Minneapolis YMCA Branch Records

1866

The YMCA offices are first located in the Center Block building at Intersection of Hennepin and Nicollet Avenues (assembly and meeting rooms).

1877-1888

Market Hall building on Bridge Square; Hennepin Avenue and N. First Street (auditorium and club rooms).

1883

Syndicate Block building on Nicollet Avenue between 5th and 6th Streets (meeting rooms). Market Hall lease continues to 1888 -- then referred to as "Bridge Square Branch".

1883

Bridge Square branch established, but religious work continued in the Market Hall Building.

1886

Eastside branch is established in a rented room in Chute Block; corner of Central and University Avenues (Bible classes and reading). Branch suspended in 1887.

1887

Twenty-Sixth Street Branch is established at the corner of 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue (suite of rooms for meetings and reading). Branch discontinues when new Central Building was occupied.

1887

University YMCA is organized as an independent Association. Offices located in a house on 13th Avenue S.E.

1889

Norwegian branch is organized. Location unknown. Operates for one year.

1892

Central branch is established at 10th Street and Mary Place (now LaSalle Avenue). Full facility and residence.

1912

Southeast branch is established in Tuttle School building, corner of 14th Avenue and Talmadge Street S.E.

1915

Southtown branch is organized. Offices at 27th Avenue and E. Lake Street. Programs prior to 1915 were organized from the Central branch.

1917

University of Minnesota YMCA joins the Minneapolis YMCA organization.

1919

Central/Downtown branch moves to a new building at 9th and Mary Place (now LaSalle Avenue). Full facility and residence.

1919

Northeast branch is organized. Offices located in the Knapp Building, 2337 Central Avenue N.E.

1919

Northside branch is organized. Offices at 1103 - 20th Avenue N.

1919

West Lake branch is organized. Offices located in the Carville Building at 26 ½ W. Lake Street. First programs for the district were organized from the Central Branch beginning in 1915.

1923

University branch moves to the New Student Program building. 1425 University Avenue S.E.

1937

South Central branch is established. Offices at 26 ½ W. Lake Street.

1937

Roosevelt branch is organized. Offices at 2723 E. 38th Street.

1937

Washburn branch is organized. Offices at 4804 Nicollet Avenue S.

1939

Northside branch is established. Community building opens at 3300 Penn Avenue N.

1950

Roosevelt branch community building opens at 4100 - 28th Avenue S.

1951

Southtown branch community building opens at 1845 E. Lake Street.

1951

Washburn branch community building opens at 4816 Nicollet Avenue S.

1952

Northeast branch community building opens at 2304 Jackson Street N.E.

1954

South Central branch changes name to West Central branch.

1957

Washburn branch changes name to Washburn-Richfield branch.

1958

Minnetonka branch is organized. Offices located at 401 E. Lake Street, Wayzata.

1960

Northeast and Southeast branches merge to become Eastside branch.

1960

West Central branch community building opens at 3335 Blaisdell Avenue S.

1963

Washburn-Richfield branch changes name to Washburn-Richfield-Bloomington branch.

1964

Roosevelt and Southtown branches merge to become Hiawatha branch.

1969

Minnesota Valley branch is established. Offices located at 9050 Lyndale Avenue S. in Bloomington.

1969

West Lake and Minnetonka branches are reorganized to become West Suburban Family branch. Offices located at 1400 Fairfield Road, Minnetonka.

1969

Washburn-Richfield-Bloomington branch changes name to Southdale branch.

1970

Urban department and West Central branch combine to become Urban/West Central branch.

1973

Northside branch becomes Northwest branch. Suburban office/community program located at 4205 Winnetka Avenue N. in New Hope.

1974

North Community branch is established. Full facility

1975

Southdale branch full facility building opens at 7355 York Avenue S. in Edina.

1977

Northwest branch full facility building opens at 7601 42nd Avenue N. in New Hope.

1980

Eastside branch name changes to Northeast branch.

1980

West Suburban branch full facility building opens at 12301 Ridgedale Drive in Minnetonka.

1983

West Suburban branch name changes to Ridgedale branch.

1984

Urban/West Central branch name changes to Blaisdell branch.

1990

Downtown branch full facility building opens at 30 S. Ninth Street in downtown Minneapolis.

1995

Northeast branch name changes to Emma B. Howe Northeast Family YMCA. New community building opens on existing site at 2304 Jackson Street N.E.

1995

Blaisdell branch adds extensive addition to make a full facility building at present site, 3335 Blaisdell Avenue S.

1996

Emma B. Howe Family Branch Northtown full facility building opens at 8950 Springbrook Drive N. W., Coon Rapids.

1997

Minnesota Valley branch full facility building opens at Portland Avenue S., Burnsville.

2000

University branch moves to a new building at 1801 University Avenue S.E.

2005

Andover YMCA Community Center full facility building opens at 15220 Hanson Boulevard, Andover.

2008

Elk River branch full facility building opens at 13337 Business Center Drive NW, Elk River.

(Information taken from Breaking New Ground, Building Strong Lives: 140 Years of Youth Work with the Minneapolis YMCA by Paul Hillmer, 2006; from Builders of Men: A History of the Minneapolis Young Men's Christian Association: 1866-1936by S. Wirt Wiley and Florence Lehmann; and from the collection).