The J.I. Case Building on Park Avenue in Minneapolis

Once a warehouse and branch headquarters of the Threshing Machine Company, the J.I. Case Building on Park Avenue 233, Minneapolis, was completed in October 1907. Following the efforts of former mayor William Henry Eustis to promote a new warehouse district on the south side of downtown, the J.I. Case Company moved its operations to the area. In September 1906, the company applied for a permit to build a brick warehouse with three stories and a basement, estimated to cost $50,000.

By 1915, the dollar volume of farm implements sold in Minneapolis exceeded the dollar volume of the flour and grain trade. The neighborhood surrounding the J.I. Case Building had seedy elements, including a nearby alley known as 'Fish Alley' south of Washington Avenue. The alley was known for drinking parties and fights, and by 1906, it was still known for criminals and loose women.

Despite these conditions, redevelopment occurred in the area. Companies like the Great Northern Implement Company, Advance Thresher, and Emerson-Newton Implement Company constructed buildings nearby on the same block.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons