Posted in Minnesota History October 19, 2020 by Betsy Rathburn

You Won’t Even Recognize Minnesota When You Watch This Historical Footage From The 1940s

Do you ever wish you could travel back in time? Many of us have, at one point or another, dreamt of going back to see how people once lived. We might never be able to truly step into years gone by, but we can still get a sense of life in decades past through photos and videos.

In the past, we’ve looked at images of Minnesota in the 1950s and 1960s. But today, we’d like to go back even further in time. Below, you’ll find historical footage of Minneapolis from the 1940s. This fascinating footage gives a small glimpse of what life was like 80 years ago in the City of Lakes. Check it out!

Much of the footage is taken from above. You can see how busy Minneapolis was, even in the 1940s. In addition to car traffic, the streetcar lines were still running!

You’ll also catch glimpses of some downtown buildings. How many of these buildings still stand today?

In this building, you can see what is today called the CenturyLink Building. Built in the 1932, it was the city’s second-tallest building through the 1950s. It has also been called the Qwest Building and the Northwestern Bell Telephone Building.

Here, two Minneapolis hotels stand tall over the city streets. How many people must have stayed over the years in the Hotel Curtis and the Leamington Hotel? Today, both have been demolished.

In the street-level footage, it’s neat to see all the old cars driving along the city streets. It’s also fun to catch glimpses of the clothing styles of the era.

The video also includes footage of Minnesotans doing what we have always done best: enjoying the water.

This fascinating footage of the 1940s is a must watch if you’ve ever been curious about what Minneapolis was like in years past. Check out the full video below: