Publishing
Featured Magazine Articles
The award-winning quarterly magazine published by the Ramsey County Historical Society is filled with wonderful stories, well-written articles, photos, and maps reflecting the lives, history, and culture of our capital county.
Please use our full catalog to search for specific topics or articles.
You may also research back issues of Ramsey County History in our Research Center.
Ramsey County History Winter 2024
Nicole Foss, Linda Kohl, Krista Finstad Hanson, Renoir Gaither, Mary Lethert WingerdVolume 59, Number 1: Winter 2024 Link to download PDF of full issue of RCHS Winter 2024 Magazine Articles in this Issue: Architect of St. Paul’s West Side: H. Emil Strassburger Author: Nicole Foss Link to N. Foss article PDF Additional Resources:…
Ramsey County History Fall 2023 – Full Issue
Daniel W. McGuiness, Maggie Lorenz, Deacon DeBoer, Eileen Bass, Justis Brokenrope, Ava Grace, Dr. Rev. Clifford Canku, Heather Menefee, ŠišókadútaVolume 58, Number 3: Fall 2023 Link to download full issue of Fall 2023 Ramsey County History magazine Articles in this Issue: A Sacred Dakhóta Site Inspires Community Renewal: From Lower Phalen Creek Project to Wakaŋ Tipi Awaŋyaŋkapi Authors: Daniel W. McGuiness, with Maggie Lorenz…
Ramsey County History Summer 2023
Kristina Her, John H. Guthmann, Heidi Heller, John Lindley, Dave Beal, Lowell Benson, Don Hall, Jay Pfaender, and Chad RobertsVolume 58, Number 2: Summer 2023 Link to download PDF of RCHS Summer 2023 Magazine Articles in this Issue: Hmong Foodways in Ramsey County Author: Kristina Her Growing Up at Fort Snelling: Honoring the First Regiment of…
Ramsey County History Spring 2023
Frank M. White, Matt Goff, Johannes R. AllertVolume 58, Number 1: Spring 2023 Link to download PDF of RCHS Spring 2023 Magazine Articles in this Issue: From a Star on the Baseball Diamond to a Star at the Minnesota State Capitol: Billy Williams Author: Frank M. White A Slow…
Featured Books
RCHS publishes fiction and nonfiction books and historical coloring books on a variety of historical subjects for readers of all ages.
Grasshoppers in My Bed: Lillie Belle Gibbs, Minnesota Farm Girl 1877
Terry Swanson, Author and Peggy Stern, IllustratorIt is 1876—Christmas day—which just happens to be the eleventh birthday of Lillie Belle Gibbs. Her mother and father present her with a new journal. Now she must decide how to fill the pages. Grasshoppers in her bed, a smudge pot to keep the mosquitos at bay, the one-room schoolhouse…
Neighborhood Architecture–Irvine Park, Saint Paul: a coloring book.
Jeanne Kosfeld, Illustrator and Richard Kronick, AuthorTwin Cities-based illustrator Jeanne Kosfeld and author Richard Kronick have together transformed a simple sketchbook featuring pen and ink drawings into a brief storytelling of the Irvine Park neighborhood’s unique 173-year history. Artists of all ages and abilities may colorize their own imagined versions of these historic edifices, including fanciful…
Featured March of the Governors Podcasts
The “March of the Governors” podcast series provides brief snapshots of Minnesota’s governors during their terms in office. As you might imagine, there’s far more to each of their stories, both positive and negative. Thank you for joining us on this journey. We hope you will be inspired to learn more.
Minnesota has been governed by forty-one leaders. RCHS uploads a new podcast at the start of each month. Check the publishing catalog frequently for the newest episode.
March of the Governors: Al Quie
Paul NelsonAlbert H. Quie (1923-2023) left a safe seat in Congress after twenty years to run for governor in 1978. In that, his timing was good. He rode around the “Minnesota Massacre” and into office as the state’s thirty-fifth governor along with fellow Republicans Dave Durenberger and Rudy Boschwitz, who were…
March of the Governors: Rudy Perpich
Anne Field & Paul NelsonMarch of the Governors, Governor #34 Rudy Perpich (Series Podcast #37) Rudy Perpich (1928-1995) served as Minnesota’s thirty-fourth governor in the years 1977 and 1978. He got there by succession when Wendell Anderson resigned. Perpich then appointed Anderson to the US…
Featured RCHS General Podcasts
RCHS, with author and interviewer Paul Nelson, has developed a series of podcasts featuring interviews on subjects of historical interest.
Ramsey County History Podcast #5 – Spring 2016: Mayor for Life – George Latimer
Paul Nelson and George LatimerMayor for Life – George Latimer He was sometimes known as “mayor for life.” George Latimer served as mayor of St. Paul from 1976 to 1990, the longest consecutive term in St. Paul history. A lot happened on his watch: the Town Square and Lowertown developments; the…
Ramsey County History Podcast #1 – Spring 2014: The Saga of I-35; East Side Freedom Library
Paul Nelson, John Milton, and Peter RachleffThe Saga of I-35; East Side Freedom Library Part 1: John Milton tells the story of how citizen opposition delayed for many years the completion of Interstate Highway 35 through St. Paul. Part 2: Labor historian Peter Rachleff describes how he and his partner Beth Cleary plan…
Featured RCHS Videos and DVDS
RCHS has partnered with Twin Cities Public Television on two documentary films. Past History Revealed videos are available on the RCHS YouTube channel linked here.
RCHS/TPT Film – North Star: Civil War Stories
RCHS and TPTNorth Star Civil War Stories Ramsey County Historical Society is proud to partner with TPT-Twin Cities PBS to produce a ground-breaking new documentary, North Star: Civil War Stories, which uncovers hidden details of African-American men from Minnesota involved in the Civil War. Using emerging research and scholarship, North Star: Civil War…
History Revealed: Indian Wars Everywhere
Stefan AuneIndian Wars Everywhere Stefan Aune, PhD, Visiting Assistant Professor of American Studies, Williams College History Revealed Series Program Date: Thursday, January 18, 2024 Video on YouTube In partnership with the East Side Freedom Library & Roseville…
History Revealed: The Hormel Strike
Peter RachleffThe Hormel Strike of 1985-1986: Historical Perspectives with Peter Rachleff History Revealed Series Program Date: Thursday, May 18, 2023 YouTube Video In partnership with the East Side Freedom Library and the Roseville Library. In August 1985 the nation’s attention turned to Austin,…
Featured Book Reviews
One sure thing about history – there’s a lot of it – and so, by default, there’s a lot written about it. We include reviews of the latest Minnesota and/or Ramsey County history books in our quarterly magazine, Ramsey County History, but sometimes we have more reviews than we have room to print in the thirty-two-page publication. Don’t worry. We will continue to share book reviews in the magazine, but as we move forward, one of our goals is to increase our online presence, so if you’re looking to read even more reviews, hop online and check our catalog to see what’s new – there’s always something new about all things old.
Browse our catalog and enjoy the reviews. Chances are they’ll lead you to stop by Ramsey County Historical Society to purchase the actual book. We have many of the books available for sale at the Landmark Center.
Prairie Imperialists: The Indian Country Origins of American Empire
Reviewed by Renoir GaitherPrairie Imperialists: The Indian Country Origins of American Empire Katharine Bjork Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2019 352 pages; hard cover, 13 b&w photos, 5 maps, $64.95 Hamline University professor Katharine Bjork’s book, Prairie Imperialists: The Indian Country Origins of…
The Heart of the Heartland: Norwegian American Community in the Twin Cities
Reviewed by Mary Lethert WingerdThe Heart of the Heartland: Norwegian American Community in the Twin Cities David C. Mauk St. Paul, MN: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2022 472 pages; paperback, B&W illustrations, 7 maps, $29.95 As the title of this volume suggests, the Twin…
Spirits Dancing: The Night Sky, Indigenous Knowledge, & Living Connections to the Cosmos
Reviewed by Meredith CummingsSpirits Dancing: The Night Sky, Indigenous Knowledge, & Living Connections to the Cosmos Photography by Travis Novitsky; Text by Annette S. Lee St. Paul, MN: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2023 154 pages; paperback, 117 color illustrations, $19.95 “.