Photo Friday: Sunnyside and France Avenues, Morningside, date unknown

05/27/2011

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This is the northwest corner of Sunnyside Road and France Avenue, the location of Bruegger's Bagels (4412 France Avenue) and Caribou Coffee  today.  See Google "street view" image below to compare then and now.

We don't have the date in our records, but you can tell by the cars that it's early in Morningside's history. And when I say you can tell by the cars, I literally mean you. I readily admit that car identification is not my specialty. So if it's yours, tell me the date this photo was taken.

The name on the side of the building says "Piggly Wiggly," a grocery store chain that started in Memphis in 1916. (Read their interesting company history here.)  People who lived in the area in more modern times (1940s-1970s) remember these long-time businesses in this building: Burr's County Club Barbers, Miller's Hardware Store, Joyce's Bakery, Carlson's Odd Shop and Griffen Drug.
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This is another view, circa 1941, on France and 44th Street looking south toward the building (partial view of the drug store sign is on the the left.) This was then an empty lot (today it's Linhoff Photo), where a memorial was erected during World War II to honor those Morningside residents in service. The photo shows residents gathering for a Memorial Day ceremony.

Previous "Photo Fridays" have included selections from the City of Edina tax assessor records. Our Morningside-Linden Hills walking tour this week and upcoming Memorial Day prompted me to use these photos instead.

The walking tour was a huge success and so much fun. (A group of 60 people walking down a street captures a lot of attention.) Thanks to our tour guide, historian Peter Sussman and the Linden Hills History Study Group for partnering with us on this event. We hope to offer more tours in the future. To get on a mailing list for future events, become a member or email us. 

If you have information about these photos, please contact me. (And yes, that means you, car aficionados.)
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Remembering: Mary Fenlason

04/08/2009

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The headline on Mary Fenlason's obituary in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune said it all: "Mary Ann Fenlason dug into Edina history." When I first started as director of the Edina Historical Society, Mary handled the membership database and mailings for our organization. She and fellow charter member Donna Skagerberg kept the files up to date -- often because they personally knew many of our then 200 or so members. "They're in Florida for the winter" or "she moved to a condo" Mary would say, updating the address without needing a notice from members. Both she and Donna would write personal notes on membership renewal notices.

From our inception in 1969, Mary and her husband Jim were involved, both having served as president for several terms. Even after her health kept her from coming in weekly, Mary helped -- she was always someone I could call for as a "primary source" of Edina history. But beyond her work, Mary was simply a fun person to be around. We will miss her.

Mary designated the Edina Historical Society and her church, Normandale Lutheran, for memorials. For a full obituary, see Minneapolis Star Tribune March 31, 2009 issue.

Photo: Mary Westerberg Fenlason on her first day of school circa 1937.

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