Wenonah
5625 23rd Avenue South
Minneapolis 17, Minnesota

Wenonah Elementary School  Photo:  D. Walter, 2003
Grades K - 3 today


The Wenonah neighborhood is located on the southern edge of Minneapolis.  Highway 62 is the southern border and 54th Street East is its northern extent. 
Beyond the main southern border, a small piece of the neighborhood extends into Richfield.  The neighborhood is bordered by Cedar Avenue South and Lake Nokomis on the west and 34th Avenue South on the east. 

Wenonah neighborhood is named after Hiawatha's mother, the daughter of Nokomis, from a legend that Henry Wadsworth Longfellow attributes to Ojibwe people in his poem, The Song of Hiawatha. 
Before 1900 the neighborhood was a major American Indian center.

The majority of the existing single-family homes were built between the 1920s and the 1960s. 
A large reason for the development in Wenonah during this time was the availability of streetcar routes and rail lines that date back to 1865. 

Today, Wenonah is part of the Nokomis community and the Nokomis East Neighborhood Association (NENA).  NENA encompasses a total of four neighborhoods, including Keewaydin, Minnehaha, and Morris Park. 
Public and shopping amenities abound, with parks, lakes, a post office, a library and shops either in Wenonah or other NENA neighborhoods.


Wenonah Elementary School, a one-story masonry building, was erected in 1952 and an addition was constructed in 1958. 
In 1962, the 62nd Street Crosstown highway was being constructed south of 58th Street.  Student enrollment also was increasing.  In my opinion, these two phenomena seem to be responsible for the demolition of
"old Wenonah" Elementary.

~ ~ ~

   
                          playground, 1952                                                                                                                                          office, 1952

 
school wing, 1958

~ ~ ~
~ Third Grade Classroom ~
February 19, 1953

Can you find yourself or others in this photo?  Who is the teacher?  What is the room number?


Source:  Unknown     If you can identify yourself or anyone in this photo, including the teacher please email the webmaster.


~ Two Wenonah Schools ~
Beverly (Anderson) Gossard RHS '62 writes, "I was searching through old papers and have some items to add to your website regarding the old Wenonah School that was located at 60th Street and 28th Avenue South. 
Also the current Wenonah at 56th and 23rd Avenue South."  More information is forthcoming - 1/17/12.
Old & New
1924 - 19??
(ca. 1952 or ca. 1962)

  Classrooms were located on the first and second floors.  The auditorium and gym were on the first floor.  The furnace, fan room and storage were in the basement. 
There were six classrooms:  four interior classrooms plus two additional exterior classrooms at 60th Street, which was not cut through. 
The exterior classrooms were in existence in 1931, if not initially, in 1924.  Wenonah's student enrollment was 170 in 1931.

I am guessing that the old Wenonah was demolished to make room for the 62nd Street Crosstown highway, plus increasing student enrollment.  This must have been about 1952 - 1962.

Does anyone have additional photos of the old school on 60th St. & 28th Ave. S or other photos to share?

 ~ ~ ~
~ Sixth Grade ~
 Graduation, 1956
Does anyone have the Sixth Grade Graduation photo that can be scanned and displayed below?
If so, please email the webmaster for details.



No, this isn't the entire class!


Row 4:  ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 
Row 3:  ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 
Row 2:  ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Front:    ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Source:  Unknown at this time.  If you can identify any of the students' last names indicated by the underscoring, or if there are errors, please contact the webmaster.


Until a graduation photo becomes available, here is the beginning of an album of Wenonah alumni.

 
WENONAH ALBUM

          School Colors:  _____ and _____           
 		  
Photo Photo Photo Photo Photo
Names Names Names Names Names
Photo Photo Photo Photo Photo
Names Names Names Names Names


~ Interesting Links ~

 Planning for the Future

Fire Protection Engineering Report




 

Return to Top of Page                               Email: Webmaster                        Last updated:  01/19/2012

   

NEXT PAGE
Home   50th Reunion   45th Reunion   40th Reunion   60th Birthday   Album   Bancroft   Cheerleaders   Committees   Cooper   Corcoran   Drive-Ins   Ericsson   Faculty   Feedback   Folwell   Guest Book   Hiawatha   History  
Hit Songs   Homecoming   Howe   In Memoriam   Keewaydin   Links   Longfellow   Minnehaha   Morris Park   News   Nokomis   Northrop   Nostalgia   Pancake Breakfasts   Rockettes   Saint Helena   Saint Kevin   Sanford   Schools   Sports   Standish   Theaters   Unable to Locate   Update Form   Vehicles   WSD/May Day/More   The End