Dayton's monkey (nonfiction)
The Dayton's monkey, or Dayton's mummified monkey,
Dayton’s Construction Crew Finds Mummified Monkey Some believe the animal may have escaped captivity from an eighth-floor pet shop in the 60s APRIL 10, 2018 - 5:21 PM CATEGORIES: Local Construction crews on the Dayton's Project recently made an odd discovery. While removing a ceiling from the 116-year old building, they uncovered the remains of a monkey that may have been hidden for decades.
A construction worker named Adam Peterson posted a photo of the deceased animal on the wall of the Old Minneapolis Facebook community, a history page that started eight years ago.
“He’s (Adam Peterson) contributed content previously, so when this showed up on the page it immediately caught our attention,” said Alan Freed, one of the page’s admins.
A spokesperson for the Dayton’s Project issued a statement saying:
“We continue to find pieces of history in The Dayton’s Project as we redevelop the building. Unfortunately, this was one of the recent historic discoveries. We don’t know the origin or story behind this find, but we have been working with local museums to learn more and to find homes for artifacts like this.”
Some on the Old Minneapolis Facebook page believe the animal may have escaped captivity from an eighth-floor pet shop in the 60s. The photo of the animal reveals a cut to its belly, which could’ve led to its death.
The old Dayton’s building is undergoing a $191 million renovation and will soon be converted into office space and a food hall.
Old Minneapolis
An Old Minneapolis Exclusive: The Mystery of the Mummified Minneapolis Monkey
https://www.facebook.com/oldmpls/posts/1770478686305632
Comment
The 1963 ad provides significant credibility to the story of the of the escaped monkey that was struck by the exhaust fans. There was indeed a pet store on the 8th floor during the early sixties (1963), and the monkey has an obvious slash across its abdomen. But, Larry Lyle Murphy (the father of the mayor), was born on 21-September-1947. He would have likely been in 7th grade starting in the fall of 1960. So, the dates of the ad also match the details of Larry's stolen monkey story, and Larry would have been in his 3rd trimester of 9th grade in March 1963. I only found the 1958 and 1963 ads, and none between those dates.