When the City Was the Stage
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Public parks were still a big option in decade two, with six of the ten hunts occurring in more open areas. But hunters had a great deal more to think about in the 60s. No, I'm not talking about the political, musical, and generational changes so evident of the times. We'll leave that for a Time/Life Presents... series. Thoughts of medallion hunters were on the implications of a quick repeat of Harriet Island (1960 and 1966), a slightly longer repeat of Highland Park (1961 and 1968), and of hiding the booty near Rondo Street in the early half of the decade and off of I-35E in the later one. Interstate culture was upon the Twin Cities, and with the added bustle, the medallion would soon be relegated to the public park system. That Interstate culture led to 3 of the 10 dig sites from this decade no longer being accessible to future hunters. The sites of the 1962, 1963, and 1969 hunts are now concrete gardens, with the interchange of I-94 and Marion Street/Kellogg Boulevard being built on top of the 1963 site, and Interstate 35E being built over the 1962 and 1969 sites.
In addition, the '60s saw the last hunt at the Fairgrounds. They're off limits for hunters now, because of the public property in Ramsey County rule. Combine this with the fact that Harriet Island has undergone major renovations since the '60s, and you've got half of the dig sites no longer as they were back then.
| Year | General Location | Pinpointed Location | Concealer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | Harriet Island Park | In the woods in the west end of the park | In the heel of a rubber boot |
| 1961 | Highland Park | Near the ballfields at Montreal and Edgecumbe in the fire pit | A clump of grass and weeds |
| 1962 | Mississippi Street Freeway | Near a survey marker for the soon-to-be Interstate 35E, near the intersection of Mississippi St. and Lawson Avenue | Hard-packed snow |
| 1963 | Bounded by Farrington and Louis Sts. and Rondo and Carroll Aves. | On the ground near a hollow stump | Loosely tossed in the snow |
| 1964 | Beaver Lake Park | Near the intersection of Edgewater Blvd. and Geranium Avenue | A gold colored brick |
| 1965 | Como Park | 100 paces east of the Larry Ho plaque | A block of printer's lead |
| 1966 | Harriet Island Park | Between the baseball diamonds | An old-fashioned clothes iron |
| 1967 | Minnesota State Fairgrounds | Between the Judging Arena and the KTCA booth | A horseshoe |
| 1968 | Highland Park | Near three oak trees up the hill from the intersection of Lexington Pkwy, Montreal Ave., and W. 7th St. | A piece of plasterboard |
| 1969 | Interstate 35E at Victoria Street | On the bridge of the then-future highway intersection | Frozen rocks |
