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Ramsey County History – Fall 2008: “Pith Heart & Nerve, Truman M. Smith: From Banker to Market Gardener”

Barry L. & Joan Miller Cotter

Pith Heart & Nerve, Truman M. Smith: From Banker to Market Gardener Authors: Barry L. & Joan Miller Cotter According to the authors, Truman Smith did not give up in the face of a major economic collapse in 1857; instead he showed resilience and used “pith, heart, and nerve”…

Ramsey County History – Fall 2008: “Growing Up In Saint Paul: Random Recollections of Grace Flandrau”

Horace Blair Flandrau Klein

Growing Up In Saint Paul:  Random Recollections of Grace Flandrau Author: Horace Blair Flandrau Klein This is a memoir written by a nephew of Grace Flandrau, who was called  “Aunt Geese” by most of the youngsters of the family. The author, Horace Blair Flandrau Klein, remembered her as having…

Ramsey County History – Spring 2008: “A Whirlwind of Crimes: The Crimes and Times of Wonnigkeit and Ermisch”

Janice R. Quick

A Whirlwind of Crimes: The Crimes and Times of Wonnigkeit and Ermisch Author: Janice R. Quick The story of two friends who ran around together and ran afoul of the law together. Both were of German ancestry. They were first arrested for burglary in 1892 and were sentenced to…

Ramsey County History – Winter 2008: “Tommy Milton: The Story of ‘St. Paul’s Speed King’”

Steven C. Trimble 

Tommy Milton: The Story of “St. Paul’s Speed King” Author: Steven C. Trimble  While he is rarely remembered except by sports historians, “St. Paul’s Speed King,” Tommy Milton (1893–1962) was one of the most prominent race car drivers in America during the early years of the twentieth century. He…

Ramsey County History – Fall 2007: “Roseville’s ‘Lost Son’ Honored”

John M. Lindley

Roseville’s “Lost Son” Honored Author: John M. Lindley A short follow-up article to a Spring 2007 essay on early Roseville resident Benjamin Rose. Rose died while serving in the Union Army during the Civil War, but his body was never returned. Until recently, it was unclear where his remains…

Ramsey County History – Spring 2007: “Lost Neighborhood: The Jews of Fourteenth Street Remembered”

Gene H. Rosenblum

Lost Neighborhood: The Jews of Fourteenth Street Remembered Author: Gene H. Rosenblum Gene Rosenblum’s grandparents, immigrants from Lithuania, moved into St. Paul’s Fourteenth Street neighborhood in 1907. This heavily Jewish community comprised several streets in the shadow of the State Capitol. It had two synagogues, a community center, and…

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 – Spring 2007: “Lost Son: The Forgotten Fate of Roseville’s First Child, Benjamin Rose”

Patrick Hill and Cindy Rose Torfin

Lost Son: The Forgotten Fate of Roseville’s First Child, Benjamin Rose Authors: Patrick Hill and Cindy Rose Torfin This article is a portrait of Isaac Rose for whom Roseville, Minnesota, is named. He was born in New Jersey, journeyed west, married, and joined the army. He would later farm…

Ramsey County History – Summer 2006: “‘He Was Mechanic Arts’ Mechanic Arts High School: The Dietrich Lange Years, 1916–1939”

John W. Larson

“He Was Mechanic Arts” Mechanic Arts High School: The Dietrich Lange Years, 1916–1939 Author: John W. Larson Although this article features Dietrich Lange (1863–1940)—educator, naturalist, and writer—it gives biographical information on several other teachers as well as several Mechanic Arts High School students who became prominent. Roy Wilkins, for…