DBDF May 2008 Articles

Vacant Home Tour is May 3rd and 4th

This is one of the buildings you can visit on the Dayton’s Bluff Vacant Home Tour.

By Nick Duncan
   The blue house was built on a hill high above Fourth Street. A long winding staircase leads up from the sidewalk down below. During better times, the former owners must have toiled mightily to landscape the elaborate terracing that allowed four or five flat levels of flowerbeds to sit tucked into the hillside in front of the house. Now in 2008, at the top of the hill, the front door is posted with the all too familiar blue “Vacant” sign that the city of St Paul uses to mark uninhabited buildings in our city.
   “This one looks like a candidate,” Jacob Doer proclaimed, as he peaked through the front window. The other members of the Dayton’s Bluff Vacant Building Committee (DBVBC) present at the inspection nodded in agreement. In they went.
   For the last few months the members of the DBVBC, a grassroots neighborhood organization, have spent many an hour inspecting vacant houses all over the Dayton’s Bluff neighborhood. They are preparing to host their first annual Dayton’s Bluff Vacant Home Tour on May 3-4.
   The sub prime mortgage crisis and the resulting epidemic of home foreclosures have hit city neighborhoods like Dayton’s Bluff especially hard. Currently there are over 1700 vacant buildings in St Paul and hundreds of them are in Dayton’s Bluff. “It’s hard to drive down any block in our neighborhood and not see an abandoned house,” said Paul Morf of the DBVBC. “We felt like we, as neighbors, needed to do something about the problem.”
   This first of its kind tour will showcase a number of these vacant homes. The format of the tour is similar to that of the Mpls/St Paul home tour. Ten to twelve registered vacant homes will be open for tour participants to walk through. However, unlike the Mpls/St Paul tour, where attendees see someone else’s dream home, the DBVBC members hope to play matchmaker between some lucky touree and their dream home.
   “We believe our neighborhood offers unique opportunities to anyone who ever dreamed of making ‘This Old House’ their new house. We have opportunities for anyone who thought they couldn’t afford to buy a home. It’s cheaper then rent. We have opportunities for people who prefer sweat equity to astronomical mortgage payments. Rehabbing is recycling. We have opportunities for people who care about the environment, who don’t want to add to the suburban sprawl and the problems that go with it.” said Morf.
   Like so many of the beautiful old homes that the members of the DBVBC have inspected, the blue house on 4th had some issues. It had been duplexed and remodeled by someone whose tastes must have been decidedly modern in the early 1970’s when the work was done. But when one considers the financial trade off - this house is listed at under $80,000 - a little 70’s kitsch becomes much more digestible.
   “We try to go beyond surface issues and see the possibilities of these homes,” said Amy Hanford, another local resident and member of the DBVBC.   “We hope people who come to the tour will be looking beyond cosmetic issues like painting and minor remodeling. These are unique and historic spaces. Not many people have the opportunity to inhabit such a special home. “And they’re cheap, too,” added Hanford with a laugh.
   Dayton’s Bluff is well known for its abundance of unique architecture. The homes span the gambit from large 19th century Victorian’s to cozy 1920’s prairie bungalows. The tour tries to incorporate all these styles. “There is something for everyone,” said Doer, “we want to present a wide variety of styles, sizes, and price ranges.”
   Indeed, the DBVBC has gone to pains to include only homes that they believe are rehabable. “It’s always a crapshoot when you purchase a home that was built 125 years ago” said Morf. “But we did the best we could to find homes without major structural issues; ones that we believe can be rehabbed.” Morf added, ”And remember, the materials, the old growth hardwoods, and the craftsmanship of the builders, everything was done by hand, far surpasses anything being put up today.”
   The DBVBC has also made sure to include only properties listed with a real estate agent, thereby making it much easier for prospective buyers to make an offer. The tour will include information on city financing programs available to prospective buyers and how to go about purchasing a vacant home.
   The tour runs from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday May 3th and from 1 to 5 p.m.on Sunday the 4th and includes free trolley rides from house to house. City inspection reports for each individual property will be available to tour participants. Anyone interested in attending should meet and get their tour maps at the Dayton’s Bluff District Council Office at 798 E.7th St. on the corner of 7th and Margaret Sts. the day of the tour. For more information call Karin DuPaul at 651-772-2075 or www.daytonsbluff.org.

May Events

May 1
Community Meeting

May 3 and 4
Neighborhood Vacant Home Tour

May 8
Dayton’s Bluff Preservation Evening

May 17
Neighborhood Sale
Plant Exchange
Annual Spring Dinner

May 29
National Night Out Kick-Off Picnic

Fourth Annual Preservation Evening May 8th

   The Fourth Annual Dayton’s Bluff Preservation Evening will take place on Thursday, May 8 from 6:30–8 p.m., at the Ecolab Community Room, third floor of the Metropolitan State University/Dayton’s Bluff Branch Library (just west of the intersection of Seventh and Maria). This is a chance to hear about historically sympathetic home preservation and repair.
   Special guest speaker is Joe Hoover from the Minnesota Historical Society. He’ll tell us everything we need to know about using the new website, Placeography.org—a collaborative site (called a wiki) that allows anyone to create, edit and link to pages devoted to preserving history. Entries can be about homes, farms, public lands or any physical place in Minnesota. Once an entry is created, others can add stories and memories, and even pictures.
   During the evening, residents are invited to share their stories, pictures, picture boards, PowerPoint presentations, scrapbooks, etc. on major and minor home repair projects. In past years, residents’ projects included kitchen and bathroom remodels, restored porches and whole-house projects.
   There are many beautiful homes in all parts of Dayton’s Bluff, including the Historic District. Neighbors have had extensive experience preserving and repairing their homes. Some of these neighbors will be on hand to speak about their homes and show before and after images.
   Stories about haunted homes in Dayton’s Bluff are also welcome. Many people are fascinated by stories about local ghosts and supernatural occurrences.
    The event is co-sponsored by Metropolitan State’s Center for Community-Based Learning, Dayton’s Bluff District 4 Community Council, and the Dayton’s Bluff Branch of the St. Paul Public Library. For more information contact Karin at 651-772-2075 or Karin@DaytonsBluff.org.

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.

Spring Parks and Neighborhood Clean Up

Photos by Karin DuPaul

Volunteers at the Spring Parks and Recreation and Neighborhood Clean Up on April 12th. They went out in 30 degree weather and cleaned up the Dayton’s Bluff Recreation Center property and the surrounding neighborhood

On Friday, May 16 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.

   The May hike is canceled due to the Dayton’s Bluff Vacant Home Tour on May 3 and 4.
   Dayton’s Bluff Take a Hike occurs on the first Saturday of most months. 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.

The Portage for Youth, housed in the Historic Mounds Theatre will launch a new summer day camp program this year, featuring 2 tracks. Track 1: Theatre and Dance (ages 8-13) or Track 2: Photography and Video (ages 13 -17). The camp will be held the week of June 23-27 from 10-3 daily.
The Program is free and open to both boys and girls. Activities will take place at the Historic Mounds Theatre, home of the Portage for Youth, 1029 Hudson Road, Saint Paul, MN 55106. The application deadline is June 1st or until all sessions are filled. For additional information or to request a registration form, email raeann@theportage.com or call 651-772-8674 or register online at www.theportage.org.
Limited transportation is available to East Side youth through the Circulator (a free bus service).

Spend the night in a haunted theater

   The Historic Mounds Theatre is billed as one of the most haunted places in the Twin Cities. Maybe it is and maybe it isn’t. Now you can find out for yourself... if you dare.
     As a fundraiser for the Portage for Youth, which has it’s home in the Mounds Theatre, two overnight stays on Saturday June 7th and Saturday June 21st are being auctioned off.
In addition to spending the night the lucky winners will get to participate in a mini psychic investigation with the Minnesota Ghost Hunters Society.
   All bids for the auction must be submitted by May 1. For more details visit www.moundstheatre.org or call 651-772-2253. .

By Steve Trimble
   This year is our state is celebrating its sesquicentennial—I believe that’s Latin for 150 years old. It officially became the 32nd state on May 11, 1858 after spending nine years as a territory. The Minnesota Historical Society has a new exhibit entitled Minnesota 150 that features people places and events that have shaped the state and the latest issue of their magazine features this landmark. Several new books have been written especially for the sesquicentennial and a number of celebrations are planned.
   So the May issue of the Forum seemed like a good place to take a look at what our geographic area was like a century-and-a-half ago. Obviously, there have been huge changes. But there are a few remnants of that distant past still here. Historical documents are not plentiful, but information can be gleaned from early censuses, city directories, letters and other material.

Early Landmarks Still Exist
   There are even a few items from the early days that are still around today. The most obvious remaining landmarks are probably the Indian Mounds and Carver’s Cave. They were often mentioned in early travel guides of Minnesota, including this item from a volume published in 1855:

Dayton’s Bluff. This is a high and commanding situation below St. Paul, overlooking it and the surrounding country for upwards of thirty miles, and is one of the pleasantest situations for private residences within the city limits. The celebrated Carver’s Cave is at the foot of this bluff.... Visitors to the Territory should not fail to pay a visit to these mounds and the cave.

   Transportation was a major concern of St. Paul in its early life. The Mississippi River was about all there was that linked the city with the outside world. But by the mid-1850’s, a “Territorial Road” linked Dayton’s Bluff with points east and west and at least a portion of that route still exists today. The thoroughfare started at Point Douglas, where the Mississippi meets the St. Croix and traveled through Cottage Grove and Newport to St. Paul and all the way to Fort Ripley in the western part of the state. Somewhere near today’s junction of Highway 61 and Warner Road, the route ran in a northwesterly direction through downtown. If you head west from Obb’s Bar on the diagonal Point Douglas Road, you will be on one of the remnants of the old Territorial Road.
   But there are other reminders of the Territorial era. For instance, some of the street names were given back in the 1850’s, as the neighborhood was starting to be platted for settlement. Some of the oldest are in what today is known as the Mounds Park area, south of the freeway.
   The names can be traced to early resident Nathaniel Mclean, an Ohioan who came to Minnesota at the fairly advanced age of sixty. He arrived in the spring of 1849. He came to the St. Paul to publish the Chronicle and Register. McLean served as county commissioner and was later appointed Sioux agent at Ft. Snelling, a post he held for four years.
   But his main income, like many others at the time, came from real estate. According to one newspaper article, “on his arrival at St. Paul he purchased several acres of land on Dayton’s Bluff... just outside the city limits and in what came to be named McLean Township.”
   The “Suburban Hills Addition” was platted out in 1856 and McLean Street, Mound Street, Cherry, Plum and other tree names that are still around today were chosen at that time.
   Another very early denizen of today’s Mounds Park was Truman Smith. He began his career as a banker and was once among the richest men in the city. In 1850 Smith built a house with a view of the Mississippi River. In a much-altered form it is still there at 908 Mound Street and the assisted living facility is now called the Mounds Park Residence.

   Along with many others, Smith was wiped out in the aftermath of the 1857 panic. He was advertising as a banker in the July 1858 issues of the local papers, but after that his name was gone. His house went on the auction block and his career as a financier was over.
   Smith had always loved gardening and flowers and soon was back on his feet as a major garden farmer. Issues of the St. Paul paper often included advertisements for Truman Smith’s “Fruit Garden” on Dayton’s Bluff.
   The name of our neighborhood dates back to the Territorial era. Dayton’s Bluff was a combination of the area’s geography and the presence of Lyman Dayton, an early resident who owned and developed hundreds of acres of land in St. Paul and elsewhere.
   It actually turns out that for a short time it was referred to as Weld’s Bluff in honor of Eben Weld, an even earlier landowner. But the later name stuck and the lives of Lyman and his wife Maria are inexorably intertwined with the neighborhood’s story.
   There have been articles about the legendary twosome in earlier issues the Forum, but there may be some new residents who are unfamiliar with their story or older residents who need a refresher. Lyman and Maria came to St. Paul in 1849 with money to invest and by 1854 had built an elegant home on the edge of the bluff near today’s Conway and Mounds Boulevard. He was born into a Connecticut farm family in 1809 and worked as a clerk in a dry goods store that he eventually bought. She was born and raised in Rhode Island, was eighteen when she married Lyman and was a very strong supporter of the First Baptist Church.
   When Lyman and Maria began to live in their new home, they were one of only few residents in the area. Starting in the late 1830’s there were people farming here, but the city was approaching and most had moved away by 1858. William Evans, a former Ft. Snelling soldier, his wife and her five children were probably the first European residents here. According to one historical source, they “took a claim on what is now Dayton’s Bluff” in 1839 and lived in a cabin overlooking the river on “one of the most desirable sites for a dwelling about St. Paul. After a few years, they sold their land to the Daytons and moved away.
    So even though much of the area was still vacant in the 1850’s, the Dayton’s Bluff area was already considered a residential community. In September 1857 the Daily Minnesotian lauded the location as “probably the most beautiful view near the city is that from ‘Dayton’s Bluff.’ It will well reward the stranger or even the resident to take a morning stroll to this well-known locality.... One can obtain thus, a better idea of the extent of the city than from any other point.”
   The paper also noted that Dayton’s Bluff was the site of “many fine suburban residences,” including those of Dr. Borup, Captain Davidson, B.F. Hoyt, and Major McLean. “All have elegant mansions on this hill, besides many neat and tasteful cottages, that seem the centre of comfort and happiness. The occupants all do business in the city. There seems to be a growing rage for country residences among our citizens. Whichever way one drives from the city, he notices them.”

Bluff Happenings in the Year 1858
   So what was happening in this community in the year of statehood? Although historical records can provide accurate information, they are still limited. Newspapers of the era exist and are one of the better sources. The activities of everyday life are hard to uncover, so most of the available information concerns official matters.
   “Lyman Dayton’s Addition” to St. Paul had been platted out in 1857. One of the early decisions was the creation of Maria and Bates Avenues in 1858. They were named after Lyman’s wife Maria, whose maiden name was Bates. The street on the outer edge of the area was designated East Street, the initial name of today’s Earl Street.
   Many of the streets on the western edge-often referred to today as “the lower bluff’ were aligned with the river while sections further out were surveyed in an orderly north-south manner. The meetings of these two alignments have created a unique urban landscape that still exists. You can probably see it best at Third and Maple, where the street makes a major jog to adjust to the differing alignments.
   In 1858 there was an expansion of the boundaries of St Paul. The city was incorporated in 1854 and at that time only the section of Dayton’s Bluff up to Arcade was included within its boundaries. The 1858 action meant that almost all of the neighborhood was taken into the city. The city was expanding and more people were leaving the downtown to move into nearby communities.
   The January, 1858 issue of the St. Paul Pioneer and Democrat had an advertisement placed by Lyman C. Dayton, the only child of Lyman and Maria. Following somewhat in the footsteps of his father, he described himself as a “dealer in real estate” and a “land warrant locator.” Dayton was engaged in selling land all over he city as well as in the city of Dayton, a town across the river from today’s Anoka.
   Among other places, the advertisement was offering 500 standard lots in Dayton’s Bluff and another 100 sites that each contained five acres. Some of them were even listed as being in a “L. C. Dayton Addition” to the city of St.. Paul.

   The 1858 advertisement was not the only notice of little Lyman in the newspapers. Unfortunately, most of them were the kind of things that must have disappointed his parents. On October 14, 1856 he was arrested for assault with a pistol. He was found guilty and fined a hundred dollars. Almost a year later there was another report of his involvement in a case of assault and battery
   Returning to 1858, a paper reported that Lyman C. had been fined five dollars in August for driving a carriage too rapidly in the city streets.
   A few months later, he was fined three dollars for leaving his horses unattended without properly hitching them up.
   Even though the neighborhood was officially part of St. Paul, it remained somewhat isolated. Phalen Creek and Trout Brook turned the area underneath the bluff into an extended wetland that was difficult to cross. People living there were even willing to spend their own money to improve transportation and access.
   In March of 1858 the Pioneer Press noted the activity of local Alderman William Branch when he spoke at the city’s Common council meeting. He “submitted a resolution on the petition of Lyman Dayton and others, to have Seventh Street graded and bridged.” The area’s principal property owners agreed to “enter into bonds to pay their assessments... so as to relieve the city treasury from any responsibility.” The proposal was never implemented and it was two decades before there was such a bridge.
   Early transportation was difficult, but increasing numbers of people continued to move into the neighborhood area east of downtown. And, like everyone else, they wanted city services. In the spring of 1858, for instance, the Minnesota Pioneer and Democrat reported that “a meeting was held on Thursday evening, by the citizens in Dayton’s Bluff, to devise ways and means to insure [sic] the erection in that neighborhood of a suitable school edifice.”
   Obviously there were now a number of families in the area that wanted city services to extend to the developing East Side. According to the paper, “the meeting was largely attended, and resolutions were passed in favor of the immediate commencement of a building, and in the meantime a teacher will be employed to assume the charge of a number of scholars, and will commence the term on Monday next.”
   In addition to the early elegant estates, there were also more modest homes going up in the community. One of them, usually referred to as the Curtis-Watson House, still stands today at 155 Urban just off of Mounds Boulevard. It was built in 1858 by Orin Curtis on what then was then named Lizzie Street.
   It is typical of the Greek Revival style that was popular in the late 1850’s and 1860’s in Minnesota. At first glance it does not look as old as it is. This may be because the original clapboard siding was covered with stucco in 1914 and a decade later, the house lost its wrap-around front porch.
   The Curtis family left in 1867 and Robert Watson then moved in and lived there until his death in 1899, followed by his son John, who may have farmed there, for that block and the one directly to the east was empty. A historic elm over 100 years old was once in the yard and was marked by a plaque, but it died from Dutch Elm disease.
   Of course, a lot more was going on in Dayton’s Bluff in 1858. As is the case today, people were being born, some were dying and families were working to make a better life for themselves. However, these day-to-day activities are hard to discover. This article gives some idea of what was going on here when Minnesota achieved statehood and remind folks that we are always surrounded by history. As people gear up for various sesquicentennial events, maybe we should consider having an event this summer to celebrate the story of our neighborhood. And, if you’re in the mood, please consider singing “Happy Birthday” to the state on May 11th.

    Metropolitan State University Third Floor Gallery is pleased to announce Necessary Ornamentation: Selections from the Minnesota Mosaic Guild.
   The exhibit, featuring 26 artists, opened Thursday, April 17 and continues through July 25.
   Gallery hours in April are Mondays-Thursdays, 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.; Fridays- Saturdays, 11 a.m .- 4 p.m. Gallery hours May through July are Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. and Saturdays, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. The gallery is located in the Library and Learning Center, 645 East Seventh Street, Saint Paul.
   This exhibition investigates the breadth and depth of the local mosaic-making community by featuring the work of 26 Minnesota Mosaic Guild members. From traditional tiles to sculptural objects, this show features a variety of styles, techniques and materials.
   Regarding the quality and diversity of the work in the show, exhibition coordinator Gil Gragert said, “There’s no way to nail down the typical guild member or the work. Often elegant, sometimes primitive or quirky in form and execution, members struggle and experiment among the many styles and substances of the media. With ranges of experience from only months to 15 years or more, you’ll find a range of quality, but never a lack of spirit to the work.”
   For more information, contact Erica Rasmussen, gallery director, at 651-793-1631 or e-mail Erica at Metro State at erica.rasmussen@metrostate.edu.
   Established in 2004, the Minnesota Mosaic Guild (MMG) was formed to promote the art of mosaic; foster exploration and experimentation in the media; provide educational opportunities in mosaic; and share and celebrate the diversity of experience and knowledge in the media. MMG members emerge from a multitude of artistic backgrounds including sculpture, art instruction, jewelry making, graphic design and oil painting. While some MMG artists practice more traditional mosaic techniques using Italian smalti or commercial tiles, others practice their art in nontraditional modes including picassiette, memory ware, stained glass, and found objects, or through a combination of approaches.

The East Side Learning Center, 740 York Ave., will again provide one-on-one tutoring in reading this summer for students from the East Side in grades K–4. Students need to attend every day, Monday–Thursday, from June 16–July 17 for one hour.
Tutoring will take place in the mornings and afternoons at Johnson Elementary, and only in the mornings at Bruce Vento Elementary. There is a $10 non-refundable registration fee; special arrangements may be made. For more information, or to register, call 651-793-7331. Registrations close June 9.

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