History of the Neighborhood

A Brief History of St. Paul and the Macalester Groveland Neighborhood

Timeline of the history of Mac-Groveland prior to 1930. Before 1805: Home of the Dakota Sioux. 1805: Lieutenant Zebulon Pike wants to build a fort on Dakota land. Treaty is negotiated for purchase. 1825: Fort Snelling is completed. Present dat Mac-Groveland is located in military reserve. 1858: MN becomes the 32nd US State. 1884: Macalester College is built at its present site. 1885: College of St. Thomas (now University) is founded. 1890: Electric streetcar is built. 1915-1939: Majority of houses in Mac-Groveland built. 1925: Billy and Nellie Francis buy house in white neighborhood and face community discrimination.

An old ink map of Macalester Park from The Northwest Magazine in April 1886

History of Fort Snelling

Ramsey County History

Macalester-Groveland History

Critical Look at History of Neighborhood

Saint Paul African American Historic & Cultural Context

Case Studies: Individual Stories of Housing Discrimination

Photographs of William Francis (top left), Nellie Francis (bottom left), and their home (right).

Nellie and William Francis

Nellie Francis was an African American suffragette and civil rights activist.

Husband William "Billy" Francis was the first African American diplomat from Minnesota.

Together they were active members of the NAACP.

When the two moved into a Mac-Groveland house in 1924, they were met with discrimination and organized oppression from the Cretin Improvement Association for moving into an all white neighborhood.

Crosses were burned in their yard. Protests and marches attempted to force the couple to leave.

Learn More

Biography of Nellie Francis by William D. Green

Explore Mac-Groveland Further:

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Mac-Groveland Today

Students as Neighbors

Equity Scorecard

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