Folks - it is my understanding (after some research a few years back) that a lot of the neighborhoods are named after schools and parks. Many of the schools which are no longer here but the neighborhood name has not changed. So many of the Planning districts were also designed geographically around certain parks and schools - dah!
Phillips neighborhood was named after Phillips Junior Hi which is today the Boys and Girls Club/Park Board Community Center and Pool. Phillips Junior High was name after Wendell Phillips never stepped foot in Minneapolis. But some of us have his history and The Alley Newspaper quotes him a lot. He traveled far and wide as a great orator and as an abolitionist fought for the rights of the poor and impoverished - often people of color. His invalid wife Anne Green was his speechwriter and although she did not travel with him his speeches were delivered to him on the trains that moved everyone around at that time. (And believe it or not The Green in the Green Institute is really named after Anne Green but hardly anyone knows that side of the story - because its kind of like Ventura Village. Most people think it means one thing but really means another.) To find out some of this history about why Wendell I talked to a former school board member who lives at Becketwood ( i don't have my notes so don't remember the name but from the 20's) He said that schools and parks were named after famous people of the times. I happen to know many of the parks are named after people who gave their heart, soul and money to founding this great city of ours. I don't have time to keep going on this tonight but it is part of our rich, rich history from the milling and lumber days. Fr the moment, don't get me started, Annie Young East Phillips At 09:51 PM 5/16/02 -0500, Jeffrey Strand wrote: >Minneapolis Geographic Place Names > >Others have written about the origin of some of our geographic place names >in Minneapolis. I have found "Minnesota Geographic Names" by Warren Upham, >published by the Minnesota Historical Society Press to be very useful with >regard to origins of street names, creeks, etc. > >Regarding the origin of the name of Shingle Creek neighborhood, Bob Velez >already noted taking its name from the creek that leaves Brooklyn Center, >enters Minneapolis and traverses the Camden community neighborhoods of >Shingle Creek, Lind-Bohanon and Webber Camden and flows into the Mississippi >River. Quoting from the book, "Shingle creek, which crosses Brooklyn >township and the Brooklyn Center village, joining the Mississippi in the >north edge of Minneapolis, had near its mouth the first shingle mill in this >county (Hennepin), built in 1852. It flows through Palmer lake, named for a >pioneer." Hennepin County, page 232, 1979 reprint edition. > >The masthead of the Camden Community News newspaper reflects this heritage. >Hennepin Community Works commissioned a historical analysis as part of the >Humboldt Greenway project. African Americans were among the earliest >residents in Shingle Creek neighborhood in northwest Minneapolis. As I >recall, this work was serialized in the Shingle Creek N.A. newsletter c. >Feb. 2001 for Black History month. See the prior postings from Candyce >Sartell, who has articulated the background on opportunities for further >exploration of this river heritage at the new North Mississippi Regional >Park Interpretive Center. > >To further this interesting thread, the name Keewaydin is cited as a point >of interest among bays, points and islands of Lake Minnetonka. Quoting >again from the book (page 234) , "Hotel Keewaydin, a name from Longfellow's >"Song of Hiawatha," meaning "the Northwest wind, the Home wind," was at >Cottagewood, close west of Carson's bay. Keewaydin is the same name as the >differently spelled Keewatin, a former large province of northwestern >Canada, lying west of Hudson bay." > >Jeffrey L. Strand, Shingle Creek >Fourth Ward >===================================== >Message: 16 >Date: Thu, 16 May 2002 17:39:17 -0500 >From: Rosalind Nelson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subject: Re: [Mpls] Neighborhood name histories > >I've just assumed that "Wedge" referred to the shape of the area formed by >Lyndale and Hennepin Avenues north of Lake Street. The Wedge Coop was >originally on Franklin Avenue near the point. > >Rosalind Nelson >Bancroft neighborhood--named for Bancroft school, I believe. > >Bob Velez wrote: > > > Since I am not from Minneapolis originally, I am quite curious as to the > > origins of the names of neighborhoods. > > > > Of course, Shingle Creek is named after the creek of the same name that > > runs through it, but I am MOST curious about the neighborhoods that have a > > bit more esoteric names: > > > > Namely: > > > > CARAG > > Wedge > > Keewaydin > > Seward > > > > Please advise! > > > > Bob Velez > > Shingle Creek > > Ward 4 > > > > > > > > >_______________________________________ >Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy >Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: >http://e-democracy.org/mpls _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
