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Frogtown's Railroads
The best view of the railroads is from the east sidewalk of the Dale Street Bridge, where the railroads passed through what is now Great Northern Business Park.
A railroad was first chartered by…
The Nickel Joint
The Nickel Joint, 501 W. Blair Ave., is not only a traditional Frogtown working-class bar with meat raffles, a jukebox and a "Cheers" vibe, it has been home to the Baseball Old Timers Hot Stove League…
Willard's Liquor
Willard's is believed to be the second-oldest bar in Saint Paul. A West End watering hole, The Spot, is the only place that is older. Willard's opened in 1908 as Kohl’s, which is what it was known as…
Kim Long
- 439 University Avenue -
Kim Long was the name of one of the city’s first Vietnamese restaurants and one of the first businesses to shape what became Little Mekong. It was named after its owner,…
Lao Family Community
- 320 University Avenue -
Lao Family Community of Minnesota, Inc. is a non-profit mutual assistance association founded in 1977 as the Hmong Association of Minnesota. It was founded as a nonprofit…
Little Mekong
Little Mekong is a business and cultural district in Saint Paul, located between MacKubin and Galtier streets along University Avenue. This area’s mix of retail, restaurant and service businesses are…
Leroy Neiman's Homes
One of Frogtown’s best known native sons of the 20th century was famed American artist LeRoy Neiman. He was born in 1921 in Braham and was of Swedish and Turkish descent. His birth name was Runquist…
Camphor United Methodist Church
- 585 Fuller Avenue -
Camphor United Methodist Church, 585 Fuller Ave., was founded in 1919. The congregation worshiped in a number of locations, including the former Danish Norwegian Methodist…
Mount Olivet Baptist Church
- 451 W. Central Avenue -
Mount Olivet Baptist Church, 451 W. Central Av., was founded in March 1922. It was first named Saint Paul Independent Baptist Church. It was later changed to Mount Olivet…
St. Philip's Episcopal Church
- 475 MacKubin Street -
The St. Philip's Episcopal Church traces its origins to 1868 and a congregation organized as Saint Mark’s. After founding Pastor Rev. T. H. N. Gerry died the group disbanded…
Saint James A.M.E. Church
- 624 W. Central Avenue -
Saint James AME Church was organized in 1876 in a one-room house near Seventh and Robert streets. The church had its ups and downs with membership but finally found a site…
Saint Peter Claver Catholic Church
- 375 N. Oxford Street -
Saint Peter Claver was founded in 1892, thanks to the efforts of Archbishop John Ireland. The church has its roots in a congregation that worshipped downtown, starting in…
Pilgrim Baptist Church
- 743 Central Avenue -
Pilgrim Baptist Church was started in 1863 by Rev. Robert T. Hickman and his prayer group, who called themselves “Pilgrims.” Its current building at 743 Central Av. dates…
Dietsch's Hall
Dietsch’s Hall, 601 N. Western Ave., was another historic gathering place for the Frogtown German community. It was built in 1890 by Joseph Steinkamp, who operated a bar and other businesses in the…
German House
German House, or Deutsches Haus at 444 Rice St., was a community focal point for decades. In the 19th and early 20th century, Saint Paul had dozens and dozens of German groups – singers, musicians,…
Frogtown's Mansion District
Frogtown once had a mansion district along University and Sherburne avenues, near today’s state capitol. The mansions of some of Saint Paul’s richest and most powerful people looked out over the…
Frogtown's Winter Carnival Days
Aurora Park was the site of an ill-fated Saint Paul Winter Carnival Ice Palace in 1896. Weather didn’t cooperate and the palace had to be scaled back from a more grand size. Fort Karnival was more of…
Aurora Park
Aurora Park, also known as the Dale and Aurora Grounds or Comiskey Park, was Frogtown’s minor league baseball park. In 1895 Charles Comiskey started Saint Paul’s team in the fledgling Western League.…
Millers' Coaches
- 289 Como Avenue -
On the site of what is now a storage business was one of Saint Paul’s most memorable taverns. In 1936, two 1887 Pullman coaches that once graced Northern Pacific's…
Rapinwax Paper Company
Rapinwax Paper operated in Frogtown for many years at 293 Como Av. The company made wax paper for food handling and food preservation. In the days before plastic wrap and resealable plastic food bags,…