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Ramsey County History – Winter 2008: “Labor Found a Friend: W.W. Erwin for the Defense”

David Riehle

Labor Found a Friend: W.W. Erwin for the Defense Author: David Riehle Known as “The Northwest Whirlwind” or “The Tall Pine,” William Wallis Erwin (1842–1908) was an accomplished defense attorney. Even though he was respected throughout the country as a champion of underdogs, he is little known in the…

Ramsey County History – Summer 2004: “Say It Ain’t So, Charlie! The 1897 Dispute between Charles Comiskey and the St. Paul Labor Trades and Labor Assembly over the Opening of Lexington Park”

David Riehle

Say It Ain’t So, Charlie! The 1897 Dispute between Charles Comiskey and the St. Paul Labor Trades and Labor Assembly over the Opening of Lexington Park Author: David Riehle On April 30, 1897, the famed Lexington ballpark opened to the public. The St. Paul Saints were then managed by…

Ramsey County History – Winter 2003: “I Remember the Teachers’ Strike of 1946: ‘We Rolled Down Our Windows in the Cold Air’”

Maxine Dickson

I Remember the Teachers’ Strike of 1946: “We Rolled Down Our Windows in the Cold Air’” Author: Maxine Dickson The author attended and remembered having talked with her teachers about schools and unions. Her family lived at 1718 Ross Avenue, and she attended Ames Elementary and Junior High. When St.

Ramsey County History – Spring 2002: “The Fire Insurance Patrol: Gone But Not Forgotten”

John S. Sonnen

The Fire Insurance Patrol: Gone But Not Forgotten Author: John S. Sonnen The Fire Insurance Patrol, a private organization incorporated in 1895, was financed by small assessments on fire insurance policies. When a fire broke out, the patrol rushed to the conflagration, usually getting there before the fire department…

Ramsey County History – Summer 1993: “Birth, Death and Reincarnation—The Story of Fort Snelling and Its State Park”

Samuel H. Morgan

Birth, Death and Reincarnation—The Story of Fort Snelling and Its State Park Author: Samuel H. Morgan Completed in 1820, then retired and recommissioned a few times over the next century and a quarter, Fort Snelling faced destruction with the building of a new freeway, cloverleaf interchange, and bridge over the…

Ramsey County History – Spring 1988: “The Guild of Catholic Women and Their ‘Constant Efforts To Brighten Lives’”

Virginia Brainard Kunz

The Guild of Catholic Women and Their ‘Constant Efforts To Brighten Lives’ Author: Virginia Brainard Kunz “The 20th century’s great social movements—suffrage, social service, prohibition and temperance—were reflected in the work of St. Paul’s women,” according to the author. One of the institutions formed in this period of social…

Ramsey County History – Spring 1965: “Can History Come Alive? In Its Historic Sites, Nation Finds Its Roots”

Elmer L. Andersen

Can History Come Alive? In Its Historic Sites, Nation Finds Its Roots Author: Elmer L. Andersen Elmer L. Andersen, a former governor of Minnesota, surveys historic preservation efforts in Minnesota and elsewhere. The loss of Ignatius Donnelly’s house in Nininger is contrasted with the preservation of the Alexander Ramsey…

Ramsey County History – Spring 1965: “St. Paul’s Stately Old Buildings—Going, Going, Almost Gone”

Georgia Ray DeCoster

St. Paul’s Stately Old Buildings—Going, Going, Almost Gone Author: Georgia Ray DeCoster “American cities are threatened by a steady dilution of historic character and architectural personality. . . . Therefore, it is time to establish once and for all the economic merits of the case for preserving…