Finding Minnesota: Capturing 'Old Minneapolis'

Do you remember a time when downtown Minneapolis had very few skyways, no stadiums and lots of department stores? That’s how the city looked in the early 1970s, Mike Binkley reports. WCCO 4 News Weekends - Nov. 29, 2015

[elizabethcollins]

When I was young, I remember window shopping (Dayton’s) in downtown Minneapolis, eating at the Nanking Restaurant. 🥰

[rebeccadudley]

I remember my Dad worked in the Investor's building on Marquette Avenue. He said there would be a new big building he would have an office in someday and it would take 4 years to build . I was 4 years old at the time. I was completely astonished that I would be a whopping eight years old when the big skyscraper would be done. That building is the IDS tower. It was a crazy idea at the time that there was actually a building taller than the Foshay, which stood alone on the skyline for such a long time. Now its all built up. I miss the 70's.

[orvilleh.larson]

In the 1960s (my elementary and junior high years), we lived in the Camden area of north Minneapolis. Every Friday, we went downtown to the Forum Cafe (on 7th Street between Nicollet and Hennepin). The Forum was distinguished by its architecture and its chandeliers. It was
cafeteria style (you took a tray and went through the line, selecting your food as you went along. At the end of the line, you paid the cashier. You would go to a table on either the first or second floor. The food was good.

Next door was the Nankin (Nanking?) Cafe. Go to Hennepin and turn right, and there was the Bridgeman's ice cream restaurant. Great place.

Nicollet Avenue had the Powers, Grant, Kresge, Woolworth, , and Donaldson department stores. The Minneapolis Public Library was at the low end of Nicollet, across from the Sheraton-Ritz Hotel. The Leamington Hotel was at Nicollet and Washington, if I remember right.

The nostalgia is killing me! . . .

[pacificostudios]

When I was a kid, the tallest building in Mpls was the Foshay Tower. Imagine that: 29 stories, the tallest building between Chicago and Seattle!

[pattysachsmeshbesher]

I graduated from Minneapolis West High School in 1956, when they were just finishing the new Southdale Mall. The town was very excited about it. In 2006, I had written some 8 books and thousands of pages of event plans, when Southdale called me, I was happy to help them create a Senior Sock Hop for all the Classes of "56--Minneapolis High Schools, including some suburban schools. We invited local vendors like White Castle, Ice Cream Parlors, donut shops, soft drinks, etc. The band of the 50's...White Side Walls and a few other local talents for a real rockin' Sock Hop! Lots of prizes and tickets to movies, record shop coupons...and a lot more. It was a real hit for all of us old 50's fogies...to come out and shake a leg and sing along. Southdale was the first indoor shopping Mall in the U.S. Pretty exciting for us Minnesota "hicks"...most thought we were. But look at us now...The Mall of America is making news all over the world. Well known bands and singers still draw a crowd when they play locally... I don't think I will be able to create a reunion for 2056...but, then with miracle medicine today...there might be a "forever young" pill for us all. In the meantime a sock hop will always be a super hit!! Keep moving you fellow dancers...if you can't roll...at least you can bring your rockers for a twirl on the floor. Patty Sachs Meshbesher, author of Pick A Party: Planning Guides. Keep celebrating! It is good for you.

[renaestevenson]

Fun Fact: I am a kid of the 70s - left Mpls in 1980 to Orange County, CA. BUT, my family on both sides are very deep-rooted in Mpls history. Maternal Grandfather, Myles Cullen, sculpted the Farmers & Mechanics Bank in DT, and I believe worked on the Catholic Basilica - he and his brother, Barney. My Paternal Grandpa, Paul Stevenson, got arrested for bootlegging in a bathtub (hit The Tribune in the 40s). Good stuff! I enjoyed watching this video - reminds me of when I was a kid and Grandma Helen or Grandma Maggie would take me on a bus ride (had a purse and gloves) and a was given a stick of Wrigley spearment gum for the inside of purse. I had to split the gum, however, with my sister. Good times and super fond memories ... Minnehaha Falls and Como Park. :)

[dennisb.]

Now at age 62 it brings back fond memories of downtown Mpls. In the 70s. I lived in south mpls and from the second floor porch of my parents home I could see the IDS building being built when it was well above the tree line. I remember seeing the light of the welding arc from the iron workers welding.
And the many trips down town to hang out. What a great time it was then.
As a kid my father worked at Jim Angeles Studebaker. It was later raised so that Downtown Chevy Town be built on its spot.

[TheSavethetigers]

When I was 10 years old, I took the bus to school and it drove through downtown Minneapolis. I remember when the IDS building was being built, and I remember the Christmas displays in the windows and the Christmas lights everywhere too.

[janetjones]

I remember good old downtown Minneapolis💖💖💞😍🤗

[XavierKatzone]

THOSE were the days! Gone forever now.

[janwilliams]

Back in the sixties I remember riding those old busses from my neighborhood on the far north side to downtown Minneapolis. I'd go rifle sport on Hennepin and shoot a .22 pump at steel targets then head to a little Cafe on Hennepin Ave for the blue plate special of two cheeseburgers a malt and fries then back home all for around four bucks those days were fun and easy.

[MegaKegHead]

In 1963 (age 12) I rode the bus from Essex Road to downtown Minneapolis with a friend.. the most interesting day!

[jeanperdue]

Love you for the memories back in the when was young 🌱 born in 1963 and in the 70s that was the place to be

[ronaldschultenover]

I miss the old Minneapolis and never visit it now nothing there now

[deellaboe]

It's so ugly now compared to back then. The old theatres and shops,

[constitutionalist]

all the shops and stores are gone.... it has been destroyed by BAD city management and its now a dangerous place to go

Now Downtown is a hideous nightmare and always will be. Developers and horrible city planning destroyed it forever.

[RayRift]

We remember those times!!! Awesome content!!!

[taosholly]

My dad was Mousey. I worked at his bar, 1102 Hennepin, for about 10 years, until the bar was destroyed by arson. One of our 'swampers', Little Donnie Aubaugh, died in the fire. I closed the bar the night of this incident. There were a lot of adventures there and made the police list of most calls every year. He bought the bar 2 doors down a couple of years later and named it Mouseys Too. It had been owned by Jack Ruby, the guy who killed Lee Harvey Oswald. My dad was a true character and the stories I could dad would '86 problem customers by holding them against the wall with feet off the ground and put a 357 in their mouths. Never saw these guys again! The TV/Journalists used to come in most afternoons. Dave Moore was our biggest fan and regular. My dad used to play handball with him at the downtown Y everyday. Dave and WCCO used to do Sealy Mattress Commercials at the bar using our customers to film. These were aired on his weekend (comedy) midnite newscasts if anyone can remember. Jim Klobuchar was there alot. So was IcePick

[badbattleaxe]

I wasn’t even born yet. I seen old news footage. It seemed beautiful, The city is not even the same. They should rename Minneapolis to miniSomalia.