ECCO stands for East Calhoun Community Organization. I don't know which came first, the organization or the name, but for the 26 years I have lived in ECCO, people just call it ECCO.
ECCO was formed in the mid 50s when a group of neighborhood residents became concerned about what was going to happen at the site of the Forman mansion, which was located at 35th and Irving Ave S, where St. Mary's Greek Orthodox Church now stands. Back in the 1880s or thereabouts, this was the site of King's Lyndale Hotel, and before that, the Pond Brothers built the first home in the area, as noted on a plaque at the shores of Lake Calhoun, just below the site. The natives of this area had a settlement in the same general area. Northwestern National Life wanted to build their headquarters building on the lovely shores of Lake Calhoun, but neighbors were effective in their protest and NWNL instead built their signature building in the Gateway Redevelopment District, currently the ING/Reliastar buildingat the end of the Nicollet Mall. For any streetcar buffs out there, if you go just north of the church, on Irving, you will see a sign that says Loon Lake Trail. Follow this the remains of a platform where the Como-Excelsior line used to take riders through this area. You can walk along the right of way from 34th Street to 36th Street and still see remains of some of the streetcar ties along the way. What used to be the right of way through Linden Hills, between 43rrd and 44th, had been converted to parking and just becomes open space as it proceeds west. Other streetcar buffs can fill in the gaps I have left...... Also, ECCO claims to have the longest running neighborhood Super Sale. We will be holding this annual sale for the 30th time on Saturday, June1 - always the first Saturday in June. I'm sure if there is one that has run longer, someone on this list will share that information. -- Harvey Zuckman Past President and former Board Member - East Calhoun Community Organzation _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
