Ramsey County History – Spring 2016: “Carl Florin, Ray Florén, and Eleven Houses near Hamline University”

Carl Florin, Ray Florén, and Eleven Houses near Hamline University
Authors: Barbro Sollbe and Ann Thorson Walton

Carl O. Florén (1884–1948) came to the United States in 1900 from Sweden. He eventually made his way to St. Paul about 1906 and began working for Hamline University. He subsequently married (1911), changed his surname to Florin, and in 1912 began building homes in the bungalow style in the neighborhood around the University. Two of his brothers, John and Gustav, also emigrated and joined him in the home construction business. Between 1912 and 1924, the three brothers built at least 11 homes in St. Paul’s Midway. Returning to Sweden in 1921 due to his wife’s health problems, Carl fathered a son, Ray Florén (1923–2015), who later became a distinguished civil engineer.
PDF of Sollbe & Walton article