4801-05 EXCELSIOR BLVD.

Leslie B. Santos built the structure at 4801 (4805) Excelsior Blvd. (at Princeton) in 1945. The first of many nurseries operating on Excelsior Blvd., Santos preceded the St. Louis Park Greenhouse by two weeks. Santos bought 7 vacant lots in 1945 and built a greenhouse and showroom. From the outside, the structure looked like an ordinary house with two big bay windows in the front. 

In 1953, he sold out to Laurene G. Swanson and Ethel Magnusson, who ran the Blossom Shop. In April 1959, 4805 was the site of Gene’s Citrus Haven, featuring Texas grapefruit and oranges.

In 1959, Tom and Leona May ran the Port Arthur Café at this location. The Café’ lasted until about 1962.  The structure still looked like an ordinary house with a double garage.  The picture at right is from 1960.
 

In June 1963 it was the Donut Tree (75 kinds), owned by Max Grassman. The building had a very different look and shape - was it the same building?

At the end of 1963 it may have briefly done a stint as the Bird House, run by Steve Hendrick.
 

1964 began a string of dry cleaning establishments, including Johnny-on-the-Spot Cleaners, Pilgrim Cleaners in 1970, and Park Avenue Cleaners and Launderers in 1972. The last of the dry cleaners left in 1977.

In 1979 the building was purchased from Max Grassman by Greg Loffhagen, who had been a State Farm Insurance agent since 1976. Greg and his father Gordon, who had been a State Farm agent for 25 years in Minneapolis, operated Loffhagen and Son Insurance until Gordon retired in 1997 after 50 years. Greg noted that when they first opened the building, people would stop by and ask about their dry cleaning, even though the building had been vacant for at least two years.

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This information comes from a variety of sources: newspapers, books, yearbooks, phone directories, interviews, etc. Given the varied sources, we cannot guarantee that all of this information is correct, and welcome any additions and corrections. Please contact us with your contributions and comments.