Community Archive
What Is It?
Cedar Riverside has had many chapters and characters, but it has always been a welcoming place, an inspiring example of how a neighborhood can welcome diverse residents and incorporate change as part of its essence. The West Bank Community Archive is a collaborative project to preserve and share stories of the neighborhood, for us to learn from each other, learn from the past, and enrich the future.
What’s In the Archive?
Photos • Story summaries • Maps • Oral history quotes • Links to other archives • Google drive archive for full-resolution images • Larger audio/visual files
How is it organized?
-
Start Here
The archive will grow as more participants share materials. Currently the website is organized by theme pages highlighting stories shared so far, with more theme pages and content on the way.
-
Shared Google Drive
The West Bank Community Archive Shared Google Drive will organize folders by appropriate categories, with links in relevant folders for easy cross-referencing. Trouble accessing a file? No google access? Contact kj@thewestbank.org and jessie@thewestbank.org.
-
Other Collections
Oral histories and other content will also be available (if contributor gives permission) on the Hennepin County Library digital collection and Minnesota Digital Library.
Cedar-Riverside: History of a Haven Zine (2023)
A neighborhood timeline and overview.
Slider Map
This map is intended as a research tool — the Cleary Map boundaries are not automatically updated. Credit: Michael Corey.
Archive Categories - Coming Soon
check back this summer for in-depth dives into a number of historical topics
-
Maps
Indigenous history to present
-
Immigration History
-
Notable Buildings
Dania Hall, the Firehouse, Riverside Plaza, and more
-
Counter-Culture
Hard Times Bike Club, worker collectives, co-ops, activism
-
Development
University of Minnesota, Urban Renewal, highways
-
Arts
Theatres, music, visual art
-
Mutual Aid and Gathering Places
Restaurants, bars, clinics, houses of worship
Other Collections and Sources of West Bank History
Augsburg digi-tours
Cedar-Riverside: From Snoose Boulevard to Little Somalia. Curated by Anduin (Andy) Wilhide.
“Concrete River” Story Map of West Bank History and Advocacy
Check out this page for links to specific collections. These are also cross-referenced on the appropriate theme page bibliographies.
Urban Renewal working Archive list for Cedar-Riverside
References collections across multiple archives. Compiled by Treasure Tinsley (UMN pHD candidate.
When searching in the following archives, search for key words, specific collections, and/or reach out to the archivists for guidance on your area of interest (archivists are the best resource)
Hennepin County Library Digital Collections
Minnesota Digital Newspaper Hub
Somali Skyline Tower Oral History Project
Hennepin County Special Collections
University of Minnesota Anderson Library
Augsburg University Special Collections
Hennepin History Museum
Cedar Cultural Center
Several history pages under “about us” then “history”
