St. Louis Park was and continues to be a collection of neighborhoods. One of the oldest is Oak Hill. It is bounded on the north by Minnetonka Blvd., on the south by Highway 7, on the east by Louisiana Ave., and on the west by present-day Highway 169. One of Park’s pioneer families, the Laycocks, settled in Oak Hill in 1854. The location was approximately Highway 7 and Pennsylvania Ave. This area was primarily rural until the 1950s, when it was platted and great numbers of homes were built. In 1924 residents of Oak Hill threatened to secede from St. Louis Park.
For more on Oak Hill, see Something in the Water.
RESIDENTS OF OAK HILL
The following is the start of a list of some of the oldest families, homes, and businesses in the area. Please contact us with additions or corrections.
Of course the biggest resident of Oak Hill was the Creosote Plant, built in 1917. Before that it was the Sugar Beet Plant (1897 to 1905) and before that it was the Esterly Harvester Company (1892-1897).
Alarmingly close to the Creosote Plant was Oak Hill School, which was first located at Lake Street and Pennsylvania Ave., later relocated to Quebec and Walker Street.
Ruedlinger Nursery was located at approximately Texas and Highway 7, going as far back as 1910. At one time it must have been called the Oak Hill Nursery, because the 1920 Census gave an address on 35th Street as Oak Hill Nursery Road.
The Roberts family lived on five acres that were purchased in the nineteen teens. Their home at 8431 35th Street (at Xylon) was built in 1920 and is still there.
The home of the Ames family was 3537 Texas, built in 1927.
The Skogman farm was about six or seven acres, where they raised strawberries, raspberries, sweet corn and other produce. They lived at 3528 Texas (built in 1910). The 1920 Census shows John T. and Clara Skogman living on “Irving Ave., Oak Hill,” which became Pennsylvania. John T. and Clara’s children were John A. and Maxine C. In 1930 the family lived in Hopkins and they had added children Hilma and Keith. In 1940 there was another daughter Ellen and they are listed at 3536 Texas. (The current house at that address was built in 1951.) Son John A. and wife Margaret are listed at 3528 Texas in 1947 but are not in the 1949 directory. Parents John T. and Clara are listed at 3536 in 1947 and 1949.
Vic Johnson was the largest farmer in Oak Hill. He grew grain and also had a dairy.
The Elmer and Lulu Lindgren family lived at 8440 W. 35th Street. Their house was built in about 1920. They had a son Richard. The 1930 Census lists Elmer as a stenotypist for a newspaper.
The big brick home at 8206 W. 35th Street was built in 1914.
The house at 3502 Texas was built in 1920.
8112 W. 35th Street was built in 1924.
8725 W. 35th Street was built in 1910.
A well-known family was the Samuels, who lived on Texas Ave. Homer Samuels was married to Amelia Galli-Curci, “Prima Donna, Grand Opera” as she was listed in the 1940 census. When Homer and his famous wife would visit his parents and his brother Harvey, it seems the entire neighborhood knew about it and appreciated her rehearsals.
Harry Hanson’s family lived at Pennsylvania Ave. and Walker Street.
Rodgers Hydraulic was located on Walker Street.
SOUTH OAK HILL
The area south of Highway 7 and north of the railroad tracks is now known as South Oak Hill. This neighborhood has a high concentration of what have come to be known as Walker Houses, built by TB Walker in the 1890s to house the workers at his factories.