Politics | Page 34

St. Paul at the intersection of Fifth and Wabasha Streets, 1857

St. Paul at the intersection of Fifth and Wabasha Streets. Construction of the Cathedral of St. Paul is visible at center. Photograph by Benjamin Franklin Upton, 1857.

St. Anthony, St. Cloud and Hartford Land Office

The land office in St. Anthony, 1857.

Land Speculation, 1854–1857

Between 1854 and 1857, a craze for platting town sites and selling the deeds to settler-colonists swept through Minnesota. Speculators poured into the territory hoping to make their fortunes, and many succeeded. An estimated 700 town sites were platted during this time, though most of them were never developed or were abandoned after a few years. Ultimately, the mania of land speculation ended when the Ohio Life Insurance and Trust Company went bankrupt in 1857, causing a financial panic through the country.

Guadalupe Area Project booth at Neighborhood House career expo

Guadalupe Area Project, an adult education program, exhibiting and selling products at the Career Expo, Neighborhood House, in West Side St. Paul, April 1975.

Meeting of the Minnesota Chicano Federation

Meeting of the Minnesota Chicano Federation at the Mexican American Cultural and Educational Center, St. Paul, March 1975.

Brown Berets marching in Mexican Celebration Parade

Brown Berets marching in Mexican Celebration Parade, St. Paul, September 15, 1972.

Aerial view of the West Side of St. Paul during flooding

Aerial view of the West Side of St. Paul during flooding, 1952.

Children playing softball at the playground of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church

Children playing softball at the playground of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe) Church on St. Paul’s West Side, ca. 1950. At the time, the church stood at the corner of Concord Street (later Cesar Chavez Street) and South Andrew Street.

Brown Berets marching with flags

Brown Berets marching in a Mexican Celebration Parade, St. Paul, 1972. They carry the American flag; the “La Causa” flag of the Chicano movement; and a statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Chicano Movement in Westside St. Paul

When migrant workers from Mexico began to look for homes in Minnesota in the mid-twentieth century, many joined a growing enclave in Westside St. Paul. In spite of challenges, they sought opportunities to create a strong community and build a brighter future. They saw the Chicano Movement of the 1960s and 1970s as a means to that end.

Gale Family Library