Since October is Fire Prevention Month, I thought I’d look into the history of our Northside fire stations. Currently we are served by four Minneapolis Fire Department stations. However, North Minneapolis used to have seven stations and the four we have currently have not always been in the same location. While we’re used to fire stations being identified by numbers, originally they were designated with a letter.
The oldest Northside fire station is Station 4 which was originally named Station F. It is listed in the 1880 city directory as being at 13th Ave N between 1st and 2nd St. In 1886-87 it was then at 12th Av N between Washington and 3rd St. The current building is at 1101 N 6th St and was built in 1939. While it has had some upgrades in recent years, it is still an “old school” looking fire station and still has the pole between the 2nd and first floors.
Station L /Station #10 was the next one built in 1885. It was at 131 Holden St in the Oak Lake housing development of Minneapolis. This was north of Western (Glenwood) Ave N and east of Lyndale, about where the farmers market now sits. It was torn down in 1940. I have not found any photos of this building.
Station O/Station #14 was built in 1887 but no where near to its current location. That first one was built at 21st Ave N and 4th St. The second Station #14 was built in 1939 at 1704 33rd Ave N (James and 33rd). This was where my husband and I voted when we first moved to Camden and our son loved to go with us so he could check out the fire trucks while we voted. This building is currently the home of the Northside Boxing Club. In 2006 the current Station #14 opened at 2002 Lowry Ave N.
An extra tidbit: There was a piece in the Minneapolis Star/Tribune on 7-26-1947 about Donald Holmer, a 31-year-old fire fighter from Station #14 who lived at 3207 Girard, rescuing a frightened cat named Tex in the upper branches of a tree on the 3200 block of Morgan, over 55 feet off the ground!
Station R/Station #16 was originally built in 1890 at 429 James Ave N. This was the station closest to my home when I was really little. In 1958 the current Station #16 was built at 1600 Glenwood Ave N. Getting that new fire station was a big deal in my community back then.
Station S/Station #18 was built in 1892 at 245 Lowry Ave N. It was the last station to be designated with a letter. Sometime around 1921-22, this station was abandoned. It would became home to Tenth Ward Tool House, then General Feeds Co./General Freight Co. and finally Sterling Welding. The building was torn down in 1965. Just a note, what is now the 10th Ward was the 10th Ward in the 1920s.
Station #20 was built in 1894 at 4100 Lyndale Ave N. This building was abandoned and was torn down in 1980 because of the construction of I-94. By now you may have noticed that every Northside fire station that I have mentioned was south of the railroad tracks that run along Shingle Creek. While the trains weren’t as long or as frequent back then, it still posed a significant risk to anyone or anything north of the tracks. This was finally fixed in 1964 when the current Station #20 was built at 4646 Humboldt Ave N.
Station #25 was the last Northside station created. It was built in 1909 at Crystal Lake Rd and 24th Ave N. Around 1920, Crystal Lake Rd was renamed West Broadway and the address became 2229 West Broadway. It stopped being a fire station in 1944 and was purchased by American Legion Northside Post #230. The Northside Post remained in the building until about 1993. In 1996 it was bought by the Morning Star Assembly of God church who are still there.
If you get a chance, let our local firefighters know that you appreciate all they do for the community.