Catalog
Ramsey County History – Spring 2014: “The Birth of the Ramsey County Fair”
James LindnerThe Birth of the Ramsey County Fair Author: James Lindner The person credited with the concept of the original county fair is Elkanah Watson, of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, who, in 1810, started the Berkshire County Fair. Watson wanted to promote ways to improve farm productivity through education, “personal ambition,” and…
Ramsey County History – Winter 2014: “Fighting to Keep Seeger Running: Ralph M. Scalze and His Leadership of Local No. 20459, AFL-CIO, 1949–1955”
Gerald E. ScalzeFighting to Keep Seeger Running: Ralph M. Scalze and His Leadership of Local No. 20459, AFL-CIO, 1949–1955 Author: Gerald E. Scalze A World War II veteran, Ralph Scalze was the leader of Local No. 20459 of the Refrigerator Workers’ Union of the AFL-CIO from 1949 to 1955, the largest…
Ramsey County History – Spring 2013: “One History of Service: The Guild of Catholic Women and Guild Incorporated”
Hayla DrakeOne History of Service: The Guild of Catholic Women and Guild Incorporated Author: Hayla Drake In 1906, out of concern for the welfare of new immigrants in their community, a group of thirty women from St. Luke’s Catholic Church began the Guild of Catholic Women (GCW), which helped meet…
Ramsey County History – Winter 2013: “Preserving a ‘Fine Residential District:’ The Merriam Park Freeway Fight”
Tom O’Connell and Tom BeerPreserving a “Fine Residential District:” The Merriam Park Freeway Fight Authors: Tom O’Connell and Tom Beer In the late 1950s and early 1960s, planning for the construction of the vast interstate highway system across the United States included an exit from Interstate 94 at Prior Avenue in St. Paul…
Ramsey County History – Fall 2012: “Hands-On Historian: Ethel Hall Stewart and Preserving the Gibbs Farm”
Steven C. TrimbleHands-On Historian: Ethel Hall Stewart and Preserving the Gibbs Farm Author: Steven C. Trimble On an October day in 1954, the Gibbs Farm Museum opened to the public, thanks to the efforts of Ethel Hall Stewart. Stewart’s love of history and belief in hands-on education was the impetus for…
Ramsey County History – Summer 2012: “From Cigars for Founders to a Festive 2012 Centennial: The (Men’s) Garden Club of Ramsey County at 100”
Barbara ParisienFrom Cigars for Founders to a Festive 2012 Centennial: The (Men’s) Garden Club of Ramsey County at 100 Author: Barbara Parisien Two men, Zenas Thomas and Judge Grier M. Orr, are credited with the founding of the Men’s Garden Club of Ramsey County (GCRC) in 1912. Initially, only men…
Ramsey County History – Winter 2010: “‘Part and Parcel of a Great Cause:’ The St. Paul Society for the Hard of Hearing”
Kristen Mapel Bloomberg and Leah S. McLaughlin“Part and Parcel of a Great Cause:” The St. Paul Society for the Hard of Hearing Authors: Kristen Mapel Bloomberg and Leah S. McLaughlin After providing general information on social clubs and organizations in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, this article focuses on the group that worked…
Ramsey County History – Fall 2009: “St. Paul’s Biggest Party: The Grand Army of the Republic’s 1896 National Encampment”
Moira F. Harris and Leo J. HarrisSt. Paul’s Biggest Party: The Grand Army of the Republic’s 1896 National Encampment Authors: Moira F. Harris and Leo J. Harris After the Civil War there had been annual Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) national conventions or “encampments” in many different cities. Between August 3 and September 4,…
Ramsey County History – Summer 2009: “Pith, Heart, and Nerve, Truman M. Smith: Horticulture as the Way Back”
Barry L. & Joan Miller CotterPith, Heart, and Nerve, Truman M. Smith: Horticulture as the Way Back Authors: Barry L. & Joan Miller Cotter This is the second article on Truman Smith—the first was in the Fall 2008 issue. This article reports how, after financial difficulties and the economic crash of the 1850s, Smith…