The Lido Theatre — Arlington, Minnesota (1949–Present)
On February 3, 1949, the Arlington Enterprise published an article announcing the grand opening of the newly constructed Lido Theatre in Arlington, Sibley County, Minnesota. Built by Ehlers, Inc., at a reported cost of approximately $75,000, the Lido officially opened its doors on February 5, 1949, with a showing of the 1948 musical comedy A Date with Judy, starring Jane Powell and Elizabeth Taylor. The opening proved to be a tremendous success, with more than 2,000 people attending the theatre’s first five performances. The Lido became a familiar fixture in downtown Arlington, providing generations of local residents with a place to enjoy movies and spend evenings with friends and family. Over the decades, the theatre passed through several owners. The Ehlers family operated it until November 1959, when Wilbur Koehnen and his wife took over. The Koehnens closed the theatre in April 1963, and Ralph Soeffker Sr. purchased the business that August. In April 1998, Stan and Carol Batten purchased the Lido. In 2010, the theatre’s iconic marquee underwent restoration, helping preserve one of downtown Arlington’s most recognizable landmarks. As moviegoing transitioned into the digital age, the Lido underwent a $76,900 digital projection conversion in February 2013, allowing the small-town theatre to continue showing modern films.

#OnThisDay Oct 2-7 1939: In a direct reaction to the bitter 1934 Teamsters strikes, Minneapolis business leaders hold "Century" celebrations, jumping the gun on the city's actual centennial by 15 years. Civic organizers used the success of this event as a blueprint to launch the Aquatennial the next summer.

Following their 1934 victory, local unions were holding massive annual picnics in Minneapolis parks to honor fallen workers. These events drew tens of thousands and kept the memory of corporate and police violence alive in the public consciousness. Civic leaders were determined to put a stop to that.

A forgotten 1929 mammoth molar. A century of scattered records. Seven years of searching. Last week, I finally found — and held — Specimen No. 3991. Read more in Lost Bones #7: https://marcusbrandel.substack.com

On the East Side of the Minnesota River crossing Henderson, was once a small community. They built the first elevator in 1871, a fire took it out in 1915. The second one built shortly after also caught fire in 1925. The elevator that stands today was Opened in July 1925, closed in 1960 and is now left standing as just another Prairie Sentinel of the Past.

I'm working on a project for my job about a few cities in/around the twin cities and I'm really struggling to find what makes Little Canada special. I'm looking for something historic that they do that's fairly unique. I've already researched this history a lot and it's pretty typical. Nothing special has really jumped out at me. Does anyone have a lead on what makes Little Canada unique?