Minneapolis Park History

A reader asked about these red posts with white tops located along William Berry Parkway near Lake Harriet south of the trolley tracks. Two on the east side and one on the west. There are others in the city, too.

The photo above shows the location of the post near the stop sign leading away from the boat launch parking lot. Another post is across the street to the left.

This is the third post which is closer to Lake Harriet and near Lakewood Cemetery’s fence. The cover in the foreground reads “Water Gate” and is likely related. This post has a plate on it that marks a “42 in. No. 10 Pipe Line.” Each of the posts is capped with cement which suggests they may have been vents that are now sealed.

The mystery of the red posts is solved, I believe, by the photo below of another red and white post of sorts taken another 20 yards closer to the lake. I’m a bit puzzled why there is a fire hydrant here as there are no buildings nearby and to my knowledge never have been in this space beween lake, park and cemetery.

From the placement of the posts it appears that the pipeline may come from the west where there are houses on Queen Street and Linden Hills Parkway beyond and it crosses under William Berry Parkway. Why it is placed there however — where it goes — is puzzling. Any explanations?

The embossed letters on the side of the posts read, “Menzel & Jeffery,” which was an iron foundry in Minneapolis in the late 1800s and early 20th Century.

Still haven’t heard anything about Eloise Butler’s mystery man mentioned in last post.

David Carpentier Smith