Catalog
Ramsey County History – Fall 2014: “Expanding Our Understanding of the Past: The Sod House and Dakota Kin at the Gibbs Museum”
Priscilla FarnhamExpanding Our Understanding of the Past: The Sod House and Dakota Kin at the Gibbs Museum Author: Priscilla Farnham In this article, Priscilla Farnham, the retired executive director of RCHS (1991–2011) focuses on the history of Gibbs Farm in Falcon Heights, which is owned and operated by Ramsey County…
Ramsey County History – Spring 2014: “The Birth of the Ramsey County Fair”
James LindnerThe Birth of the Ramsey County Fair Author: James Lindner The person credited with the concept of the original county fair is Elkanah Watson, of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, who, in 1810, started the Berkshire County Fair. Watson wanted to promote ways to improve farm productivity through education, “personal ambition,” and…
Ramsey County History – Summer 2013: “Fine Art Exhibits at the Minnesota State Fair, 1885–1914”
Leo J. HarrisFine Art Exhibits at the Minnesota State Fair, 1885–1914 Author: Leo J. Harris The first Minnesota art exhibit was held in St. Paul at the 1857 territorial fair. From that year until 1884, few art exhibits were displayed at the fair, partly because the location Fair moved to different…
Ramsey County History – Winter 2013: “Helping the Sun Shine Brighter for Farmers: Robert Freeman on Mount Ramsey”
Harlan StoehrHelping the Sun Shine Brighter for Farmers: Robert Freeman on Mount Ramsey Author: Harlan Stoehr The year 2013 marks the centennial of extension work in Ramsey County, beginning with Harry G. Krum’s appointment as county agricultural agent. At the time of Krum’s hiring, Ramsey County was home to over…
Ramsey County History – Fall 2012: “Hands-On Historian: Ethel Hall Stewart and Preserving the Gibbs Farm”
Steven C. TrimbleHands-On Historian: Ethel Hall Stewart and Preserving the Gibbs Farm Author: Steven C. Trimble On an October day in 1954, the Gibbs Farm Museum opened to the public, thanks to the efforts of Ethel Hall Stewart. Stewart’s love of history and belief in hands-on education was the impetus for…
Ramsey County History – Fall 2012: “St. Joseph’s Academy: The Legacy Lives On”
Mary Jo RichardsonSt. Joseph’s Academy: The Legacy Lives On Author: Mary Jo Richardson From its founding in a log cabin on the Mississippi in 1851 to its eventual closing in 1971, St. Joseph’s Academy (SJA) was a legendary educational institution situated on a grand estate in the heart of St. Paul.
Ramsey County History – Fall 2011: “A Different Sesquicentennial: Remembering Fredrick McGhee”
Paul D. NelsonA Different Sesquicentennial: Remembering Fredrick McGhee Author: Paul D. Nelson On October 28, 2011, Author Paul Nelson paused to reflect that Fredrick McGhee (1861–1912) was born on that date 150 years ago. Nelson remembered him that day because he admired the man so much, and because, as his biographer,…
Ramsey County History – Winter 2010: “‘Part and Parcel of a Great Cause:’ The St. Paul Society for the Hard of Hearing”
Kristen Mapel Bloomberg and Leah S. McLaughlin“Part and Parcel of a Great Cause:” The St. Paul Society for the Hard of Hearing Authors: Kristen Mapel Bloomberg and Leah S. McLaughlin After providing general information on social clubs and organizations in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, this article focuses on the group that worked…
Ramsey County History – Winter 2010: “Growing Up in St. Paul: The CCC, Flying Hands, and the Armistice Day Blizzard”
Norman C. Horton Sr.Growing Up in St. Paul: The CCC, Flying Hands, and the Armistice Day Blizzard Author: Norman C. Horton Sr. Norman Horton’s family moved to St. Paul at the onset of the Great Depression eking out an existence and moving often. After graduation from high school, Horton served in the…