Catalog
Ramsey County History – Winter 2006: “‘The Greatest Single Industry?’ Crex: Created Out of Nothing”
Paul D. Nelson“The Greatest Single Industry?” Crex: Created Out of Nothing Author: Paul D. Nelson The American Grass Twine Company was the fifth largest employer in St. Paul in 1903 and its largest manufacturing industry, with 900 employees. The company was based on taking wire grass, which grew in peat bogs…
From Arcade Street to Main Street: A History of the Seeger Refrigerator Company, 1902-1984
James B. Bell“St. Paul has long been famed for its Winter Carnival, but another sort of chill was big business for more than three-quarters of a century on the city’s East Side. There, in a sprawling plant operated by the Seeger Refrigerator Company along Arcade Street, thousands of workers produced iceboxes and,…
Ramsey County History – Fall 2005: “Stonebridge: The Story of a Lost Estate and Oliver Crosby, the Inventive Genius Who Created It”
Jay PfaenderStonebridge: 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 – Spring 2005: “The Force That Shaped the Neighborhoods: 1890–1953: Sixty-Three Years of Streetcars in St. Paul and Millions of Dollars in Investments”
John W. DiersThe Force That Shaped the Neighborhoods: 1890–1953: Sixty-Three Years of Streetcars in St. Paul and Millions of Dollars in Investments Author: John W. Diers Streetcars were one of the most important inventions to shape the growth and development of the Twin Cities. The privately owned streetcar system hit its…
Ramsey County History – Spring 2005: “Spanish Influenza in St. Paul in 1918, the Year the City Found ‘the Wolf’ at Its Door”
Susan DowdSpanish Influenza in St. Paul in 1918, the Year the City Found ‘the Wolf’ at Its Door Author: Susan Dowd The Spanish influenza epidemic of 1918, often referred to as “the wolf,” was one of the most lethal outbreaks the world has ever known. It came in waves. The…
Ramsey County History – Winter 2005: “Curtain Up in 1933: The Legacy of the St. Paul Opera Association”
Steve TrimbleCurtain Up in 1933: The Legacy of the St. Paul Opera Association Author: Steve Trimble Inspired by a trip to Europe, Mrs. W. Homer Sweeney successfully spearheaded the creation of the St. Paul Municipal Opera. Opening in 1933, it was a “civic opera” that chose to present quality music…
Ramsey County History – Winter 2005: “Ramsey County Historical Society’s Collection of Building Permits and the Story of the DeLoop Parking Ramp”
Robert F. GarlandRamsey 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 – Summer 2004: “Say It Ain’t So, Charlie! The 1897 Dispute between Charles Comiskey and the St. Paul Labor Trades and Labor Assembly over the Opening of Lexington Park”
David RiehleSay It Ain’t So, Charlie! The 1897 Dispute between Charles Comiskey and the St. Paul Labor Trades and Labor Assembly over the Opening of Lexington Park Author: David Riehle On April 30, 1897, the famed Lexington ballpark opened to the public. The St. Paul Saints were then managed by…
Ramsey County History – Summer 2004: “The Rondo Oral History Project Beulah Mae Baines Swan Remembers Piano Lessons and a ‘Nice Vegetable Garden’ Out Back”
Kate CavettThe Rondo Oral History Project Beulah Mae Baines Swan Remembers Piano Lessons and a ‘Nice Vegetable Garden’ Out Back An Interview by Kate Cavett This article is from an oral history interview with Beulah Mae Baines Swan, who was raised near Como and Dale in a very small…