History Galore!

Lake Street has been going strong for over 100 years. Learn its past here! To go even further in-depth, look for our Museum in the Streets plaques up and down the corridor.
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Captain John W. Cheatham, 1855–1918, was one of the first black firefighters in Minneapolis.
Captain John W. Cheatham, 1855–1918, was one of the first black firefighters in Minneapolis.
black and white photograph of an old building with cars parked in front
Sears Roebuck, 1928 – The 1928 Sears, Roebuck & Co. building represents an early phase of a company that was a major retailer in the United States. (cc: @Midtown Global Market)
an old black and white photo of a horse drawn carriage in front of a large house
Layman House – Martin and Elizabeth Layman were typical of the transplanted Eastern Europeans who settled in Minnesota in the 1850s and 1860s. They arrived in Minnesota in 1853, where they eventually settled with their children on a farm on the southern edge of the growing city of Minneapolis. Part of their land became Layman’s Cemetery, and they farmed on the rest.
an old black and white photo of people sitting on the grass in front of a lake
Powderhorn Park, 1930s – For generations, Powderhorn Park has remained a center of community activity and pride.
an old black and white photo of a man and woman sitting next to each other
Martin and Elizabeth Layman were members of the First Baptist Church in Minneapolis, whose congregation was involved in the pre-Civil War anti-slavery movement. At a time when most cemeteries were segregated, theirs was not.
a black and white photo of a restaurant with checkered flooring on the walls
Town Treat Diner Interior – The Town Treat sat about 100 people and was known for its homemade food, prepared on the premises with the freshest ingredients.
an old black and white photo of cars parked in front of buildings on a city street
Town Treat Diner, 1940s – George Boosalis emigrated from Greece at the age of 16, eventually landing in Minneapolis and working at his uncle’s downtown Minneapolis business, the Minneapolis Fruit Store, before moving to Lake Street and Chicago Avenue to open his own café.
black and white photograph of an old movie theater
Avalon Theater, 1941 – Since 1909 the corner of East Lake Street and 15th Avenue has housed a movie theater. The Royal opened as a silent movie house but showed “talkies” by 1927.The theater was renovated in 1937 and reopened as the Avalon. With its impressive Kasota stone façade, marble decoration, and Streamline Moderne styling, the Avalon heightened the movie-going experience.
an old black and white photo of a gazebo in the middle of a park
Layman Cemetery Gates, pre-1925 – Between 1853 and 1919, an estimated 27,000 bodies were interred in Layman’s Cemetery. These included some of Minneapolis’s first settlers, soldiers and veterans, working men, immigrants, African Americans, notorious criminals, and many children under age 10.
an advertisement for the movie grossman is shown in this black and white photo
Harold Grossman became full owner of the dealership in 1967 and co-founded the Greater Lake Street Council that year, and he continued to advocate for Lake Street even after the Council lost the fight to get 35W ramps on Lake—one of its original goals.
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an old black and white photo of people standing in front of a building on a street corner
Bloom Lake Bank, 1928 – Bloomington and Lake was an important commercial hub for the neighborhood as early as 1888 when the streetcar first reached it. Many of the enterprises were run by new immigrants, including Charles Ingebretsen; Anton Hanson, a Norwegian immigrant who established a real estate and insurance business at 1523 East Lake Street; and Grecian immigrant Peter Soteropolos, who owned the Lake Street Candy Store at 1526 East Lake.
an old photo of a building that is in the process of being constructed into a museum
Grossman Arch Rendering – Lou S. Grossman started selling automobiles on Lake Street in 1919, and his son Harold began working at the dealership when he was a kid. In 1950 they built a block-long sales and service department at 1304-10 East Lake Street, designed by Liebenberg & Kaplan, an architecture firm known for designing the region’s most fashionable movie theaters.
an old man is standing in front of a car dealership with his tie around his neck
Cedar Lake Auto Guy Lillemoe, photographed at his used car lot at 18th Street and E. Lake Street on September 18, 1997.
an old black and white photo of a man in a suit
Anton Hanson, Bloom Lake Bank President, 1936 – While many enterprises have come and gone, Bloomington and Lake has a long history of opportunity for newcomers, or, as one observer put it, “the kind of place where errand boys and bank messengers grow up to be bank presidents.”
an old yellow book with the title golden jubilee guttavis ii alohhus society
Gustavus Adolphus program, 1936 – The Gustavus II Adolphus Society was founded in 1886 to create a community for the growing number of Swedish men immigrating to the city. The original twelve members created a program of debates, lectures, music, singing, and athletics.