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Ramsey County History – Spring 2017: “Honoring F. Scott in St. Paul: 35 Years of Fitz and Starts”

David Page and Lisa Heinrich

Honoring F. Scott in St. Paul: 35 Years of Fitz and Starts Authors: David Page and Lisa Heinrich In 1982, the University of Minnesota’s Office of Continuing Education organized a conference in St. Paul that focused on the career and accomplishments of literary icon F. Scott Fitzgerald. Since then,…

Ramsey County History – Winter 2017: “Peoples Church, the Reverend Samuel G. Smith, and St. Paul”

Philip J. Ramstad

Peoples Church, the Reverend Samuel G. Smith, and St. Paul Author: Philip J. Ramstad Peoples Church was founded in St. Paul in 1888 by a group of Methodist men and women who wanted to keep their minister, Rev. Dr. Samuel G. Smith, when the Methodist hierarchy wanted him to…

Ramsey County History Podcast #7 – Winter 2016: The Ford Motor Company in St. Paul

Paul Nelson and Brian McMahon

The Ford Motor Company in St. Paul For almost a century, the Ford Motor Company built vehicles in St. Paul, first on University Avenue, and, from 1925 onward, in Highland Park. Architect and historian Brian McMahon has now published a book telling the…

Ramsey County History – Summer 2016: “Homes vs. Factories: The 95-Year Battle over the Future of the South Highland Park Neighborhood”

Marc J Manderscheid

Homes vs. Factories: The 95-Year Battle over the Future of the South Highland Park Neighborhood Author: Marc J Manderscheid When the South Highland Park neighborhood was initially zoned in 1922, St. Paul officials designated it as a residential neighborhood made up of houses of not more than two families.

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

Barbro Sollbe and Ann Thorson Walton

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…

Ramsey County History – Winter 2016: “The West Publishing Company Buildings and Ramsey County’s Adult Detention Center”

Paul D. Nelson

The West Publishing Company Buildings and Ramsey County’s Adult Detention Center Author: Paul D. Nelson Founded in 1876 in St. Paul, West Publishing Company established its offices and manufacturing plant on the south side of Kellogg Boulevard west of the Wabasha Bridge. By the 1920s, West provided…

Ramsey County History – Winter 2016: “Creative Destruction in the Midway”

John W. Diers

Creative Destruction in the Midway Author: John W. Diers The intersection of Snelling and University Avenues in St. Paul’s Midway neighborhood is a case study in what economists call “creative destruction.” There, in 1908, the Twin Cities Rapid Transit Company built a large carbarn and other streetcar shops. When…

Ramsey County History – Winter 2016: “The Sullwold Saga”

William Beyer, FAIA

The Sullwold Saga Author: William Beyer, FAIA This article is a biographical profile of a little-known architect, Herbert A. Sullwold (1883–1969), who was born in St. Paul, studied mechanical engineering at the University of Minnesota, and, in 1907, graduated from the program in architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of…

Ramsey County History – Fall 2015: “St. Paul’s New Directions in the 1930s”

James A. Stolpestad

St. Paul’s New Directions in the 1930s Author: James A. Stolpestad Author James A. Stolpestad recounts how, in the late 1920s and early 1930s, St. Paul leaders in government successfully campaigned for public funding to build the St. Paul City Hall and Ramsey County Courthouse, remade old…