Founder of the North End Improvement Club

     Speaking of lost books...I once had a copy of the Silver Jubilee Anniversary--North End Improvement Club (1922-1947) program, but somehow managed to lose it!
     Here is the opening paragraph from this booklet:  "In the spring of 1922 a young man appeared one day in the Progress Office, the local newspaper, then managed by H. G. Mueller.  He ordered a thousand handbills, which he later distributed in person all thru the North End District.  It was a call for the residents to meet at Hedman's Hall on a Friday Night in April.  This man was James J. Hogan. At this first meeting about 25 residents decided to meet the following month and organize a club in the interest of the District.  Thus on May 8, 1922 the North End Improvement Club of St. Paul, Incorporated, was organized by the citizens of the North End District of the City of St. Paul and dedicated, especially to the GROWTH AND PROSPERITY of the North End of the City."
       The 25th anniversary celebration noted the fact that the club had been maintained uninterrupted for the last 25 years. The work of the club was to advocate for the North End so that it would receive the improvements such as sewers, sidewalks, etc.
     Another mention of Jim Hogan in the book said:  "Jim Hogan and those early founders did their work well.  They safeguarded every avenue along the path of progress.  they built the Club not for a day or a year, but for the long and successful future."
     "Jim Hogan, founder of the club, was a very original and forceful character.  He had been a member of the North End League and was not discouraged over its failure.  In one of the early meetings it was reported that the only method of securing money to buy the desired playground for the district was to sell certain city property.  One of these was the Lafayette Park.  Nothing daunted, Jim agreed to go out and sell it.  In April 1924 he reported that he had practically sold--but the fellow died on him before he could complete the transaction."
     The building is still in existence today and is now called The Klub Haus.  The Minnesota Historical Society has a picture of the North End Improvement Club from the 1930s in its collection. I'm too cheap to pay to put it on the web.  The photo that appears here is from the Klub Haus website.  It looks like the Coen Brothers used it for a movie set!