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Ramsey County History – Spring 1969: “Summer Evenings, a Smudge Kettle, Tallow Candles—And Farm Life Recalled”

Lillie Gibbs LeVesconte

Summer Evenings, a Smudge Kettle, Tallow Candles—And Farm Life Recalled Author: Lillie Gibbs LeVesconte A short memoir written by the youngest daughter of Jane and Heman Gibbs about her years in the 1870s during summer evenings after all the chores were done and family members gathered in…

Ramsey County History – Spring 1968: “From A Pioneer Farmer: Memories of Those Early Years Make ‘A Chill Run Up My Back’”

John D. Schofield

From A Pioneer Farmer: Memories of Those Early Years Make ‘A Chill Run Up My Back’ Author: John D. Schofield “The days were too short for the work that must be done, the nights too short for the needed rest.” John Schofield came to St. Paul in…

Ramsey County History – Spring 1967: “Forgotten Pioneers: Rose Township”

Ramsey County Historical Society

Forgotten Pioneers: Rose Township Roseville takes its name from Minnesota pioneer Isaac Rose, but he never lived there. A soldier and farmer, Rose came to St. Paul in 1843 and farmed mostly in what became the Merriam Park neighborhood. He once owned the land now occupied by Macalester…

Ramsey County History – Spring 1967: “Time, Luck, Stamina—Pioneers Needed Them All When Seeking a Farm”

Ramsey County Historical Society

Time, Luck, Stamina—Pioneers Needed Them All When Seeking a Farm Coates P. Bull of St. Paul, age ninety-three, recalls the story of how his parents came to Minneapolis in 1857, found and bought farm land at what became 50th Street and France Avenue in Edina, and began farm…

Ramsey County History: Fall 1966: “Forgotten Pioneers: Benjamin F. Hoyt”

Ramsey County Historical Society

Forgotten Pioneers: Benjamin F. Hoyt Benjamin Hoyt (1800–1875) was a Methodist Episcopal preacher, the founder of Hamline University, and an incorporator of the Ramsey County Agricultural Society. PDF of Forgotten Pioneers…

Ramsey County History – Spring 1966: “Corn-husking and Sweeping Out: 1901 Graduate Recalls the Early Years of the St. Paul Campus”

Coates Bull

Corn-husking and Sweeping Out: 1901 Graduate Recalls the Early Years of the St. Paul Campus Author: Coates P. Bull Coates P. Bull attended the University of Minnesota School of Agriculture in the 1890s, shortly after its creation. He recounts the school’s founding, dormitory living, and anecdotes about his professors.

Ramsey County History – Spring 1966: “A Pioneer Farmer and the Civil and Indian Wars”

Coates Bull

A Pioneer Farmer and the Civil and Indian Wars Excerpts from Coates Bull’s letter describing how his father was caught up in the US Dakota War of 1862 and an uncle’s service in the Civil War. PDF of Pioneer Farmers…

Ramsey County History – Spring 1964: “Sod Shanty on the Prairie: Story of a Pioneer Farmer”

William L. Cavert

Sod Shanty on the Prairie: Story of a Pioneer Farmer Author: William L. Cavert A brief recounting of some basic facts about the Gibbs family and their house and farm. Heman and Jane Gibbs came to St. Paul in April 1849 and quickly moved onto the 160 acres in…