SAINT PAUL AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORIC AND CULTURAL CONTEXT, 1837 TO 1975 Ramsey County, Minnesota May 2017 SAINT PAUL AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORIC AND CULTURAL CONTEXT, 1837 TO 1975 Ramsey County, Minnesota MnHPO File No. Pending 106 Group Project No. 2206 SUBMITTED TO: Aurora Saint Anthony Neighborhood Development Corporation 774 University Avenue Saint Paul, MN 55104 SUBMITTED BY: 106 Group 1295 Bandana Blvd. #335 Saint Paul, MN 55108 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Nicole Foss, M.A. REPORT AUTHORS: Nicole Foss, M.A. Kelly Wilder, J.D. May 2016 This project has been financed in part with funds provided by the State of Minnesota from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the Minnesota Historical Society. Saint Paul African American Historic and Cultural Context ABSTRACT Saint Paul’s African American community is long established—rooted, yet dynamic. From their beginnings, Blacks in Minnesota have had tremendous impact on the state’s economy, culture, and political development. Although there has been an African American presence in Saint Paul for more than 150 years, adequate research has not been completed to account for and protect sites with significance to the community. One of the objectives outlined in the City of Saint Paul’s 2009 Historic Preservation Plan is the development of historic contexts “for the most threatened resource types and areas,” including immigrant and ethnic communities (City of Saint Paul 2009:12). The primary objective for development of this Saint Paul African American Historic and Cultural Context Project (Context Study) was to lay a solid foundation for identification of key sites of historic significance and advancing preservation of these sites and the community’s stories. In 2016, Aurora-Saint Anthony Neighborhood Development Corporation received a Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grant to conduct the Project, a groundbreaking effort as the first context statement focused on a non-European cultural group in Saint Paul. The scope of the Project included gathering existing information from a significant body of past research, engaging in additional community outreach, and identifying a preliminary list of related sites of significance to the African American community recommended for future survey. The Context Study’s goal is to lay the groundwork for regulatory bodies to advance their preservation responsibilities to ensure significant African American resources are protected with the same due diligence, through implementation of appropriate professional preservation planning strategies, as historic assets of groups with European origination. This context describes the history of Saint Paul’s African American community and its development over time, to enable identifying related properties, evaluating their significance, and informing preservation priorities. The physical extent of the context study includes the current boundaries of the City of Saint Paul. The context explores the African American community in Saint Paul through the time period of 1837 to 1975. The first date is the year of the formal establishment of Saint Paul, and the latter reflects National Park Service guidelines that most properties be at least 50 years old to be eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), unless exceptionally important. Research was conducted on broad themes such as important events and persons, buildings, and cultural values to inform the organization and layout of the context. Within these themes, the context addresses topics pertaining to the African American community, including migration, religious institutions, business and industry, arts and culture, education, politics, journalism, and significant leaders and events. The context provides a history of significant time periods; identifies threats to resources; includes historical photographs of significant historical figures or events; and describes additional research needs. The report will be made readily available to cultural, civic, and economic development organizations working to draw visitors interested in the cultural heritage and contributions of Saint Paul’s African American community, as well as to arts, educational, and other organizations for use in designing curriculum, performances, and other promotions. Page i Saint Paul African American Historic and Cultural Context ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Project Team would like to thank the individuals who served on the Advisory Group, and those who attended the community meeting for the Project. Representing themselves and some of the community’s most important institutions, they offered their time, generous advice, and honest feedback. They shaped the content and presentation of the context, and most importantly, led the report authors in interpreting the information it contains to reflect the community’s ownership of their stories. October 2016 Advisory Group Meeting (106 Group) Thank you Advisory Group members: Ta-coumba Aiken, Angela Burns, Veronica Burt, Melvin Carter Jr., Clifford Dodd, Leetta Douglas, Donna Evans, Robin Hickman, Nick Khaliq, Debbie Montgomery, Lori Peterson, Steve Trimble, Aleah Vinick, Jens Werner, Steve Wilson, Frank White, Haley Wotzka. Thank you to the following workshop participants (in addition to the Advisory Group members in attendance): Michael Akins, Celinda Andrys-Akins, Jeremiah Andrys-Akins, Zach Andrys-Akins, Cienna Boos, Milo Boos, Toni Carter, Dwayne Crusoe, Alvin Cunningham, Damenica Ellis, Sharon Garth, Kamya James, Laura James, Jonathan Palmer, Damone Presley, Sr., Marvin Scroggins, Wesley Smith, Keith Swan, William Williams The Consultant Team that prepared this report would also like to thank—in addition to those January 2017 Community Workshop (106 Group) above—their partner Context Study Team members. It is not often enough that so many resources are provided to ensure a project’s success, and we appreciate the community, technical, and political support provided by our team members. Thank you, Context Study Team members: Nieeta Presley and Roxanne Draughn (Aurora-Saint Anthony Neighborhood Development Corporation), Carol Carey (Historic Saint Paul), and Noel Nix (Office of Ramsey County Commissioner Toni Carter) Page ii Saint Paul African American Historic and Cultural Context TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract .................................................................................................... i Acknowledgements .................................................................................. ii Acronyms and Abbreviations ................................................................... ix 1.0 Introduction ....................................................................................... 1 1.1 Purpose of Historic and Cultural Contexts .................................................................... 2 1.2 Context Study Team and Community Engagement ..................................................... 2 2.0 Research Design and Methodology ..................................................... 5 2.1 Archival Research and Survey ..................................................................................... 6 2.2 Previous Surveys of African American Historic Properties in Saint Paul ...................... 6 2.3 Scope of Context ......................................................................................................... 8 3.0 Historic and Cultural Context ............................................................. 9 3.1 Nineteenth Century ...................................................................................................... 9 3.1.1 Settlement ....................................................................................................................... 9 3.1.1.1 Fort Snelling (1820s–1850s) ............................................................................... 9 3.1.1.2 Early Saint Paul ................................................................................................ 11 3.1.2 The Underground Railroad ............................................................................................ 13 3.1.2.1 Saint Paul’s Underground Railroad Station ...................................................... 14 3.1.2.2 Reverend Robert Thomas Hickman ................................................................. 15 3.1.3 The Wars of the 1860s .................................................................................................. 16 3.1.3.1 The Civil War .................................................................................................... 16 3.1.3.2 The U.S.–Dakota War of 1862 .......................................................................... 16 3.1.3.3 Buffalo Soldiers ................................................................................................. 17 3.1.4 Religious Institutions ..................................................................................................... 18 3.1.4.1 Pilgrim Baptist Church ...................................................................................... 18 3.1.4.2 St. Mark’s Episcopal Church and St. Philip’s (Mission) Episcopal Church ....... 18 3.1.4.3 St. James African Methodist Episcopal Church ................................................ 19 3.1.4.4 St. Peter Claver Catholic Church ...................................................................... 19 3.1.5 Education ....................................................................................................................... 20 3.1.5.1 Diversity in the Early Schools