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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 2006: “The 1894 Pullman Strike in St. Paul and the Death of Switchman Charles Luth”

Gregory T. Poferl

The 1894 Pullman Strike in St. Paul and the Death of Switchman Charles Luth Author: Gregory T. Poferl The 1894 Pullman Strike had a major impact on the country and on St. Paul, a union and railroad town. Eugene V. Debs, the leader of the American Railway Union (ARU),…

Ramsey County History – Spring 2005: “The Force That Shaped the Neighborhoods: 1890–1953: Sixty-Three Years of Streetcars in St. Paul and Millions of Dollars in Investments”

John W. Diers

The Force That Shaped the Neighborhoods: 1890–1953: Sixty-Three Years of Streetcars in St. Paul and Millions of Dollars in Investments  Author: John W. Diers Streetcars were one of the most important inventions to shape the growth and development of the Twin Cities. The privately owned streetcar system hit its…

Ramsey County History – Summer 2004: “Say It Ain’t So, Charlie! The 1897 Dispute between Charles Comiskey and the St. Paul Labor Trades and Labor Assembly over the Opening of Lexington Park”

David Riehle

Say It Ain’t So, Charlie! The 1897 Dispute between Charles Comiskey and the St. Paul Labor Trades and Labor Assembly over the Opening of Lexington Park Author: David Riehle On April 30, 1897, the famed Lexington ballpark opened to the public. The St. Paul Saints were then managed by…

Ramsey County History – Winter 2003: “I Remember the Teachers’ Strike of 1946: ‘We Rolled Down Our Windows in the Cold Air’”

Maxine Dickson

I Remember the Teachers’ Strike of 1946: “We Rolled Down Our Windows in the Cold Air’” Author: Maxine Dickson The author attended and remembered having talked with her teachers about schools and unions. Her family lived at 1718 Ross Avenue, and she attended Ames Elementary and Junior High. When St.

Ramsey Couny History – Summer 1996: “Growing Up in St. Paul: Grandfather Joel Larson—Swedish Immigrant—That ‘Mysterious Stranger’ in Our Midst”

John W. Larson

Growing Up in St. Paul: Grandfather Joel Larson—Swedish Immigrant—That ‘Mysterious Stranger’ in Our Midst Author: John W. Larson Because the author’s grandfather rarely talked about himself even to family members, Joel Larson was something of a “mysterious stranger” to his grandson. This affectionate account of Joel Larson gives insight into…

Ramsey County History – Spring 1992: “A Nationwide Sense of Crisis: The 1922 Shopmen’s Strike in St. Paul and the Northwest”

W. Thomas White

A Nationwide Sense of Crisis: The 1922 Shopmen’s Strike in St. Paul and the Northwest Author: W. Thomas White The 1922 rail strike was the most severe since 1894. Workers endured the loss of a wildcat strike in 1920, then a series of wage reductions. On July 1 some 400,000…

Ramsey County History – Spring 1990: “Eugene V. Debs, James J. Hill and The Great Northern Railway Strike”

Tamara C. Truer

Eugene V. Debs, James J. Hill and The Great Northern Railway Strike Author: Tamara C. Truer James J. Hill rarely lost a battle or met an adversary he could not defeat. The 1894 Great Northern strike was an exception. When he tried to impose a third…

Ramsey County History – Fall/Winter 1976: “Persecution in St Paul: The Germans in World War I”

Sister John Christine Wolkerstorfer

Persecution in St Paul: The Germans in World War I Author: Sister John Christine Wolkerstorfer “Between 1855 and 1915, Germans in America lived not in an American culture, but rather in a German-America.” All that changed with the sinking of the Lusitania in 1915. Minnesota participated enthusiastically in the…