Minneapolis Thanksgiving Day Fire
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The Minneapolis Thanksgiving Day Fire destroyed an entire block of Downtown Minneapolis on November 25-26, 1982, including the 16-story headquarters of Northwestern National Bank (now Wells Fargo) and the vacant, partially-demolished location formerly occupied by Donaldson's department store, which had recently moved across the street to the new City Center mall. Nobody was injured or killed as a result of the fire.
The Minneapolis Fire Department quickly determined the cause of the fire as arson.[1] Shortly thereafter, two juveniles were arrested and later convicted of setting the fire, using an acetylene torch found at the partially-demolished Donaldson's site. The Donaldson's building can be seen in the background of the iconic "hat toss" sequence in the opening credits of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show."
In 1988, Northwestern National Bank (then called Norwest Corporation) constructed a 57-story Cesar Pelli-designed headquarters on the site of the Bank building. The Donaldson's half of the block is occupied by the Saks Fifth Avenue wing of Gaviidae Common, an upscale shopping mall.
[edit] About the Northwestern National Bank Building
The Northwestern National Bank Building, which was severely damaged in the Thanksgiving Day Fire, was built in 1930 by the architecture firm of Graham, Anderson, Probst & White[2]. The building was a 16-story, 264-foot tall steel and concrete structure. Due to the severe damage to the structure resulting from the fire, it was imploded in March 1983 to make way for a new building.
[edit] Weatherball
In 1949, Northwestern National Bank constructed a 157-foot high weatherball atop the bank building.[3] The weatherball became such an icon that the bank even incorporated it into its advertising and logo for a time. After the Thanksgiving Day Fire and before the building was demolished, the weatherball was dismantled and stored at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. The weatherball was never restored and, in 2000, it was scrapped.[4]
