The Corktown Historic District is largely residential, although some commercial properties along Michigan Avenue are included in the district

The Corktown Historic District is largely residential, although some commercial properties along Michigan Avenue are included in the district.

By the Civil War, German immigrants had begun making inroads into the Corktown neighborhood. By the turn of the century, the original Irish population had diffused through the city, and other immigrants, notably Mexican and Maltese, moved in. As the century progressed, African Americans and southern whites, lured by the jobs in the automobile industry, followed suit.

In the middle of the 20th century, the neighborhood became plagued by typical problems of urban blight. The size of Corktown was reduced by urban renewal projects, the building of light industrial facilities, and the creation of the Lodge Freeway.

The neighborhood, however, has been able to survive as a cohesive unit. The remaining residential section is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is designated as a City of Detroit Historic District. The neighborhood retains some original Irish businesses and still has a strong Irish flavor.

From 1880-1881, Daniel, lived at 209 Porter and worked as a jeweler at 96 Michigan Avenue.⁷⁸⁹

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The history of Irish immigration to Minnesota is a story of hard work and perserverance. The influence of Irish culture in Minnesota began with an oppressed people in search of new opportunities and freedoms. Although the Irish found a fresh start in the United States, they held tight to the traditions of their rich culture, which laid the foundations for the flourishing Irish community today.

The first Irish to come in Minnesota were immigrants who served as soldiers at nearby Fort Snelling. These soldiers would later be some of Saint Paul's first settlers. In July 1838, three soldiers filed claims for land in what is now Saint Paul. Edward Phelan, John Hays and William Evans were all natives of Ireland and had been discharged from Fort Snelling. Evans settled on Dayton's Bluff, with Phelan and Hays becoming the first people to live on what is now Downtown Saint Paul. Hays later became the first person to be murdered in Saint Paul, dying in September 1839. Phelan was accused but was then released due to lack of evidence. He settled near the creek that runs through the East Side neighborhood, later named Phalen Creek. The creek runs from Lake Phalen through Swede Hollow to the Mississippi River and was later used by Hamm's Brewery. In 1850 after he was accused of perjury, Phelan fled to California.

A number of strong fraternal organizations had chapters in Saint Paul including the Benevolent Society of Erin and Shields Guards, a militia named for James Shields. Saint Paul's branch of the Fenian Brotherhood even led the Pembina Raid in conjunction with other attacks of the Fenian Raids.

One of the most direct connections to Ireland that still exists is Connemara Patch. In 1880, Archbishop Ireland attempted to settle the area around Graceville, Minnesota with Irish emigrants from Connemara, County Galway. The colony failed after one of the harshest winters on record. The immigrants spoke only the Irish language and established Connemara Patch, a community just downstream from Swede Hollow. Ireland managed to find jobs for most of Connemaras with the railroads.

In 1850 more than half of the Irish were unskilled laborers. A large portion of the Saint Paul Police Department have been Irish since the 1850s. The Irish in Saint Paul, like those in the Eastern United States participated heavily in politics. Many sought government jobs such as policemen, due to the job security. As a result the Irish's particularly visible role prompted complaints and allegations of from other ethnic groups such as the Germans who wanted more representation.

The city had a sizable Irish population working as household servants and dock laborers in 1851. In the 1857 census only 17% of Saint Paul's 9,973 residents were born in the United States. The largest foreign-born group were the Germans, with the Irish being the next largest. Immigration from the Ireland peaked in 1890. In 1880, Irish immigrants made up 10% of Saint Paul's work force; 10 years later they made up 6%. In 1895, Irish-born residents made up between three and five percent of Saint Paul residents.

The Irish did survive and thrive in Minnesota despite often being the minority group among a mostly prominent German and Norwegian presence. The state's capital St. Paul also became the Irish capital of the state.

Among the early residents and business men of Crookston none stood higher in public esteem as a broad-minded and public-spirited citizen and as a progressive and resourceful merchant of large business capacity than the late William Anglim, member of the firm of Fontaine & Anglim. These gentlemen for a number of years conducted the leading general merchandising establishment in the whole Red river region, and so well did they understand and so completely did they meet the requirements of the region that they laid almost every part of it under tribute to their trade.

William Anglim was born May 25, 1843, at Brockville, in the province of Ontario, Canada. He left home at an early age and worked for a few years in the state of New York. He then came west to Detroit, Michigan, and entered the service of the American Express company. After a short term of faithful and appreciated work in a minor capacity in the employ of this company he was promoted to the position of railroad expressman on the run between Tomah, Wisconsin, and St. Paul, Minnesota.
While thus engaged Mr. Anglim cherished a desire which was born in him early and gained vigor with his growth. This was to have a business of his own, and the desire at length became so strong that he could resist it no longer. He heard of the promising possibilities of Northwestern Minnesota and determined to see what be could do in this locality. So in 1878 he changed his residence from St. Paul to Crookston and, in company with Louis Fontaine, bought the stock and

business of W. D. Bailey, a general merchant in the latter city, or at the frontier settlement in the woods as it was then. His association with Mr. Fontaine came through an advertisement for a business partner which Mr. Anglim inserted in the newspapers in St. Paul. Their busine grew to vast proportions, and they also conducted a branch store at Argyle, in Marshall county, this state, with conspicuous success and a very large trade.

The partnership between Mr. Anglim and Mr. Fontaine continued for more than a quarter of a century. They started their business in a little log house on the main road running through the village, which was then full of stumps of trees that had been cut down to make an opening for the march of improvement, and when they retired from business they turned over to their successors the finest, largest and most complete and comprehensive department store in Northwestern Minnesota.

In addition to being one of the leading merchants of the Red river valley Mr. Anglim was also one of Crookston's foremost men in connection with public affairs. He was always a staunch Democrat in his political faith and alliance, but without regard to political considerations he was elected to every important office in the gift of the people. He was chosen either alderman or mayor of the city whenever he would consent to serve, and was member of the school board for nearly twenty years. His conspicuous ability and sterling citizenship also received national recognition, President Cleveland, in his second term, appointing him receiver of the United States land office at Crookston. He also took an active interest in other business institutions besides his own, serving as a director and the vice president of the First National Bank of Crookston from its organization until his death, for years as an official of several country banks and also for a time as an official of the Wheeler-Misner Loan company of Crookston.

In fraternal relations Mr. Anglim was connected with the Order of Elks, and he was one of the prominent members of its Lodge in Crookston, of which he was the Exalted Ruler for two terms; also a member of the Knights of Columbus. In religious faith he was a devout Catholic, holding his membership in St. Mary's church, which he served as treasurer for many years, and to whose welfare he was earnestly and zealously devoted. He was a man of high ideals, strict integrity and a keen and imperative sense of honor. In his domestic relations he was genial and generously considerate, devoted to his family and willing at all times to make any sacrifice of his personal convenience or desires to promote its happiness. When he retired from business he returned to St. Paul to live, and at St. Joseph's hospital in that city his useful life ended on July 22,1910, when he was a little over sixty-seven years of age.
Mr. Anglim was married in Tomah, Wisconsin, October 1, 1873, to Miss Mary Durham, who was born in Lockport, Pennsylvania, January 28, 1853, and died August 19th, 1895. Of their children three are living: Mrs. C. R. Winslow, who is a resident of Watertown, South Dakota; W. G. Anglim, who is a member of the firm of Whaley & Anglim, wholesale hat and cap merchants in St. Paul, and H. T. Anglim, who is also a resident of Watertown, South Dakota. The parents are both buried at Crookston and the family still have large property interests in Crookston and Polk County.
William,Mary Anglim, and William G. Anglim are interred at Calvary Cemetery in Cookston, MN
William Anglim. May 25, 1843-July 22, 1910.
William George Anglim. June 21, 1879-September 21, 1954.

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Ramsey County, Minnesota

In 1930, Elizabeth Anglim (born 1906 in Wisconsin) lived on Milton Avenue in St. Paul, and worked for a radio manufacturing company, on 1017 Grand Avenue, St. Paul..⁸¹⁴

John T. Anglim, lived at 2863 Wicklow.⁸²² He worked as a laborer, DM&W docks (1931), sign painter (1930 and 1934), assembler (1935-1936), and a laborer for Coolerator Co. (1937).⁸²³