Selby Avenue

Selby Avenue is a street in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States, that runs east–west from Summit Avenue near downtown toward the Mississippi River. The street runs through the Summit-University and Union Park neighborhoods. The street, especially between Dale Street and Snelling Avenue, has been associated with Saint Paul's black community. The far eastern end of the street has historically been more densely developed and architecturally significant.

Selby was first named in 1854 as part of Dayton and Irvine's Addition. The street was named after Jeremiah W. Selby, who owned a farm on St. Anthony Hill, the present location of the Cathedral of Saint Paul. Selby paid $50 per acre for his 40 acre farm in 1847.Henry Mower Rice scoffed at Selby buying a plot of land so removed from Downtown Saint Paul, swampy and inaccessible due to the river bluff. The street name was also published on an 1857 map published by Goodrich & Somers called "Map of the City of Saint Paul".

A cable car line was built from Downtown Saint Paul to Selby and St. Albans in 1887. It opened January 16, 1888. The line traveled along Broadway, Fourth, and Third streets before climbing the bluff and traveling along Selby. The line was extended to Fairview Avenue in 1890. In the 1890s, Selby Avenue outshone Grand Avenue with many more large buildings, commercial buildings, apartments and duplexes.

The 16% grade on the hill towards Selby Avenue from downtown was difficult for streetcars to climb. A complex system of counterweights helped streetcars travel up the hill. The Twin City Rapid Transit Company built a 1,500 foot tunnel that changed the grade to 7%. The tunnel is 15 feet high and 23 feet across. The tunnel entrance at the base of the hill is still visible and has been sealed closed. Construction of the tunnel significantly decreased travel time and caused a sudden increase in development of the neighborhood along the line.

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