Thanks to Mississippi Valley Montessori School for their support. Located in West St. Paul since 1967, they’re an AMI-accredited Montessori school serving children up to age 6. Email us for more info.
South St. Paul is asking for community ideas to create a Stockyards memorial. The Armour Gates were torn down last year and a task force is seeking community input to reuse bricks and other materials from the historic site.
Context: The South St. Paul Stockyards were once the world’s largest stockyard operation, but the industry declined with major plants closing in the 1960s and 1970s. The industrial area shifted and now the stockyards are just history. The Armour Gates were one of the last pieces of that history.
Planning a Memorial
An Armour Gates Memorial Task Force convened earlier this year to create a vision to reuse bricks from the Armour Gates for a future stockyards memorial. Three pallets of bricks and the capstone from the gates were saved, but the group worked hard to rescue an additional 4,000 bricks. They also have the actual metal gates, concrete pieces, and flooring that could potentially be reused in a memorial.
- Where: No location has been determined for the memorial yet.
- Cost: The city set aside $10,000 for the project, though additional fundraising will likely be needed (part of why so many bricks were saved, to sell as a fundraiser).
- When: The task force hopes to break ground in 2027, though it will depend on the design, funding, and location.
Community Input
The task force is looking for a memorial that uses the original bricks and gates with a design that reflects the values of industry, hard work, resilience, and community. It should include an educational component and be accessible to all. Ultimately, it should prompt reflection:
“The memorial should create a space for visitors to reflect on the shared history and legacy of South St. Paul, leaving them with a sense of connection and appreciation,” reads the submission materials.
How to submit: Share your input using printable submission forms or online.
Deadline: Proposals are due Wednesday, September 9.
More: Read more about the history of the Armour Gates and their demolition.
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