South Minneapolis 1947-1955

		Click on photos to enlarge
The House	We owned the place and lived on the upper level with the Hansens renting the lower from us. Norman was a bartender, Hildur was our babysitter and there were two teenagers, Bobby and Donny. I remember a 5 piece chunky puzzle of a dog and a horse race game that used a spinner - and through the magic of the Internet I found it. There was just one bedroom and it didn't have a wall to the dining room, instead there was a curtain. Angi and I slept on a couch in the living room until I was older and then moved into the front and only closet. I remember sitting on the floor and staring out the window. Off of the kitchen was the bathroom. I have memories of heaving minestrone soup into that toilet. The house was eventually torn down.
The Fire	There was a pot-bellied stove in the garage and a pile of wood (shingles). Angi and I would start a fire in it as part of our playing "house". We would bring food and cook on it. Well, one night after we had come in, the garage caught on fire and burned to the ground. I kept quiet and didn't even go for a look. A fireman must have suggested to my mother that kids started it or she suspected. Angi told mom that I had done it. So I had to kneel in a corner that night. Thought it unfair at the time, that Angi didn't get punished, too.
The Observatory	At the end of the block was a gas station who's lot was filled with all kinds of junk. One winter/spring day I dragged a topless wooden crate up the ice-rutted alley to our backyard. The bottom had a hole in it, so that by turning the box up-side-down and putting a lead pipe into the hole I had an observatory. I just fit inside it and there on snow covered ground I would lay looking for birds and squirrels in daytime and looking at the stars at night.
The Ice Man	We had an icebox (before elctric fridge) and once a week or so the ice man would deliver a block of ice and place into the ice box. On summer days the kids would run along begging until he would chip off a chunk for each of us.
Der Women	A group of German speaking ladies would come around for coffee and a gab in German. I recall when my mother was pregnant they had her lie down and they held a coin or ring suspended by a string over her belly. If it swung back and forth it was a boy. Round and round indicated a girl.
The Billboard	At the other end of our block ran a railway line and at the corner Bloomington and 29th on railway verge was a double V-shaped billboard. We used to climb to the top (inside the V so as not to be seen) and what made it even more thrilling was that the railway track was in a gully in order to run under the roads. So the distance to the bottom was basically doubled.
The Dentist	I had rotten teeth (too many Austrian desserts?) and had a lot of baby teeth and a few molars removed. I remember the upstairs room on Franklin Street, the old fashioned drill and the smells. I don't recall much else because he used 'laughing gas'.
The Haircut	Apparently, I had a cowlick, or two - one on each side. Anyway my mom wanted it or them gone. So she instructed a barber to do so. I had to wear a scarf for a long time which was supposed to force my hair out of the cowlick.
The Flowers	I entered a competition for kids growing flowers. In my case it was zinnias. Unfortunately, our front step and sidewalk was crap as was the fence so it wasn't a showcase. I am sure I didn't win anything. Maybe I got a certificate just for entering.
The Shovel	An elderly lady lived in a very large house on a double lot which held an immense garden. We kids would help her in exchange for lemonade and cookies on her front porch. She had child size shovels and fork. I always hoped to get the new shiny red shovel that came to a point and not the old rusty one with a flat bottom.
The Colds	When we had a cold mom would put Vicks into a bowl of hot water and throw a towel over our head as we breathed in the vapor. Several times it was made into a game by placing the bowl under the kitchen table and covering it with a sheet. Angi and I would then sit inside the "steam tent". The other thing that I remember is Smith Brothers cough drops which were about the only ones back then. They came in licorice and cherry flavor.
The Paint	One day Angi and I got into the store room of the garage and used the paint (back then lead based enamel) to make ourselves look like war painted Indians. Don't really remember us doing it but I sure do recall how mom and Mrs Hansen had to clean us up using gasoline with plenty of words to go with it.
The TV	We got our own TV and I recall Saturday mornings watching the kids shows with Dad lying on the couch/bed. I had a Winky Dink Kit and would apply the plastic sheet to the screen and color in as instructed. And I faithfully watched Andy's Gang. Shows were sponsored by cereal companies and my mom let me send away for Snap, Crackle and Pop puppets.
More TV	Until we got our own TV I would watch Captain Midnight on the Hansen's. After school I watched "The Pinky Lee Show" and "Howdy Doody" and I seem to remember Gabby Hayes hosting a show that played cowboy shows. We even had a Howdy Doody record player. I recall the childrens' records were never black but always a bright color.
The Trains	Back then trains were steam powered and quite a few would make there way to the main Sears store on Chicago and Lake. The slopes under the bridges were sand and fun to play in. But the big thrill was to see how long you could stay under the bridge when a train approached. The black coal smoke would fill the whole area, so what we would do is run for the open and duck into the box elder saplings so as not to be seen.
The Church	We went to Holy Rosary where my parents were wed. I went to Sunday School there and also had my First Communion there (May 27, 1954) Angi and I would walk to it going past a bakery that always smelled like sugared doughnuts.
The Theater	Just two blocks away on Lake Street was the Avalon Theater. I went there on Saturday mornings to watch cliff hanger series. I also remember watching a 3-D movie in which flaming arrows came straight at me. Shortly after we moved away in 1955 it became the first theater in the TC to show porn flicks. It has been restored and is doing regular movies again.
The Neighbors	Next to us in the upper duplex were a couple old ladies who visited us once in a while. Next to them was a lady in a large house with an attached section that was filled with gardens. Down at the end by the bridge were the Strands - a plumber and his son Loren who was my best friend. Across the road from us, in a ramshackle house, was Dianne Knobbs, Angie's best friend. Several houses to the north on our side lived Carol Altendahl, who was a classmate.
The Bridge	The concrete bridge over the train tracks had a wide top ledge and was therefore a challenge for walking upon. Almost everyone could do the section where the fall wasn't all that far, but no one ever dared to walk all the way across. Even more exciting was when the Hansen teenage boys would dangle us small kids by the feet over the edge.	there weren't trees or guard rails
The Forest	As mentioned above, one side of the train ditch was overgrown with saplings. We created paths and "forts" within the greenery then play Robin Hood and similar make believe games. We made bows and arrows from the treelings and would shoot them at the passing trains. See photo at "Shakes" - now full grown trees.
The Book	One of the most intriguing books we had was my mother's childhood book: Little Peter's Journey to the Moon. It was written in German, but my mother read it to me so many times that I was able to "read" it myself. The pictures intrigued me. Most were just drawings and I colored them in with colored pencils. Here is a video of it with English subtitles: View.
The Chores	I am sure there were others but the one that I remember is dusting the lower rungs of the dining room chairs. Probably because I was small and could get under them.
The Slide	On the other side of the tracks, the hill was covered in grass that was never mowed. In the summer the long dry grass was perfect for sliding down on cardboard or simply rolling to the bottom. In the winter we used our wooden sled whenever we could get away with it. 2013 - no grass just trees.
The Street Car	We lived a block off Bloomington Ave which had street car service. Anyone who travelled on one will remember the sound of the rails and at night the way the lights dimmed when there was a momentary loss of contact with the overhead power line. And the signal to the driver was a bell that jingled unlike the modern bus with its buzzer. I was a young boy and I recall one time when we got off through the rear door that the driver closed the door too soon (he couldn't see me, being so short) and my arm got caught.
The Tripper	One day Loren and I spent a very long time creating a trip line at his place. Next to his house was a large hydrangea. We tied a rope to the house and laid it over the lawn into the bush. Covered it with grass. The idea was Lorie would get his brother, Barnie, to chase him and I would pull the rope and trip Barney.
The 4th	For 4th of July fireworks we would go to Powderhorn Park. It was only 2 blocks away from us. Back then it was perfectly safe neighborhood to be out late at night.
The Accordian	I remember seeing one and its container at the Hansen's. But I don't recall who played it.
The Drowning	My mother tells me that when I was little boy we were at Lake Nokomis. She went out swimming and that I walked in to get to her and almost drowned, having been saved by a man. And that is why I feared water and never learned to swim until we had the pool in Waiuku. Mind you, my mother told my sister the same story about her.
The Bakery	On the way to and from Church Angi and I would pass a very large bakery and boy did it smell great.
The Prayer	In Sunday School we had to recite The Lord's Prayer and Hail Mary. I would stop at "thy womb, Jesus". Sister would then say "Holy Mary" and I would then finish. You see I thought they were two different prayers. It was many years later that I finally put "2 and 2" together.
The Pot Holders	I remember going to Carol Altendahl's grandmother's place near Sears. The reason we went was knitted potholders. I think she made them and we would try to sell them. Anyway I do recall them being bright red and yellow.	similar
The Library	Mom and I would take the trolly to the Franklin Street library. I remember going down exterior stairs to the children's library. Mom would fill a shopping bag with her books and I did the same with mine. I picked up my strong reading habits from her.
The Stash	The kitchen table had hollow legs with open tops. Sometimes we had to stay at the table until we finished. So I would stuff food down the leg. I also recall put food into a hole in a teddy bear. What the bear was doing with me, I have no idea.
The Pipe	Mr Strand, in the house next to the tracks, was a plumber. His son, Loren, was my best friend. One day he was melting lead (guess they made their own pipes in those days) and he had to go into the house. So he left me in charge of holding the crucible over the flame. Unfortunately, at some stage when I was alone I grasped the pipe a little too close to the hot end (probably cause it was getting heavy). That brilliant move caused an immediate scalding of my hand. I dropped the pipe and ran screaming down the alley to my home and mother. Can't remember anything after that, but close inspection of my hands today doesn't reveal any serious damage.
The Shakes	Those large steam engines went along at a decent clip and the vibrations from the trains would cause our plaster to fall down from walls and ceilings. Happened often enough for me to recall a couple episodes. There would be a sheet hung across the kitchen door because we couldn't go into it, but we needed to do so to get to the bathroom, being a kid I would walk slowly and hope that a piece would fall off while I was in the room. The other one I remember was when the front stairwell wall came down - spectacular since it was a two story house.	Now a road!!
The Bike	My first go on a bicycle was on the Hansen boys'. They put me on it at the railway bridge and pushed me down the hill. It was great until I neared the end of the block and realized that I was going too fast to turn at the corner. Then I realized that I wouldn't be able to stop, so I sort of jumped off of it just before it went onto the road. We learnt from that and my next lesson was at Powderhorn Park. There is a sidewalk which encircles the lake. They pushed me off and I then had a marathon of a peddle (its a 1 mile track) up and down the hills, only this time they were waiting for me when I completed the circuit to stop me.
The Stamps	Gold Bond and S&H Green Stamps are two that I remember and have in my possession. You would get them when you made a purchase, usually at grocery stores. I used S&H stamp books to get my Samsonite suitcase in 1969. I used a lot of saliva putting the stamps into the books. It was brilliant when they came up with a larger stamp representing 10 smaller ones. One day I found that the gas station, mentioned above, had tossed out 100's of Gold Bond books. So I brought a pile of them home. Not so much to use properly, but as coloring books. They featured Sandy, a Scottish cartoon fellow on every other page, with a short saying.
The Stores	At the corner of Bloomington and Lake was Kellers Drug Store. Entering from the corner I remember seeing the most beautiful flowers in so many colors. You had to go through to the back to get to the diner and I recall sitting at the counter and having a sandwich with potato chips and a sliced pickle. You could go through to Gambles Grocery store. It had weekly prize. My mom always entered and we would go down for the draw in the evening. Since she never won, she claimed it was rigged. Supposedly, an entry had pin inserted and the drawer would fish around until his finger was pricked. We rarely went upstairs which held furniture and appliances. But I was often sent to the store to buy bread or milk and sometimes it was in the evening. I would enter through the back alley doors.
Oatmeal - 1	Back then you could buy oatmeal in cardboard cylinders which made great tom-tom drums amongst other things. When we moved back in 1980 the old familiar containers were still on sale albeit with updated picture and our kids also found them to be a splendid creative item.
Oatmeal - 2	Angi and I used her very small plastic kitchen utensils and dish set to cook oatmeal on top of our gas space heater. Never real boiled but the oats did get mushy.
The Toy	It was educational. A wooden board with an eliptical slot in which letters of the alphabet were situated. There was a horizontal slot in the middle and you would slide letters onto it to spell a word. Once again I was able to find a photo of one on the Internet.
The Handle Bars	A bike shop on Lake street was having a grand opening and Casey Jones was there. He had a local kids TV show. So we got to meet him and he gave me a pair of red handle bar grips with plastic flyers to put onto the ends.
The Bath	Angie and I bathed together and I must be OCD because I did a step-by-step routine with her. Take the washcloth, fold in four, wet it and apply soap. Then wash our face. Squeeze soap out and re-wet the cloth and rinse the face. And this would continue working our way down the body.
The Beans	The house next to the Strand's had an Asian family who we never saw. On the fence between they grew large beans. Purple and white but not very tasty raw.
The Dog	I have to admit that I don't remember the dog, or its name, but there it is in photos. I am guessing that we got it as Christmas gift in 1950 and had him for at least 7 months.
The Cat	And I certainly don't remember having a cat, as well. I think Angi once told me its name, so I need to do some research.
The Rabbit	We were given a rabbit by the people who lived above our store. We named it Fluffy and kept it in a cage in the back yard. Mom would let it into the house once in a awhile.
The Search Light	Probably left over from WWII. I remember these being used at night. Usually, for a store or car yard promotion on Lake Street. David had a toy jeep with a fuunctioning search light in the 1980s and we used it to teach him Morse Code.
The Igloo	The two teenage boys who lived below built an igloo with an expansion gate for the door. I remember playing in it and, of course, my mother took lots of photos.
The Camera	Speaking of photos, my mother had a no focus pin hold camera that used 3"x4" negatives. I have a feeling that she sent the whole cardboard box away to get the photos developed.
The Eclipse	Speaking of negatives. On June 30, 1954 there was a total solar eclipse viewable from Minnesota. I remember my mother gave us negatives to look through at it.
The Bad Boys	Across from Loren were a couple boys who were older than us. I have two memories of them. Firstly, being in their alley and they were telling crude jokes. I remember one. Secondly, for some reason they threw rocks at me. One hit me in the forehead and I ran screaming down the street. I still have the indentation to show where it hit me.
The Scar	Just to balance things out, one day I fell and hit my head on the corner of a low table. Very lucky in that I missed my right eye, but I now carry that indent around forever.
The Brother	I had just turned 8 and there I was walking my mother through the snow to Deaconess Hospital. That's all I remember. She was taken away and I probably sat around until my father could be contacted and come there to get me and meet my baby brother, Christian Richard.
The Fountain	We had a gas heater in the diningroom that warmed the rooms. We would change Chris' diapers on the table. And more than once he would let go a stream while lying on his back. It would hit the stove and go up in steam.
The Krampus	A tradition that my mother brought over from Austria. On the evening of December 5th we would leave our shoes/boots out the back door. Eventually there would be a banging on the door and we would kneel and say a prayer. Wait a little while and open the door. If we had been a good child there would be fruit (usually a tangerine) and nuts in our footwear. If you were a bad boy it would be filled with coal. It was Mrs Hansen from below who did the job. We believed it at the time. One year my mother came back from grocery shopping and slipped on the ice by our house. She claimed Krampus had tripped her. Wikipedia entry.
The Stretcher	Each spring/summer my mother would wash her lace curtains. Then in the back yard we would struggle with these long pieces of wood (which nails sticking out at regular spaces) to form a rectangle. Onto this we would hang the curtains, so they wouldn't shrink when they dried. Our rack was much larger than the one in the photo.
The School	I went to Irving Elementary. Webpage.
The Accident	My mother was washing supper dishes and I was drying. We heard a scream and my mother dashed out. My sister had been struck by a car. I remember there being blood when they came back, but I don't think there was anything serious.
The Plunge	My sister made the news in 1949 when she pushed through the bathroom screen and fell from the upper floor of our house. Article.
The Burgers	One block from Sears on Lake Street was a White Castle. They made the best hamburgers, albeit on the small size. Since they were so cheap mom would buy 10 or 20 for us to share. Each one came in a White Castle box. 30 years later I would make sure to make a visit each time we were back in Minnesota. And they still were cheap and just as delicious.
The Santa	For Christmas 1952 I was given a G-Man gun. A rifle which shot out sparks when you pulled the trigger. For Christmas 1954 I was given my first bicycle. It was a 24" and brown. Don't believe I have a photo of it.
The State Fair	My uncle Ralph brought me to the State Fair. He never had children of his own and couldn't relate to me. First time going to one for me. It was evening. We sat in the Grandstand at the lower seats. Cars were racing around the track and as they zoomed past they would kick up direct dirt clods on to us. That was exciting. When that finished we walked back to the car through the sideshow tents. We went into one which was supposed to be something grotesque, but was obviously not what they claimed it to be.
The Queen	Way out in the whopwhops was Queen Anne Kiddieland (78th Street south and France Avenue). And we were the right age for the rides. I can remember going there twice. Casey Jones pushed it on his show and drove the train on Sundays. It closed in 1966.

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