Boker’s Third Location (1933-1938)

Boker’s third location was near the Mississippi riverbank in Minneapolis in an area called the Bohemian Flats.  Named the Bohemian Flats due to the citizens who lived there who were mostly immigrants from eastern Europe.  These new US citizens were known for their hard work ethics, and as a result, Boker’s hired numerous employees from the area.

The residential area was very close to the river and called the Lower Bohemian Flats.  Boker’s location was within the business/industrial area further up the bank called the Upper Bohemian Flats.  Boker’s employees would climb 79 stairs that separated the lower flats from the upper flats to work daily.

Annually the lower flats would get flooded out. In the 1930’s the state began to claim eminent domain to reclaim this area; fully achieving that goal of moving everyone out by 1940. Their goal was to move the citizens to safer areas and out of flood zones, as well as create a larger area for barge terminals for goods moving up and down the Mississippi through St. Anthony Falls.

Boker’s was located at this location until 1938. A number of employees from the Bohemian Flats transitioned to work at Boker’s current location.

The University of Minnesota Law School, Walter F. Mondale Hall, is now located in the area where Boker’s was approximately located within the Upper Bohemian Flats.  This building is the large red brick building within the photo displayed.

Return to History