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Lilac Way
Documenting Lilac Way's history and seven historic parks on Highway 100 in Minneapolis, MN.
Lilac WayLilac Way
  • History
    • What was Lilac Way?
    • Why was Highway 100 called Lilac Way?
    • Roosevelt, the WPA and the Great Depression
    • Arthur Nichols, Landscape Architect
    • Carl Graeser, Engineer
    • The Men Who Built Lilac Way
    • The Golden Valley Garden Club
    • Newspaper Articles, Transcribed for Easy Reading
    • Research and Resources
    • MnDOT Documents
  • Beehive Fireplaces
    • About the Beehive Fireplaces
    • Creating the Beehive Fireplaces
    • The Beehive Graveyard
  • Parks
    • The Seven Roadside Parks
    • Locations of Seven Roadside Parks
    • RESTORED: Graeser Park – Robbinsdale, MN >
      • About
      • Restoration and Preservation
      • News
      • Photo Albums
      • Videos, YouTube channel
      • Lions Club Stewardship
      • Beehivers
      • Carl Graeser, Engineer
      • Original Structures
      • Videos, featured
      • Videos, CCX Media
    • RENEWED: Lilac Park, formerly Roadside Park – St. Louis Park, MN,
      • About
      • Lilac Park renewal, St. Louis Park, MN
      • Photo albums
      • Videos, YouTube Playlist
    • SAVED: Rock Island Park (North end of old Lilac Park) – St. Louis Park, MN
      • About Rock Island Park
      • News
      • Photo Albums
      • Preservation efforts
      • Video Playlist, YouTube
    • LOST: Blazer Park – Golden Valley, MN
    • LOST: Excelsior Boulevard Roadside Park – St. Louis Park, MN
    • LOST: Glenwood Avenue Roadside Park- Golden Valley, MN
    • LOST: Graeser Park South – Robbinsdale, MN
    • LOST: Lilac Park, old (South end) – St. Louis Park, MN
  • Restoration
    • Objectives
    • Graeser Park Preservation and Restoration
    • Lilac Park renewal, St. Louis Park, MN
    • Rock Island Preservation – St. Louis Park, MN
    • MnDOT’s Commitment to Lilac Way
    • Lilac Way signage and graphics
  • Images
    • Photo Albums Overview
    • Beehive Fireplace photos
    • Seven Roadside Parks photos
    • Restored Lilac Park, St. Louis Park photos
    • Graeser Park, Robbinsdale photos
    • Rock Island, St. Louis Park photos
    • Lilac Way Branding photos
    • Building Lilac Way and Highway 100 photos
    • Lilac Way restoration photos
    • Golden Valley Garden Club and Lilac Festivals photos
    • Videos
  • About
    • Karen Laukkonen, Lilac Way Enthusiast & Website Designer
    • The Mission
    • Blog
    • Privacy Policy
  • Stories
    • Read Lilac Way stories
    • Submit your Lilac Way story
  • Contact
  • History
    • What was Lilac Way?
    • Why was Highway 100 called Lilac Way?
    • Roosevelt, the WPA and the Great Depression
    • Arthur Nichols, Landscape Architect
    • Carl Graeser, Engineer
    • The Men Who Built Lilac Way
    • The Golden Valley Garden Club
    • Newspaper Articles, Transcribed for Easy Reading
    • Research and Resources
    • MnDOT Documents
  • Beehive Fireplaces
    • About the Beehive Fireplaces
    • Creating the Beehive Fireplaces
    • The Beehive Graveyard
  • Parks
    • The Seven Roadside Parks
    • Locations of Seven Roadside Parks
    • RESTORED: Graeser Park – Robbinsdale, MN >
      • About
      • Restoration and Preservation
      • News
      • Photo Albums
      • Videos, YouTube channel
      • Lions Club Stewardship
      • Beehivers
      • Carl Graeser, Engineer
      • Original Structures
      • Videos, featured
      • Videos, CCX Media
    • RENEWED: Lilac Park, formerly Roadside Park – St. Louis Park, MN,
      • About
      • Lilac Park renewal, St. Louis Park, MN
      • Photo albums
      • Videos, YouTube Playlist
    • SAVED: Rock Island Park (North end of old Lilac Park) – St. Louis Park, MN
      • About Rock Island Park
      • News
      • Photo Albums
      • Preservation efforts
      • Video Playlist, YouTube
    • LOST: Blazer Park – Golden Valley, MN
    • LOST: Excelsior Boulevard Roadside Park – St. Louis Park, MN
    • LOST: Glenwood Avenue Roadside Park- Golden Valley, MN
    • LOST: Graeser Park South – Robbinsdale, MN
    • LOST: Lilac Park, old (South end) – St. Louis Park, MN
  • Restoration
    • Objectives
    • Graeser Park Preservation and Restoration
    • Lilac Park renewal, St. Louis Park, MN
    • Rock Island Preservation – St. Louis Park, MN
    • MnDOT’s Commitment to Lilac Way
    • Lilac Way signage and graphics
  • Images
    • Photo Albums Overview
    • Beehive Fireplace photos
    • Seven Roadside Parks photos
    • Restored Lilac Park, St. Louis Park photos
    • Graeser Park, Robbinsdale photos
    • Rock Island, St. Louis Park photos
    • Lilac Way Branding photos
    • Building Lilac Way and Highway 100 photos
    • Lilac Way restoration photos
    • Golden Valley Garden Club and Lilac Festivals photos
    • Videos
  • About
    • Karen Laukkonen, Lilac Way Enthusiast & Website Designer
    • The Mission
    • Blog
    • Privacy Policy
  • Stories
    • Read Lilac Way stories
    • Submit your Lilac Way story
  • Contact

Daily Archives: June 14, 2019

The Gateway District – From flophouses for Lilac Way workers to a Four Seasons Hotel

History, Lilac Way, WPABy Karen LaukkonenJune 14, 2019

June 14, 2019. One in three adults in Minnesota were out of work during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Unemployed men lived in 15 cents/night flophouses in the ‘”Gateway District” of Minneapolis. Many were hired as Works Progress Administration (WPA) day laborers to build Highway 100 and its showcase Lilac Way section. Often called…

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