Catalog
Ramsey County History – Spring 2003: “The Volunteer Hook and Ladder Company”
Virginia Brainard KunzThe Volunteer Hook and Ladder Company Author: Virginia Brainard Kunz This is a short article on Wilson Farrell’s Pioneer Hook and Ladder Company, which was established in 1854. Like other groups of this type, its members were elected and had to buy their own ladders, buckets, and rope. Arson,…
Ramsey County History – Spring 2003: “Growing Up in St. Paul: ‘Homer Van Meter, a Member of the Karpis Gang, Was Shot Across the Street from Our House’”
Bernice FisherGrowing Up in St. Paul: ‘Homer Van Meter, a Member of the Karpis Gang, Was Shot Across the Street from Our House’ Author: Bernice Fisher The author grew up at 193 West University Avenue. One of her vivid memories was when Homer Van Meter, a member of the Dillinger…
Ramsey County History – Summer 2002: “Which One Is Houston Osbourne? Research Fails to Provide the Answer”
Paul D. NelsonWhich One Is Houston Osbourne? Research Fails to Provide the Answer Author: Paul D. Nelson This companion piece to the previous article recounts the author’s efforts to verify a Stillwater Prison photograph of Houston Osborne. PDF of Nelson Osborne article…
Ramsey County History – Fall 2000: “Two Horses and One Buffalo Robe—The Ramsey County Attorney’s Office and Its 150 Years: All Frailties of Human Nature”
Anne E. CowieTwo Horses and One Buffalo Robe—The Ramsey County Attorney’s Office and Its 150 Years: All Frailties of Human Nature Author: Anne E. Cowie The long 150-year saga of the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office commenced when the county lines extended northward to Lake Mille Lacs and the present-day Aitkin County.
Ramsey County History – Spring 2000: “Growing Up In St. Paul: Mystic Caverns and Their Short-Lived Glory Days”
Ray BartonGrowing Up In St Paul: Mystic Caverns and Their Short-Lived Glory Days Author: Ray Barton In the 1930s, a hangout for gangsters and other colorful characters was Mystic Caverns, a nightclub built into the caves on the lower West Side of St. Paul. Its heyday was short-lived, however; within…
Ramsey County History – Winter 1998: “The Legend of Sam Taran: Boxer, Bootlegger, and St. Paul’s ‘Fighting Tailor'”
Paul R. GoldThe Legend of Sam Taran: Boxer, Bootlegger, and St. Paul’s “Fighting Tailor” Author: Paul R. Gold Sam Taran was less a boxer or tailor than he was a bootlegger and career criminal; he was good at being a crook. Taran was a minor figure in St. Paul’s gangster era but…
Ramsey County History – Fall 1980: “Long Kate, Dutch Henriette and Mother Robinson: Three Madams in Post-Civil War St. Paul”
Joel E. BestLong Kate, Dutch Henriette and Mother Robinson: Three Madams in Post-Civil War St. Paul Author: Joel E. Best According to the author, managing a brothel “offered a rare opportunity for a 19th century woman—a chance for a lower-class or working-class woman, beginning with little money and limited opportunities,…
Ramsey County History – Fall 1968: “The Wandering Skeleton of Charley Pitts”
Carl A. EideThe Wandering Skeleton of Charley Pitts Author: Carl A. Eide More information on what happened to the skeleton of Charley Pitts, one of the members of the James-Younger gang that tried to rob the bank in Northfield in 1876. Pitts was killed, and his body was turned…
Ramsey County History – Spring 1967: “The Saga of Charley Pitts’ Body”
Lillie Gibbs LeVesconteThe Saga of Charley Pitts’ Body Charley Pitts was part of the James-Younger gang that robbed the First National Bank in Northfield in September 1876. He was killed by a posse two weeks later. His body was exhibited at the Minnesota Capitol. What became of it after that? In…