Over 60 people came together on Sunday afternoon to commemorate the rich history of the Milwaukee Avenue Historic District in Minneapolis’ Seward neighborhood.
Many were current and past residents, exchanging stories about the area since it was established as a historic district 50 years ago. One of them was Connie Fournier, who has lived in the district for over 40 years.
“What I really wish for is that we will not lose the history of this wonderful place,” she said. “That we maintain, the history — not just the buildings. That we don’t forget that it stands out as an example of housing for immigrants and working-class people, not the rich and famous.”
The neighborhood was developed in 1883 as a two-block stretch with cottage-like homes and is now one of Minnesota’s few existing examples of 19th-century immigrant housing. By the ‘70s, after lack of maintenance plunged the area into serious decline, the neighborhood faced the danger of demolition…