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Ramsey County History – Winter 2007: “An Encounter at Kaposia: The Bishop and Chief”

Leo J. Harris

An Encounter at Kaposia: The Bishop and Chief Author: Leo J. Harris In July 1839, there was a meeting of two men at Kaposia during a time of cultural change for the Mdewakanton Dakota who lived there. Their leader at the time was Wakoyantanke (Big Thunder) commonly called Little…

Ramsey County History – Fall 2005: “Ramsey County’s Distinguished Agriculturist: Willet M. Hayes, the Scientist Who Saw ‘Shakespeares’ among His Plants”

Harlan Stoehr and Forrest Troyer

Ramsey County’s Distinguished Agriculturist: Willet M. Hayes, the Scientist Who Saw ‘Shakespeares’ among His Plants Authors: Harlan Stoehr and Forrest Troyer Willet M. Hays (1859–1928), the first head of agronomic research at the University of Minnesota, is arguably the greatest all-time contributor to the advancement of agriculture in Minnesota.

Ramsey County History – Summer 2005: “Rendezvous at the Riverbend: Pike’s Seven Days in the Band of Little Crow—the Wilderness That Later Became St. Paul”

Gary Brueggemann

Rendezvous at the Riverbend: Pike’s Seven Days in the Band of Little Crow—the Wilderness That Later Became St. Paul Author: Gary Brueggemann In 1805, Zebulon Pike, a twenty-six year old lieutenant, led the first American expedition to explore Minnesota. A group of twenty-two men came up the Mississippi River…

Ramsey County History – Summer 2005: “Zebulon Pike and James Aird: The Explorer and the ‘Scottish Gentleman’”

Duke Addicks and James Aird

Zebulon Pike and James Aird: The Explorer and the ‘Scottish Gentleman’ Authors: Duke Addicks and James Aird A short piece written by a fur trade reenactor (Addicks) who portrays James Aird, a Scotsman who farmed near Prairie Du Chien, Wisconsin. Addicks states that one of his goals is to…

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 – 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 – Fall 2002: “Those Squealing Red River Ox Carts: Norman Kittson and the Fur Trade”

Clarence Rife and Holly Walters

Those Squealing Red River Ox Carts: Norman Kittson and the Fur Trade Authors: Clarence Rife and Holly Walters In 1830 at the age of sixteen, Canadian-born Norman Kittson joined the American Fur Company and headed west. He eventually arrived in Minnesota, where he joined Henry Sibley in the fur…

Ramsey County History – Spring 2002: “Doing History in Ramsey County and St. Paul: A Review Essay”

John M. Lindley

Doing History in Ramsey County and St. Paul: A Review Essay Author: John M. Lindley Like the late nineteenth century spate of local history books about St. Paul, the author comments on a similar recent flourishing of St. Paul history and gives several short summaries of the works. Among…

Ramsey County History – Spring 2001: “A ‘Good Man’ in a Changing World: Cloud Man, the Dakota Leader, and His Life and Times”

Mark Dietrich

A ‘Good Man’ in a Changing World: Cloud Man, the Dakota Leader, and His Life and Times Author: Mark Dietrich A compelling portrait of the Mdewakenton Dakota leader Cloud Man in Minnesota up to the early 1860s. Confronted by a dwindling population as his people lost their land and the…