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Ramsey County History – Winter 2009: “Courthouse Sculptor: Lee Lawrie”

Paul D. Nelson

Courthouse Sculptor: Lee Lawrie Author: Paul D. Nelson A look at renowned sculptor Lee Lawrie (1887–1963), who designed the exterior artwork for the New York Rockefeller Center and the St. Paul City Hall and County Courthouse. His specialty was architectural sculpture or, so to speak, carving on buildings. Lawrie…

Ramsey County History – Fall 2008: “‘Mr. Livingston … Had the Tenth:’ An Episode in Minnesota Railroad Building”

John M. Lindley

“Mr. Livingston … Had the Tenth:” An Episode in Minnesota Railroad Building  Author: John M. Lindley On October 3, 1883, the Minnesota Supreme Court rendered its decision in the case of James H. Weed et al. vs. Little Falls & Dakota Railroad et al. One of many railroad cases…

Ramsey County History – Summer 2008: “Strike for Better Schools: The St. Paul Public Schools Teachers’ Strike of 1946”

Cheryl Carlson

Strike for Better Schools: The St. Paul Public Schools Teachers’ Strike of 1946 Author: Cheryl Carlson The story of the first teachers’ strike in the US carried out by 1,165 St. Paul educators. The background causes included the lack of support for public schools, partly because around a third…

Ramsey County History – Summer 2008: “Our Courage and Cowards: The Controversy Surrounding Macalester College’s Neutrality and Peace Association, 1917”

Emily Skidmore

Our Courage and Cowards: The Controversy Surrounding Macalester College’s Neutrality and Peace Association, 1917 Author: Emily Skidmore When eighty students sent a petition to Woodrow Wilson in support of neutrality from the World War, Macalester College found itself enmeshed in what became a national controversy. The students formed a…

Ramsey County History – Summer 2008: “Growing Up In Saint Paul: Love in Bloom”

John L. Relf

Growing Up In Saint Paul: Love in Bloom Author: John L. Relf This is an excerpt from the author’s book My Story,  published in 2007. John Relf was born in 1927 and first lived on Portland Avenue near Fairview. He graduated from Central High School, entered the army and later…

Ramsey County History – Spring 2008: “A Whirlwind of Crimes: The Crimes and Times of Wonnigkeit and Ermisch”

Janice R. Quick

A Whirlwind of Crimes: The Crimes and Times of Wonnigkeit and Ermisch Author: Janice R. Quick The story of two friends who ran around together and ran afoul of the law together. Both were of German ancestry. They were first arrested for burglary in 1892 and were sentenced to…

Ramsey County History – Winter 2008: “Labor Found a Friend: W.W. Erwin for the Defense”

David Riehle

Labor Found a Friend: W.W. Erwin for the Defense Author: David Riehle Known as “The Northwest Whirlwind” or “The Tall Pine,” William Wallis Erwin (1842–1908) was an accomplished defense attorney. Even though he was respected throughout the country as a champion of underdogs, he is little known in the…

Ramsey County History – Fall 2007: “Roseville’s ‘Lost Son’ Honored”

John M. Lindley

Roseville’s “Lost Son” Honored Author: John M. Lindley A short follow-up article to a Spring 2007 essay on early Roseville resident Benjamin Rose. Rose died while serving in the Union Army during the Civil War, but his body was never returned. Until recently, it was unclear where his remains…

Ramsey County History – Summer 2007: “Minneapolis and St. Paul Stumble: Henry Ford Wins the Struggle for the High Dam “

Brian McMahon

Minneapolis and St. Paul Stumble: Henry Ford Wins the Struggle for the High Dam  Author: Brian McMahon There were two early Ford plants in the Twin Cities—one in Minneapolis and another on University Avenue in St. Paul. Henry Ford was a big promoter of hydroelectric power; consequently, he wanted…