Editing Fridley, Minnesota (section)

===20th century===
In 1949, Fridley Township voted to be incorporated as the Village of Fridley.<ref name="2016factsheet">[http://www.ci.fridley.mn.us/documentcenter/view/1538 City of Fridley combined city hall fact sheet]. City of Fridley, October 2016</ref> The ''Fridley Free Press'' was also established. Northern Pump, whose factory was within the village's boundaries, sued to challenged the village's incorporation.<ref>[https://law.justia.com/cases/minnesota/supreme-court/1951/35-061.html STATE EX REL. NORTHERN PUMP COMPANY AND ANOTHER v. SO-CALLED VILLAGE OF FRIDLEY AND OTHERS] Minn 233 M 442, 47 NW(2d) 204.</ref> This caused the village funds to be frozen. Minnesota state law allowed cities to operate municipal liquor stores after [[Prohibition in the United States|Prohibition]] ended.<ref>Minnesota Statutes 340A.601 ESTABLISHMENT OF MUNICIPAL LIQUOR STORES.</ref> Fridley's liquor store proceeds were the primary funding for daily city operations until the lawsuit was resolved in 1950. Minnesota has both private liquor stores and city-owned municipal liquor stores.<ref name="MNCITY">Stemmer, Irene - [http://www.wayzata.org/DocumentCenter/View/707 History of the Muni] Wayzata Heritage Preservation Board, City of Wayzata, MN. 2009</ref> Fridley is the location of the headquarters of the Minnesota Municipal Beverage Association (MMBA), a lobbying coalition for municipalities with city-owned liquor stores. In conjunction with the Minnesota Licensed Beverage Association, it lobbied against Sunday liquor store sales in Minnesota until they were finally permitted in 2017.<ref>Coolican, J. Patrick - [https://www.startribune.com/state-senate-passes-bill-to-end-ban-on-sunday-liquor-store-sales/414885874 State Senate passes bill to end ban on Sunday liquor store sales.] Star Tribune, February 27, 2017</ref>

The [[Totino's]] frozen pizza company opened a factory in Fridley in 1970 as it was growing to a national business.<ref>Johnston, Louis D. - [https://www.minnpost.com/macro-micro-minnesota/2021/04/how-totinos-secured-minnesotas-slice-of-the-frozen-pizza-market/ How Totino’s secured Minnesota’s slice of the frozen pizza market]. MinnPost April 29, 2021</ref> The business was sold to Pillsbury in 1975.

====Growth====
In 1957, the village became the City of Fridley, a "[[home rule]] [[charter city]]". City Hall, at 6431 University Avenue Northeast, has a fire station, city services and council meetings. A newer fire station was built in 1964. Fridley's population grew past 15,000 in the 1950s and peaked over 30,000 by the 1970s.<ref name="Census"/>

====1965 flood and tornadoes====
Two of Fridley's worst disasters happened within weeks of each other. In April 1965, Minnesota was affected by a "500-year flood". The spring flood on the Upper Mississippi is still the flood of record for from about 100 miles north of Minneapolis to Hannibal, Missouri. The crests that April exceeded previous records by several feet at many river gauge sites. Those crests still exceed the second-highest crest by a foot or more at many of those sites.<ref>Boyne, Jeff - [https://www.weather.gov/arx/flood1965 1965 Mississippi River Flood] United States National Weather Service (La Crosse Bureau) {{PD-notice}}</ref> An ice jam rising 24 feet over the river broke up when it rammed a series of ice breakers above the Sartell Dam.<ref>Marc Hequet - [https://www.bigrivermagazine.com/br.story.c.htmlThe Mississippi Flood of 1965 —Part 1]{{Dead link|date=January 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Big River Magazine, March 1994</ref> The Riverview Heights area where Springbrook creek enters the river was severely flooded.
[[File:Fridley City Hall July 2017-2.jpg|thumb|Former Fridley City Hall and Fire Station Number 1 in July 2017]][[File:Fridley City Hall July 2017.jpg|thumb|Former Fridley City hall in July 2017]]
On May 6, 1965, Fridley was hit by two F4 [[tornado]]es.<ref>Curt Brown - [http://www.startribune.com/minnesota-tornado-outbreak-still-vivid-50-years-later/302311331/ Minnesota tornado outbreak still vivid, 50 years later]. Star Tribune, May 6, 2015</ref> One of every four homes in the city was destroyed or damaged. The second twister to hit was the [[Early May 1965 tornado outbreak|deadliest storm in Twin Cities history]], killing 13 people.<ref>[http://www.crh.noaa.gov/mpx/HistoricalEvents/1965May06/index.php Summary of May 6, 1965 Tornado Outbreak - NWS Twin Cities]</ref> Parts of City Hall and the fire station were damaged.<ref name="2016factsheet" />

====Post disaster recovery====
In 1967, a new Civic Center Building opened at the City Hall location, with a plaza to the south. This building was remodeled in 1989<ref name="2016factsheet" /> and demolished in 2019. The acreage around 73rd and (old) Central was purchased by growing Minneapolis-originated companies, Medtronic, Inc. and Onan Corporation, for manufacturing facilities.<ref>Minnesota Progress. United States: Minnesota Department of Economic Development, 1968.</ref>

====Springbrook Nature Center and tornado====
In 1970, Fridley began purchasing land that became the [[Springbrook Nature Center]]. On July 18, 1986, a widely photographed tornado spent 16 minutes in Springbrook Nature Center, destroying thousands of century-old trees and extensive areas of mature forest habitat. Well-known aerial footage of the tornado was filmed by a [[KARE (TV)|KARE]] 11 television news helicopter passing through the area.<ref>Heidi Wigdahl - [https://www.kare11.com/article/news/30-years-ago-sky-11-captures-incredible-tornado-footage/276056859 30 years ago: Sky 11 captures incredible tornado footage]. KARE 11 TV, July 18, 2016</ref>