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Ramsey County History Winter 2024: H. Emil Strassburger

Nicole Foss

Volume 59, Number 1: Winter 2024 Architect of St. Paul’s West Side: H. Emil Strassburger Author: Nicole Foss Architectural Historian Nicole Foss grew curious about some of the old houses she passed on daily walks in her neighborhood. Curiosity led to research, which evolved into our cover story “Architect…

Ramsey County History – Summer 2007: “Mystery in the Library: The Bishop Jade Books and the St. Paul Public Library”

Biloine W. Young

Mystery in the Library: The Bishop Jade Books and the St. Paul Public Library Author: Biloine W. Young The article revolves around a local library “mystery.” It began in April 22, 1915, when a candy store located in the Market House building caught fire. It spread to the second…

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 – Spring 2003: “The Volunteer Hook and Ladder Company”

Virginia Brainard Kunz

The Volunteer Hook and Ladder Company Author: Virginia Brainard Kunz This is a short article on Wilson Farrell’s Pioneer Hook and Ladder Company, which was established in 1854. Like other groups of this type, its members were elected and had to buy their own ladders, buckets, and rope. Arson,…

Ramsey County History – Spring 2002: “The Fire Insurance Patrol: Gone But Not Forgotten”

John S. Sonnen

The Fire Insurance Patrol: Gone But Not Forgotten Author: John S. Sonnen The Fire Insurance Patrol, a private organization incorporated in 1895, was financed by small assessments on fire insurance policies. When a fire broke out, the patrol rushed to the conflagration, usually getting there before the fire department…

Ramsey County History – Fall 1988: “The Fire and Marine: Facts, Fancies, Legends—The First 100 Years of Minnesota’s Oldest Business Corporation”

Ronald M. Hubbs

The Fire and Marine: Facts, Fancies, Legends—The First 100 Years of Minnesota’s Oldest Business Corporation Author: Ronald M. Hubbs Businessmen generally prefer stability, but frontier towns are often shaky. The St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company, born in 1853, helped create local stability. Its organizers were some of…

Ramsey County History – Spring 1986: “The Mississippi and St. Paul—Change Is Constant for the River and the City That Shaped It”

Paul Donald Hesterman

The Mississippi and St. Paul—Change Is Constant for the River and the City That Shaped It Author: Paul Donald Hesterman The article’s theme is how today’s Mississippi River is different from the mid-nineteenth century river “in virtually every way, from the contours of its banks to the chemical composition…