Clang, clang, clang went the trolley through the Bluff

Photos by Karin DuPaul Maybe it didn't exactly clang, but this trolley showed people around Dayton's Bluff during the Vacant Home Tour on May 3 and 4.

Bluff residents build positive momentum in 2007

By Ed Lambert, Executive Director, Dayton’s Bluff Community Council
   The 2007 Accomplishments Report of the Council, published in this issue of the Forum (see below right), illustrates the impact that residents and businesses in Dayton’s Bluff can have on “things that need doing” in the Bluff. 
   We can go much farther, and have even more impact, if even more residents and businesses get involved with the Council and its programs.  New people bring new energy and ideas, which are always needed, always matter, and always help the community move forward.  This is about YOU, YOUR Community, and opportunity building for everyone in Dayton’s Bluff. 
   The beneficiaries of effective Citizen Action are the citizens themselves, their families, their neighbors, and all of our children.  There is strength in numbers and in groups of neighbors working together. 
   One of the things the Council did recently was form a committee to look at Vacant Homes and consider ways to turn them into opportunities to “Build the Bluff.”  Some 300 people visited the vacant homes in our community the weekend of May 3-4, for the “Vacant Homes Opportunity Tour” the new committee created. 
   We got lots of good publicity for Dayton’s Bluff, and it looks like a number of new potential homeowners are following through on purchasing, rehabbing, and living in some of those “vacant” homes.
   People are also needed for the Council’s Arts and Culture committee, the Green Space committee, the Walk the Bluff program, neighborhood Block Clubs, as well as for efforts to get a Community Garden underway and to establish a community celebration.  Others are working on forming a Business Association for Dayton’s Bluff, on programs for youth, and on finding effective ways to strengthen and build our community.
   This October, the Council will hold its annual Board elections.  This is another great opportunity for residents new and old to “Stand Up For The Bluff,” by standing for election to one of the 18 seats on the Board.   Email Karin@daytonsbluff.org, call 772-2075, or simply drop by the office at 798 E. 7th street and find out how you can lend your shoulder to those of your neighbors and help “Build the Bluff.”
    We all need YOU, and you need the rest of us, so lend a hand and get involved if you are not already.  Check in and check it out…you will make a difference!!

2007 Accomplishments Report

* Completed a new District Plan for Dayton’s Bluff District 4, adopted the final version and forwarded it to the City Planning Commission for further consideration. It will help us update and focus our strategic plan, job descriptions and general activities in 2008 and beyond.
* Enhanced outreach efforts and communication capacity with two initiatives. We launched an e-newsletter, the EXTRA, that has 260 registrants as of late ’07. And in late summer we switched from hand-delivery of the Dayton’s Bluff District Forum (our community newspaper) to a postal distribution. We now get up to 85% of Dayton’s Bluff addresses in this manner.
* Completed a year-long Wellness Program initiative, funded by BlueCross BlueShield of Minnesota (165 registrants at end of ’07). The “Walk the Bluff” program continues as a volunteer-driven effort encouraging people to walk, stay healthy and keep an eye on the Bluff.
* Completed a two-year environmental initiative, funded by the McKnight Foundation, for the “Greening of Dayton’s Bluff.” Thirty-five durable flower pots were placed in business districts; three garden tours and four workshops were held annually; more than 300 people helped clean up and beautify area parks, numerous “blooming boulevards” and at least three rain gardens in residential areas. Also, a community vegetable garden near 4th Street and Earl is in the works. Volunteer efforts continue.
* Launched a Vacant Properties Committee involving residents, housing agency representatives and city officials. This committee will study such properties in Dayton’s Bluff and form plans to facilitate effective action against their negative impacts and potential growth.
* Launched a long-term project, in concert with the St. Paul PED and the Mayor’s office, to promote and engage with the Invest Saint Paul initiative. A supplemental PED grant was secured providing funds for additional staff, survey work and related efforts. Collaborated effectively with the Mayor’s Second Shift initiative, and other groups, to implement a “Circulator” bus for Dayton’s Bluff youth to access activities in the community.
* Reestablished the dormant Urban Partnership, engaging the Council and Metropolitan State Univ. in a working partnership to focus multiple agencies and officials on visioning and acting on major opportunities to strengthen and enhance Dayton’s Bluff.
* Successfully worked with the Block Nurse program to bring their program to Dayton’s Bluff, and launch an expression of their creative and effective activities in our community.
* Sustained organizing work on two major annual events: National Night Out continues to grow and build support among residents and businesses with multiple gatherings each August throughout the community, ranging from 20 to more than 200 people at each event.  In 2007 some 1685 people turned out in Dayton’s Bluff.  Our annual clean-up campaign in September seems stabilized at about eight large dumpster containers annually. Last year we distributed about 200 recycling bins—50 more than last year.
* Sustained Council committees, block clubs, community meetings, event organizing and related efforts focused on Greenspace, Beautification, Arts and Culture, Crime Prevention and Citizen Participation concerns.  These efforts are intended to strengthen the community by fostering engagement by residents and businesses on productive and immediate efforts to resolve problems and improve the community.
* Sustained our ongoing collaboration and local leadership with the Minneapolis/St. Paul Home Tour (providing opportunities for residents to promote Dayton’s Bluff), HALO (to get legal help with housing problems), and the Neighborhood Development Center’s Entrepreneur Training classes (to develop or strengthen a local area small business).

Block club meetings

*Wilson Avenue Block Club meets on the second Wednesday of each month at Mounds Park United Methodist Church, at Earl and Euclid, at 6:30 p.m.
   *Beech/Margaret Block Club meets on the last Tuesday of each month at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, at Margaret and Forest, at 7:00 p.m.
  *Margaret Rec Center Block Club meets on the second Thursday of each month at the Margaret Rec Center, at Margaret and Frank, at 6:30 p.m.
  If you wish to have your block club listed, or need information about starting you own block club, please contact Karin at 651-772-2075 or Karin@DaytonsBluff.org.

"Trash Can Project" creates artsy trash cans

Photos by Karin DuPaul Community members (above) cleaned and primed trash cans (top) in prepartion for final painting and lettering by fourth grade Dayton's Bluff Elementary students.

Next Dayton's Bluff community meeting 

Meet the police

   On Friday, June 20 the Eastern District Police will host their monthly meeting for community members. The meeting is intended as a time to listen to and address people’s concerns about crime and other issues on the East Side.
   The community meetings are held at the Eastern District police office at 722 Payne on the corner of Payne and Minnehaha Avenues on the third Friday of each month at 9:30 a.m.

   Dayton’s Bluff Take a Hike occurs on the first Saturday of most months. The next hike is Saturday, June 7th.We meet at 10:30 a.m. in Indian Mounds Park at Earl St. and Mounds Blvd. We’ll hike from Mounds Park to the Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary and then walk along the Bruce Vento Recreational Trail through Swede Hollow Park to the new East Side Heritage Park. Along the way we will share stories and learn some local history of the area. The hike is about four miles long with some moderately rough terrain. Transportation will be available to return to Mounds Park, or you may hike back.
    Join us and explore some of our parks and the regional trail. For more information contact Karin at 651-772-2075 or Karin@DaytonsBluff.org.

Cancer support group forming

Microentrepreneur Class in September

    The next Dayton’s Bluff Neighborhood Microentrepreneur Class is starting in September.  This program helps start-up and young businesses on the East Side.  All East Side entrepreneurs are welcome.
   Class training lasts 8 weeks and includes topics such as operations management, marketing, financial management, one to one assistance with creating a successful business, and preparing a business plan, plus 8 hours of one on one time with the instructor.  Those who successfully complete the course and locate their businesses in target neighborhoods are eligible for ongoing business support services.
   Some examples of businesses started by people who have previously taken this course include graphics, landscaping, photography, food service, restoration of wood furniture and works of art, custom floral design for weddings and events, and exterior and interior painting.  The course is sponsored by the Dayton’s Bluff Community Council and the Neighborhood Development Center.  There is a small registration fee based on a sliding fee scale.  The next session will start in September and class size is limited.  
   Please call Karin at 651-772-2075 or email Karin@DaytonsBluff.org for an application.

Free reading tutoring

"If Stones Could Speak" at the Mounds Theatre

Get rid of a junk car and help the Dayton's Bluff Community Council

  Budget Towing of Minnesota, Minnesota’s largest towing company, is owned by Roy Carlson, an active Dayton’s Bluff Community Council board member. Budget Towing will remove any junk car or truck—located anywhere in Saint Paul—and dispose of it at no charge to the vehicle owner or the property owner where it is located. The vehicle owner will receive paperwork for a tax donation, and Roy will also make a small donation to the Community Council for each car he tows.
   Just call Karin at 651-772-2075 to find out how you can get a junk car out of the way—and help clean up Dayton’s Bluff. 

Remembering a Dayton's Bluff business: A book summary and review

Photos Courtesy of Ramsey County Historical Society The Arcade Street Whirlpool plant and surrounding neighborhood, circa 1960.

Photos Courtesy of Ramsey County Historical Society In later years a skyway connected buildings on both sides of Arcade.

By Steve Trimble
   Today almost every home in America has a refrigerator—they are really taken for granted. But that was far from true a century ago. And a company located here in Dayton’s Bluff had a big role in getting refrigeration into most of the houses in the United States.
   Until now the story of that accomplishment has been largely undocumented. But now there is the book From Arcade Street to Main Street: A History of the Seeger Refrigerator Company, by James B. Bell, published by the Ramsey County Historical Society in 2007. It tells the story of one of the major players in the refrigeration industry that for eight decades was located on Arcade Street in our neighborhood.
   The Seegers lived in Dayton’s Bluff. Their homes still stand on Fifth Street overlooking Mounds Boulevard. Both Walter and Gustave Seeger went to Van Buren Elementary School. The family and the company they made -along with thousands of East Side workers - are an important part of our community’s heritage.
   It was located on and around the shopping area that today contains Rainbow grocery store—that’s why it is called Seeger Square. Many of our readers or their families or friends may have worked there—incidentally, please write us. So for this issue of the Forum, I’m going to give the volume an extensive review, going over the history of this important community business of the past and perhaps convincing some of you to read the complete book.

Chapter 1: The Seeger Family Arrives in Minnesota
   “The story of the Seeger Refrigerator Company,” author James B. Bell states “is a bittersweet chronicle in St. Paul’s long history.”  It began in the 1850’s when the Seeger family emigrated from Germany to the United States. John Seeger, who would eventually found the company, was born in Kentucky, moved with the family to New Ulm and by 1868 was living in St. Paul. His father, William Seeger became deputy treasurer of Minnesota.
   Son John went to work at the age thirteen in a cabinet-making establishment and worked his way up within it, eventually becoming secretary and then president of economically struggling Bohn Manufacturing. They primarily made doors and windows, but did have a small icebox line that Seeger was in charge of. He oversaw the company’s construction of a plant at 835 Arcade in 1886-87.
   In 1902 Seeger and another man started a company that manufactured refrigerators—ice boxes really— and later refrigerated railroad cars. The business obtained rights to a patented “dry air siphon” system that allowed circulation of cold air from the ice into the area containing the produce or meat. When he became sole owner it would be named the Seeger Refrigerator Company
   In 1910 the new entity purchased the buildings of the defunct Bonn manufacturing company where he once worked—at Arcade and Wells— and made it his new manufacturing headquarters. The company grew. Salesmen were sent around the country and an advanced national advertising campaign was developed.  From a beginning of two cabinetmakers the work force increased so that by the early 1920’s around two hundred men produced two thousand six hundred refrigerators a year.
Chapter 2:  From Arcade Street to Main Street
   Four Seeger family members would lead their family’s company to the status of an important national organization and launched a major advertising campaign.  John’s sons went out on the road to get orders from department and hardware stores.  They even installed refrigeration units in the Panama Canal Zone for the army and navy facilities.
   The East Side facility grew. As the public began to desire porcelain enamel exteriors on refrigerators rather than wood, they set up one of the few enameling plants in the country.  They got a big contract from General Electric to build cabinets for their wooden iceboxes. The use of ice as a coolant started to decline in the late 1920’s with the arrival of the electric refrigerator.  Sears was one of the biggest sellers of home appliances and in 1928 they contracted with Seeger to make the cabinets for their famed Coldspot refrigerators. Sunbeam Electric Manufacturing made the interior workings for the motor and compressor. The long-time Coldspot contract helped transform Seeger from a local and regional concern to a company with a national scope.
Chapter 3: Refrigeration Progress
   In his section of the book, Bell looks carefully at an era of residential and commercial changes that worked in the favor of the young Dayton’s Bluff company. There were various technological advances that made electric refrigeration more convenient. By 1930, for instance, two-thirds of the homes in America were wired. The lowering of electric rates made the old icebox less economical.  This chapter goes into some interesting detail on the history of refrigeration itself and its development over time.
Chapter 4: An Alliance With Sears
   The landmark nature of the 1928 partnership with Sears was previously mentioned, but the next part of the book goes into more detail of how it happened and how it affected the everyday life of the factory.  At the outset, Bell points out, there was no contract — just a handshake among the participants — the way face-to-face deals were made by that generation of entrepreneurs. The new direction of the business led to many internal changes. The Experimental and Development Departments at Seeger grew, as did the Industrial Engineering Department. One example of the growth of the Purchasing Department is the fact that by the 1940s they were the biggest user of refrigeration-grade copper tubing in the country.
Chapter 5: Parts  and Tools for Production
   This section of From Arcade Street to Main Street concerns- if you’ll excuse the pun- the nuts and bolts of getting things made at the plant. The author details the work needed to maintain control of parts, making sure there were needed supplies of inventory, tool needs, fabrication of parts, the development of a large metal shop and the coming and going by railroad.
Chapter 6: Porcelain Enamel Finishing
   In this chapter James Bell explains in some detail the important process of enameling and how it developed over its long history. He pays special attention to Seeger’s creation of Dulux,  a  durable and economical finish that made their refrigerator cabinets easy to clean and attractive.
Chapter 7: The Impact of the Sears Coldspot, 1934-1941
   Almost 90% of the company’s production after they teamed up with Sunbeam was to supply the Coldspot to Sears. They had a renowned French designer create a more modernistic and efficient model that really clicked with customers. Seeger stored over 6,000 inventory parts during this era.   Bell ably describes the process  of assembling the liner, enameling panels on one floor that were sent below for installation of insulation.   By 1936 the company could make a thousand or more cabinets an hour during peak periods.   In 1938, near the end of the Great Depression, during which the company maintained itself and continued to provide jobs for the community, founder John A. Seeger died and his sons Walter and Gustave assumed leadership.
Chapter 8:  A Partner in National Defense
   When the war began in December 1941, the manufacture of refrigerators ceased and like other companies, Seeger began to produce goods for the military effort such as metal ammunition boxes used to store ammunition belts for machine guns.  They also worked on bomb racks for the “superfortress” airplanes,  parachute flares, bazooka nozzles, precision aircraft parts and huge coolers used  by the U. S. Navy.
   Seeger engineers developed a flexible ammunition feed chute and special tolerances were adhered to. There were a few domestic products, such as pressure cookers that were intended to aid in increased canning at home. Seeger did not reap any windfall profits, but stayed at a steady five to five-and-a-half percent profit on gross annual sales.
Chapter 9:  A Decade of Robust Productivity
   The immediate post-war era was, generally speaking, a prosperous one.  Less than two months was needed to return to production of civilian consumer goods.  Seeger merged with the Sunbeam Electric Corporation of Evansville, Indiana. When combined, the workforce stood at more than 5,000, mostly making refrigerators and freezers for Sears and Montgomery Wards.   New housing fueled the boom.
   In the autumn of 1945 plans were to increase the size of the plant. Five new buildings and new equipment would increase production by one third.  2,000 employees at the plant now they also began major production of home freezers, which had been manufactured on a very limited basis before the war.
   By 1950 they were producing 125,000 freezers per year. Bell takes time to explain how freezers work and the development of a modern Research Department on Forest Street behind the main plant on Arcade.
Chapter 10: The 1955 Merger with the Whirlpool Corporation
   Mergers were occurring throughout the country during the generally prosperous post-war era. In 1954 the chairman of Sears suggested that Seeger and Whirlpool, their two top suppliers get together. It seemed like a good fit.
   Whirlpool was larger, had acquired some other subsidiaries and was in debt. Seeger had large cash reserves, as did RCA Electric, which also went in on the deal. On September 15, 1955 the deal was done and its details are provided by this book’s author. Former Whirlpool stockholders held controlling shares of stock.
Chapter 11: The Merged Corporation: 1955-1984
   The merged entity developed its own RCA Whirlpool appliances brand.  A new product line included dishwashers, vacuum cleaners and garbage disposals.  The East Side institution grew, but the downside was that the Arcade Street business was no longer under the control of those who shared the Seeger legacy.  New types of corporate executives working out of Michigan were in charge.
   In 1968 Water Seeger retired. According to Bell, the departure of Walter Seeger very much diminished the role of the St. Paul division. Its productivity was still exemplary, but there was excess capacity in the newly formed corporation.    Suggestions were made that the Arcade Street facility might be expendable. It was farther away from the resources, the pay for the 600 workers was higher than in Kentucky, and they felt property taxes were too high. During the 1982 recession 300 employees were laid off.  Then, on April 26, 1984, management announced that the plant would be closed. December 28, 1984 was the last day of production for the 625 remaining workers. They averaged 47 years old and over half had worked there for more than twenty years. This chapter delves into the back room decision-making that led to the demise of the old Seeger facility.

   As James Bell summed up at the end of his book: “What remains clear… is simply the contrasting reputations of Seeger and Whirlpool in St. Paul. The role and experience of Seeger over more than half-a-century is favorable and continues to sparkle in the community of its origins, while Whirlpools legacy is tarnished, negative, and cloaked in questionable integrity.”

   To add insult to injury, when the Whirlpool plant on Arcade was shut down almost all of the files that would have helped preserve its memory were destroyed. Gone are the employee records, blueprints, photos, catalogs, reports and other information that any researcher would love to see. That is one of the reasons why Bell’s book is so remarkable. It made his task much more difficult and took him much longer to complete the work than would have been necessary if the company archives had not been relegated to the dumpsters.
   You don’t have to take my word for the book’s value. Larry Millett, another local writer of history and mystery. called From Arcade Street to Main Street  “a carefully researched and richly illustrated book” that “offers the first complete history of the Seeger Company and the remarkable family… who founded it.”
   It is available at libraries, but if you would like to buy a copy you can check out the regional interest section of bookstores or order one from its publisher, the Ramsey County Historical Society. They can be reached by phone at 651-222-0701 or you can order on-line. Their web site is www.rchs.com.

The original Early Childhood Family Education Advisory Council

Students at Trinity Catholic School  pose with Deacon Mick's bike "Grace."

A student helps with Deacon Mick's haircut making Mick wonder, "Why did I agree to this again?!"

Deacon Micc and his bike, "Grace." Deacon Mick takes a break in a field somewhere between Byrdsville, Ky and Golconda, IL

Diane Newman stands in front of the house she and  her three sons now rent, after losing their home in February.

Dayton's Bluff Vacant Home Tour was a big success

By Nick Duncan
   When the Dayton’s Bluff Vacant Building Committee (DBVBC) organized the first of its kind “Vacant Home Tour” none of the committee members knew what to expect.  “Honestly, we were afraid no one would show up,” said one committee member.  But show up they did.  And by the hundreds.  People from all over the Twin Cities came to walk through, inspect and, in some cases, offer a bid on one of the eleven vacant Dayton’s Bluff homes on the tour.
   The tour, held over the weekend of May 3-4, was a huge success.  As of press time there had been purchase offers made on almost half of the tour homes and volunteers at all the locations were inundated with questions about how many more great old homes like these were available in the neighborhood.  
   The Community Council building on 7th street, which served as the tour headquarters, was bustling with activity throughout the weekend.  In one corner, tour attendees mingled with representatives from a number of mortgage brokers offering special programs for people interested in buying registered vacant homes.  Across the room, representatives of Historic St Paul offered information on their special exterior rehab loan program.  Out front, Mayor Coleman and City Council President Lantry joined attendees on a trolley ride to the first house on the tour.
   The tour lay out was quite simple.  Eleven homes in the neighborhood were on the tour.  The criteria for a tour home was that it had been registered “vacant” by the City of St. Paul and that it was also listed for sale.  Each of the homes was open for inspection by tour attendees with volunteers from the neighborhood and local real estate firms there to answer questions.
   Jennifer Huebscher was one of the attendees.  A resident of the Summit Hill neighborhood of St. Paul, Huebscher came with friends to explore both the houses and the neighborhood itself.  Though the tour did include a trolley to ferry attendees from house to house, the beautiful weather allowed Huebscher’s group and many others to walk the tour route.  “I thought many of the homes had a lot of character,” said Huebscher.  “The tour was laid out nicely, as well, so people could get a sense of the neighborhood, too.”
   “It seemed to me there were several sorts of visitors, “said Aimee LaLone, a member of the DBVBC, who spent the weekend directing visitors through 297 Bates, a giant Victorian that was one of the most popular homes on the tour.  LaLone noticed a wide variety of visitors.  Her list included everyone from families looking to buy a home, investors looking to buy investment properties, curious neighbors eager to find out what’s next door, and people who saw the press coverage and were curious to find out what this whole tour was all about.
   The vacant home tour was created and organized by the members of the DBVBC which is a grassroots group of Dayton’s Bluff residents who organized in the summer of 2007 to provide local input on the city’s handling of the vacant building crisis.  Group members were concerned that, in its effort to address the vacant building problem, the city was planning to tear down many older homes and possibly jeopardize the character of the neighborhood.
   Though no official attendance numbers were kept the DBVBC members believe between two and six hundred visitors walked through each home.  “It was a huge success,“ said committee member Joyce Danner.   “I don’t think any of us would have foreseen that we would be this successful,” she added.

Opportunity is knocking for homebuyers

Set of 12 Dayton's Bluff postcards available

The Dayton’s Bluff area has so many scenic views—and now they are available in postcards! There are 12 different scenes, including the Scenic Overlook, the E. 7th St. Improvement Arches, the Stutzman Block and the Indian Mounds.    A set of 12 is $10—only $5 for Dayton’s Bluff residents. Buy one to keep and one to send. Photography and printing of the postcards was donated by Dayton’s Bluff resident Steve Trimble. All proceeds support our local paper, the Dayton’s Bluff District Forum. Call 651-772-2075 for more information.

Sgt. Vick Dedication at Margaret Recreation Center

(Top) Hundreds of people attended the dedication of the Sergeant Gerald Vick play area at Margaret Recreation Center.  (Above) Police Chief John Harrington speaking at the dedication ceremony.     Photos by Karin DuPaul

A school bus hit an empty tanker near E. 7th St. and Mounds Blvd. around 8:15 a.m. on April 22. Ten students were on the bus, but none were injured.  The bus driver had minor injuries. Traffic was closed on E. 7th St. between Mounds Blvd. and Maria Ave. A car fire at E. 7th St. and Maria Ave. further complicated the traffic issues. The accident is under investigation.      Photo by erin sobaski

Amazing Grace Assembly of God
1237 Earl St.
651-778-1768    
Sun 9:30 am - Sunday school all ages
Sun 10:30 am - morning Worship
Sun 6:00 pm - evening Worship

Hmong Asbury United Methodist  
815 Frank St.  
651-771-0077

Bethlehem Lutheran Church  
655 Forest St.  
651-776-4737
Sun 9:00 am - Morning Service
Sun 10:15-11:15 am - Sunday School & Bible Hour
Sun 11:15 - Hmong Service

Faith Temple - Templo De Fe
1510 Payne Ave
651-778-0096
Sun 10:30 am - Spanish Bilingual Service
Sun 6:00 pm – Spanish Bilingual Service
Wednesday family night

Mounds Park United Methodist 
1049 Euclid St. 
651-774-8736
9:15 am -  Sunday School, 4-year-old through Adult
10:30 am - Worship

Our Savior’s Lutheran  ‘LCMS’
674 Johnson Pkwy 
651-774-2396
Sun only - 8am Worship, 9:20 education hour
Sun 10:45am - Worship

Sacred Heart Catholic Church  
840 E. 6th St.  
651-776-2741
Sat 4:00 pm – Mass
Sun 9:00 am – Mass
Mon, Wed, Fri 8:00 am – Weekday Service

St. John of Saint Paul Catholic Church
977 E. 5th St.  
651-771-3690  
Mon-Sat. 8:00 am – Mass
Sat 4:15 pm - Mass
Sun 9:00 am, 11:00 am - Mass

St. John’s Church of God in Christ  
1154 E. 7th St.  
651-771-7639
Sun 9:30 am - Sunday School
Sun 10:45 am - Worship
Wed 7:00 pm - Bible Study

St. John Ev. Lutheran  
765 Margaret St.
651-771-6406
Sun 9:30 am - Worship
Thurs 6:30 pm - Worship