Category: History

If you are middle-aged or younger you might believe that dialing 9-1-1 in a police, fire, or medical emergency has always been a thing.

But that is not the case.

Before November 31, 1982, if you had an emergency, you would open up your telephone book to find the number for the police, fire or ambulance and then call the appropriate seven-digit number for your particular emergency.

With the advent of 9-1-1, you could call one easy-to-remember number and then the dispatcher would send the appropriate agencies to your rescue.

The move to 9-1-1, as with most changes, had its smooth and rough spots.

The initial rough spot was the large number of curiosity calls to 9-1-1. This happened because people wanted to verify whether 9-1-1 could actually see their address when they called and because they had various questions about 9-1-1 operations. Large volumes of hang-up calls were also reported in the first weeks of 9-1-1. When asked why they called and hung-up, people responded that they just wanted to make sure that the phone number worked.

The initial education campaign for 9-1-1 indexed heavily on its use for emergencies only. It took a while for people to settle on a practical definition of “emergency” and additional communication was needed to help people understand that they did not need to wait until a crime had actually occurred to call 9-1-1 but that they should call if they suspected that a crime was developing; for example, when an unfamiliar person was peering into the windows of their vacationing neighbor’s house or when someone was walking down the street looking into car windows.

In the first 18 months of its existence, people were especially hesitant to use 9-1-1 for medical emergencies and still generally first called their doctors to discuss their condition before calling 9-1-1. From a Minneapolis StarTribune article of June 28, 1984 we learn the following:

In the summer of 1983, Minneapolis experienced a rash of robberies of elderly couples and rapes of elderly women. It was suspected that one man was committing these crimes. In September of 1983, a 9-1-1 call from an elderly couple who had just been robbed was the key to apprehending the suspect. Third Precinct Captain Dan Graff said that the timing of the police in capturing the suspect within minutes of his latest robber was “extraordinary”. “It’s a credit to the 9-1-1 emergency line, to the officers and to the surveillance effort going on at the time”.

Top advertisement from the Minneapolis StarTribune of December 7, 1982

Quotation of Captain Graff from the Minneapolis Star Tribune of September 10, 1983

Today we honor the memory of the 2,977 people killed in the terror attacks of September 11, 2001 at the World Trade Center site, near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and at the Pentagon.

We offer our condolences to their families and to all who loved them.

We are also thinking of the courage, selflessness, and perseverance of the men and women of the rescue and recovery effort.

We are grateful to them for their service.

Svenskarnas Dag (literally translated as Swedish People’s Day and also known as Swedish Heritage Day) is an annual celebration that takes place at Minnehaha Park on the 4th Sunday of June.

Svenskarnas Dag includes many activities such as: a morning church service; the raising of the Midsommar Pole; various singing and dancing performances by local and visiting Scandinavian groups; visiting amongst families and friends; eating of traditional Swedish foods; and the crowning of the Midsommar Queen.

On June 28, 1964, President Johnson and First Lady Claudia “Ladybird” Johnson paid a visit to Svenskarnas Dag. Usually, crowds of 40,000 to 50,000 attended the event but that year more than 100,000 persons were drawn to Minnehaha Park with the hopes of catching a glimpse of the couple.

Civic leaders were very proud of Minnehaha Falls as a nationally-recognized natural wonder of the city and they were concerned that the untimely reduction of the roaring waters to a trickle (due to lack of rain) would make for a poor experience when the President and the First Lady visited the setting. So, they spent $600 ($5,015 in 2020 dollars) to add water to the creek and bring the waterfall to full force.

With the assassination of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy less than one year earlier, great precautions were taken to ensure President Johnson’s safety. It was not confirmed until the very last minute that before arriving at Svenskarnas Dag he and the First Lady would be attending morning services at Mount Olivet Lutheran Church.

The Minneapolis Police Department did its part to keep President Johnson safe. The StarTribune reported that officers were everywhere at the Sheraton-Ritz where he and Ladybird were staying. Officers were fanned out for two blocks around the hotel in every direction and 26 officers were counted on 4th Street alone between Marquette and 3rd Avenues.

In the interests of safety, President Johnson travelled to Minnehaha Park in a closed car and then once in the park he transferred to an open car so that Svenskarnas Dag attendees could better see him.

In the photograph above, President Johnson is pictured sitting at the very back of the car on a ledge surrounded by Secret Service agents.

In the left foreground of the photograph, you see two Minneapolis Police Officers dressed in tan shirts and brown trousers. This tan and brown combination was the summer uniform of the Minneapolis Police Department for a time in the 1960s.

Photograph courtesy of Hennepin County Library
Report from Minneapolis StarTribune of June 28, 1964

On March 23, 1998 the new Cable Channel 34 show “MPD Live” had its premiere.

The show was created to provide Minneapolitans with crime prevention strategies and safety tips and to give them the opportunity to get to know Minneapolis Police Officers.

In the beginning, the hosts of “MPD Live” were Jim Long, a Crime Prevention Specialist Supervisor, and Matt McClean, an Officer in the Fifth Precinct.

The show was broadcast live every other Tuesday evening at 6:00 pm from a first floor room in City Hall. There were special guests from the Minneapolis Police Department, city government, and the community each week along with calls from viewers. Hosts and guests answered viewers’ questions about safety and police work.

Minneapolis Police Chief Robert Olson was the show’s inaugural guest. He came back a year later, in 1999, to help celebrate the first anniversary of the show.

On the first anniversary show, Chief Olson spoke about the decrease in crime since the previous year and the success of the CODEFOR program which was a system created to analyze crime data and send officers to crime hotspots.

Of “MPD Live”, Chief Olson said, “What a venue to get citizens constantly reeducated about the little things that could be the difference between being the victim of a crime or not.”

The show was produced by a combined team of paid staff and volunteers and cost between $200 and $300 per episode to broadcast.

In its first year, “MPD Live” covered housing issues, community crime prevention strategies, and information about the operations of the 911 system. There was a visit from a K9 and his Officer. A man serving time in the Hennepin County Workhouse for burglary made a special appearance on the show to discuss how he committed his crimes and how people could avoid becoming victims of theft.

Top photograph and story from the Minneapolis StarTribune of March 24, 1999

In September of 1922, more than 75 wives, mothers, sisters, daughters and women friends of Minneapolis Police Officers came together to form the Minneapolis Police Ladies’ Auxiliary.

As their very first officers, the members elected:

• President – Mrs Arthur Martin of 1921 Laurel Avenue
• Vice President – Mrs Adam Smith of 2637 35th Avenue
• Secretary – Miss Ellen Winell of 3724 17th Avenue South
• Treasurer – Mrs Lawrence Wicklund of 2657 James Avenue North

The Minneapolis Police Ladies’ Auxiliary was a both a philanthropic and a social organization.

Its monthly business meetings were held sometimes in the homes of members and often over lunch in restaurants. The particular favorite restaurants of the Ladies’ Auxiliary were the Hasty Tasty, Freddie’s Cafe and the Hotel Dyckman.

The group also held benefit card parties. Here is a notice for one from 1937 to be held at the Bryant Avenue Station for the benefit of the Michael Dowling School for Handicapped Children. The most popular card games played at these fund-raising events were Bridge and 500.

Another frequent philanthropic activity, especially during the Great Depression, were the all-day sewing sessions held at the homes of members to benefit women and children of Minneapolis in need.

“All-You-Can-Eat” lunches and suppers drew in hungry diners in search of a good meal and eager for the opportunity to help others.

Dances were always well-attended and the proceeds from them were used to further the many good works of the Minneapolis Police Ladies’ Auxiliary.

Photograph at top from the Minneapolis StarTribune of January 9, 1938

On January 8, 1918, thieves broke into the Raleigh Waist Company located at 833 Nicollet Avenue.

During a midnight robbery, the thieves stole 541 ladies’ shirtwaists which were valued between $7,000 and $8,000 in total. They loaded up several trunks with the shirtwaists and spirited them away by automobile.

Fortunately, Minneapolis Police were able to solve the crime and return the shirtwaists, in excellent condition, to the owners of the Raleigh Waist Company.

In the advertisement above, the owners of the Raleigh Waist Company thank the Minneapolis Police for recovering the shirtwaists and state their wish to share their good fortune with the ladies of Minneapolis by inviting them to a sale.

Sources: Minneapolis StarTribune of January 8, 1918 and January 20, 1918

Beginning in 1947, the School Patrol Picnic was held annually for more than 20 years. The event recognized School Patrol members for their fine work in keeping their fellow classmates safe as they travelled to and from school.

On May 19, 1966, the picnic took place at Minnehaha Park. Attending were 5,000 School Patrol members who were entertained with games, races, prizes and entertainment. Awards were also presented to the members.

Throughout the years, the School Patrol program has been known for developing outstanding citizenship qualities in its members.  Many School Patrol members have gone on to become police officers, firefighters, medical professionals, teachers, and librarians.  

Source: Minneapolis StarTribune of May 12, 1966

Photograph of Officer Leo Gilligan with a School Patrol member and a schoolchild in the early 1960s from the museum archives

“They have a way of cataloging smells in their tiny little brains, but they can’t do much other police work.”

Those were the words of Officer Fred Desjardin, in 1987, about the two new police dogs, Amos and Cy, who had recently joined the Minneapolis Police Department.

Amos and Cy were not the usual German Shepherds, or Belgian Malinois, or Dutch Shepherds that were in common use in police departments across the Upper Midwest. Amos and Cy were bloodhounds, a type of police dog which was more commonly used in the South.

While shepherds relied upon their keen sight to help them in their searches, bloodhounds depended upon their fantastic sense of smell. While shepherds were aggressive partners to their human police partners, the bloodhounds were less assertive.

Of the bloodhounds, Officer Desjardin remarked, “If they found a criminal, they would just wag their tails.”

Because of their skills at remembering smell, Amos and Cy were used most frequently to follow trails that might be several days old. They were also skilled at searches along concrete and other hard surfaces where shepherds sometimes failed.

Amos and Cy trained in Kansas City before going on duty with the Minneapolis Police Department. Amos was the K9 partner of Officer Desjardin and Cy was the K9 partner of Sergeant Jerry Larson who was the head of the K9 Unit.

Story idea by Retired Officer David Niebur

Quotations and photograph of Officer Desjardins and Amos courtesy of Minneapolis StarTribune of April 3, 1987

The Wedge, the community newspaper of the Lowry Hill East Neighborhood Association (LHENA), wrote about the January visit:

“Two policemen from the Model City Precinct were our guests at the Association’s January general meeting. Officers Marv Jones and Jim De Concini were invited to the meeting to discuss what people can do to protect their homes from burglary.

Burglary, they said, is the most prevalent crime. They noted that one of the most obvious precautions one can take is to lock the doors and windows when you are gone from your house or apartment. If you will be working in the backyard of your hose, make sure the front and side doors are locked.

The officers stated that all doors should be equipped with dead bolt locks. If your apartment does not have these locks, you should inform your landlord that he is in violation of the law. If dead bolt locks are not installed, you can file a complaint against your landlord.

If property is stolen from your home, chances for recovery of the items will be much greater if you have recorded the serial numbers and descriptive details of such valuables as TV sets, cameras, power tools, stereos, etc. Another technique is to etch an identifying mark or number, such as your social security number on your valuables. This makes stolen items more difficult for burglars to sell and easier for the police to identify.

An electric etching tool is available for use by individuals at the Model City Precinct, 2639 Nicollet. The etchers are loaned free of charge at the precinct desk and can be used to mark either metal or wood.

A suggestion the officers made to make identification of burglars easier is to keep a glass candy bowl or vase on top of such valuables as stereos or TV sets. Burglars will move the dish to get the valuable item, thus leaving their fingerprints on the dish. This makes it easier for the police to identify the burglar.

Officers Jones and De Concini also emphasized the importance of neighborhood concern in preventing burglaries. Areas where people watch out for their neighbors are avoided by burglars. They urged people to be suspicious of strangers and unusual activities in the neighborhood and report them immediately to the police. Quick action may mean the apprehension of a criminal.”

Minneapolis Police Officers continue to this day to visit neighborhood association meetings and share advice. Their practical and easily-implemented recommendations for better safety are appreciated by residents across the city.

The Wedge of February 1, 1972 courtesy of Hennepin County Library

Photograph of the Model City Precinct from the “Minneapolis Police 150th Anniversary” book published by Acclaim Press (currently out of print)

Captain Elmer Nordlund was born in 1917. He married his wife Mary on December 30, 1939.

Their son John was born in January 1941 and later that year, in November, Captain Nordlund joined the Minneapolis Police Department.

He started out on the Vice Squad and although he was 24 years of age, his baby face made it hard for him to get into the bars to do his work. Over time, he was promoted to Detective and assigned to Theft.

He was known for his photographic memory which his daughter Diane said allowed him to spot stolen cars on the streets as he drove past them.

Captain Nordlund had a morning radio show where he broadcast news about accidents with the intention of reducing traffic mishaps and promoting safe driving.

By the time that he was promoted to Captain – the youngest Captain ever in the Department – he and Mary had a total of four children: John; Barbara Ann; Nancy; and Diane.

During his more than 40 year career with the Minneapolis Police Department, Captain Nordlund also worked at the Minnehaha Station, was Assistant Chief under Pat Walling, was an Inspector, and then also was Deputy Chief in charge of Patrol. He served as Second Precinct Commander and was also Chief under Mayor Al Hofstede.

When he passed away, he was just a few short months from retirement. His widow, Mary said, “He could have retired at 50, but he loved his work.”

Many Northeasters and others spoke highly of Captain Nordlund and his contributions to the city.

Here is a link to the full tribute to Captain Nordlund from The Northeaster of April 17, 1982:

https://digitalcollections.hclib.org/digital/collection/p17208coll7/id/42344/rec/10

“The Northeaster” of April 17, 1982 courtesy of Hennepin County Library