Monday, November 28, 2011

Popcorn Wagon - Minneapolis, Minnesota



This postcard of the popcorn wagon on Nicollet Mall in Downtown Minneapolis is ©1976. On the back it says "When you're on the Nicollet Mall, be sure to visit "The Popcorn Lady". In addition to serving delicious popcorn and Coca Cola, she is happy to tell you about Minneapolis, what to see and how to get there."

There is a popcorn wagon near there now, but I don't know if it is the same one or if it has been there continuously. The wagon on the postcard has a sign "Wagon Popcorn Franchises" and it appears to be a reproduction of a Cretors Style Model C.

A column in the December 28, 2000 Minneapolis Star Tribune reported the death of the "Popcorn Lady":
Charlotte Sunderlin of Blaine, known for two decades as "the Popcorn Lady of Nicollet Mall," died Tuesday following a stroke. She was 84. She ran a red-and-gold popcorn wagon on the Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis for 23 years, beginning in 1970. Over the years, her popcorn wagon was stationed at various locations between 6th and 8th streets, but always on the mall. On a good summer day, the wagon sold more than 1,000 boxes of popcorn.





3 comments:

  1. I just love that postcard! That wild prototype car is just too cool. (how about that tail fin?!)

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  2. Thank you for the postcard. That's my Grandmother on my dads side. It was a huge treat to go downtown and get some popcorn from her when we were kids. Her wagon was sold before she passed away and I miss her very much. Again thank you for the wonderful treasure you have found.

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    1. I was one of Charlotte's neighbor's, my parents live on 90th Ave in Blaine, mn. I remember that on every Halloween Charlotte would bring out the popcorn wagon out of her garage and hand out popcorn the the children. I always looked forward to seeing the old popcorn cart on Halloween.

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