Archive by category History

Wirth Lake had many names

I spent many a summer day in the 1950s and early 1960s heading west down Glenwood Ave from my home on Queen Ave to go to the beach on Glenwood Lake. When I was …

Looking back at a major teachers’ strike

I have written about our public schools in the past, but this month I thought I’d write about an event that took place 55 years ago and not only had an …

The many changes to Basset’s Creek

I grew up close to Bassett’s Creek, one block west and down Fruen’s hill. Even though my parents had forbidden me to go there unless it was frozen over, I …

Forgotten lakes and ponds

Growing up in the lowest part of the Northside, I only knew of three local bodies of water other than the Mississippi River. There was Glenwood Lake (now named …

Celebrating 100 years of great community service

On April 11, 2025 the Phyllis Wheatley Community Center will host a gala to celebrate its centennial. Originally called the Phyllis Wheatley Settlement House, …

Women shaping history

Being that March is Women’s History Month, I thought I’d write a bit about a few women from Minneapolis history that you may not have heard of before. …

Figuring out Presidents’ Day

I seem to remember as a kid going to elementary school in North Minneapolis in the 1950s, that some years we got a day off for President George Washington’s …

Decades of the local florist business

With the sudden passing away of my friend Phil Murphy, the last owner of the florist business and greenhouses on Humboldt and Dowling, I thought I’d write …

Holiday trees from the past

It’s that time of year when many folks are thinking about getting a Christmas tree, myself included. When I was growing up, mostly people had real trees and …

Remembering a day to honor veterans

November 11 is Veterans Day but it hasn’t always been called that and it was even on a different date for a few years. In the fall of 1918 the United States …