Manhole Cover Coasters: Twin Cities-Four iron covers from Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS-CITY OF LAKES There are 11,842 lakes in Minnesota, 22 of which are in Minneapolis. Two sailing vessels, presumably on a lake, lap one another on the central part of the cover. A diamond grid pattern surrounds this image with text of the Sewer Department ringing the edge. Minneapolis was home to musical genius Prince whose symbol adorns the central pickpoint. You can find this cover on nearly every street.

MINNEAPOLIS-GILETTE HERZOGN MFGco: The City of Lakes has many extraordinary manhole covers, thanks in part to a cover art program launched in the 1980’s. The program expanded in the 1990’s with the renovation of Nicollet Mall. Artist Kate Burke developed 11 designs to embellish a 13 block area. The cover offered here is not one of them. Part of the mission of the Under Cover series is to preserve the older covers that are disappearing due to age, theft, collection, or to literal obscurity. This snowflake design from Gillette-Herzog Manufacturing still exists in Minneapolis, but often paved over. The foundry has morphed through acquisition to US Steel. The foundry site is now occupied by Metal-Matic, Inc. which may have one of these on its sidewalk. Part of the Midwest Manhole cover coaster series with St. Louis, New Orleans & Kansas City. Part of the Twin Cities manhole coaster set.

MINNEAPOLIS-NSPco: Beginning in 1910 as Consumers Power Company, then officially as the Northern States Power Company in 1916, the utility grew from the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul by acquiring companies around the northern midwest. The company continued merging with related energy suppliers until 1998 when it morphed into Xcel energy with Denver-based New Century Energies. Carrying out the mission of the Under Cover series, the N.S.P. Co. cover is an older design whose bold typeface still reads with corporate power on city streets. The design has standard cross-hatching with a polar array of inwardly focused line segments.  At a vent point sits the mark of Grain Belt Beer.

ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA: Capital City, Minnesota, Saint Paul was established, as the cover says, in 1854. Interestingly, the capital was supposed to be in St. Peter, but State representative Joe Rolette absconded with the edict, and St. Paul, his residence, remained in stature. About 300,000 people call St. Paul home and is often associated with its Twin City, Minneapolis. The capital building featured prominently on the cover is the second largest unsupported marble dome; the first being St. Peter’s in the Vatican, ironically. The waves of the Mississippi roll to the south. A filleted grid occupies the rest of the cover and a bottle cap from Summit brewery fills up a square. Part of the Twin Cities manhole cover coaster set.