Pt 3: From Italy to America: The Fight for a New Beginning

The Story of Filomena (Corbo) Frascone (Part 3 of 4)

This is the story of the SISTER of my great grandmother — my great, grand Aunt.

Catch up with part one and part two if you missed them.

PART THREE: A life by the creek

The ship manifest indicates Filomena and Luigi were planning their final destination as St. Paul, Minnesota to join Luigi’s brother, Nicola. And a 1906 City Directory confirms they did in fact head directly to their destination. Luigi rented land on Phalen Creek (also known as Swede Hollow) from John Wagner for $5/month. The address was 34 1/2 N. Phalen Creek. 

City of St. Paul plat map circa 1909 showing that John Wagner owned the land along Phalen Creek. The little boxes are the dwellings that the immigrants built. The circled dwelling is 34 1/2 Phalen Creek where Filomena and Luigi lived (discovered via a Sanborn Fire Map in which the dwellings were numbered.)

Mollie Price, in her book Sheltered Society for Immigrants to St. Paul, described Swede Hollow as a “bustling community nestled into a small valley between the mansions of Dayton’s Bluff and St. Paul proper, a community tucked away from the prying eyes of the city above.” Houses had no plumbing, electricity, or yards, and there were no roads or businesses. In spite of this, it provided a home to the poorest immigrants in St. Paul for nearly a century. Former inhabitants originally included many Swedish immigrants but by the early 1900s, a majority of the inhabitants were Italian and remained so until about 1920. As early as 1900, city officials declared the area “imperiled” and “may breed pestilence” but did nothing to improve it until 1956, when they burned it all down.

The St. Paul Globe, Saint Paul, Minnesota. 03 Aug 1900, Fri Page 2.

Even so, Filomena worked to make the place feel like a home. Throughout Swede Hollow, many Italians worked to construct grape arbors and outdoor ovens for baking bread. They put up picket fences on imaginary property lines, planted gardens with zucchini, tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers. Given how long Filomena and Luigi stayed in the Hollow, they likely were among those that did so. 

During this time, Filomena had two children - Mary (b. 1908) and Mathew (b. 28 Sep 1915) and Luigi worked for the railroad.

In part 4, we’ll explore Filomena and Luigi’s mission and what they sacrificed to make it happen. Make sure you’re subscribed to hear how the story ends!

Read part 4 now!