Minneapolis Park History

I just received a note from Andrea Weber, former MPRB Landscape Architect, who now works for the Minnesota Department of Transportation. She referred to a post from 2011 about the landscape architect Arthur Nichols and the beehive fireplaces he incorporated into his designs for picnic areas along Highway 100. I thought you might be interested.

Andrea wrote: I am writing this in 2023-the original posts are from 2012-so history lives on. I am the Historic Roadside Property Manager for MnDOT and a former MPRB Landscape Architect. I have been working on Graeser Park on TH 100-the site of the only existing beehive in its original location- since 2020. We completed a rehab of the beehive and picnic area last year and are doing one more phase of work this spring. The beehive “Triple Fireplace Type No 6” was designed by Carl Graeser. I have scans of the signed drawings at MnDOT! If you’re still out there, Richard, I would love to chat, as I work on an lot of sites designed by your grandfather.

David Carpentier Smith