Northeast Minneapolis
Northeast Minneapolis is the oldest section of Minneapolis, Minnesota and is located on the east bank of the Mississippi River just across from the heart of downtown Minneapolis. The land Northeast Minneapolis currently occupies was originally settled as St Anthony, named after the falls that marked the northernmost navagatable point of the Mississippi river. In 1848, Franklin Steele purchased the land that would become St Anthony and with the help of Ard Godfrey built the first commercial mill at the falls of St Anthony. The falls provided a dependable power source and soon many mills had been constructed there and the nickname "Mill City" was born. The land west of the Mississippi was opened for settlement in 1852 and when people started settling it St Anthony found it had a competitor across the river. St Anthony was originally incorporated in 1855, 12 years before its neighbor Minneapolis. St Anthony and Minneapolis existed as separate cities until 1872 when the two cities agreed to merge under the name of Minneapolis. At that point St Anthony passed out of existence and Northeast Minneapolis came into being.
Northeast Minneapolis, or Nordeast as it has long been known by locals, has been a traditionally working class area populated by Americans of Polish, Finnish, German, and Russian immigrants that were drawn into the area by employment opportunities that the grain mills and sawmills along the river offered. Those companies were happy to have a large base of unskilled labor to draw from and as the businesses grew; they drew more and more immigrants into the area. By 1930, the immigrant population in Northeast made up nearly 60% of the total population of the area and was having a profound influence on the cultural life of Minneapolis. Northeast Minneapolis also became known for its large number of churches including it's first church, St. Anthony of Padua, built on land donated by Pierre Bottineau and started in 1849. As numerous as the churches were the neighborhood bars. In fact the first mayor of St. Anthony was elected with the support of the local taverns and local bars are still a prominent feature of Northeast Minneapolis. The names of local businesses still bear the mark of the areas large immigrant population, for example Surdyks and Kramarczuk's are still doing business and thriving after half a century of existence.
After nearly a hundred years of continuous settlement by European populations the housing and other neighborhood infrastructure needed improvement. The focus was on housing which had become less and less acceptable to middle class buyers. Starting in the early 1970s residents received grants and loans to complete construction, alteration or improvement projects, new streets were built, Plumbing, heating, and electricity were brought up to code and improvements were made to local business. It was also during this time that a proposal to build a freeway through the area was fought. The proposed freeway, I-335, was meant to connect I-94 on the west side of Minneapolis to I-35W along the east side near the campus of the University of Minnesota.
Land was bought and cleared for the project and the residents relocated before the project was defeated by the local residents. Ultimately new housing was constructed on the newly cleared land and was a part of the area's revitalization.
In recent years, the demographics of Northeast have changed somewhat, the population becoming younger and more diverse. More and more students from the nearby campus of the University moved into Northeast. Asian-Pacific and African Americans found stable neighborhoods and affordable housing available and chose the area as home. Seventy-nine percent of housing in the area is owner occupied which has continued to contribute to the stability of neighborhoods that comprise Northeast Minneapolis.
Along with the younger demographic came revitalization to the culture of Northeast. It has become a center for the arts in the Twin Cities. Galleries have sprung up all over Northeast, many occupying the historic buildings saved from when the area was more industrial. The Northrup King building is a good example of this. Construction started in 1917 for the Northrup King & Co. seed company and finally comprised 10 buildings that shipped seeds across the United States. Now, it is the home of over 135 tenants, including 100 artists and including small business and nonprofit organizations. The Grain Belt Brewery building also is home to various artist galleries and studios.
The new influence of the arts is expressed by "Art-a-whirl", an art crawl that encompasses 400 art studios and has been in existence for 10 years. Restaurants and shops catering to a younger population have also reenergized Northeast Minneapolis. These newer businesses operate side by side with older establishments from the earlier era, including Nye's Polonaise Room and Kramarczuk's Sausage Company. The new face of Northeast Minneapolis is perhaps best seen in the new The Hennepin Avenue Bridge. The new suspension bridge is at the same site of the first permanent bridge across the Mississippi River anywhere along its length and is styled after the first bridge at the site, also a suspension bridge.
Sources
Minneapolis Library:Minneapolis history
Neighborhood Planning for Community Revitalization
Categories: Minneapolis neighborhoods