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Ramsey County History Podcast #4 – Spring 2015: History or Folklore?

Paul Nelson and William Lass

History or Folklore? For more than a century, pioneer legislator Joe Rolette has been credited for preventing the Minnesota state capital from being moved from St. Paul to St. Peter. The story has been repeated countless times. But, is it true? In this episode, Minnesota historian William…

Ramsey County History: Summer 2014: “The History of the Mississippi River Boulevard”

Donald L. Empson

The History of the Mississippi River Boulevard Author: Donald L. Empson In 1872, the Saint Paul City Council decided to build public parks in the city, and soon, thereafter, hired landscape architect Horace W. S. Cleveland to prepare a plan for where this should be done. One park that…

Ramsey County History Podcast #1 – Spring 2014: The Saga of I-35; East Side Freedom Library

Paul Nelson, John Milton, and Peter Rachleff

The Saga of I-35; East Side Freedom Library Part 1: John Milton tells the story of how citizen opposition delayed for many years the completion of Interstate Highway 35 through St. Paul. Part 2: Labor historian Peter Rachleff describes how he and his partner Beth Cleary plan…

Ramsey County History – Winter 2014: “Citizens versus the Freeway: RIP-35E and the Pleasant Avenue Route through St. Paul”

John Watson Milton

Citizens versus the Freeway: RIP-35E and the Pleasant Avenue Route through St. Paul Author: John Watson Milton In September 1955, the National System of Interstate Highways identified the Pleasant Avenue corridor as the route for north-south Interstate 35E through the City of St. Paul, connecting with…

Ramsey County History – Winter 2014: “Fighting to Keep Seeger Running: Ralph M. Scalze and His Leadership of Local No. 20459, AFL-CIO, 1949–1955”

Gerald E. Scalze

Fighting to Keep Seeger Running: Ralph M. Scalze and His Leadership of Local No. 20459, AFL-CIO, 1949–1955 Author: Gerald E. Scalze A World War II veteran, Ralph Scalze was the leader of Local No. 20459 of the Refrigerator Workers’ Union of the AFL-CIO from 1949 to 1955, the largest…

Ramsey County History – Fall 2013: “Present at the Creation: The Turbulent Sixties and Seventies in St. Paul Politics”

Ruby M. Hunt

Present at the Creation: The Turbulent Sixties and Seventies in St. Paul Politics Author: Ruby M. Hunt Ruby Hunt, who served on the Saint Paul City Council between 1972 and 1982 and on the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners between 1983 and 1995, recalls several key personalities, primarily Mayor…

Ramsey County History – Summer 2013: “St. Paul Union Depot: Decline and Rebirth”

John W. Diers

St. Paul Union Depot: Decline and Rebirth Author: John W. Diers St. Paul’s first Union Depot opened in 1881, but it was destroyed by fire in 1884. Fire also destroyed its replacement in 1913. This article is about the building of the third depot, which took place between 1917…

Ramsey County History – Spring 2013: “One History of Service: The Guild of Catholic Women and Guild Incorporated”

Hayla Drake

One History of Service: The Guild of Catholic Women and Guild Incorporated Author: Hayla Drake In 1906, out of concern for the welfare of new immigrants in their community, a group of thirty women from St. Luke’s Catholic Church began the Guild of Catholic Women (GCW), which helped meet…

Ramsey County History – Spring 2013: “A Monument to Freedom, a Monument to All: Restoring the Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller Memorial in Como Park”

Colin Nelson-Dusek

A Monument to Freedom, a Monument to All: Restoring the Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller Memorial in Como Park Author: Colin Nelson-Dusek Beginning in 1907, a bronze sculpture of Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller has reigned over the Gateway to Como Park. Despite its long and ubiquitous presence, little…