Minnesota History Shop

Great Local Twin Cities History!

Closing Time: Saloons, Taverns, Dives, and Watering Holes of the Twin Cities

In 1838, a rum trader named "Pig’s Eye" Parrant built a small shack in a Mississippi bluff that became the first business in the city of St. Paul: a saloon. Since then, bars, taverns, saloons, and speakeasies have been part of the cultural, social, and physical landscape of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Serving as neighborhood landmarks, sites of political engagement, welcoming centers for immigrants, hotbeds of criminal activity, targets of ire from church and state alike, and, of course, a place to get a drink, the story of the taverns and saloons of the Twin Cities is the story of the cities themselves.

In Closing Time, Bill Lindeke and Andy Sturdevant dive into tales from famous and infamous drinking establishments from throughout Twin Cities history. Readers are led on a multigenerational pub crawl through speakeasies, tied houses, rathskellers, cocktail lounges, gin mills, fern bars, social clubs, singles bars, gastropubs, and dives.

Featuring beloved bars like Matt's, Palmer's, the Payne Reliever, and Moby Dick's, the book also resurrects memories of long-forgotten establishments cherished in their day. Lindeke and Sturdevant highlight neighborhood dives, downtown nightspots, and out-of-the-way hideaways, many of which continue to thrive today. Closing Time brings together stories of these spaces and the people who frequented them.

Contributor(s): Lindeke, Bill (Author), Sturdevant, Andy (Author)
ISBN: 1681341379 EAN: 9781681341378
Publisher: Minnesota Historical Society Press
Pages: 240
Binding: Hardcover
Pub Date: October 15, 2019

Closing Time: Saloons, Taverns, Dives, and Watering Holes of the Twin In 1838, a rum trader named "Pig’s Eye" Parrant built a small shack in a Mississippi bluff that became the first business in the city of St. Paul: a saloon. Since then, bars, taverns, saloons, and speakeasies have been part of the cultural, social, and physical landscape of St. Paul and Minneapoli...

We're celebrating the warm weather with a

15% DISCOUNT SALE!

Just enter the code APRIL15 in the promo code box at checkout. Offer expires April 30th, 2022

Resisting Removal: The Sandy Lake Tragedy of 1850

The account of a nearly-forgotten tragedy of American history, Resisting Removal brings to life a story of political intrigue and bitter betrayal in this moving depiction of a people's desperate struggle to adapt to a changing, hostile world. Captivating and engaging for all the right reasons; talented historical storytelling at its finest.

In February 1850, the United States government ordered the removal of all Lake Superior bands of Ojibwe living upon ceded lands in Wisconsin. The La Pointe Ojibwe, led by their chief elder Kechewaishke, objected, citing promises made just eight years earlier that they would not be removed during their lifetimes. But, Minnesota Territorial Governor Alexander Ramsey and Indian Agent John Watrous had a devious plan to force their removal to Sandy Lake, Minnesota. Put into action, the negligence and ill-intents of Ramsey and Watrous resulted in the death of approximately four hundred Ojibwe people in an event that has become known as the Sandy Lake Tragedy.

Despite the tragedy, government officials, aided by the interests of traders and businessmen, continued their efforts to remove the La Pointe Ojibwe from their ancient homeland on Madeline Island. But the Ojibwe resisted removal time and again. Relying on their traditional lifeways and the assistance of missionaries and local residents, the Ojibwe survived numerous hardships throughout the removal efforts. By 1852, without government approval, the La Pointe Ojibwe traveled to Washington, D.C. to finally right the wrongs against them and to protect their homes. Two years later they earned permanent homes near their homelands after signing the 1854 Treaty of La Pointe.

Follow along as trader and interpreter Benjamin Armstrong, a real historical participant, lives through the harrowing and ever-changing times on the Wisconsin and Minnesota frontiers. Discover the truth about this tragic past and the intentional exploitation of the Ojibwe people and culture. But also, come to understand the complexity of history and question whose story is really being told.

https://www.minnesotahistoryshop.com/products/resisting-removal-the-sandy-lake-tragedy-of-1850

Cooperage Plant at Blackduck, Minnesota, 1910s. A cooperage plant makes barrels, by the way, taking advantage of the seemingly endless supply of wood in the area.

Offered by The Minnesota History Shop, a Minnesota-owned and operated small business. Buy Local!

Print is available in sizes ranging from 4 inch by 6 inch to 13 inch by 19 inch and is also available on postcards.

See more or buy at

Cooperage Plant at Blackduck, Minnesota, 1910s Print Cooperage Plant at Blackduck, Minnesota, 1910s. A cooperage plant makes barrels, by the way, taking advantage of the seemingly endless supply of wood in the area. Postcard image from LakesnWoods.com. Printed on semi-glossy paper.