Swede Hollow Cafe, 725 E 7th Saint Paul, MN 55106 Located in the Swede Hollow neighborhood on St. Paul’s east side, Swede hollow cafe offers excellent food, wifi, a great atmosphere and out door dining.
The Swede Hollow area has a rich history, as does the surrounding area. During the 1880’s there was a large influx of immigrants from Sweden. Many settled in Minnesota. By 1890, Minnesota had the largest population of Swedish immigrants in the country totaling about 60,000. Swede Hollow was a Swedish neighborhood and according to the 1905 census about 1000 immigrants lived in the Ravine.
They did not live in the beautiful Victorian homes, located above the ravine that are so plentiful in the area, they lived in small modest homes that I have heard described as shacks. They had no city water, or electricity right up to about 1950. They got their water from Phalen creek which runs through the ravine and feeds lake Phalen.
In 1950 the city declared the area hazardous, and the homes were razed. I remember playing there as a child . . . not in the 1950’s I am not that old. It became a dump. people pitched old appliances over the edge and nobody much cared, and I am relatively sure that we were not allowed to play in the area either. (I hope my mom doesn’t see this)
After a few decades and a lot of work it was cleaned up and is now Swede Hollow park. If you visit the cafe walk down Bates avenue, head North to see the ravine and the park.
For those who do not know both Phalen creek and lake Phalen were named after Edward Phalen, who was the first white settler in the area.
The bad thing is the cafe closes at 3 PM. I got there at 3:15. Got some great shots of snow on the patio area, but no food!
Hi Teresa
Just dropping by to check out your blog. My grandfather made it out to Seattle in the 1930s, but he came from St. Paul – some Swedish or Norwegian neighborhood though I am not sure it was Swede Hollow. Moved to Seattle and lived on a boat in Ballard for a while (which is – or was – our version of Swede Hollow!).
Now I am married to a nice boy from Iowa and we pass through Minneapolis/St. Paul every year on the way to visit his parents. Love the Twin Cities!
Nice story. 🙂
I grew up in this area and when I was a youngster, I had a friend that lived in that property and as I remember, it was a very run-down, dark, apartment. I think it sat where the foutain now sits. So it’s nice to see something pleasant in that spot.
Hallo!
It is very interesting to read about Swede Holow, because I was there five years ago, but I do not find the café. In my next bok about Stillwater and the Swedes, as it has been writen in the book of Vilhelm Moberg, I will speak up for the Swedish immigrants of St.Paul. Moberg do not write about the Swedes in the Hollow, but it can depend on that it is not so intestening thing to talk about. The poor people: they lost everything and no memories than the simple house. Parhaps, some of You now can tell a little – or heard of a peronal history – of some boy or girl who grew up in Swede Hollow? Anser me, please!
hansevert (Falkenberg, Sweden)