Catalog
Ramsey County History – Fall 2006: “A Little Known Railway That Couldn’t: The St. Paul Southern”
John W. DiersA Little Known Railway That Couldn’t: The St. Paul Southern Author: John W. Diers The St. Paul Southern Electric Railway, an obscure “electric interurban,” was built to connect the Twin Cities with several southern Minnesota cities. This form of mass transit was developed in other parts of the United…
Ramsey County History – Fall 2006: “The 1894 Pullman Strike in St. Paul and the Death of Switchman Charles Luth”
Gregory T. PoferlThe 1894 Pullman Strike in St. Paul and the Death of Switchman Charles Luth Author: Gregory T. Poferl The 1894 Pullman Strike had a major impact on the country and on St. Paul, a union and railroad town. Eugene V. Debs, the leader of the American Railway Union (ARU),…
Ramsey County History – Summer 2006: “‘Dreams of the Immensity of the Future:’ Crex Carpet Company Revisited
Paul D. Nelson“Dreams of the Immensity of the Future:” Crex Carpet Company Revisited Author: Paul D. Nelson A short article that follows up on an earlier piece by the author, published in the Winter 2006 issue. It was prompted by the discovery of an unpublished manuscript written by Michael O’Shaughnessy, the…
Ramsey County History – Summer 2006: “Fighting Billy Miske: The Heart of a Champion”
Paul PicardFighting Billy Miske: The Heart of a Champion Author: Paul Picard St. Paul was known for its champion boxers even before the sport became legal in the city, and bouts had to be fought outside the state. Miske, the “St. Paul Thunderbolt,” was the son of German immigrants. He…
Ramsey County History – Spring 2006: “Mary Hill’s Lowertown, 1867–1891”
Eileen R. McCormackMary Hill’s Lowertown, 1867–1891 Author: Eileen R. McCormack Mary Mehegan Hill lived most of her early life in St. Paul’s Lowertown and was there with her husband, James J. Hill, from the time of their marriage until the Hills moved to Summit Avenue in 1891. Surrounded by prosperous families…
Ramsey County History – Spring 2006: “Lowertown: Another Perspective”
David RiehleLowertown: Another Perspective Author: David Riehle Fire insurance maps are valuable resources that can reveal some of the patterns of economic class. For instance, pink coloring on the plats is reserved for stone and blue for frame homes. The Hills, Gotzians and Uphams were socially active with each other,…
Ramsey County History – Spring 2006: “St. Paul Underground: Stahlmann’s Cellars: The Cave under the Castle”
Greg A. BrickSt. Paul Underground: Stahlmann’s Cellars: The Cave under the Castle Author: Greg A. Brick Bavarian-born Christopher Stahlmann opened his brewery in St. Paul in 1855 on Fort and Oneida streets in the West Seventh area. By the late 1870s, it was the largest brewery in the state. Its lagering…
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,…