Catalog
Ramsey County History – Fall 1995: “Banking on Minnesota’s Unfettered Frontier—When Barter was the Name of the Only Game in Town”
James B. BellBanking 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. BellFrom 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. HubbsMoney—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 McClureThe 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…
Ramsey County History – Summer 1994: “Growing Up in St. Paul: Harriet Island and the ‘Fearless Popper’”
WilliamD. Bowell Sr.Growing Up in St. Paul: Harriet Island and the ‘Fearless Popper’ Author: William D. Bowell Sr. A charming account of the author’s family’s popcorn wagon concession on Harriet Island in the 1930s and William Bowell’s childhood experience in the popcorn business. PDF of Bowell article…
Ramsey County History – Winter 1994: “Giesen’s: Costumers to St. Paul’s Families and Festivals—1872-1970”
Virginia L. MartinGiesen’s: Costumers to St. Paul’s Families and Festivals—1872-1970 Author: Virginia L. Martin Out of the heavily German culture of St. Paul’s early decades grew Giesen’s, which for a time was one of the biggest commercial costume businesses in the country. The founder, Maria Giesen, ran it until 1903: her daughter-in-law,…
Ramsey County History – Summer 1993: “Colorful, Sometimes Contentious—St. Paul’s 100-Year-Old Neighborhood Press”
Jane McClureColorful, Sometimes Contentious—St. Paul’s 100-Year-Old Neighborhood Press Author: Jane McClure The author, a longtime and prolific writer for the Highland Villager, has assembled a compendium of St. Paul neighborhood newspapers going back to the Midway News in 1888. She gives most space to the Villager, the most successful of all.
Ramsey County History – Summer 1993: “Growing Up in St. Paul: Albert Fuller and the Family Business”
Liz Holum JohnsonGrowing Up in St. Paul: Albert Fuller and the Family Business Author: Liz Holum Johnson Excerpts from the diary of Albert Fuller document the early days of the H.B. Fuller Company, and lots more: Archbishop Ireland, mucilage and paste, gambling at the State Fair, patents, and more. The frequently witty…
Ramsey County History – Spring 1993: “. . . ‘And a Sprinkling of Jews’: Work and Faith and Minnesota’s Jewish Merchants”
Marilyn J. Chiat. . . ‘And a Sprinkling of Jews’: Work and Faith and Minnesota’s Jewish Merchants Author: Marilyn J. Chiat There were Jews in St. Paul as early as 1851. The first to come were German, followed later in the century by Russians and Poles. Most were poor and many came…