River Liquor - Marshall and Lowry - Northeast Minneapolis, MN

Gentrification is happening everywhere. It’s a simple fact of life these days. Wherever a long existing business operates, it can quickly go away as soon as the revelation of higher profits that would come from a newer re-purpose of the property, enters the picture. Leaving character, atmosphere and culture of a neighborhood as the ultimate victims. 

But with the money involved, you can't expect anything else.

So one business leaves as soon as a plan is developed for a new business that would make more money for the investors.

The American Dream.

Just over three years ago, in November 2019, I drove down to the endangered Lake Street Kmart, in South Minneapolis. Recently, it had been announced that particular Kmart would close in the Summer of 2020, for an as yet unknown re-purpose. (That store’s closure was sped up by riot, after those four Minneapolis policemen murdered George Floyd, in the same neighborhood.) Likely the building would ultimately be demolished, and I wanted to see it before it was closed to the public.

And write a story about that Lake Street Kmart!

River Liquor, November 16, 2019.

Wanting to revisit some old sites along the way, I drove East River Road to Marshall Street. Tracing the route I remembered so well from childhood. Along the way, I found that River Liquor had recently closed up. I didn’t stop that day, but I made another drive down Marshall, just over a month later. With the expressed purpose to photograph the River Liquor building.

Not that I had any personal history with the place, just that I remembered seeing it. On drives dating back 40+ years now. When I was a little kid, my mom used to take my sister and I to downtown Minneapolis several times a year. We always took that route of East River Road to Marshall to Hennepin to 7th street to the parking ramp attached to Dayton’s.

Where at some point in the late 1970's, she purchased something that was held in this Dayton's paper bag.

Trips to downtown Minneapolis always included lunch at the Nankin Chinese restaurant. 

The souvenir Nankin Wanderers Punch glass survived the 2020 fire at my parent's house. It was in a cabinet that was heavily damaged, but other than a heavy smoke coating, it escaped unscathed. No worse for wear after a Dawn bath. I got this glass after drinking the non-alcohol version of the punch. I was only 10. 

After eating, we'd always look around the various stores in the new City Center, Dayton's and the new Donaldson's. Because the old one had been destroyed by fire.

There were also the stores in the ground level of the IDS Center. At 57 stories, the tallest building in Minnesota. But the first floor and basement had a two level Woolworths. Complete with a restaurant, and video arcade in the basement, just off the toy section. Don't know when it closed (1990 or 1991, I think) but downtown Minneapolis lost a lot of appeal to me with Woolworths gone.

42 miles of pipe!

We did go all the way up to the 51st floor observation deck once.

1984 sounds about right, which matches the vibes that this pamphlet gives off.

But lets' get back to Marshall & Lowry. Where once stood a very small Super America gas station, on the opposite corner as River Liquor. This tiny gas station was an occasional stop on the way to or from downtown Minneapolis. If you need gas or a cold drink, and traffic was cooperative, this was a welcome stop.

Courtesy of the Googles, a July 2009 photo of the former Super America station at Marshall & Lowry. According to appearances by the Googles photo taking van, Super America was likely closed and demolished by 2010. For reasons beyond the cost of updating the property to current standards, or the difficulty in getting in and out of the place, given traffic. Super America had to go, pretty quickly after this picture.

The old Lowry bridge, crossing the Mississippi River, had closed in 2007. It was demolished in 2009, and rebuilt over the next few years. Lowry bridge's reconstruction was a big deal for this part of town. Losing the only Mississippi River crossing for several miles caused a lot of problems for drivers. Super America's property was used as a staging area. You can see the road closure barricades on the right side of this picture. 

When I visited Minnesota in May 2010, my dad and I drove down to where the old Lowry bridge had been removed, less than a year earlier. But we stopped to look from the west side of river.

Another shot of Lowry bridge construction, west bank of the Mississippi, May 2010.

As we drove around that day, my dad kind of read me the riot act regarding my girlfriend of three plus years. Her high levels of twattery was setting off alarm bells with him. Yeah well, me too... I told him that I didn't think she was going to be around all that much longer.

We broke up less than two months later.

I didn't take much for pictures that day, even though I was actually borrowing her digital camera. rather shortsighted of me. There was only one more picture from that day, after these Lowry Bridge shots...

The toilet paper dispenser at the Fridley Cub Foods.

Class.

I couldn't find a date on this picture, but I found an update to the Lowry bridge construction from just east of Marshall, on Lowry. My best guess for this picture would be May, 2012.

I wasn't living in Minnesota during this time. Having left the state in 1996, and returning in 2018. So I missed a great deal of changes to Marshall Street, during that time. Which has some of the same landmarks I remember from the early 1980's, but a lot of change as well. 

September, 2015. Near the intersection of Marshall and Lowry, Betty Danger's Country Club occupies the space where an A&W Drive-In once stood. And Betty brought her own Ferris Wheel and 9 hole Mini-Golf course, placed where there used to be an old car wash. Pretty brave going this all-in on a gimmick trendy bar/restaurant, I've got to admire the effort.

A mile or so south on Marshall, also in September, 2015, this old brick building had it's vintage Orange Crush ad repainted! I remember seeing the ad as a kid, all chipped and faded, and figured it would eventually be covered up. 

But as far as renovations to preserve Minneapolis history goes, you can't top the former Grain Belt Brewery. About another mile or so south of Orange Crush.

The Grain Belt Brewery was built in 1891, and closed in 1975. On one of our trips to downtown Minneapolis, my mom pulled off Marshall and into the parking lot across the street from the main brewery building. I'm pretty sure this was in 1981 or 1982. Due to the square pictures that camera took, and the fact that it was hard to fit the entire building into frame, It took 4 pictures to capture the whole thing.

This building was the main part of a complex that spanned the surrounding blocks. But they weren't facing Marshall in such a grand manner, so I didn't care about them as much. This structure was all sorts of awesome, with the arched windows, peaks and domes. It was such a beautiful building, even as a kid I hated the idea of it being demolished. A very real threat until 1989, when it was placed on the historical register. 

My mom's old Cutlass, parked across Marshall from the Grain Belt Brewery. I don't know if she pulled over to take these pictures specifically so I could write this story in 40 years. She had to know how much I liked the building since I'd ask about it when we'd drive by. Noting changes, tagging, new vandalism and how rapidly windows were broken and/or boarded up. Not even being 10 years old, I really wanted to go inside, and see what was behind the boarded up doors and windows.

I bet it's so cool inside there!

Look closely, you can see the IDS Center on the horizon. By 1990, the former Grain Belt Brewery was officially spared from demolition, but renovations still took another 20 or so years before it would see active businesses inside. I'm not going to try and summarize all that went into refurbishing the old brewery, that looks like this today:

Check out Historic Twin Cities.com, and read their story on the Grain Belt Brewery.

It's an excellent history of the building.

You do know where some of the beer brewed here ended up, don't you?

This picture of the old River Liquor neon sign was used on their Facebook and Yelp! pages. So I stole it! Now it will live in my story! Always liked the neon waves with River in the middle.

Unfortunately the River Liquor sign was removed before I could take a decent picture of it. While it was still attached to the roof when I drove by (and couldn't take a decent picture) in November, it had been removed when I stopped specifically to take pictures in December 2019.

Didn't find a whole lot of River Liquor pictures on the Internet, although this interior shot came up in a few searches. Pretty sure I saw that it was from 2015. But there were quite a few similar to this shot, you could only tell by looking at the end displays.

This one has Chi-Chi's Pocket-Sized Party!

Usually sold next to Sally the Fu**ing Slut!

(One person finds that funny...)

Googles drive by of River Liquor, September, 2017.

When River Liquor was still open.

And the circular hand painted signs were more positive.

November 16, 2019.

When Betty Danger and her Ferris wheel, were still open. 

In the summer of 2022, I was surprised to read that Betty Danger's Country Club had closed. The property was put on the market for $5.2 million. Which does include a Ferris wheel. Guess the gimmick wasn't holding up. Which is sad because whatever business moves in there likely wont continue giving precious land to a Ferris wheel. 

Not like a Chiropractor would particularly want that...

December 21, 2019

Today was the day to stop for pictures of River Liquor.

After all, it was on the way to the Lake Street Kmart and other X-Mess prep stops. 

To the shock of no one, Super America never rebuilt after the Lowry bridge construction wrapped up.

Leaving a rather out of place vacant lot, sitting along this stretch of Marshall Street.

The new Lowry bridge...

Well, that's a thing...

Standing in the middle of the River Liquor parking lot.

To my right, are the front doors to the liquor store.

To my immediate left, the dual shovels sent here to destroy it.

Standing in the middle, I could try and mediate. But it was cold and I had to get to the Electric Fetus. Besides, I doubt my judgement would have stood. After all, I'm siding with the abandoned building every time. 

Whatever that is...

2435 Marshall St. NE Minneapolis, MN, 55418

River Liquor front doors. I love that instead of simple sheets of paper, "dotty computer printed", with the same sentiment, all of the closure signs are hand painted in bright colors. 

Hey! There's me inside the front doors!

Too reflectory to see much of anything.

Damn you sun!

Super Special thanks to one Michael U., for uploading this great photo to Foursquare, back in 2013!

The line at the bottom is of particular interest: Family Owned Since 1946! Certainly long enough that they would have been getting inventory from the Grain Belt Brewery down the street, during it's biggest and most successful days. 

Now knowing what the Betty Danger's property was listed at in 2022, gives a vague idea of what the owners of River Liquor likely got for this property in 2019 (or whenever). Certainly enough to retire comfortably away from the snowy winters and chaos of owning a liquor store in Minneapolis. They had to be looking at a nice payday and never having to work again.

The true American Dream.

A row of north facing windows allowed a glimpse at the interior, going east to west.

A fair amount of the windows were covered up so I couldn't see in, but the camera could still get something. 

Fluorescent light tubes have all been pulled. I doubt there would be much of a delay in tearing the building down now. Can't see them needing to remove the coolers first, in this case. Likely too old and outdated for any resale value. Just as there would be much practical value to gutting and piecing out. Given the anxious shovels waiting outside, I doubt River Liquors was still standing when 2020 began.

(Lucky building...)

As far as the banner in back goes, I have no answers. There are no other River Liquor stores that come up on the Googles, located in Minneapolis. However, according to that same source, Violet Wine operates at this address. But yeah, no idea what that banner was talking about. 

Instead it was likely hauled away with the rest of the debris, when the building collapsed around it.

Another hand painted sign, taped inside the bottom pane of the corner door.

Lending credence to my theory the family who owned this was thrilled to leave it behind.

Enjoy Hawaii!

Looking through that door, out across the store, buncha crap on the floor.

Wish I could see more...

Missing window facing Marshall.

Same style of sign announcing the store's closure, was used as a high profile sign at the roof line, facing Marshall. Appears to have stood up to weather and sun fade, reasonably well. 

From the opposite side of the alley, the south facing side of River Liquors. Betty Danger's Ferris Wheel on the left, and my car on the far right. 

Which I'm walking to right now.

It's cold and I have to find some Beatles at the Fetus, for Laura. 

One last shot of the north facing side of store, as I prepare to turn left off Lowry, back onto Marshall Street south.

So what became of River Liquor? 

To the Googles!

October, 2022.

Yeah, there’s that…

What, were you expecting a roller coaster?

******

As I was wrapping up the final draft of this story, I read some sad news.

RIP Don West

I first encountered Don West by catching his sports card show on the Shop at Home Network. Back in 1996, when I living with Crazy Carl at Ninja School. If we were hanging out in the living room late at night, channel flipping would almost always stick on Don West's sports card shows. Yelling maniacally to the point of cardiac event, about Michael Jordan rookie cards or whatnot, was always entertaining.  

He also pronounced the word "cards" with a T between the R and D.

Which was both jarring and kind of hypnotizing after a while.

In 2002, West joined the upstart TNA Wrasslin promotion to do commentary, alongside Mike Tenay on play by play. West had little knowledge about professional wrestling, but was hired because he could be loud and bring excitement to the broadcast. Understanding the product was less important.

And I enjoyed him in that role as well. 

The loud, confused color commentator is something that hadn't been done before.

He really made you believe these Junk Wax Era sets were going to allow you to retire.

FACTORY SET!!!

As unlikely as it would seem, Don West was yelling in the background of a significant part of my life. 

Which is worthy of some recognition.

Wish I had a Don West autographed cartd.

Or Brown Paper Bag.