HISTORIC EXCELSIOR BOULEVARD
From the Re-Echo, Winter 2003

The new construction of Excelsior & Grand brings to mind the many businesses that were replaced and the various goings-on that took place on this historic stretch of Excelsior Boulevard.

Instead of luxury apartments and condos, Excelsior Boulevard was traditionally populated by bars and restaurants, a mecca for those in search of entertainment.  Bunny's, Al's, and Jenning's were the most prominent, but there were others, such as the Foo Chu Cafe, the Pizza House, Walt's, Culbertson's and Roach's.

Toward the beginning of the last century, there were also a great many "chicken shacks" up and down the boulevard.  These establishments had licenses to sell beer but only if they also sold food, so chicken it was.  In 1926 the Village Council was pressed to pass the "Chicken Shack Ordinance" to control the proliferation, but the otherwise lawless Excelsior Boulevard seemed not to notice and the chicken shacks survived.

Gas stations were another common sight along Excelsior Boulevard.  A count of those advertised in the Park's street directories found some 43 stations at one time or another.  For several reasons, only a fraction of that number exists today.  First, the oil scare of 1974 drove a lot of stations out of business.  Also, the EPA began controlling the size and life of underground storage tanks and replacing them became very expensive.  The nature of the cars also contributed to the demise of the gas stations.  Whereas a kid could learn how to work on cars from his dad (or by just doing it), modern cars are full of sealed systems and computerized parts that require special equipment and training. As a result, dealers get more business and the stations were forced to close.  Finally, with better gas mileage, people simply needed less gas.

In the 1930s, before prohibition was repealed, the street was rife with joints that stayed open all night, despite Village ordinances to the contrary.  In his memoir, Morton Arneson - a prominent citizen who owned a nursery on the boulevard, described the racket that ensued.  One hot night he took his family to a friend's house to get some sleep and escape the banjo player at the club across the street, who played the only three songs he knew, over and over again.  The Village constabulary was no help, issuing advice such as "If you do not like it, move back to Minneapolis." 

Thanks to Tom Smith of Minikahda Mobil for his insights reflected in this article.  The history of Excelsior Boulevard is rich with colorful characters and places that thrived on the strip long before the Excelsior & Grand project.

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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.