Marshall Terrace in Minneapolis in Hennepin County, Minnesota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

Building a Community in Northtown

Photographed By McGhiever, August 15, 2023

1. Building a Community in Northtown Marker

Inscription.

Building a Community in Northtown. .

"The Flour City is a good place for the small wage earner and he is prospering so well that he does not hesitate to invest his money in a home with the idea of remaining here forever and a day." Minneapolis Tribune, Jun 12, 1904

. Residential subdivisions along the rails, 1903., Grand and California Streets at 30th Avenue N.E., looking south, ca. 1930., The Mississippi River and the Northern Pacific Railroad tracks frame the neighborhood between Marshall, Randolph, Grand and California Streets in 1928. The Riverside NSP plant and its coal pile edge the riverfront north of Marshall Terrace Park., By 1887, a series of annexations had expanded the city's northern border across St. Anthony Township to 37th Avenue N.E. South of Lowry, neighborhoods were densely built by this time, with many small laborer's houses and multiple-family dwellings including apartments and duplexes. Building societies and other lenders made home ownership possible for some new European immigrants. Houses, schools, and churches coexisted with noisy rail corridors., North of Lowry, new housing construction slowly followed the expansion of the Shoreham and Northtown yards. The core of the early population included Yankees, Irish, French Canadians, Germans and Swedes. Immigration swelled after 1900. Many Poles, Russians, and eastern Europeans settled along Grand, California, Marshall and Main Streets. New arrivals after World War II would include Greeks and Lebanese., California and Grand Streets were among those with clapboard or stucco houses, many with screened porches, vegetable gardens and fruit trees. Small dwelling soften houses large families as well as boarders. Nearby railyards, elevators, factories and brickyards were common places of employment, but streetcars linked to other job locations. The Lowry (1905 and Camden (1912) bridges opened up a direct route to jobs at North Minneapolis sawmills and other industries., Northtown Families Genny Zak Kieley, who grew up on California Street in the 1950s, remembered:

"At least once every hour, a freight train rumbled through the area. But residents quickly became oblivious to the rhythm and cadence of these sounds. After all, the noises represented prosperity and employment for the neighborhood."

The 1920s census provides a snapshot of a few Polish and Swedish families in the 2900 block of California Street; Russian, Bulgarian, Norwegian, and Irish families all lived in similar small houses., Jacob and Theresa Swadeck lived at 2943. Jacob was a railroad worker. The household of seven included two adult daughters. Helen, aged 19, was a bookkeeper at the Minneapolis General Electric Company a few blocks away. John Pajak at 2931, also a native of Poland, and his wife Mary had seven children. Pajak worked in a brickyard, likely one of the many on Marshall Street., Peter Anderson, a City of Minneapolis foreman, and his wife Bessie were Swedish immigrants. In 1920 their five adult daughters, including a saleswoman, stenographer, bookkeeper, and dressmaker, and a grandson all lived in their household at 2930 California Street., By 1920, many Northtown-area blocks were home to Polish or German immigrants, but neighbors also included Swedes, Norwegians, and natives of New England. This page from the 1920 census shows the 2900 block of California Street., Grand Street at 27th Avenue N.E. in 1956, looking south., Randolph Street children, ca. 1925. The Republic Elevator and railroad yards are in the background. (G.Z. Kieley), Architect Avenue In 1893, the first section of Thomas Lowry's Columbia Heights was laid out north of the city boundary along 37th Avenue N.E. Columbia Heights was planned as a worker's suburb with manufacturing sites linked to the city by rail and streetcar. South of 37th Avenue, Minneapolis additions of Columbia Heights included Lowry's First Subdivision, partially overlooking Columbia Park. It featured a park triangle and Architect Avenue curving off Columbia Boulevard., 1905, In 1905, realtor Edmund G. Walton organized a competition that invited six Minneapolis architects to turn out "the best product of the art in the form of designs for cottages of moderate price, and convenient size." Although Columbia Heights factory sites were also promoted to investors, it was promised that "fine residences and the factories can be kept a long way apart ... the picturesque hills are so formed and so beautifully wooded that scores of big plants might be built in the valley and the residents on the hills never know of their existence.", Marshall Terrace, Plan for Marshall Terrace, 1915., Marshall Terrace baseball team, 1963., The Board of Park Commissioners purchased an eight-acre parcel for Marshall Terrace in 1914. The riverbank site at 27th and Marshall Street N.E. was initially known as Northeast Riverside Park. At this time there was much public interest in water sports and the board stated that they had "somewhat neglected the old Mississippi River." In 1915 Park Superintendent Theodore Wirth proposed two plans, each with terraced beaches and bathhouses. Without a breakwater, however, the river proved unsafe for swimming. Although a popular site for baseball and hockey competition, the park remained generally unimproved amidst its industrial setting of sawmills and the Riverside plant. In the 1960s, fill obtained from river dredging enlarged the park acreage by four acres; improvements since the 1990s have included upgrades to playing fields and playgrounds.

"The Flour City is a good place for the small wage earner and he is prospering so well that he does not hesitate to invest his money in a home with the idea of remaining here forever and a day."
Minneapolis Tribune, Jun 12, 1904

Residential subdivisions along the rails, 1903.

Grand and California Streets at 30th Avenue N.E., looking south, ca. 1930.

The Mississippi River and the Northern Pacific Railroad tracks frame the neighborhood between Marshall, Randolph, Grand and California Streets in 1928. The Riverside NSP plant and its coal pile edge the riverfront north of Marshall Terrace Park.

By 1887, a series of annexations had expanded the city's northern border across St. Anthony Township to 37th Avenue N.E. South of Lowry, neighborhoods were densely built by this time, with many small laborer's houses and multiple-family dwellings including apartments and duplexes. Building societies and other lenders made home ownership possible for some new European immigrants. Houses, schools, and churches coexisted with noisy rail corridors.

North of Lowry, new housing construction slowly followed the expansion of the Shoreham and Northtown yards. The core of the early population included Yankees, Irish, French

Paid Advertisement

Click on the ad for more information.
Please report objectionable advertising to the Editor.

Click or scan to see
this page online

Canadians, Germans and Swedes. Immigration swelled after 1900. Many Poles, Russians, and eastern Europeans settled along Grand, California, Marshall and Main Streets. New arrivals after World War II would include Greeks and Lebanese.

California and Grand Streets were among those with clapboard or stucco houses, many with screened porches, vegetable gardens and fruit trees. Small dwelling soften houses large families as well as boarders. Nearby railyards, elevators, factories and brickyards were common places of employment, but streetcars linked to other job locations. The Lowry (1905 and Camden (1912) bridges opened up a direct route to jobs at North Minneapolis sawmills and other industries.

Northtown Families
Genny Zak Kieley, who grew up on California Street in the 1950s, remembered:

"At least once every hour, a freight train rumbled through the area. But residents quickly became oblivious to the rhythm and cadence of these sounds. After all, the noises represented prosperity and employment for the neighborhood."

Building a Community in Northtown (left) at the Northtown Railyard Overlook image. Click for full size.

Photographed By McGhiever, August 15, 2023

2. Building a Community in Northtown (left) at the Northtown Railyard Overlook

of seven included two adult daughters. Helen, aged 19, was a bookkeeper at the Minneapolis General Electric Company a few blocks away. John Pajak at 2931, also a native of Poland, and his wife Mary had seven children. Pajak worked in a brickyard, likely one of the many on Marshall Street.

Peter Anderson, a City of Minneapolis foreman, and his wife Bessie were Swedish immigrants. In 1920 their five adult daughters—including a saleswoman, stenographer, bookkeeper, and dressmaker—and a grandson all lived in their household at 2930 California Street.

By 1920, many Northtown-area blocks were home to Polish or German immigrants, but neighbors also included Swedes, Norwegians, and natives of New England. This page from the 1920 census shows the 2900 block of California Street.

Grand Street at 27th Avenue N.E. in 1956, looking south.

Randolph Street children, ca. 1925. The Republic Elevator and railroad yards are in the background. (G.Z. Kieley)

Architect Avenue
In 1893, the first section of Thomas Lowry's Columbia Heights was laid out north of the city boundary along 37th Avenue N.E. Columbia Heights was planned as a worker's suburb with manufacturing sites linked to the city by rail and streetcar. South of 37th Avenue, Minneapolis additions of Columbia Heights included Lowry's First Subdivision,

Paid Advertisement

Click on the ad for more information.
Please report objectionable advertising to the Editor.

partially overlooking Columbia Park. It featured a park triangle and Architect Avenue curving off Columbia Boulevard.

1905

In 1905, realtor Edmund G. Walton organized a competition that invited six Minneapolis architects to turn out "the best product of the art in the form of designs for cottages of moderate price, and convenient size." Although Columbia Heights factory sites were also promoted to investors, it was promised that "fine residences and the factories can be kept a long way apart ... the picturesque hills are so formed and so beautifully wooded that scores of big plants might be built in the valley and the residents on the hills never know of their existence."

Marshall Terrace

Plan for Marshall Terrace, 1915.

Marshall Terrace baseball team, 1963.

The Board of Park Commissioners purchased an eight-acre parcel for Marshall Terrace in 1914. The riverbank site at 27th and Marshall Street N.E. was initially known as Northeast Riverside Park. At this time there was much public interest in water sports and the board stated that they had "somewhat neglected the old Mississippi River." In 1915 Park Superintendent Theodore Wirth proposed two plans, each with terraced beaches and bathhouses. Without a breakwater, however, the river proved unsafe for swimming. Although a popular site for baseball and hockey competition, the park remained generally unimproved amidst its industrial setting of sawmills and the Riverside plant. In the 1960s, fill obtained from river dredging enlarged the park acreage by four acres; improvements since the 1990s have included upgrades to playing fields and playgrounds.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Immigration • Parks & Recreational Areas • Railroads & Streetcars. A significant historical year for this entry is 1887.

Location. 45° 1.642′ N, 93° 16.146′ W. Marker is in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in Hennepin County. It is in Marshall Terrace. Marker is at the intersection of St. Anthony Parkway and California Street NE, on the right when traveling east on St. Anthony Parkway. The marker is at the Northtown Railyard Overlook. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Minneapolis MN 55418, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The 1925 Bridge and the Warren Truss (here, next to this marker); Park Planning and the Grand Rounds (a few steps from this marker); River, Railroad and Industry (a few steps from this marker); Columbia Park and Golf Course (a few steps from this marker); Prairie to Brickyard: The Landscape of Northtown (a few steps from this marker); Northtown and the St. Anthony Parkway Bridge (a few steps from this marker); New Bridge Planning Process and Design (a few steps from this marker); Carl Ripken, Sr. (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Minneapolis.

Credits. This page was last revised on May 7, 2024. It was originally submitted on May 7, 2024, by McGhiever of Minneapolis, Minnesota. This page has been viewed 37 times since then. Photos: 1. submitted on May 7, 2024, by McGhiever of Minneapolis, Minnesota. 2. submitted on May 2, 2024, by McGhiever of Minneapolis, Minnesota.