12 Photos That Show How Much Minneapolis Has Changed... And How Much It Hasn't
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Betsy Rathburn
Author
As Minnesota’s largest city, Minneapolis experiences constant change. New arrivals help the city grow and frequent business openings offer up new things to explore all the time; however, even among all the new, this is a city with a lot of history. Luckily, there is plenty of documentation of how the City of Lakes has changed since it was incorporated in 1867. These 12 old photos will remind you how much Minneapolis has changed – and how much it’s stayed the same. Take a look:
This photo of Pillsbury and Phoenix Mills, with the waterfall in the foreground, perfectly captures the industry Minneapolis once dominated.
This photo shows Samuelson's Confectionary around the year 1890.
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This photo of Minneapolis City Hall was taken around the year 1900. The building was completed in 1888 and still stands to this day.
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This is what Minneapolis looked like around 1915. More specifically, this is what Hennepin at 6th Street looked like. Note the old streetcar line in absence of car traffic!
It was taken on Hennepin Avenue at 6th Street, just a few years after the previous photo of the same location. Along with the trolley lines, a few early automobiles share the streets.
This shot from the early 1900s shows that people have flocked to Lake Calhoun on summer days for generations.
In early 2017, a vote to restore the lake's original Dakota name - Bde Maka Ska - was unanimously favored by Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, though the "official" change has yet to be finalized. The name Calhoun was given to honor John C. Calhoun, the U.S. Secretary of War (and later Vice President) who sent a surveying team to the area in 1817 in preparation for the construction of Fort Snelling.
In early 2017, a vote to restore the lake's original Dakota name - Bde Maka Ska - was unanimously favored by Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, though the "official" change has yet to be finalized. The name Calhoun was given to honor John C. Calhoun, the U.S. Secretary of War (and later Vice President) who sent a surveying team to the area in 1817 in preparation for the construction of Fort Snelling.
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The number of choices today can be overwhelming, but this photo of a Minneapolis grocery store looks a lot more simple. This store - called Zupperman's Store - stood on Lyndale Avenue in Minneapolis.
This photo is from the 1934 general strike in Minneapolis. It was a strike against Minneapolis trucking companies. It lasted several months of 1934, with the most famous event being a deadly clash between police and protestors that killed two and injured many others.
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This photo was taken sometime in the early 1900s, at Minnehaha Liquor Store. The store still stands at its original location today.
Though Dayton's is long gone, many still reminisce about this quintessentially Minnesotan department store. This photo shows the toy department at Dayton's in 1940.
While the street trolley is still present, the road is dominated by car traffic. Tall buildings line the street, with plenty of foot traffic as well.
This aerial shot of Minneapolis was taken around 1955. It shows Nicollet Island with several bridge crossings, as well as the surrounding city full of buildings and streets.
What do you think? Are you feeling nostalgic for old Minneapolis now? Feel free to share your favorite Minneapolis memories in the comments below.
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