INTERACT FORUM

More => Music, Movies, Politics, and Other Cheap Thrills => Topic started by: JimH on June 22, 2011, 11:33:45 am

Title: American House aka JRiver
Post by: JimH on June 22, 2011, 11:33:45 am: Interesting thing happened just now. A couple of ladies stopped by to say they had some old photos of our building, where JRiver has been located since 1981.

The photos are from about 1880. They show one of the ladies' ancestor, a man named Mike Kraemer, standing in front of his hotel/saloon. Mike came to Minneapolis from Fond du Lac, Wisconsin and started his business here. The first picture shows him standing in front of his new business, a two story building. In the second picture, the building has been remodeled extensively, adding a third floor and a "modern" front.

The pictures have been passed along in Carolyn's family since they were taken.

I gave them a tour of the building, and it ended on the third floor in a small apartment where Mike Kraemer once lived.

Photos (http://www.pix01.com/gallery/8D12431D-7EA0-495D-9EA2-775091458CB9/American_House/)

It was a real surprise and pleasure to meet Carolyn and Tanyia, and to see these pictures. Thanks!

(http://www.pix01.com/gallery/8D12431D-7EA0-495D-9EA2-775091458CB9/American_House/1294755810.jpg)
Title: Re: American House aka JRiver
Post by: wig on June 22, 2011, 11:39:23 am: Very cool. Thanks for sharing.
Title: Re: American House aka JRiver
Post by: kensn on June 22, 2011, 11:47:35 am: Very interesting indeed... I always think.. If they only knew what the building was used for now...
Title: Re: American House aka JRiver
Post by: JimH on June 22, 2011, 12:06:52 pm: What the building looks like now (http://www.pix01.com/gallery/8D12431D-7EA0-495D-9EA2-775091458CB9/125_N_First_St/) -- not much different.
Title: Re: American House aka JRiver
Post by: glynor on June 22, 2011, 12:18:52 pm: Very, very cool!

Thanks for sharing, Jim.
Title: Re: American House aka JRiver
Post by: MrC on June 22, 2011, 12:29:12 pm: What a pleasant surprise, thanks for sharing.
Title: Re: American House aka JRiver
Post by: KingSparta on June 22, 2011, 01:20:24 pm: That Is Way Cool!
Title: Re: American House aka JRiver
Post by: Magic_Randy on June 22, 2011, 09:16:57 pm: Very nice :)
Title: Re: American House aka JRiver
Post by: rjm on June 23, 2011, 10:18:34 pm: you dudes got character
Title: Re: American House aka JRiver
Post by: Mr ChriZ on June 25, 2011, 05:58:16 pm: Very Cool! I wonder if there was something in the triangle bit at the top that is now gone?!
Title: Re: American House aka JRiver
Post by: KingSparta on June 25, 2011, 06:24:28 pm: I don't see any triangle.
Title: Re: American House aka JRiver
Post by: JimH on June 25, 2011, 09:35:02 pm: It's hard to see, but it looks like a sheet metal structure on the roof in the old photo is missing on the newer one.
Title: Re: American House aka JRiver
Post by: KingSparta on June 26, 2011, 07:29:22 pm: I see it now.

I like old things, i aways have I guess since my mom always collected old things.

I always think about who owned it, and what it must have been like back then.

When that building was built The owner must have been so proud.

How many people have walked in and done business there?

the building was built about 30 years before the titanic sunk, if it was still a pub think about the talk about it and other historic events that went on.

I always like to read the old painted advertising on old buildings.