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Ramsey County History – Spring 2004: “A Quilt and a Diary: The Story of the Little Girl Who Rode the Orphan Train to a New Home”

Ann Zemke

A Quilt and a Diary: The Story of the Little Girl Who Rode the Orphan Train to a New Home Author: Ann Zemke The author made a quilt that is used to tell the story of her grandmother, Margaret Peterson, who was an orphan. From 1854 to 1929, thousands…

Ramsey County History – Winter 2004: “‘He Loved a Tall Story’ The Life and Times of I.A. O’Shaughnessy, the Man Who Happily Gave His Money Away”

John M. Lindley and Virginia Brainard Kunz

‘He Loved a Tall Story’ The Life and Times of I.A. O’Shaughnessy, the Man Who Happily Gave His Money Away  Authors: John M. Lindley and Virginia Brainard Kunz Born in 1885, Ignatius Aloysius O’Shaughnessy was an oilman and philanthropist. His parents, who were of Irish decent, moved to Minnesota…

“Bought 2 Horses & a Wagon:” The Story of the Murphy Companies

Virginia Brainard Kunz

This is the story of how E. L. Murphy Sr. established his business, gradually converted it from horses to trucks, suffered through the takeover of Murphy Transfer and Storage Company and Murphy Motor Freight Lines by a St. Paul bank in the midst of the Great Depression, and how brothers…

Ramsey County History – Fall 2003: “Growing Up in St. Paul: A Stroll Down Memory Lane: Payne Avenue in the 1950s—’It Was Like Living in a Small Town'”

DeAnne Marie Cherry

Growing Up in St. Paul: A Stroll Down Memory Lane: Payne Avenue in the 1950s—“It Was Like Living in a Small Town” Author: DeAnne Marie Cherry The author, who grew up in the 1950s at 973 Payne Avenue on St. Paul’s East Side, relates a teenager’s memories of her neighborhood…

Ramsey County History – Summer 2003: “The Story of Minnie Dassel: Was She a Mysterious ‘Countess’ Who Settled in St. Paul?”

Paul Johnson

The Story of Minnie Dassel: Was She a Mysterious ‘Countess’ Who Settled in St. Paul? Author: Paul Johnson This is the story of a woman who worked in St. Paul for fifty-five years in the late nineteenth century. Some people thought that Minnie Dassel was secretly a German countess…

Ramsey County History – Spring 2003: “Oakland Cemetery and Its First 150 Years—Pioneers, Politicians, the Public Share These Grounds”

Arthur W. (Chip) Lindeke III

Oakland Cemetery and Its First 150 Years—Pioneers, Politicians, the Public Share These Grounds Author: Arthur W. (Chip) Lindeke III The Oakland Cemetery Association was formed on June 24, 1853. The cemetery is the resting place for many famous people including Alexander Ramsey and Henry Sibley. In 1884, it incorporated…

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 Fisher

Growing 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 – Winter 2003: “The 146-Year History of the Louis Hill House: New Settlers, a Booming Real Estate Market, and a Summit Avenue Site Acquired on Speculation”

Eileen McCormack

The 146-Year History of the Louis Hill House: New Settlers, a Booming Real Estate Market, and a Summit Avenue Site Acquired on Speculation Author: Eileen McCormack The Louis Hill home at 260 Summit Avenue was built on a plot of land that was platted in November 1854. Home construction…

Ramsey County History – Winter 2003: “Growing Up In St Paul: Diamonds, Gravel Roads, and a Little Chevrolet—The Life and Times of a Venture Capitalist”

Alan R. (Buddy) Ruvelson

Growing Up In St Paul: Diamonds, Gravel Roads, and a Little Chevrolet—The Life and Times of a Venture Capitalist Author: Alan R. (Buddy) Ruvelson This article begins with the author’s family background and the arrival of his great grandfather in St. Paul in the 1870s, where he lived at…