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Ramsey County History – Fall 1967: “Marshall Sherman and the Civil War: St. Paul’s First Medal of Honor Winner”

Anne Cowie

Marshall Sherman and the Civil War: St. Paul’s First Medal of Honor Winner Author: Anne Cowie In April 1861, Marshall Sherman, age thirty-seven, a St. Paul housepainter, became one of the first to enlist in the Union Army. He fought at Bull Run, Ball’s Bluff, The Seven…

Ramsey County History – Spring 1967: “Early Explorers’ Trails Criss-Crossed Today’s’ Ramsey County”

Ramsey County Historical Society

Early Explorers’ Trails Criss-Crossed Today’s’ Ramsey County Author: Alan R. Woolworth A summary of the deeds of explorers who passed through or near Ramsey County (the piece in fact covers Minnesota generally) before 1840, including LeSueur, Carver, Hennepin, Pike, Long, Cass, Schoolcraft, and Nicollet. PDF…

Ramsey County History – Spring 1967: “The Saga of Charley Pitts’ Body”

Lillie Gibbs LeVesconte

The Saga of Charley Pitts’ Body Charley Pitts was part of the James-Younger gang that robbed the First National Bank in Northfield in September 1876. He was killed by a posse two weeks later. His body was exhibited at the Minnesota Capitol. What became of it after that? In…

Ramsey County History – Fall 1966: “‘Reminiscences of a Lady in the Vicinity of St. Paul:’ A Sioux Medicine Dance and a Perilous Journey”

Ellen Rice Hollinshead

‘Reminiscences of a Lady in the Vicinity of St. Paul:’ A Sioux Medicine Dance and a Perilous Journey Author: Ellen Rice Hollinshead This is an 1892 reminiscence written by the daughter of Edmund Rice and the niece of Henry M. Rice about her experiences in early Minnesota.

Ramsey County History – Spring 1966: “Minnesota’s Early Libel Laws”

Henry H. Cowie Jr.

Minnesota’s Early Libel Laws Author: Henry H. Cowie Jr. Early Minnesota libel laws put a brake on the excesses of early journalism. The first state Supreme Court libel decision in 1860 held that accusing an editor of stooping low enough to “steal children’s diapers from the clothes…

Ramsey County History – Spring 1966: “Box Stoves, Cipher-Downs, Sleigh Rides: Memories of a Rural School”

Frank Paskewitz

Box Stoves, Cipher-Downs, Sleigh Rides: Memories of a Rural School Author: Frank Paskewitz Frank Paskewitz, a member of the Ramsey County Historical Society Board of Directors, attended a one-room school in Todd County in the first decade of the twentieth century. He recalls that school in detail—its…

Ramsey County History – Fall 1965: “‘Floating Down the River…:’ Today’s Boaters See Landmarks As Pioneers Once Viewed Them”

Frances Bruce Shepherd

‘Floating Down the River…:’ Today’s Boaters See Landmarks As Pioneers Once Viewed Them Author: Frances Bruce Shepherd Frances Bruce Shepherd surveys the history of fifty-three miles of the Upper Mississippi, from St. Anthony Falls to Red Wing, with history and observations for each stop along the way:…

Ramsey County History – Spring 1965: “A Fateful Decade—The Negroes in Minnesota and the Role They Played”

Earl Spangler

A Fateful Decade—The Negroes in Minnesota and the Role They Played Author: Earl Spangler The decade mentioned in the title was 1850–1860. Though African Americans in Minnesota (most of them living in Ramsey County) were few at this time, their presence brought the national issues of race…

Ramsey County History – Fall 1964: “‘We Was Ordered Out on the Double-quick . . . They Skeedadeled:’ Sergeant Ramer’s Indian War”

Virginia Brainard Kunz

“We Was Ordered Out on the Double-quick . . . They Skeedadeled:” Sergeant Ramer’s Indian War Author: Virginia Brainard Kunz James T. Ramer was a soldier, diarist, and letter-writer. He joined the Union army on August 15, 1862; on August 18, the US Dakota War broke out.