The Edgewater Inn was located at 2420 NE Marshall Street in Minneapolis.  It was almost always advertised as “on the Mississippi River at Lowry and Marshall NE.”

 

THE SITE

Minneapolis permit cards indicate that there were frame structures on the property.  One building was apparently already there before the City began record keeping.  This older building was moved to 2515 NE Marshall Street in 1903.

A frame 16 x 18 office building was built in 1898.  This building was moved to 2513 NE Marshall Street in 1910.  The cost to move it was $30.

 

THE EDGEWATER INN

In December 1959, a permit was issued to build a 146′ x 77 1/2′ x 12′ restaurant and basement.  It was built by Boe, Inc. at a cost of $185,000.

It opened on August 23, 1960, touted as the only restaurant in the Twin Cities located directly on the waterfront.

 

Opening night featured Jack Medell and his Orchestra with vocals by Patti Sherwood.  “Valerie” presided in the piano lounge.

In about August 1961, the restaurant began a series of monthly art shows.

Also in August 1961, the management began bringing in outside entertainment, beginning with its first anniversary show with Joe Conti, “a stand-up comedian of the firehose type who spits out jokes for an entire hour,” according to Will Jones of the Tribune.  (August 25, 1961)

Other comedians followed, coming off of TV programs like the Jack Paar Show.  In November 1961, one of the comedians was Don Marlowe, host of the afternoon movie on TV’s Channel 11.  Forrest Powers reported in his radio and TV column in the Star that Marlowe had played Porky in the “Our Gang” comedies and had lots of more entertaining stories between sets.  (November 2, 1961)

In December 1961, the Twist descended on the  ‘Cities, and “even the silver-haired Jack Medell has taken to playing the twist for dancers at the Edgewater Inn,” reported Will Jones of the Tribune on December 22.

 

 

 

Medell was replaced by organist Bob Paige and the Esquires in February 1962.  (Will Jones, Tribune, February 26, 1962).

By August 1962 the club was advertising heavily, featuring the music of Don McGrane and his orchestra in the main dining room.

It was immediately popular as a meeting place, wedding reception venue, fashion show site, and more.

THE EDGEWATER EIGHT

On October 25, 1962, the Edgewater Inn first presented the Edgewater Eight.  Dan Sullivan of the Tribune reported that this was a “new concept in night club entertainment.”  The group of young singers would present medleys of Broadway show tunes in the round on the dance floor.  (October 21, 1962)  Don McGrane’s Riverboat Orchestra.  Produced by Al Sheehan.

A December 1962 ad for a men’s night out (supposedly to buy lingerie for their wives) tells us that there was a Mark Twain Room.  (

In 1963 the restaurant advertised that it charged no cabaret tax before 8:00.  This was a new tax on places that provided entertainment, and was apparently short-lived.  In April 1963, Gil Swenberger was the manager of the restaurant.

 

 

 

 

Jimmy Bowman was a regular in the cocktail lounge starting in mid-1965.

1969:  dance music by Frank Oliver and his Orchestra

 

 

A 1978 article on restaurant designer John Neal revealed that he was the designer of the club.  (February 17, 1978)

 

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RIVER PALACE

In 1984 the club had become the River Palace Dinner Theater, featuring Chinese food. In October 1984, the River Palace brought back the Edgewater-type shows of earlier days.  The River Palace lasted until at least 1987 and possibly to 1990.

 

Minneapolis records show that the land was sold by Centennial Investment to the Minneapolis Park Board on October 9, 1992, and July 15, 1993, perhaps in two parcels, both recorded as for $1.  A map in the Star Tribune identifies it as River Palace Park.  (November 6, 1995)