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Ramsey County History – Fall 2000: “The Aches and Pains of St. Paul Property Ownership: Taxes, Assessments and Fees between 1856 and 1904: A Snapshot of the Lives of the Flanagan Family”

Leo J. Harris

The Aches and Pains of St. Paul Property Ownership: Taxes, Assessments and Fees between 1856 and 1904: A Snapshot of the Lives of the Flanagan Family Author: Leo J. Harris A snapshot of the lives of the Martin Flanagan family is the vehicle for describing the evolution of Ramsey…

Ramsey County History – Fall 1999: ““… No Time or Sympathy for One Who Wouldn’t Work:” Crawford Livingston, Colonel Chauncey Griggs, and Their Roles in St. Paul History”

John M. Lindley

“… No Time or Sympathy for One Who Wouldn’t Work:” Crawford Livingston, Colonel Chauncey Griggs, and Their Roles in St. Paul History Author: John M. Lindley This article brings together the careers of two related, but different, major figures in the history of St. Paul in the late nineteenth and…

Ramsey County History – Fall 1998: “Banker and Philanthropist Richard C. Lilly: The Man Who Led Two Lives”

Virginia Brainard Kunz

Banker and Philanthropist Richard C. Lilly: The Man Who Led Two Lives Author: Virginia Brainard Kunz Richard Lilly began work on a road crew at age fifteen, after his father was disabled in an accident. By age thirty-three, in 1918, he was president of St. Paul’s second-largest bank. In 1929,…

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 – 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 1992: “Whistles, Crowds and Free Silver: St. Paul’s Noisy Election Night in 1896”

Thomas C. Buckley

Whistles, Crowds and Free Silver: St. Paul’s Noisy Election Night in 1896 Author: Thomas C. Buckley Though William McKinley and William Jennings Bryan were the principal candidates in the 1896 presidential election, the central figure in this article is James J. Hill. Hill provided the giant steam whistles used to…

Ramsey County History – Summer 1991: “Walter Sanborn and the Eighth Circuit Court”

Thomas Boyd

Walter Sanborn and the Eighth Circuit Court Author: Thomas Boyd A biographical profile of one of Minnesota’s most distinguished lawyers. He came to St. Paul in 1870 to join his uncle’s law practice. Sanborn succeeded in private practice, served on the City Council, and was appointed to the Eighth Circuit…

Ramsey County History – Spring 1991: “A Period Of National Tragedy—The Homeless and the Jobless in the 1930s”

Virginia Brainard Kunz

A Period Of National Tragedy—The Homeless and the Jobless in the 1930s Author: Virginia Brainard Kunz The Great Depression in Ramsey County, seen in part through the experiences and words of A. E. Heckman. Heckman came to St. Paul in 1931 to lead the United Charities. In 1932, when the…