The Minneapolis Police Museum is frequently called upon to help family and other historians with research.
Currently, we are helping a family historian research a relative whom they believe may have served as a Minneapolis Police Officer in the early 1900s.
They shared this picture of a Sergeant’s Badge with us. It was exciting for us to see this badge as we do not have this style in our collection and had previously only seen pictures of this badge style in books.
On June 4, 1974 the Minneapolis StarTribune published this photograph of the department’s first all-white squad car.
The newspaper reported that all of the older black-and-white models were expected to be replaced by the new all-white models by the end of 1975.
“We are trying to get away from the hard black-and-white image”, said Bernard Goodrie, Deputy Chief of Patrol. Goodrie shared with the Minneapolis StarTribune that these additional benefits were expected as a result of the change:
-Greater safety because the cars will be more visible;
-More energy efficiency because the white surface will absorb less heat and cars will need less gasoline to cool the interior;
-Cost savings because the cars will not need to be repainted for resale.
Photograph courtesy of Minneapolis StarTribune
Here is a photograph of the 1971 Plymouth Fury Squad Car used by the Minneapolis Police Department.
Photograph provided courtesy of Scott Reichel and taken by Larry Phillips
Recently, we were fortunate to receive some squad car photographs from Scott Reichel of the Hoffman Estates, Illinois Police Department. These photographs were taken by Larry Phillips.
This 1968 Ford was photographed in 1970 in front of the Citizen’s Aid Building at 404 South 8th Street (formerly the George H. Christian House). The building still exists today.
As an interesting architecture side note, the Citizen’s Aid Building was designed by the architecture firm of (Edwin Hawley) Hewitt and Brown. The Minneapolis firm was prominent in the city during the early 20th century and in addition to the Citizen’s Aid Building designed the following:
-Metropolitan Bank Building, 2nd Ave. S. and 6th St.
-McKnight Building, 5th St. and 2nd Ave. S.
-Charles Sexton Residence, 2321 Blaisdell Ave.
-Architects and Engineers Building (1922)
-Qwest Building (1932)
-Eugene J. Carpenter House (1906)
-George C. Christian House, now the Hennepin History Museum, in the Washburn-Fair Oaks Mansion District
-Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church (1916)
-Julia Morrison Memorial Building (Minneapolis School of Art), 25th St. & Stevens Ave. S. (1916) (now part of Minneapolis College of Art and Design)
-St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral (Minneapolis, Minnesota) (1908–11)
University Baptist Church, 1219 University Ave. SE
-Northwestern National Life Insurance Company Home Office, Oak Grove and 15th. St. (now 430 Oak Grove Apartments)
-Dunwoody College of Technology, Wayzata Blvd. and Lyndale Ave.
-The Blake School, 110 S. Blake Rd., Hopkins, Minnesota
-Northrop School, 511 Kenwood Parkway, Minneapolis
-Charles S. Pillsbury residence, 100 E. 22nd St.
-Walter G. Hudson residence, 2400 Pillsbury Ave. S.
-Robert Webb residence, 1920 Pillsbury Ave. S.
-J. L. Record residence, 343 Oak Grove
Photograph taken by Larry Phillips and provided courtesy of Scott Reichel
Here is a photograph taken in 1874 of John H. Noble who was Minneapolis Chief of Police from 1874-1875.
At the time of Chief Noble’s appointment, the Minneapolis Police Department was comprised of eight officers: A.S. Munger; Terrence Connolly; A.C.Berry; John West; B. Hunt; J.D. Rich; Louis Solbery; and Charles Russell.
A.S.Munger went on to become chief in 1876, followed by A.C.Berry in 1883 who was followed by John West in 1884.
Photograph courtesy of the Minnesota Historical Society
Here is a photograph from 1910 of what must have been some of the earliest motorcycle officers on the Minneapolis Police Department. The photograph was taken on South Seventh Street in Downtown Minneapolis.
Photograph courtesy of the Minnesota Historical Society
On June 8, 2008, the people of Cedar Rapids, Iowa fell victim to catastrophic flooding.
Ten square miles (14% of the city), including 5,390 homes that were home to 18,623 people, were destroyed by the rushing waters of the Cedar River.
Cedar Rapids Police Chief Greg Graham made an emergency call to Minneapolis Police Chief Tim Dolan requesting help.
Twenty officers from the Minneapolis Police Department travelled to Cedar Rapids where they spent one week assisting in the recovery.
In this photograph from 1940, members of the Minneapolis City Council Police Committee demonstrate the use of the Drunkometer.
Shown in the photograph (L to R) are: Alderman Hendricks, Police Captain Bakken, and Alderman Lund.
The Minneapolis Police Museum has a Drunkometer in its collection of artifacts.
Photograph courtesy of the Hennepin County Library
Before there was a Breathalyzer, there was a Drunkometer.
The Drunkometer was invented by Dr. Rolla N. Harger, an Indiana University biochemist, in 1931 and was patented in 1936.
The Drunkometer was the first tool to successfully measure alcohol levels using breath analysis. The subject being tested blew into a balloon. The captured air was then mixed with a chemical solution, which changed color if alcohol was present. The darker the solution became, the more alcohol was present in the breath.
In 1938 Dr. Harger was one of five members on a subcommittee of the National Safety Council that drafted a model act to legalize the use of evidence from chemical tests for intoxication and to set limits of body alcohol concentration for motorists. The act was incorporated into drunken driving laws nationwide.
Photograph courtesy of Hennepin County Library
Here is a photograph of the Minneapolis Police Department Dive Team from the 1970s. Can you help us to put names to the faces?