More Lake Nokomis Bath House
In an enjoyable article on Lake Nokomis in MinnPost, Andy Sturdevant provided a link to a couple photos I posted last month of the Nokomis Bath house, so I thought I’d return the favor. I’ve been intending to post this new photo of the bath house I found on a 1920s postcard, so Andy’s article provides a good excuse. I had not seen this photo until a few weeks ago.
Lake Nokomis Bath House in the 1920s. Photographer unknown.
Anyone who knows old cars might be able to date this photo more precisely than I have. Anybody know their early autos? Let us know a likely date range. Based on the age of the trees I would guess it must be very early 1920s.
You can make out the Cedar Avenue bridge in the background. Theodore Wirth wanted to reroute Cedar Avenue around the southwest lagoon shortly after the area was annexed by Minneapolis from Richfield in 1926, but there was too much opposition from property owners in that direction, so we still have that unusual bridge on a county road over a lake.
David C. Smith
Minneapolis Park History 
Grew up a couple of blocks away…the “lagoon” and the bridge were our playground. Lived at the beach during my teen years…skated across the lake to the community center in the winter. So many memories of the lake…it was literally my backyard and we were there almost every day…exploring the creek, the lake, the parkway, the falls….a wonderful natural oasis in the middle of the city. Many days fishing and jumping off the old cedar bridge…always on the lookout for the park police. Sitting on the old haystacks set up for archery and watching the planes fly over. My old neighborhood was a swamp filled in for houses…was the last farm on any Minneapolis lake…Ebenezer Hodsdon…would love to know more and maybe write a history on the area and the very interesting character of Mr. Hodsdon…anyone want to collaberate?
Thanks for your comments, Kris. Sounds like some good stories. If anyone is interested in collaborating with Kris on telling more Nokomis stories, I’d be happy to be the go-between.
HEY, DAVID!! GREAT POSTCARD OF NOKOMIS…NEVER SEEN IT BEFORE…REALLY EARLY GOOD ONE!! YOU CONTINUE TO AMAZE ME AND GIVE ME BITS OF HOME…THANK YOU! JOAN P.
Hi, Joan. Glad you enjoyed it.