Loop Back: The North Loop’s Colorful History (Overview)
From the late 1800s to the 1930s, the North Loop was the center of a wholesaling and manufacturing boom that turned Minneapolis into one of the key distribution centers in the U.S.
The North Loop has been through some dramatic ups and downs over the past 140 years. From a booming period of warehousing and manufacturing (1880s-1930s) through decades of decline (1930s-1990s) to the renaissance that has led to the dynamic urban district we enjoy today (1990s-present), our neighborhood’s history is fascinating and inspiring.
This is where Milky Way candy bars, Creamette pasta and the world’s first pop-up toaster got their starts. A half million Model Ts were built at Ford’s assembly plant here. American soldiers in both World Wars were energized by instant coffee from a facility here that was billed as the “world’s largest,” and farm implement dealers including John Deere received and shipped scores of plows, tractors and other machinery needed to break the prairie soil.
In our Loop Back series of videos and articles, you’ll see historic photos of familiar buildings and hopefully gain a new appreciation for the role they played in our city’s growth and development.
Photos courtesy of: Hennepin County Library, Minnesota Historical Society, Library of Congress, Star Tribune and family members of former North Loop business owners.
This history section was researched and produced by North Loop volunteer Mike Binkley.
