In the late 1890s, it was thought by some Minneapolitans that the area of the city on the west bank of the Mississippi River was more exciting, bustling and cosmopolitan than the area to its east.
During his time with the Minneapolis Police Department, Captain Swan Walton would have been familiar with and may have even visited – whether on duty or at leisure – the Pence Opera House, the Academy of Music, the Lyceum Theater, the Palace Theater, the Grand Opera House, the Bijoux Opera House, the Theater Comique, and the Scandinavian Concert Halls in their locations downtown to the west of the Misssissippi River.
During his time of service, Captain Walton would also have seen the construction of some impressive public buildings west of the river.
As pictured above, the Post Office had its first foundation stone laid at the corner of Third Street and First Avenue in 1886. Construction started on the City Hall and Courthouse in 1888. In 1889, the Library and Athaneum opened on Hennepin Avenue and Tenth Street. Then in 1890, the Masonic Temple on Hennepin Avenue and Sixth Street opened its doors.
Illustrations taken from History of the City of Minneapolis, Minnesota (Atwater, 1893)