Highland

Highland. A quaint name for a neighborhood, wouldn’t you say? But don’t let that fool you. Highland, nestled in the southwestern corner of Saint Paul, boasts a history as rich and layered as a slice of its famous Jewish deli rye. This area wasn’t always bustling with homes and businesses. It was once part of the Fort Snelling reserve, a place where settling down was about as welcome as a skunk at a garden party! Things changed in 1848 when a Mexican-American War veteran named William Finn saw the potential of this land. He snagged a prime piece of property along the Mississippi River and built his home. That land is now the University of St. Thomas – talk about a legacy! The arrival of the Ford Motor Company in 1925 changed everything. The Twin Cities Assembly Plant brought jobs and a wave of new residents, transforming the landscape of Highland. The humming of machinery and the steady stream of workers became the neighborhood’s soundtrack. For decades, Ford was the heart of Highland, until its closure in 2009. But Highland, like a true survivor, adapted and reinvented itself. Today, it’s a vibrant mix of old and new. Walk down its streets, and you’ll find charming pre-war homes rubbing shoulders with modern apartments. Peek into its shops and restaurants, and you’ll discover a community that embraces both its past and its future. From its humble beginnings as a military reserve to its industrial heyday and its current renaissance, Highland, a small town within a big city, continues to write its own unique story.