BY STEVE SANDBERG
Thanks Alley Newspaper. It was really interesting and fun to read Sarah Silver”'s memoir of being the jingle judge for the Burma shave company nearly sixty years ago. Rest in peace, Sarah, and thank you! And thanks to Knowles Daugherty for connecting Sarah to Alley readers.
It is now April of 2016. In April of 1892, 124 years ago, Vine Congregational Church moved its10 year old church building to 21st Avenue South and East Lake Street [ironically; from Hiawatha and Lake Street), where it still stands covered in white vinyl siding. When I became aware last fall that Minneapolis Public Schools had acquired this site with plans to level it, I knew only of its history as the building where the Burma shave company had begun making their iconic signs and shaving cream from 1926 to 1940, but I now have learned that prior to becoming the Burma shave factory in 1926, it had already been serving the community in various capacities for 43 years! This is more than enough reason to have a proper historic survey done, and on Dec. 10, 2015 the Corcoran Neighborhood Board voted to request this of the current owner Minneapolis Public Schools. But since then there has been no word from CNO or MPS. I have attempted to find a willing 501(c)(3) non-profit to apply for the Legacy History and Culture grant to no avail. Be it for reasons of conflict of interest, lack of interest, or inelligibility; I have been rejected at each attempt. Therefore, a Go Fund Me campaign has been launched! The Historic Preservation Alliance is willing to administer and do accounting for the money raised and has the credentials and expertise for a proper survey. So thank you in advance to HPA and to those of you who have shown interest and support for this project. Further information as it develops will be found at the Burma Shave Historic Vine Church History Facebook page and of course in the Alley Newspaper and website!
