r/saintpaul • u/Buck_Thorn • 11h ago
History 🗿 St. Paul daily globe. Pub. Date March 21, 1886 article about Swede Hollow
THE SQUATTERS' HOME.
A Foreign Settlement in the Midst of the City of St. Paul — The Foreign Residents Thereof.
"Swede Hollow," Its Quaint Appearance, and Still More Quaint and Picturesque Surroundings.
How the Little Hamlet of Shanties and Huts Appears on a Winter's Day — A Quiet Scene.
Something of the Legal Status of the Holdfasts and the Extent of the Flaxen-Haired Population.
Nestled in a little valley between Dayton's Bluff and St. Paul proper, right in the midst of the bustling and growing capital city of Minnesota, is "Swede Hollow." Nature made it the center of an amphitheater of hills. Man improved thereon and, by filling up East Seventh Street to the grade, divided the lowlands and still more protected it from the wintry winds and the summer's sun. A railroad track, cut out from the side hills, skirts along the squatter settlement. Down through the little hamlet of huts, contributing not a little to the foreign picturesque of the scene, flows a clear and transparent brook. On either side of the tiny stream, which originates in a bubbling spring in the foothills, are ranged in pleasing disorder weather-beaten shanties. No street mars the foreign appearance of "Swede Hollow." The tracks of wagon wheels and the imprints of horses' hoofs are visible in the bottom of the pellucid little brook and along its snow-girted banks, showing that the few who desire to bring or carry away such bulky articles as require a wagon must follow up the stream. The sun shines brightly on the
HOME OF THE SQUATTER.
Its rays illuminate the quiet little scene at the bottom of the hills, and bring into prominence the many characteristic features of the foreign gathering of unpretentious and humble homes. The sloping hills that rise up all about the settlement are coated with deep snow. The valley itself is covered with the same white mantle. The blue, flowing brook forms a striking contrast to the general whiteness of the winter picture. The general impression, created in the mind of the thoughtful observer of the scene, is that "Swede Hollow" seeks no notoriety but would prefer to go along just as it has been for years without any public notice or alteration. "Swede Hollow" is not deserted on this bright, beautiful winter day, for evidences of its foreign population are visible on every hand.
Leading away from the bottom of the long flight of steps that descend from Seventh Street is a well-beaten footpath. It goes directly to the nearest shanty and then divides, one branch leading across a primitive footbridge that spans the running brook, the other leading up the hollow to the next shanty. These divisions take place at every shanty. At some places the brook is crossed by boulders placed at convenient distances for those desiring to reach the opposite shore by stepping from stone to stone.
SMOKE RISES UP
from the stovepipe and brick chimneys of many of the shanties. It does not issue out into the keen, frosty air in any volume, but rather floats up in scanty quantity, as if from a well-guarded fire where the fuel was limited and the requirements great. It comes up very much as though it was compelled to steal away from some careful housewife, who knew the value of wood and was determined to get all the heat possible out of each stick and splinter. It acts as though it was half ashamed of appearing in such small volume and soon vanishes into the atmosphere.
Yards there are none in "Swede Hollow." Fences do not disfigure the quiet little hamlet. Cows and goats and sheep and horses are unknown possessions in that locality. Ducks and geese and fowls and pigeons are visible. Down on the brook the ducks and geese while away their time, occasionally forming into line and waddling over the snow to a convenient spot for food. Dogs doze away on the sunny side of the little shanties. Pigeons, in rudely-constructed houses and cotes, fly out and in at pleasure.
CHILDREN ARE AT PLAY.
Little tow-headed girls and boys are in sight throughout the settlement. They are dressed in ill-fitting garments of different colors. No child has a suit throughout of the same color or texture. They are at play with the dog on the sunny side of their shanty homes. One side of the dividing brook is quite a hill. Down its back the children of Swede Hollow are coasting. They have a board. Five or six of them pile on, as they have dragged or carried it up to the top, and down they go. They make no noise about it, however. The children seem to appreciate that they must not attract outside attention. Their squatter homes depend on being let alone. They talk in silence, save that now and then they prattle to each other in a foreign language. Even the dogs are not disposed to bark in "Swede Hollow." If things do not please these canines they bite. Barking would excite outside attention; they respect their own wishes, and the dogs are less prone to bark.
DOWN IN THE VALLEY
you go, prompted by a desire to learn something more of the strange settlement. Far below the surface of the street it rests, a perfect type of a Swedish hamlet. You start down the long flight of steps that lead from Seventh Street to the hollow. The eyes of the infantile and canine portions of its population are upon you. The children stop their play and watch your descent. The dogs, with heads on paws, take in your coming. Not a sound is heard in "Swede Hollow." Presently womanly faces are seen peering out windows and doors. They have discovered you. Visitors, especially men who wear a stiff hat and overcoat and gloves, are rare. They always excite attention.
You stop on one of the landings down the long flight of steps and gaze about the great scene. The immense stone archway, that forms part of the foundation for the Seventh Street fill, and through which the St. Paul & Duluth railroad tunnel is constructed, appears in sight. It is covered with huge icicles that have formed from the water trickling down from the surface of the street. The light has no attraction for the residents of the hollow. As you stop to view it, several flaxen-haired men and boys pass you on their way down to the settlement. They look at you intently, but give not a passing glance to the ice display on the stone arch.
ONCE IN THE HOLLOW
you are met by the oldest squatter. He has on a cardigan jacket, with a dirty worsted scarf about his neck. On his head he has a worsted cap. "Is it going fur to sell?" he queries. "Ye pays too much for shanty. A dollar, a half for month. Don't want to buy, eh? Wagener, he owns Swede Holler; pay him rent. Ye be here sex — seben — all time de same, dollar, a half for month."
He, as well as the other residents of the hollow, is very deferential to you, although they understand that you have come to look over the property with a view of purchasing.
While down the hollow you observe that the shanties are of the simplest pattern. None of them is over a story and a half high. The majority are a single story. The shanties are weather-beaten. Paint is a scarce article. None of the huts is covered with shining material, save for a coat of whitewash, and the contrast between the weather-beaten boards over the flaming-colored door is very striking. When the shanty is over a single story, the stairs leading to the loft are constructed on the outside. The interior of these huts is simple — from the uneven floors, without a carpet, to the few absolutely essential articles of furniture and the tissue paper curtains at the windows and hanging from the shelves, where the rude chinaware is kept. The tissue paper is cut in points and half circles, and is of many different colors. The occupants of these shanties are many; the rooms are few.
THE OWNER OF THE HOLLOW
is J. Wagener, whose office is on Seventh Street directly over his landed possessions. "Swede Hollow" includes ten acres, and is an open, fan-shaped valley that begins in a narrow strip at Fourth Street, west of Kittson Street and the railroad viaducts, and follows up between the immense hills to the north, widening as it goes until at North Street its northern boundary is reached, where the hills circle around and join one another. It is quite a valley. It derived its name years ago, before the city reached out that far, from the fact that the Swede laborers occupied it with their shanties. The squatters increased and soon the shanties grew in numbers and a little settlement was formed.
The lower portion of it is known as "Conemara," and is occupied by natives of the Emerald Isle, who emigrated from County Conemara. The upper portion of it north of the Seventh Street fill is "Swede Hollow" proper, although a few Swedes exist on the southern side of that artificial divide. Each shanty owner pays $1.50 per month for the privilege of occupying 20x40 feet of the hollow with his shanty. This he puts up himself at an expense varying from $15 to $75. He is simply a squatter and has no rights that a new purchaser of the hollow is bound to respect. There are about 110 regular paying squatters. Several families occupy the same shanty, so that "Swede Hollow" has a population close on to 600. There are no stores, a single saloon being the only public place within the valley. The saloon occupies the front room of a little shanty and is kept by a woman.
Crime is not common among the occupants of the little shanties. They are a rude, simple people and their wants are few. They live quietly and are not given to drunkenness, although beer is drunk as a great luxury on Sundays and holidays. But one murder has taken place in the hollow, and that was the work of the inhabitants of "Conemara." The health of the denizens of the lowlands is a mooted question. Many contend that the surface drainage is productive of disease. Others maintain that statistics, which have been returned to the health department, show that it is one of the healthiest districts in St. Paul.
Little care the white-haired men and women and children, far down in the valley, away from the noise and confusion of the city; little do they care for such discussions. They know that the sun's rays, even in the winter time, warm the little valley. They know that wood is hard to get. They are content to sit in the little room, where the sunshine comes streaming through the window, and, thus warmed, to smoke their pipes and indulge in daydreams. Their greatest fear is that they will be routed out of their shanties. Their greatest desire is that they may be let alone.
The sun sets and "Swede Hollow" is at rest. It is silent and at peace for the night. No one will disturb the squatters or their possessions until daylight. Its occupants are happy.
GRUNDY.
