MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — For 40 years it was the tallest building in Minneapolis and over the decades, much has changed at the Foshay Tower.
“One of my favorite parts of the day is going up to our observation deck and doing a quick lap and seeing how the city is waking up for the day,” said Trina Anthony of W Minneapolis, Foshay Tower.
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For 92 years, the Foshay Tower has had a front-row seat to Minneapolis sunrises and sunsets. And not just Minneapolis. From the 31st floor, the view knows no limits.
“On a clear day you can see in every direction about 30 miles,” said Anthony.
It’s the way creator Wilbur Foshay wanted it. As a boy, his dad took him to see the Washington Monument and Foshay was fascinated. So when he made his fortune in utilities, he decided to construct a building using the same floor plan as the Monument he loved. And because the Foshay narrows like the Washington Monument, every floor you go up is 4 inches smaller than the one below it.
“The Foshay Tower completed construction in August of 1929 and was concluded with a big grand opening celebration on Labor Day weekend,” said Anthony.
Twenty-five thousand guests showed up for that — including politicians and even the Secretary of War. But for Foshay, the celebration was short-lived. The party crasher was the market crash of ’29. It exposed Foshay’s wrong-doings and he went to…
