louis francois menage (august 3, 1850 – march 18, 1924) was a real estate speculator and prominent figure in early minneapolis, minnesota history. born in rhode island, he settled in minneapolis in 1874. characterized as a "tycoon" and "robber baron," menage earned a fortune developing land on the city's borders into residential housing and financing the mortgages to enable people to buy his properties. during the 1870s and 1880s, he developed large areas of south minneapolis including much of the area around lake calhoun and lake harriet. he also developed a luxury resort on lake calhoun and built a corporate headquarters which was at the time the city's tallest skyscraper.