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1891 Map Shows Several Buildings Still Here

We came across the reproduction of an 1891 Minneapolis map online, and were most interested in the lower right corner where a portion of what we now know as the North Loop is featured.

See how many buildings you recognize from 130 years ago, then we’ll offer some help below.

Favorite part of this map? Seeing the streetcar tracks coming and going from Colonial Warehouse. It was built to be the headquarters of what was then a horse-drawn streetcar system.

Unfortunately, this map only shows a small section of the North Loop, but of the part we can see, we were able to identify 25 buildings that are still standing. See the legend below, with names of businesses we now know them for.

 

  1. ALTR/Spaces 121-123 Washington Ave N, built 1887
  2. Bonobos/Upstairs Circus 125-129 Washington Ave N, 1877
  3. Requisite, 211 Washington Ave N, 1882
  4. MitreBox Framing, 213 Washington Ave N, 1877
  5. Underground Music Cafe, other warehouses 1884, 1885
  6. ArtSpace, Jeromeo, James & Mary Laurie Booksellers, 1886
  7. Colonial Warehouse: Statement Boutique, MartinPatrick3 etc., 200-218 3rd Ave N, 1885
  8. Love Your Melon, North Loop Wine & Spirits, 300-312 Washington Ave N, 1865
  9. InVision, Edwards, 200-204 Washington Ave N, 1879
  10. Billy Sushi, 120 1st Ave N, 1884
  11. Truce Juice, 116 1st Ave N, 1887
  12. Kado no Mise, Sanjusan restaurants, 30 1st St N, 1888
  13. Aria, 100 1st St N, 1889
  14. Former Alliance Francais, 113 1st St N, 1885
  15. Former JetSet bar, 115 1st St N, 1883
  16. Commutator, 125 1st St N, 1884
  17. Foster House, 100 1st St N, 1882
  18. Pop Ink, other office tenants, 124 1st St N, 1884
  19. International Design, Montaggio, others 11 2nd Ave N, 1890
  20. Former Bachelor Farmer, 200 1st St N, 1881
  21. Askov Finlayson, 204 1st St N, 1888
  22. Ribnick, 224 1st St N, 1884
  23. Fairgrounds Coffee, Stilheart Distillery, others, 116 3rd Ave N, 1888
  24. Muse, 107 3rd Ave N, 1889
  25. Mulberry’s, Parc, Houser, 212 2nd St N, 1885

If the map was expanded to the north and west, you would have also seen these buildings 130 years ago: Part of the FreightYard Townhomes (1880), The Itasca warehouses (1886), Cuzzy’s (looking MUCH different 1889), Bunkers (1890) and MN Opera (1891)

For several more pages of neighborhood history, explore more of our Historic North Loop section.

By Mike Binkley, North Loop Neighborhood volunteer

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