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Ramsey County History – Summer 2011: “With Style, Grace, and Pride: The Gardens at the Minnesota Governor’s Residence”

Karine Pouliquen and Lori Schindler

With Style, Grace, and Pride: The Gardens at the Minnesota Governor’s Residence Authors: Karine Pouliquen and Lori Schindler The Summit Avenue mansion of lumber tycoon Horace and Clotilde Irvine is celebrated for its elaborate gardens. Built about 1910, the residence included one of the early twentieth-century Victorian-style gardens that…

“Ramsey County History – Winter 2011: “‘We Can Do Better with a Chisel and a Hammer:’ Appreciating Mary Colter and Her Roots in St. Paul”

Diane Trout-Oertel

“We Can Do Better with a Chisel and a Hammer:” Appreciating Mary Colter and Her Roots in St. Paul Author: Diane Trout-Oertel Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter, one of the few women to become an architect in the late nineteenth century, spent most of her first three decades in St.

Ramsey County History – Fall 2010: “Once There Was a Street Called Decatur”

Paul D. Nelson

Once There Was a Street Called Decatur Author: Paul D. Nelson This is the story of a small street, Decatur, which was perched on the western edge of Swede Hollow in the East Side of St. Paul. It had been laid out in the 1850s, but the first buildings…

Ramsey County History – Summer 2010: “‘A Rented House Is Not a Home:’ Thomas Frankson: Real Estate Promoter and Unorthodox Politician”

Roger Bergerson

“A Rented House Is Not a Home:” Thomas Frankson: Real Estate Promoter and Unorthodox Politician Author: Roger Bergerson Thomas Frankson, a real estate developer, oil land speculator, and often successful politician is no longer well known. His house near the western entrance of Como Park with its two concrete…

Ramsey County History – Winter 2010: “Recollections of Cathedral Hill: A Glimpse of Old St. Paul from an Up-and-Down Duplex on Holly Avenue”

Mary Reichardt

Recollections of Cathedral Hill: A Glimpse of Old St. Paul from an Up-and-Down Duplex on Holly Avenue Author: Mary Reichardt An owner of 444 Holly Avenue in the Cathedral Hill neighborhood tells the story of her home. Allen John Sovereign, a railroad man, moved to St. Paul with his…

Ramsey County History – Winter 2009: “Courthouse Sculptor: Lee Lawrie”

Paul D. Nelson

Courthouse Sculptor: Lee Lawrie Author: Paul D. Nelson A look at renowned sculptor Lee Lawrie (1887–1963), who designed the exterior artwork for the New York Rockefeller Center and the St. Paul City Hall and County Courthouse. His specialty was architectural sculpture or, so to speak, carving on buildings. Lawrie…

Ramsey County History – Winter 2009: “Stanford Newel, Proposal Rock, and Newell Park Widows: Newell Park Celebrates Its Centennial”

Krista Finstad Hanson

Stanford Newel, Proposal Rock, and Newell Park Widows: Newell Park Celebrates Its Centennial Author: Krista Finstad Hanson This article was timed to help Newell Park celebrate its hundredth anniversary in 2008. It starts with the early history of the land, which had been bought and sold often in the…

Ramsey County History – Winter 2009: “The Teen Years at Our Lady of Peace (OLP)”

Susanne Sebesta Heimbuch

Growing Up in St Paul: The Teen Years at Our Lady of Peace (OLP) Author: Susanne Sebesta Heimbuch This article focuses on memories of a schoolgirl starting in 1959. Heimbuch graduated from St. Mark’s Grade School and enrolled in Our Lady of Peace (OLP), a much larger high school…

Ramsey County History – Spring 2008: “From Swede Hollow to Capitol Boulevard: Bethesda Hospital Celebrates Its 125th Anniversary (1883–2008)”

Dr. Donald B. Swenson

From Swede Hollow to Capitol Boulevard: Bethesda Hospital Celebrates Its 125th Anniversary (1883–2008) Author: Dr. Donald B. Swenson A survey of the history of Bethesda Hospital as it celebrated its 125th anniversary. At the start, the institution dealt primarily with Swedish and Norwegian clients. Initially located near Como Lake,…