The Summit/University area was part of a large African-American community that centered around Rondo Avenue in the 1930's. Rondo Avenue was destroyed to make way for the construction of Interstate 94 in the 1960's.
Rondo Neighborhood and the Building of I-94 - The Minnesota Historical Society provides a list of books and video resources.
Remember Rondo - Rondo Days Celebration - Events and activites held every summer to celebrate the historical neighborhood.
La Fayette Fields (1896-1982)
Pictured above are La Fayette Fields of Majestic Drug Store, 620 Rondo St., (corner of I-94 and Dale) and the diminutive "Buck" Parcell, salesman for Howel's Root Beer.
Fields was an institution in St. Paul. One of the most respected members of the black community from the 1940's until his death, he was the first black pharmacist to graduate from the University of MN and for several years was the only black pharmacist who owned his own store.
Fredrick L. McGhee (1861–1912)
At 665 University Ave.,McGhee founded the Niagra Movement (lead by W.E.B. Dubois). McGhee also formed a local civil rights unit called the Twin Cities Protective League.
Because of his national connections to other organizations, McGhee became one of the League's two delegates to the first convention of the NAACP in Chicago. Unfortunately, McGhee died in 1912, a year before the NAACP would take root in St. Paul. When the St. Paul chapter of the NAAP convened its first meeting on September 19, 1913, the members founded the chapter in his memory.
James W. Crump, M.D. (1886-1969)
Dr. Crump, 639 Fuller Ave., was a family doctor who practiced over 40 years in St. Paul. He was one of the earliest African-Americans in the U.S. admitted into the Medical Association and was a committed local leader of social causes.
EDUCATION
Central Senior High School
Maxfield Magnet Elementary
R. Ronald Hubbs Center
Rondo Community Outreach Library
The Saint Paul Area Learning Center/Secondary Programs
CHURCHES
Camphor United Methodist
New Birth Missionary Baptist Church
Pilgrim Baptist Church
St Albans Church of God in Christ
678 Aurora Ave, St. Paul, MN 55104
(651) 224-7740
St. James Ame Church - African Methodist Episcopal
St. Paul City Church
St. Peter Claver Catholic Church
Saint Paul-Reformation Lutheran Church
ARTS & RECREATION
Hallie Q. Brown/Martin Luther King Community Center
Oxford Community Center
The Penumbra Theatre Company
IN MEMORIAM
The late Martin (Ollie) Weddington lived near Dale Street and University, and was an active member of the African American community in St. Paul for over 70 years. He was an honorary board member of ASANDC, and participated in the protest and removal of the "notorious" Faust Theatre.
In 2002, the late TigerJack Rosenbloom's store was moved from its original location at 369 N. Dale Street in St. Paul to the Minnesota History Center, at 345 Kellogg Blvd. W.
The 8x10-foot building, with many of its original contents in tact, is an important remnant of the historic Rondo neighborhood of St. Paul.
It was unveiled in the Minnesota A to Z exhibit in 2003. The center's first exhibit since it opened in 2002, closed on July 4, 2004.
Frogtown- Rondo Action Network
A new initiative led by nine community organizations that is focusing on high-impact projects along University Avenue, designed to bring prosperity to the people of the neighborhood, as state and local governments prepare to build the Central Corridor light rail line.
The Frogtown/Rondo Action Network, funded in part by the Local initiatives Support Corporation, or LISC, and serving an area from Rice Street west to Lexington, and from Thomas south to St. Anthony, is made up of:
- Aurora/St. Anthony Neighborhood Development Corporation
- Community Stabilzation Project
- Greater Frogtown Community Development Corporation
- Asian Economic Development Association
- Jewish Community Action
- Just Equity
- Camphor United Method Chuurch.
- Selby Area Community Development Corporation
- Univeristy Avenue Business Association
- University United
FRAN's goals are to direct resources toward community-based projects already under way that would otherwise be constrained by limited means and abilities.
There have been 11 projects identified by the partnership. The following are four examples:
Creating Home Ownership
To encourage creative home ownership for those in rental situations; lease to purchase with preparation to become good owners.
Renters
Housing provisions for renters and preparation to become potential homeowners.
Foreclosures
How to stabilize current homeowners and preparation to thrive.
Creating "Green" Jobs
Based on the LRT premise that more jobs will be created and improve economic situation of residents.
LISC has committed three years of support to FRAN, and hopes to raise and leverage additional resources both for support and implementation of FRAN projects, which have a total budget of about 7.5 million.
ASANDC will center the coordination efforts in order to aptly prepare, strengthen and help residents and businesses not only survive the Light Rail changes but any changes that present themselves to our community.
FRAN will curb the potential negative impacts on residents. The intention is to remain a consolidated community coalition so that residents may continue to receive access to information that affects them and their families, whose needs do not end with the completion of the Central Corridor Light Rail project.
Partner Websites: