Swede Hollow was a neighborhood of Saint Paul, Minnesota. It was one of a large group of neighborhoods collectively known as the East Side, lying just to the east of the near-downtown Railroad Island neighborhood, and at the northwestern base of Dayton's Bluff. It was capped in the north by the sprawling Hamm's Brewery (with its imposing Hamm family mansion), and in the south by the historic Seventh Street Improvement Arches. Although one of the oldest settlements in the city, it was also arguably the poorest as each wave of immigrants settled in the valley.[1]Swedes, Poles, Italians and Mexicans all at one point called the valley home. A similar community just downstream called Connemara Patch also existed for Irish immigrants.
The area was originally a small, steep, wooded ravine cut through by Phalen Creek. The first settler, Edward Phelan, moved there in 1841. Phelan fled Minnesota in 1850 after perjury charges arose but not before leaving a mark that would change what was once Mill Creek to Phalen.[2][3] Among the earliest inhabitants to settle permanently in the isolated spot were Swedish immigrants. First arriving in the 1850s, they gave their new home the name "Svenska Dalen" (lit. [the] Swedish Valley), a designation that remained (in English translation) long after they moved on, to be replaced by a wave of Italian immigrants in the early 20th century. At the time of the neighborhood's demise in the mid-fifties, it had attracted some Mexican families as well.
Swede Hollow in 1910 which was during the later years of Swedish immigration.
Although remembered with a certain nostalgia today, the former area was a true slum. People and industries occupying the surrounding "upper" neighborhoods used the Hollow as a makeshift dump, which the inhabitants down below routinely scavenged for clothing, metals, building supplies, and even shoe repair needs.[4] Several gristmills operated on the creek by the 1850s. Railroad tracks were built along the creek in 1865 because the creek bed provided an easier grade up from the Mississippi River than bluffs elsewhere.[2]
Unusually for a neighborhood in the heart of a mid-20th-century major American city (especially given the Twin Cities' challenging climate), Swede Hollow was never electrified, and plumbing was extremely primitive. The residences were constructed almost entirely out of recovered and scrapped building materials and serviced by a single dirt road. Toilets consisted of outhouses constructed directly over Phalen Creek. The original inhabitants got their water from springs and used Phalen Creek as their sewer, leading to sanitation problems.[5]
DestructionEdit
So squalid were the conditions of the Hollow, in fact, that in 1956 the city declared the entire neighborhood a health hazard. The last remaining families were forcibly evicted, and the entire housing stock was burnt to the ground on December 11 of the same year. At one time (1905) as many as 1,000 people called the tiny little glade their home, although there were far fewer (14 families in all) remaining at the time of the December 11, 1956 clearing.[2][6]
TodayEdit
Swede Hollow Park 2008
Soon after the destruction, the area became a dumping ground and gathering place for the homeless. In the 1970s the valley was cleaned up, and it was designated a nature center in 1976. A 1917 report remarked, "Phalen Creek and the banks of this stream are ideal for park purposes, while in their present state they constitute a menace to the health of the residents and to the community at large."[6] The area remains uninhabited to this day. The original woodland state has returned (although some of the building foundations still remain), the creek has been partially restored, and the entire valley has been made part of Swede Hollow Park, a city park. The trail running along the west edge of Swede Hollow is the Bruce Vento Regional Trail, paved on the former right-of-way of the Northern Pacific Railway's Skally Line that ran from St. Paul to Duluth.[2]
In Sweden, the history of 19th-century migration to Minnesota was popularized by Vilhelm Moberg's four-novel series The Emigrants (1949–1959), which describes rural, hard-working, successful settlers in the 1850s. Former ABBA members Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson adapted these books into the 1995 musical Kristina från Duvemåla. The poorer, urban, less successful emigrants of the 1890s received less attention until described in Ola Larsmo's 2016 novel Swede Hollow, which has also been adapted into a play.
Connemara PatchEdit
The Seventh Street Improvement Arches separated Swede Hollow from Connemara Patch. The north side (foreground) of the photograph is Swede Hollow; the area partially visible beyond the arches is the former site of Connemara Patch
Just south and downstream of Swede Hollow was a lesser-known Irish neighborhood called Connemara Patch. It was so named after the original home of its Irish settlers, who arrived in the United States under the sponsorship of Archbishop John Ireland, who settled them on prairie claims near Graceville, Minnesota. When the original rural colonization plan was aborted by poor planning and the long, blizzard-wracked "Snow Winter" of 1880-81 (a season so harsh it was immortalized in the Laura Ingalls Wilder book The Long Winter),[9] the desperate immigrants were resettled along lower Phalen Creek in the area between East Seventh and East Fourth streets as a stopgap measure—one that ultimately became permanent. The legendary Irish-language storyteller Éamon a Búrc spent several years in the district before a railroad accident took his leg, leading him to return to his village in County Galway, Ireland.[10][11][12]
Like Swede Hollow, Connemara Patch was eventually cleared of its inhabitants. The neighborhood's remnants were completely destroyed by urban renewal in the 1950s. Interstate 94 currently occupies a substantial portion of the old enclave. The rest of the site is largely vacant, except for a few dilapidated industrial structures.[6]
^Kunz, Virginia Brainard (1991). Saint Paul: The First One Hundred and Fifty Years. Bookmen. p. 57. ISBN0-9630690-0-4.
^Regan, Ann (2002). Irish in Minnesota. St. Paul, MN: Minnesota Historical Society Press. pp. 22–23. ISBN0-87351-419-X.
^Binchy, Maeve; O'Donoghue, Jo (2004). Brewer's dictionary of Irish phrase & fable. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson. p. 393. ISBN0-304-36334-0.
External linksEdit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Swede Hollow.
Swede Hollow Park at Placeography
From Swede Hollow to Arlington Hills
Swede Hollow Continues Immigrant Tradition with a Focus on Water
Minnesota Historical Society
Swede Hollow photos
Swede Hollow artwork
I Remember St. Paul's Swede Hollow
Swede Hollow in MNopedia, the Minnesota Encyclopedia
Videos
Swede Hollow opera
Swede Hollow history
Connemara Patch at the MHS
Painting of Connemara Patch
Bishop Ireland's Connemara Experiment
October 20, 2023
swede, hollow, saint, paul, 9603, 9603, 076swede, hollow, neighborhood, saint, paul, minnesota, large, group, neighborhoods, collectively, known, east, side, lying, just, east, near, downtown, railroad, island, neighborhood, northwestern, base, dayton, bluff, . 44 57 37 N 93 04 34 W 44 9603 N 93 076 W 44 9603 93 076Swede Hollow was a neighborhood of Saint Paul Minnesota It was one of a large group of neighborhoods collectively known as the East Side lying just to the east of the near downtown Railroad Island neighborhood and at the northwestern base of Dayton s Bluff It was capped in the north by the sprawling Hamm s Brewery with its imposing Hamm family mansion and in the south by the historic Seventh Street Improvement Arches Although one of the oldest settlements in the city it was also arguably the poorest as each wave of immigrants settled in the valley 1 Swedes Poles Italians and Mexicans all at one point called the valley home A similar community just downstream called Connemara Patch also existed for Irish immigrants Contents 1 History 2 Destruction 3 Today 4 Connemara Patch 5 References 6 External linksHistory EditThe area was originally a small steep wooded ravine cut through by Phalen Creek The first settler Edward Phelan moved there in 1841 Phelan fled Minnesota in 1850 after perjury charges arose but not before leaving a mark that would change what was once Mill Creek to Phalen 2 3 Among the earliest inhabitants to settle permanently in the isolated spot were Swedish immigrants First arriving in the 1850s they gave their new home the name Svenska Dalen lit the Swedish Valley a designation that remained in English translation long after they moved on to be replaced by a wave of Italian immigrants in the early 20th century At the time of the neighborhood s demise in the mid fifties it had attracted some Mexican families as well nbsp Swede Hollow in 1910 which was during the later years of Swedish immigration Although remembered with a certain nostalgia today the former area was a true slum People and industries occupying the surrounding upper neighborhoods used the Hollow as a makeshift dump which the inhabitants down below routinely scavenged for clothing metals building supplies and even shoe repair needs 4 Several gristmills operated on the creek by the 1850s Railroad tracks were built along the creek in 1865 because the creek bed provided an easier grade up from the Mississippi River than bluffs elsewhere 2 Unusually for a neighborhood in the heart of a mid 20th century major American city especially given the Twin Cities challenging climate Swede Hollow was never electrified and plumbing was extremely primitive The residences were constructed almost entirely out of recovered and scrapped building materials and serviced by a single dirt road Toilets consisted of outhouses constructed directly over Phalen Creek The original inhabitants got their water from springs and used Phalen Creek as their sewer leading to sanitation problems 5 Destruction EditSo squalid were the conditions of the Hollow in fact that in 1956 the city declared the entire neighborhood a health hazard The last remaining families were forcibly evicted and the entire housing stock was burnt to the ground on December 11 of the same year At one time 1905 as many as 1 000 people called the tiny little glade their home although there were far fewer 14 families in all remaining at the time of the December 11 1956 clearing 2 6 Today Edit nbsp Swede Hollow Park 2008Soon after the destruction the area became a dumping ground and gathering place for the homeless In the 1970s the valley was cleaned up and it was designated a nature center in 1976 A 1917 report remarked Phalen Creek and the banks of this stream are ideal for park purposes while in their present state they constitute a menace to the health of the residents and to the community at large 6 The area remains uninhabited to this day The original woodland state has returned although some of the building foundations still remain the creek has been partially restored and the entire valley has been made part of Swede Hollow Park a city park The trail running along the west edge of Swede Hollow is the Bruce Vento Regional Trail paved on the former right of way of the Northern Pacific Railway s Skally Line that ran from St Paul to Duluth 2 The award winning album Minnesota A History of the Land released by musician Peter Ostroushko in 2005 included a piece called Swede Hollow Lament 7 In 2012 composer Ann Millikan premiered an opera about Swede Hollow 8 In Sweden the history of 19th century migration to Minnesota was popularized by Vilhelm Moberg s four novel series The Emigrants 1949 1959 which describes rural hard working successful settlers in the 1850s Former ABBA members Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson adapted these books into the 1995 musical Kristina fran Duvemala The poorer urban less successful emigrants of the 1890s received less attention until described in Ola Larsmo s 2016 novel Swede Hollow which has also been adapted into a play Connemara Patch Edit nbsp The Seventh Street Improvement Arches separated Swede Hollow from Connemara Patch The north side foreground of the photograph is Swede Hollow the area partially visible beyond the arches is the former site of Connemara PatchJust south and downstream of Swede Hollow was a lesser known Irish neighborhood called Connemara Patch It was so named after the original home of its Irish settlers who arrived in the United States under the sponsorship of Archbishop John Ireland who settled them on prairie claims near Graceville Minnesota When the original rural colonization plan was aborted by poor planning and the long blizzard wracked Snow Winter of 1880 81 a season so harsh it was immortalized in the Laura Ingalls Wilder book The Long Winter 9 the desperate immigrants were resettled along lower Phalen Creek in the area between East Seventh and East Fourth streets as a stopgap measure one that ultimately became permanent The legendary Irish language storyteller Eamon a Burc spent several years in the district before a railroad accident took his leg leading him to return to his village in County Galway Ireland 10 11 12 Like Swede Hollow Connemara Patch was eventually cleared of its inhabitants The neighborhood s remnants were completely destroyed by urban renewal in the 1950s Interstate 94 currently occupies a substantial portion of the old enclave The rest of the site is largely vacant except for a few dilapidated industrial structures 6 References Edit Lost Twin Cities 2 Swede Hollow Twin Cities Public Television a b c d Millett Larry 2007 AIA Guide to the Twin Cities The Essential Source on the Architecture of Minneapolis and St Paul Minnesota Historical Society Press p 385 ISBN 978 0 87351 540 5 Kunz Virginia Brainard 1991 Saint Paul The First One Hundred and Fifty Years Bookmen pp 15 16 ISBN 0 9630690 0 4 Part I The Great Depression in Swede Hollow by Michael T Sanchelli Minnesota Historical Society Swede Hollow Continues Immigrant Tradition with a Focus on Water Minnesota Department of Health January 24 2007 Retrieved August 28 2009 a b c L Empson Donald 2006 The Streets Where You Live University of Minnesota Press pp 60 262 263 ISBN 0 8166 4729 1 Minnesota A History of the Land wikipedia org Retrieved November 5 2012 Schouweiler Susannah 4 June 2012 Swede Hollow is the subject of a new opera and the site of its premiere http collections mnhs org MNHistoryMagazine articles 35 v35i05p205 213 pdf bare URL PDF Kunz Virginia Brainard 1991 Saint Paul The First One Hundred and Fifty Years Bookmen p 57 ISBN 0 9630690 0 4 Regan Ann 2002 Irish in Minnesota St Paul MN Minnesota Historical Society Press pp 22 23 ISBN 0 87351 419 X Binchy Maeve O Donoghue Jo 2004 Brewer s dictionary of Irish phrase amp fable London Weidenfeld amp Nicolson p 393 ISBN 0 304 36334 0 External links Edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Swede Hollow Swede Hollow Park at Placeography From Swede Hollow to Arlington Hills Swede Hollow Continues Immigrant Tradition with a Focus on Water Friends of Swede HollowMinnesota Historical Society Swede Hollow photos Swede Hollow artwork I Remember St Paul s Swede Hollow Swede Hollow in MNopedia the Minnesota EncyclopediaVideos Swede Hollow opera Swede Hollow historyConnemara Patch at the MHS Painting of Connemara Patch Bishop Ireland s Connemara Experiment Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Swede Hollow Saint Paul amp oldid 1167427000, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
