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Ramsey County History – Fall 1997: “‘A Beautiful, High-Minded Woman:’ Emily Gilman Noyes and Woman Suffrage”

Rhoda R. Gilman

‘A Beautiful, High-Minded Woman:’ Emily Gilman Noyes and Woman Suffrage Author: Rhoda R. Gilman Emily Gilman Noyes was born into an influential New York family, later moved to St. Paul and became part of still another, the family owning the Noyes Brothers Cutler wholesale firm. She was a crucial member…

Ramsey County History – Spring 1997: “The View from the 17th Floor: Oppenheimer Wolff & Donnelly And Its 111-Year History”

Virginia L. Martin

The View from the 17th Floor: Oppenheimer Wolff & Donnelly And Its 111-Year History Author: Virginia L. Martin The Oppenheimer law firm, now headquartered in Minneapolis, began in St. Paul in 1886 as the partnership Lawler & Durment. William Oppenheimer joined in 1914 and eventually led the firm’s transformation into…

Ramsey County History – Fall 1996: “Fires, Hurricanes, Diamonds, Elephants: The Colorful History of St. Paul Companies—Minnesota’s Oldest Business Corporation

Virginia Brainard Kunz

Fires, Hurricanes, Diamonds, Elephants: The Colorful History of St. Paul Companies—Minnesota’s Oldest Business Corporation Author: Virginia Brainard Kunz The St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company was incorporated in 1853, five years before Minnesota became a state. As a steamboat, then rail transportation center, St. Paul needed this institution and…

Ramsey County History – Summer 1996: “Minnesota’s First Brewery: Yoerg’s Final Years, 1933–1952”

James B. Bell

Minnesota’s First Brewery: Yoerg’s Final Years, 1933–1952 Author: James B. Bell Anthony Yoerg began Minnesota’s first brewery at his home on the Upper Landing in St. Paul in 1848. Then in 1871 the brewery moved to several caves on the west side of the Mississippi because the cool temperatures in…

Ramsey County History – Fall 1995: “After 108 Years, a Transformation: Norwest Bank St. Paul and Its Heritage of More Than a Century”

James B. Bell

After 108 Years, a Transformation: Norwest Bank St. Paul and Its Heritage of More Than a Century Author: James B. Bell The Scandinavian-American Bank was chartered in June 1887. It eventually became Norwest Bank, one of the state’s biggest. The author, skilled at institutional history, untangles the changing…

Ramsey County History – Fall 1995: “Banking on Minnesota’s Unfettered Frontier—When Barter was the Name of the Only Game in Town”

James B. Bell

Banking on Minnesota’s Unfettered Frontier—When Barter was the Name of the Only Game in Town Author: James B. Bell The early years of trade in St. Paul were marked by shortage of cash, phony bank notes, bank failures, nonexistent regulation, and frequent confusion. This article tells the story of the…

Ramsey County History – Spring 1995: “From Iceboxes to Freezers: The Story of the Seeger Refrigerator Company”

James B. Bell

From Iceboxes to Freezers: The Story of the Seeger Refrigerator Company Author: James B. Bell Though the name is little known outside St. Paul, no company was more important to the spread of the home refrigerator than Seeger. Founded in St. Paul in 1902, it made iceboxes, then refrigerators, under…

Ramsey County History – Winter 1995:

Ronald M. Hubbs

Money—And How They Fared When There Wasn’t Any Out on Minnesota’s Frontier Author: Ronald M. Hubbs In Minnesota from the middle to the end of the nineteenth century hard currency was usually scare and often it had depreciated in value, especially during the several financial panics the nation experienced. The…

Ramsey County History – Fall 1994: “The Midway Chamber and Its Community: The Colorful History of an ‘Unparalleled Feature” of St. Paul”

Jane McClure

The Midway Chamber and Its Community: The Colorful History of an ‘Unparalleled Feature” of St. Paul Author: Jane McClure In the early twentieth century the Midway District of St. Paul became a thriving regional hub for transportation, industry, commerce, and education. This article traces the development of the Midway, its…