Catalog
Ramsey County History – Winter 2002: “A Memoir: Jimmy Griffin, St. Paul’s First Black Deputy Police Chief, Remembers His First Years on the Force”
Jimmy Griffin with Kwame J.C. McDonaldA Memoir: Jimmy Griffin, St. Paul’s First Black Deputy Police Chief, Remembers His First Years on the Force Author: Jimmy Griffin with Kwame J.C. McDonald In this excerpt from his autobiography, Jimmy Griffin, one of St. Paul’s best-remembered police officers, tells some of his stories. Born in 1906, Griffin grew…
Ramsey County History – Winter 2000: “Architect to the Kings of the Carnivals: ‘Cap’ Wigington and His Ice Palace ‘Babies’”
Bob OlsenArchitect to the Kings of the Carnivals: ‘Cap’ Wigington and His Ice Palace ‘Babies’ Author: Bob Olsen A chronicle of Clarence W. “Cap” Wigington’s designs for the St. Paul Ice Palaces of the 1930s and ‘40s. Financed by the US Works Progress Administration during the years of the Great…
Ramsey County History — Winter 2000: “A Water Tower, a Pavilion and Three National Historic Sites: Clarence Wigington and the Architectural Legacy He Left to the People of St. Paul”
David Vassar TaylorA Water Tower, a Pavilion and Three National Historic Sites: Clarence Wigington and the Architectural Legacy He Left to the People of St. Paul Author: David V. Taylor Clarence Wesley “Cap” Wigington was the first licensed African-American architect in Minnesota, whose career with the City of Saint Paul extended for…
Ramsey County History – Winter 1999: “‘300 Afro-American Performers:’ The Great Cuba Pageant of 1898: St. Paul’s Citizens Support the Struggle for Civil Rights”
Dave Riehle‘300 Afro-American Performers:’ The Great Cuba Pageant of 1898: St. Paul’s Citizens Support the Struggle for Civil Rights Author: Dave Riehle In November 1898 the Twin Cities African-American community put on a grand show of patriotic enthusiasm, entitled “Cuba,” celebrating the U.S. victory in the Spanish-American War. Its cast of…
Ramsey County History – Spring 1994: “The Harlem Renaissance: ‘An Age of Miracles, Excess, Satire’”
John S. WrigthThe Harlem Renaissance: ‘An Age of Miracles, Excess, Satire’ Author: John S. Wright This is an insightful summary of the Manhattan Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s. It concentrates on the African-American contributions in music, literature, and the visual arts and ties them in with a touring exhibit titled “A Stronger…
Ramsey County History – Spring 1993: “Growing Up in St. Paul: Looking Back at the Black Community—Part II”
David V. TaylorGrowing Up in St. Paul: Looking Back at the Black Community—Part II Author David V. Taylor The author, historian and former Dean of the General College at the University of Minnesota, was born in St. Paul in 1945. This memoir recounts his childhood in a close-knit, socially conservative community; Maxfield…
Ramsey County History – Spring 1993: “What’s Historic About This Site? The Highland Park Water Tower and Its Architect, Clarence Wigington”
Arthur C. McWattWhat’s Historic About This Site? The Highland Park Water Tower and Its Architect, Clarence Wigington Author: Arthur C. McWatt One of St. Paul’s most famous landmarks is the Highland Water Tower. This is a short profile of its architect, Clarence Wigington. PDF of McWatt article…
Ramsey County History – Winter 1993: “Growing Up in St. Paul: Looking Back at the Black Community”
Eula T. Murphy and David V. TaylorGrowing Up in St. Paul: Looking Back at the Black Community Author: Eula T. Murphy (with David V. Taylor) The author, born in Alabama in 1919, moved with her family to St. Paul in 1920. She grew up mostly in Frogtown during the Depression. The family suffered unemployment, her mother’s…
Ramsey County History – Fall 1992: “A Matter of Time”
Ramsey County Historical SocietyA Matter of Time A selection of local news items from 1852, 1892, and 1917, featuring a short history of St. Peter Claver church by Arthur C. McWatt. PDF of A Matter of Time…