May 11, 1956: A splash of color for neighborhood moms

Grocer Joe Greenstein's soft spot for kids was evident year round. In May 1956, a Minneapolis Star photographer spotted the "Pumpkin Man" handing out free plants to any who needed a little something for Mom on Mother's Day.

May 9, 2011 at 1:35AM
Mother's Day 1956
(Ben Welter/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

The original caption:

Joseph Greenstein, grocer at 307 Plymouth avenue N., gives a second plant to Harry Hooker, 6, 1008 O'Brien place. Harry, a first-grader in Blaine school, had dropped his plant. Greenstein gave free plants for Mother's day to kindergarten and first-grade pupils of St. Joseph's parochial school and Blaine school today. Neighbors call Greenstein the "pumpkin man" because he gives more than 1,000 pumpkins to children for Halloween each fall.

Greenstein's pumpkins,1962
(Ben Welter — Minneapolis Star/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Oct. 30, 1962: Greenstein gave away pumpkins to youngsters from the Jewish Community Center nursery school, 1701 Oak Park Av. N. (Minneapolis Star photo)

Greenstein building, 1965
(Ben Welter — Minneapolis Star/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

In December 1965, a Hennepin District Court jury awarded Greenstein $38,000 for the building that housed his grocery store at 327 Plymouth. "The property, consisting of a grocery and apartment building and a parking lot," the Minneapolis Star reported, "is being taken through condemnation by the state for construction of the North Ring freeway route." Greenstein had disputed the state's offer of $19,000 for the property, arguing that it was worth $75,000. (Minneapolis Star photo)

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about the writer

Ben Welter