What's That Snoboy Sign In Minneapolis All About?

Have you ever been to Minneapolis and seen the Snoboy sign on 5th Street, and wondered, what is that sign all about anyway?

I decided to look into it, and found that there's quite an amazing history behind the sign that is still standing since being erected in the 1950's.

A YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR HAS AN IDEA

Way back in 1890, a man named George Youell set out to support his family by selling fruit to the people of Tacoma, Washington.

With a wagon full of fresh fruit and a lot of determination, he began going door to door, building what would eventually become something much bigger than he could have imagined.

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BUSINESS STARTED TO GROW

By 1910, his business was growing steadily as more and more people sought out his high-quality produce. That growth led to the creation of the Pacific Fruit and Produce Company, marking the first major step toward a lasting legacy.

Then, in 1925, Snoboy was born.

IS IT A SNOMAN?

At first, the character looked more like a snowman than the familiar boy we recognize today. Back then, only the very best apples earned the Snoboy name, and at that point, Snoboy hadn’t yet made his way to Minneapolis.

EXPANDING TO MINNEAPOLIS

Around 1930, things expanded even further when a Minneapolis company, Gamble Robinson, merged with Pacific Fruit & Produce. The new company became Pacific Gamble Robinson, bringing Snoboy one step closer to becoming a Midwest staple.

Snoboy Produce/YouTube

ADVERTISING BECOMES A WAY TO PROMOTE A BUSINESS

By 1950, the company was embracing new ways to grow, launching a series of television ads. Just a few years later, in 1953, Pacific Gamble Robinson established its regional headquarters in Minneapolis, complete with a massive distribution center.

A MODERN DAY FACILITY OF IT'S TIME

This wasn’t just any facility. It featured seven climate-controlled banana ripening rooms, a peanut roasting plant, and extensive refrigerated storage for fresh foods. The operation relied on both railroads and a fleet of delivery trucks, distributing produce across the United States and into Canada. At its peak, the center could handle up to 10,000 train carloads of food each year and was described as the largest wholesaler of fresh fruits and vegetables in the world.

THE ICONIC MINNEAPOLIS SIGN

In 1954, the iconic Snoboy sign was installed on 5th Street in downtown Minneapolis, where it still stands today.

But like many things, change eventually came.

In 1986, the Minneapolis location closed after being taken over by another Washington-based food distributor. The massive facility was later torn down and replaced with a Minneapolis Public Works maintenance site.

WHEN WAS THE SIGN LAST UPDATED?

Just a couple of years later, in 1988, Snoboy got a fresh new look, swapping his classic black top hat for a pair of earmuffs. If that timeline holds, it means the sign in Minneapolis may have been updated after the facility had already closed, marking the last time it was ever changed.

Even as locations and ownership shifted, the brand itself continued to evolve.

SNOBOY CONTINUES TO EVOLVE

In 2015, Snoboy celebrated 90 years in the produce industry. By 2016, the company introduced the phrase “Freshness Guaranteed” on every box of its produce, incorporating it into the logo. Then, in 2022, Snoboy received another refresh along with a new tagline: “Field-Fresh Since 1925.”

And that brings us to today.

SNOBOY TODAY

What started as a simple effort to provide for a family, just a man, a wagon, and some fruit, has grown into a brand that has stood the test of time. Even as the buildings disappeared and the business changed hands, the story behind Snoboy remains.

If anything, that old sign in Minneapolis serves as a quiet reminder: while everything around it may change, a great idea and a lot of hard work can stand the test of time.