving from their festival booth. Space will be limited to 12 participants per tour. To […]
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 […]