DRIVE-INS & HAUNTS
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Adobe Drive-In |
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3550 Cedar Avenue South |
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![]() Anne Billingsley, 1956 Anne (Billingsley) Kerr, 2008 |
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~ Some Minneapolis Memories ~ "I would like to contribute some information about some of those Drive-In Haunts." "The drive-in across the street from the Airloha was owned by Delbert and Donald Cummings, and I was one of their first employees. It was not an A & W root beer stand. The root beer was purchased from the Rich-O root beer stand which was located near Minnehaha Falls on 46th Street and 42nd Avenue south. I think I was in 9th grade when I went to work for them. I worked there all summer long. Del and Don were dairy farmers on their property which was subsequently sold to the airport or the city when the Crosstown highway was constructed. The Cummings did not construct that building but rather moved it from another location. The second owners were Vic and Marie Chase. Vic owned the Mobil gas station located at 54th and 34th Avenue South. I worked for them about two or three summers as one of their fry cooks, where I learned a lot from Marie's mother. Her name was Gertrude and she was a bear to work with. One of their specialties was the Texburger, which was mustard, ketchup and red pepper. The redder the pepper the hotter it got! When Vic sold the drive-in or it was vacated by the Highway, I went to work for a new drive-in that was built on 58th and Cedar Avenue. (Do you suppose that's the 5-8 Club today?) It was built and owned by a guy who ran a restaurant on Nicollet and Lake Street whose name escapes me right now. He introduced me to making pizza and that was on the menu. I cannot think of the name of the drive-in, but maybe it will come to me later. I think I worked there for two years. There was another new drive-in that was built right across the street from the old airport terminal on 34th Avenue South. (the Sunset Drive-In?) In fact, the guy who ran that was a guy with the name A. That's right only the first letter of the alphabet. And guess what, my mother worked there part-time in 1957 or 1958! One more interesting tid-bit: My father and his dad, John Corcoran helped grade the very first runways at Wold Chamberlain Field with their team of horses. This was sometime between 1910 and 1920. Their horses were on their property which was on 51st and 39th Avenue South. Grandpa Corcoran died in 1936, so I never knew him because I was born in March of 1937. I thought that I might be able to add some information that could be included on the web site." ~ Patrick A. (Pat) Corcoran, RHS '55 ~ 8/25/09
~ Additional Note from Pat ~ |
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~ Oh the Memories ~ "I thank you so much for the page of memories on drive-ins . . . and the Parkway Canteen." "Okay, I am going to relive a few memories . . . In the '60s, I grew up living on 58th Street and 44th Avenue South. Before the 62 Crosstown came roaring through, we kids would ride our bikes to the Airloha Drive-In to get the best hot dogs around. I was surprised they didn't include those hot dogs on the menu; they were sooooo good. A day of fun for us kids would be to ride our bikes down to Skylane Bowling lanes, bowl a few games then run up 34th Avenue to the Airloha for the dogs. When this page of the web site opened and I panned down to see the familiar billboard sign, I burst out in tears tonight. AND PINKY!!!!!! I remember those little cars driving all over my neighborhood all the time. I keep telling my daughter about these cars when we see the tiny electric cars driving around now. Thanks again for the wonderful site . . . so many memories about all those places. Dave's Popcorn was the best. Charlie's A&W was okay too, but the Airloha had 'em beat hands down for the best food. Beek's Pizza still remains my favorite pizza long after the place has gone. Only one place rivals Beek's, that's Tasty Pizza on 41st and Central Avenue NE. They make the pizza the way Beek's used to." ~ Fred Axberg, RHS '72 ~ 8/21/09 |
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~ Old Airloha Employee... ~ "Yep, I'm the guy who cleaned up the parking lot, watered the new trees along the drive-up, and scrubbed the front of the building. Mrs. Lemley would drop by in her turquoise, 1955 Pontiac convert with little Travis in the seat next to her. "Lem" paid me well. He said I could have all I could eat. Of course they were not open at that time of the day. That was 55 years ago. Anything that went on in south Minneapolis, back then, I can remember: Marty's, the little beach at Nokomis, the stone quarry, all of the "good" parking spots, Carl the cop and Tom at the Minnehaha Park skating rink, and the friendly snowball fights in the Airloha parking lot after the RHS basketball games. If I could do it all over, I'd do it all over. We lived in a great era. If I could only find a good Stratoburger now. By the way, large cones were 20¢ at the Dairy Queen." ~ Lloyd Washburn '57 ~ 3/11/10 |
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~ My First Real Job ~ "Lani, gosh, I forgot to tell you about my first real job. I started at the Minnehaha Falls pony rink at age 11 (1950) at Hiawatha Avenue and the Parkway. I led the ponies around in a circle, shoveling up pony poop, frying my brains in the hot summer sun from 1:00 p.m. until dark. The pay was $4.00 for all day. Then I would head for Ray's Diner (later Paul Pearson's Drive-In), across from the Canteen, and had a chicken dinner for $1.25. Not a lot of money made here, but Ray made good chicken. I must have really liked ponies. I worked there three summers. NOW THAT'S FUNNY!" Note from webmaster: What is even more amusing is that you very likely led me around the pony rink with my dad, one of the few memories I hold. ~ Lloyd Washburn '57 ~ 3/11/10 |
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~ Reminiscing ~ Man, I stumbled onto this website just staring at my computer last night. Airloha flashed into my mind. How nice. I could go on for days with these memories. The building across the street from the Airloha was painted orange (maybe could have been an A&W). The Tom-Tom Drive-In never did too much business. It was on the west side of Cedar Ave. S. approximately about 63rd Street., just a ways north from the old Airport Pet Hospital, just south a few feet from the gas company shut off valves sticking out of the ground. Those pipes may still be there. The 5/8 Club has been there forever. I remember all of the plane crashes that ever happened out there. I was playing baseball across the street, in the V.A. hospital field when the jet hit the street and bounced into those houses on 58th and 46th Ave. S. That was a horrible sight. It is on the internet with a few pictures. A fireman friend of mine couldn't get his fire truck any closer than four blocks from there because of the crowds of people and cars blocking the streets. The Navy put the initial fire out. To read more here is a link: http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/oldnews/archives/31
Roosevelt
High
School lunch
was 50¢ and soybean
hamburgers
were 50¢ extra. |
Beek's
the King of Pizza
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| ~ Beek's Pizza, at 3836 Hiawatha Avenue, PA1-3836. This was certainly a popular haunt! ~ |
"In April 1957, this converted fruit stand, located at 38th Street and Hiawatha Avenue in Minneapolis, opened as, 'Beek the King of Pizza'. The building was small, cramped, had a leaky roof but was an instant success. It had atmosphere. The tables and chairs were used and the decor wasn't much but the pizza was great. The thin crust was covered with delicious tomato paste, spiced with Charles Beekman's own recipe, fresh ground meat, then smothered with the best mozzarella cheese. ![]() Yum! ~ As far as pizza was concerned in general, it seems to me our only options were sausage or pepperoni. There are many more choices today, but with fewer spices. ~ It was a fun place. Young people from South, Roosevelt and Washburn High Schools gathered on Friday nights, families came for dinner and guys brought their dates. This was 'The Place'." In the 1980s, there were five Beek locations: St. Louis Park, South Minneapolis (Bloomington Ave.), Crystal, Southwest Minneapolis (Lyndale Ave. S), and Bloomington (Southtown Center). This Hiawatha Avenue location (photo above) was demolished as were many homes to make way for today's light rail system. |
Source: a placemat! ![]() Beek's Pizza Cynthia, Dorsey, Judy, Kay, and Adrianne (standing) Submitted by Cynthia Fritzke |
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Bill's A & W |
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Menu Favorites Root Beer in Frosted Mugs Coney Islands French Fries & Onion Rings Burger Baskets Malts & More Bill's A & W was located near the Lake Street bridge, on the northwest corner of West River Road. The owner was Bill Rosener (pronounced, /Rizner/ previously of La Crosse, Wisconsin. Did you work there? What memories or stories do you have? Do you have a photo? "I used to 'live' at Bill's A & W. During high school dating, I used to take girls to Bill's for root beers and coney islands, then park the car and walk along the river. I recall one Sunday while hiking the river with my two springer spaniels. I walked up to Bill with the dogs on leashes and ordered a root beer. Bill gave each of the dogs a cup of water. Evenings were often spent sitting at Bill's in the car drinking root beer, listening to doo wop, and contemplating the muse." ~ Jack Koblas, SHS '60 ~ "I remember the one day I worked there. I took a malt out to a guy who was in a convertible speedster. He had only his swimming trunks on. When I tried to attach the tray with the malt on it, well, it dumped into his lap! I was so mortified at the time. I then quit and started working in the kitchen at Swedish Hospital. Looking back on it, I still feel badly for the guy, but I can now see the humor in it. Memories are fun." ~ Kathleen Savage, SHS '62 ~ "I remember Bill's A & W Drive in. My wife Sally H. used to work there and that is where we met. I also remember Dianne E. and Kathy L. We used to drive Bill crazy with our old black '47 Dodge with bells and whistles." ~ James Benson, SHS, '59 ~ Remember this drive-in sign slogan seen at
many drive-ins? |
The Bridgeman's we probably enjoyed the most, besides the one downtown, was located on East Lake Street at 38th Avenue South.
Bridgeman's in Richfield on 66th Street, west of Lyndale Avenue South was
closed, summer, 2007.
Bridgeman's (formerly the Canteen and Parkway Restaurants) at 48th and Hiawatha
Avenue is still in business!
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621 Hennepin Avenue Downtown Minneapolis
February 22, 1954
September 30, 1958

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Canteen Cafe At the Parkway Motor Court |
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4733
&/or
4757 Hiawatha
Avenue |
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The Canteen was easily identifiable by the tall totem pole in the parking lot at the Parkway Motel next door. The Canteen became the Parkway Restaurant, then closed and re-opened several years later as Bridgeman's. The Motor Court (motel) is gone, and a strip mall now occupies that area, but Bridgeman's is still there! |
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| Looks a lot different from 1956 above! Photos taken 5/1/09; one on right 9/2/09 |
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It is an understatement to say that it is a bit of a challenge to reach Bridgeman's, because of the renovation along Hiawatha Avenue that was completed a few years ago. If you are interested in going there, from Hiawatha Avenue turn east onto East 46th Street and then a quick right onto the strip mall's frontage road. Follow the frontage as far as the road allows. You will have reached Bridgeman's with its distinctive blue awnings. This is the former Canteen Cafe! |
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Remember the totem pole? It still exists! "It is lying on its side alongside Bridgeman's. It is so iconic for those of us who grew up during the '50s, '60s, and '70s in that area." Here are some thumbnail photos to enlarge. To view the totem pole, just click on each image below: ~ Cindy Knutson, RHS, '72 text ~ |
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As for the Parkway Canteen . . . "I was one of the hotel's courtesy car drivers for many years, driving customers to and from the airport and other places. Ohhhhhhhh, the stories I could write about that place! I love the pictures (above). I watched as they tore down the motel and cried with a few of the old employees there. I am glad the totem pole is still in existence, but I wanna know where Clyde is. Clyde is the wooden Indian who sat in the lobby of the Parkway Motel; and for the crew who worked the midnight to 8:00 a.m. shift, Clyde was our buddy. If anyone knows where Clyde is, pleeeeease let me know. I would love to see him again. I thought I saw him in a tobacco store on University Avenue and Lowry, but the eyes were different. Clyde the wooden Parkway Motel Indian had a marble eye. I know because I put it there when he accidently lost his wooden one. It was my marble from home. Hahahahaha . . . people do strange things at 4:00 a.m. I embedded it so tightly that I think if Clyde still exists somewhere, that that marble is still in his eye socket. It would be so cool to know if he is still around. You can email the webmaster if you find the old boy!" ~ Fred Axberg, RHS '72 ~ 8/21/09 |
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![]() Photo source: Colin Quinn |
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Here you have some nostalgic advertising . . . Charlie's, as we knew it, was
owned by Charles and Beatrice Pieck and later by their daughter, Barbara (Pieck)
Jensen, who graduated from Roosevelt in the class of '59. |
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~ Joe Ordos, RHS, 1958 via Char (Moery) Pehrson, RHS, 1961, 8/2/08 ~ |
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| "My biggest memory is their winter sign, 'Gone for the season, freezin' the reason' Loved it even as a teen." | ||
| ~ Linda (Goodman) Idziorek, RHS, '66 ~ 4/25/09 | ||
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"I have lots of stories about working at
Charlie's...and about the folks I worked for and with. One of the stories that most people knew if they ever rode with Bea in her Caddy is that she either never had been taught to drive or was scared to do so. Often, she would ask one of the "boys" to drive the car when we went out for pizza after work. She liked to be around us kids. Anyway, about her driving, she was a nervous driver....she never went too fast but she went jerky....gas pedal...brake...gas pedal...brake...gas pedal...brake....gas pedal...brake...and then you have gone the 1st block....now the 2nd block would be brake...gas pedal....brake...gas pedal....brake...gas pedal, etc. We were all so thankful when we finally got to the restaurant. We often went to Mama Rosa's down near 7 Corners." |
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| ~ Karen (Precht) Fortman ~ 5/9/09 | ||
| "This is a fantastic website ... Talk about
memories. As for the drive-ins, Charlie's was the place to go after football games." |
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| ~ Jerry Sacre, RHS '55 ~ 8/29/09 | ||
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Curran's Drive-In |
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5/11/2009 4201 Nicollet Avenue |
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Early Menu Favorites Hamburgers & Hot Dogs Rich-O Root Beer & Lem-O-Lime Soda Orange-Ade & Grape-O Soda Ice Cream ![]() Curran's Root Beer Stand - Opening Day 5/17/1948 Curran's, a small 14' x 14' root beer stand located on the southeast corner of 42nd and Nicollet Avenue has been in business at this location since May 17, 1948. Car hops served customers until 1954, and a counter and stools were added inside the establishment that same year. In 1955, a two-way car-to-kitchen speaker ordering-system was installed. The dining room and coffee shop were built in about 1974 and the menu was expanded to meet growing business needs. In 1978, a 30-year era ended when Curran's discontinued the drive-in service and removed the speaker system. Over the next 30+ years, they continued to expand both their menu and the restaurant. It continues to be a great place to eat today! |
![]() 1949 1949 1950s 1970s |
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2009 |
![]() Early photos courtesy of D. M. Curran |
Dairy Queen

Comments from an Old-timer
"This is a fantastic website ... Talk about
memories."
After perusing our site, a Roosevelt '55 alumnus emailed me, saying that he missed seeing anything about the
Dairy Queen
on the
Parkway and Minnehaha Avenue. "I believe it was the first or one of
the first Dairy Queens.
It was a great place in the summers of the '50s for a tall milk shake that cost
25¢.
The Dairy Queen is still
there.
It is on the northwest corner, but they have built a round-about
where Minnehaha Avenue and the Parkway cross.
The Canteen was
located behind it, across the railroad tracks."
~ Jerry Sacre, RHS '55 ~
8/21/09
Today, I decided to check out this DQ on the
Parkway & Minnehaha.
As you can tell, it no longer looks as it did in high school. I stopped
for lunch and inside I spotted a sign,
"Remodeling will start September 14th" (in about 1-1/2 weeks). They will probably add deep
fryers, as they do not sell French fries now, just potato chips.
In my opinion, the building's exterior currently has a '70s look to it.

4740 Minnehaha Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55406

9/2/09
To view a larger image, click to enlarge this
thumbnail photo.
This image below is probably more familiar to us . . .
The Minneapolis DQ pictured
below, located at another site, has been in business since 1957 or 1960 (conflicting dates),
according to an online
source. The signage has been updated to reflect its partnership with
Orange Julius.
The vintage rooftop sign remains.

Carl's Dairy Queen
6014 Portland Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55417
To view a larger image, click this
thumbnail photo.
Dairy Queens were 20¢ in 1957
Lloyd Washburn '57
Ä
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