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Ramsey County History – Spring 2007: “A House of Versatile Talents: The William and Carrie Lightner Residence on Summit Avenue”

Paul Clifford Larson

A House of Versatile Talents: The William and Carrie Lightner Residence on Summit Avenue Author: Paul Clifford Larson William Lightner was a prominent St. Paul attorney for fifty years. He dabbled in politics and was a big supporter of history. Born in Pennsylvania, he came to this city in…

Ramsey County History – Winter 2007: “‘If It Can Be Manufactured from Wood, We Can Make It:’ A History of the Villaume Family and the Company They Built”

Steve Trimble

“If It Can Be Manufactured from Wood, We Can Make It:” A History of the Villaume Family and the Company They Built Author: Steve Trimble In 1847, Joseph Villaume, a Frenchman, arrived in St. Paul, and his two nephews joined him in 1873. One of them, Eugene, landed a…

Ramsey County History – Fall 2005: “Stonebridge: The Story of a Lost Estate and Oliver Crosby, the Inventive Genius Who Created It”

Jay Pfaender

Stonebridge: The Story of a Lost Estate and Oliver Crosby, the Inventive Genius Who Created It Author: Jay Pfaender Even in the Groveland neighborhood, little is remembered about Stonebridge, an estate built by St. Paul businessman and civic leader Oliver Crosby. A New Englander from Maine, he came to…

Ramsey County History – Summer 2005: “Lots of St. Paul: A Photo Essay on Downtown Parking and What Urban History Can Tell Us about a City”

Steve Trimble

Lots of St. Paul: A Photo Essay on Downtown Parking and What Urban History Can Tell Us about a City Author: Steve Trimble This photo essay is a response to a letter to the editor wondering why the magazine bothered to publish an article on “nothing more than a…

Ramsey County History – Winter 2005: “Ramsey County Historical Society’s Collection of Building Permits and the Story of the DeLoop Parking Ramp”

Robert F. Garland

Ramsey County Historical Society’s Collection of Building Permits and the Story of the DeLoop Parking Ramp Author: Robert F. Garland St. Paul began to require building permits in 1883. This is the story of one downtown property, the DeLoop Parking Ramp, which the author researched using these permits, now…

Ramsey County History – Winter 2005: “Union Park in the 1880s—Band Concerts, Balloon Ascensions Once Lured 10,000 People in a Single Day”

Minnesota Junior Pioneers

Union Park in the 1880s—Band Concerts, Balloon Ascensions Once Lured 10,000 People in a Single Day Author: Minnesota Junior Pioneers In 1880, the Milwaukee Short Line Railroad opened up development in today’s Macalester, Groveland, and Merriam Park neighborhoods, then on the outskirts of St. Paul. Union Park, as it…

Ramsey County History – Fall 2004: “The Life and Death of Central Park—A Small Part of the Past Illuminated”

Paul D. Nelson

The Life and Death of Central Park—A Small Part of the Past Illuminated Author: Paul D. Nelson The Central Park story begins in 1884. It was a time of city expansion, and the affluent and powerful residents in an area near today’s State Capitol wanted a park to buffer…

Ramsey County History – Spring 2004: “Irvine Park in 1854: Its Homes and the People Who Lived There 150 Years Ago”

Robert J. Stumm

Irvine Park in 1854: Its Homes and the People Who Lived There 150 Years Ago Author: Robert J. Stumm There are an impressive number of homes in Irvine Park today that were already there in 1854. The neighborhood dates from 1849 when the land for a park was donated.

Ramsey County History – Spring 2003: “Oakland Cemetery and Its First 150 Years—Pioneers, Politicians, the Public Share These Grounds”

Arthur W. (Chip) Lindeke III

Oakland Cemetery and Its First 150 Years—Pioneers, Politicians, the Public Share These Grounds Author: Arthur W. (Chip) Lindeke III The Oakland Cemetery Association was formed on June 24, 1853. The cemetery is the resting place for many famous people including Alexander Ramsey and Henry Sibley. In 1884, it incorporated…