Rondo was a thriving African American community in St. Paul from 1865 until it was destroyed by the construction of I-94 in the 1960s. Today, the neighborhood is remembered during the annual celebration of Rondo Days. You can learn more about Rondo at the Minnesota History Center’s Then Now Wow exhibit — the Rondo section debuts on Tuesday, July 16, with a 7 p.m. ribbon-cutting.
Rondo isn’t all gone…
My office is on one of the remaining pieces of old Rondo, on the south side of 1-94. Around us there are homes, schools, parks, a community center and even a theater.