A lot of Minnesotans appreciate St. Paul today for its bustling business community, quaint neighborhoods, and most importantly, for the Xcel Energy Center where the Minnesota Wild play. 75 years ago, St. Paul was vastly different. During the 30s it was a notorious gangster hideout, attracting the likes of John Dillinger, Homer Van Meter and the Barker-Karpis Gang among others. The county courthouse was built, as was the Public Safety Building. Minnesota was hanging on as the flour milling capital of the world, while The Great Depression was relentlessly waging war against business everywhere. We found these 8 photos that provide a unique glimpse into the past of Minnesota’s capital during those tumultuous times.
St. Paul Today
Flickr/Teresa Boardman
- Looking at St. Paul on the Mississippi in 1939.
Photogrammar/John Vachon You can still recognize some of the cityscape, but it’s definitely not the same St. Paul.
- A closeup of downtown from across the river. How many of these buildings can you name?
Photogrammar/John Vachon
- The courthouse and city hall, new additions to St. Paul during the decade.
Photogrammar/John Vachon
- These are the city limits of St. Paul in Sept 1939. You may recognize this view as one we mostly speed by these days.
Photogrammar/John Vachon
- Grain elevators along the Mississippi River. Clearly, Minnesota lived up to the title of flour-milling capital of the world!
Photogrammar/John Vachon
- This is Lincoln Ave. in the fall of 1940. The fall foliage seems to be just as plentiful as it is these days.
Photogrammar/John Vachon
- This is a boarding house in St. Paul.
Photogrammar/John Vachon
- This is St. Paul’s dog pound circa 1939. Definitely not like an animal shelter you’d see today!
Photogrammar/John Vachon
Do you, or anyone in your family have stories about Minnesota in the 1930s? Share them with us on the Only In Minnesota Facebook Page.
Flickr/Teresa Boardman
Photogrammar/John Vachon
You can still recognize some of the cityscape, but it’s definitely not the same St. Paul.
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