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Ramsey County History Winter 2023: Arrival of the Birds

Dave Riehle

Volume 57, Number 4: Winter 2023 Arrival of the Birds: The (Almost) Incredible 1897 Central High School Bird Observation Author: Dave Riehle In the late nineteenth century, it wasn’t uncommon for boys (or amateur ornithology enthusiasts) to take down birds with slingshots or help themselves to unhatched eggs—many…

Ramsey County History – Winter 2009: “Stanford Newel, Proposal Rock, and Newell Park Widows: Newell Park Celebrates Its Centennial”

Krista Finstad Hanson

Stanford Newel, Proposal Rock, and Newell Park Widows: Newell Park Celebrates Its Centennial Author: Krista Finstad Hanson This article was timed to help Newell Park celebrate its hundredth anniversary in 2008. It starts with the early history of the land, which had been bought and sold often in the…

Ramsey County History – Winter 2005: “Union Park in the 1880s—Band Concerts, Balloon Ascensions Once Lured 10,000 People in a Single Day”

Minnesota Junior Pioneers

Union Park in the 1880s—Band Concerts, Balloon Ascensions Once Lured 10,000 People in a Single Day Author: Minnesota Junior Pioneers In 1880, the Milwaukee Short Line Railroad opened up development in today’s Macalester, Groveland, and Merriam Park neighborhoods, then on the outskirts of St. Paul. Union Park, as it…

Ramsey County History – Fall 2004: “The Life and Death of Central Park—A Small Part of the Past Illuminated”

Paul D. Nelson

The Life and Death of Central Park—A Small Part of the Past Illuminated Author: Paul D. Nelson The Central Park story begins in 1884. It was a time of city expansion, and the affluent and powerful residents in an area near today’s State Capitol wanted a park to buffer…

Ramsey County History – Summer 2004: “The Rondo Oral History Project Beulah Mae Baines Swan Remembers Piano Lessons and a ‘Nice Vegetable Garden’ Out Back”

Kate Cavett

The Rondo Oral History Project Beulah Mae Baines Swan Remembers Piano Lessons and a ‘Nice Vegetable Garden’ Out Back An Interview by Kate Cavett This article is from an oral history interview with Beulah Mae Baines Swan, who was raised near Como and Dale in a very small…

Ramsey County History – Spring 2004: “Irvine Park in 1854: Its Homes and the People Who Lived There 150 Years Ago”

Robert J. Stumm

Irvine Park in 1854: Its Homes and the People Who Lived There 150 Years Ago Author: Robert J. Stumm There are an impressive number of homes in Irvine Park today that were already there in 1854. The neighborhood dates from 1849 when the land for a park was donated.

Ramsey County History – Spring 2003: “Sitting Bull and His 1884 Visit to St. Paul: ‘A Shady Pair’ and an ‘Attempt on His Life’”

Mark Diedrich, adapted by Paul D. Nelson

Sitting Bull and His 1884 Visit to St. Paul: ‘A Shady Pair’ and an ‘Attempt on His Life’ Authors: Mark Diedrich, adapted by Paul D. Nelson Sitting Bull, a symbol of Native American resistance, once came to St. Paul, an event not well covered in local newspapers. The Lakota…

Ramsey County History – Fall 2002: “St. Gaudens’ New York Eagle: Rescue and Restoration of St. Paul’s First Outdoor Sculpture, Icon of Its Past”

Christine Podas-Larson

St. Gaudens’ New York Eagle: Rescue and Restoration of St. Paul’s First Outdoor Sculpture, Icon of Its Past Author: Christine Podas-Larson The New York Eagle is one of St. Paul’s most famed outdoor sculptures. It became a fixture in downtown in 1887 when the New York Life Insurance Company…

Ramsey County History – Fall 2002: “Summit Overlook Park: Once Upon a Time: Carpenter Park and Its Five-Story Hotel”

Thomas Zahn

Summit Overlook Park: Once Upon a Time: Carpenter Park and Its Five-Story Hotel Author: Thomas Zahn A short history of Summit Overlook Park, which once held the Carpenter Hotel. It was acquired by the Saint Paul Parks Department in 1900 and was the spot chosen for the New York…