Grain Belt

Grain Belt, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

The iconic Grain Belt Beer sign in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Erected in 1941, the sign originally sat atop a downtown club until 1950, when it was moved to it's current location on Nicollet Island. Featuring the early, pre-WW2 logo, the sign has 800 feet of neon tubing and 1400 incandescent bulbs in the lettering, which lights up sequentially. It looks great, but sadly, despite being restored in the 80's, the sign no longer works. Hopefully it'll be restored again someday.

Pillsbury

Pillsbury, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

The famous Pillsbury A Mill in Minneapolis. Viewed from across the famous Stone Arch Bridge.

This was the best shot I managed to get of the iconic neon sign.

Lake Calhoun

Lake Calhoun, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

The Minneapolis Skyline, seen from the shore of Lake Calhoun.

Also, if I was a decent musician, I'd record an album called "Minneapolis Skyline".

North Star Blankets

North Star Blankets, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

The former North Star Woolen Mill, near St. Anthony Falls. Built in 1864, by the mid 1920's the North Star mill was the nation's largest producer of wool blankets. Part of an effort to make Minneapolis a center for textile manufacture, the North Star mill remained in use until the 1940's when production was moved to Ohio. The building sat empty until 1998, when it was re-developed into lofts.

The Depot

The Depot, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

The former Milwaukee Road passenger and freight depot in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Now repurposed as The Depot, with a hotel, restaurant, and an indoor skating rink in the former train shed.

Pillsbury A-Mill

Pillsbury A Mill, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

The former Pillsbury A-Mill, along St. Anthony Falls in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Built in 1881, the A-Mill was at one time the largest flour mill in the world and also ran two of the largest direct drive water wheels, at 1200 horsepower each. Built with load bearing stone walls with internal wood bracing, the A-Mill is six stories, with each floor originally having a specific use. Due to the vibrations of the milling machines, in 1905 the building was partially rebuilt and fortified, and the walls still bow out noticeably at the top. Unlike a lot of other older flour mills, the A-Mill never had a fire, and still retains it's original wood framing (and an excellent neon sign atop the silos).

Production finally ceased at the A-Mill in 2003, and the building has been empty ever since. Plans are currently afoot to turn the complex into lofts and studio spaces, while retaining the historic exterior of the mill.

North Star Blankets

North Star Blankets, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

The North Star Blankets ghost neon sign in Minneapolis, Minnesota. There are a number of interesting signs and buildings right along the Mississippi in Minneapolis, as befits a river town I guess.

This one was given the through the viewfinder treatment with an old Kodak Duaflex.

The Foshay Tower

The Foshay Tower, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

Completed in 1929, the Foshay Tower in downtown Minneapolis is an excellent Art Deco skyscraper. Long the tallest building in the city, the Foshay has a few interesting details. Most obvious are the large letters at the top of the building calling out the name, which are also illuminated at night (and visible from quite a ways out of the city). The outer walls also slope in as they rise,
making each floor a little smaller than the one below it, a function of the architect's desire to make the Foshay Tower resemble the Washington Monument. The interior was very luxurious, featuring intricately carved African mahogany, marble, Terrazzo, a silver and gold plated ceiling, and hand-wrought iron fittings.

Finally, the building has it's own march, composed by John Philip Sousa. The dedication ceremony for the Foshay was almost impossibly lavish, with building owner Wilbur Foshay inviting 25,000 people, guests recieving gold pocket watches, and music conducted by Sousa, who composed the "Foshay Tower-Washington Memorial March" for the occasion. The march was only played once during Foshay's lifetime, though-his empire soon crumbled, and the check written to Sousa for his work famously bounced. Sousa refused to allow the song to be played until the debt was paid, which didn't happen until 1988, to Sousa's estate.

Ten Thousand Lakes

Ten Thousand Lakes, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

Another edition of Out Of State Plates! This is a vintage Minnesota plate, originally issued in 1965, and currently screwed to the back of a Shelby Cobra. Note the vintage '67 registration sticker in the corner.