Catalog
Ramsey County History – Winter 2008: “Labor Found a Friend: W.W. Erwin for the Defense”
David RiehleLabor 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 – Summer 2007: “Minneapolis and St. Paul Stumble: Henry Ford Wins the Struggle for the High Dam “
Brian McMahonMinneapolis 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…
Ramsey County History – Winter 2007: “‘If It Can Be Manufactured from Wood, We Can Make It:’ A History of the Villaume Family and the Company They Built”
Steve Trimble“If It Can Be Manufactured from Wood, We Can Make It:” A History of the Villaume Family and the Company They Built Author: Steve Trimble In 1847, Joseph Villaume, a Frenchman, arrived in St. Paul, and his two nephews joined him in 1873. One of them, Eugene, landed a…
Ramsey County History – Winter 2007: “‘A Great Experience:’ Villaume Builds Gliders in World War II”
John M. Lindley“A Great Experience” Villaume Builds Gliders in World War II Author: John M. Lindley German troops used gliders in May 1940, and the Americans decided to use them too. They didn’t want to build gliders at existing airplane manufacturers and wanted to minimize the use of scarce metal. The…
Ramsey County History – Summer 2006: “‘Dreams of the Immensity of the Future:’ Crex Carpet Company Revisited
Paul D. Nelson“Dreams of the Immensity of the Future:” Crex Carpet Company Revisited Author: Paul D. Nelson A short article that follows up on an earlier piece by the author, published in the Winter 2006 issue. It was prompted by the discovery of an unpublished manuscript written by Michael O’Shaughnessy, the…
Ramsey County History – Spring 2006: “Mary Hill’s Lowertown, 1867–1891”
Eileen R. McCormackMary Hill’s Lowertown, 1867–1891 Author: Eileen R. McCormack Mary Mehegan Hill lived most of her early life in St. Paul’s Lowertown and was there with her husband, James J. Hill, from the time of their marriage until the Hills moved to Summit Avenue in 1891. Surrounded by prosperous families…
Ramsey County History – Spring 2006: “St. Paul Underground: Stahlmann’s Cellars: The Cave under the Castle”
Greg A. BrickSt. Paul Underground: Stahlmann’s Cellars: The Cave under the Castle Author: Greg A. Brick Bavarian-born Christopher Stahlmann opened his brewery in St. Paul in 1855 on Fort and Oneida streets in the West Seventh area. By the late 1870s, it was the largest brewery in the state. Its lagering…
Ramsey County History – Winter 2006: “‘The Greatest Single Industry?’ Crex: Created Out of Nothing”
Paul D. Nelson“The Greatest Single Industry?” Crex: Created Out of Nothing Author: Paul D. Nelson The American Grass Twine Company was the fifth largest employer in St. Paul in 1903 and its largest manufacturing industry, with 900 employees. The company was based on taking wire grass, which grew in peat bogs…
From Arcade Street to Main Street: A History of the Seeger Refrigerator Company, 1902-1984
James B. Bell“St. Paul has long been famed for its Winter Carnival, but another sort of chill was big business for more than three-quarters of a century on the city’s East Side. There, in a sprawling plant operated by the Seeger Refrigerator Company along Arcade Street, thousands of workers produced iceboxes and,…