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 West.”
The Lost Japanese Gardens of John Scott Bradstreet, with Kathy Kullberg
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 either built or influenced over nine known gardens. One of the most well-known was that of Linden Hills resident, Frank F. Fletcher, on West 44th Street. Historian Kathy Kullberg will present her research into the discovery of these lost gardens.
Thomas Sadler Roberts Bird Sanctuary history, with Constance Pepin
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 this priceless oasis of nature that
nurtures wildlife and humans alike.
Wonderland Amusement Park with Susan Hunter Weir
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 the Friends of the
Cemetery, Pioneers & Soldiers Memorial Cemetery, will share stories and images about this
time in Minneapolis history.
Nellie Francis in Women’s Suffrage Campaign and anti-lynching law, with William Green
Dr. William Green, professor of history at Augsburg University, will present the story of Nellie
Francis, a black woman who helped lead the women’s suffrage campaign in 1919 and
successfully lobbied the legislature of 1920 to enact Minnesota’s anti-lynching law. Dr. Green’s
book on Nellie Francis will be published by the University of Minnesota Press in January.