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Ramsey County History – Fall 1989: “Boom, Boom, Bust! The ’29 Crash”

Woodrow Keljik

Boom, Boom, Bust! The ’29 Crash Author: Woodrow Keljik “Were the 1920s really prosperous?” Woodrow Keljik asks. In retrospect, signs of problems abounded, such as trouble on the farm, the situation in Europe, and reckless speculation. Words of caution were ignored. Another Republican victory in the 1928 elections encouraged…

Ramsey County History – Fall 1989: “Cold Weather, Warm Hearts”

Ramsey County Historical Society

Cold Weather, Warm Hearts Short article quoting newspapers on St. Paul’s winter entertainment circa 1850. PDF of Weather photo essay…

Ramsey County History – Spring 1989: “Minnesota’ First Art School: St. Agatha’s Conservatory and the Pursuit of Excellence”

Sister Ann Thomasine Sampson

Minnesota’ First Art School: St. Agatha’s Conservatory and the Pursuit of Excellence Author: Sister Ann Thomasine Sampson Five pieces by the same author tell the story of St. Agatha’s Conservatory. Cousins Mother Seraphine and Mother Celestine of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet were major figures. St. Agatha…

Ramsey County History – Spring 1989: “Boats, Boaters and Boat Clubs—Slips Cost 10 Cents a Foot”

Thomas J. Kelley

Boats, Boaters and Boat Clubs—Slips Cost 10 Cents a Foot Author: Thomas J. Kelley Two short pieces in one, this article centers around Navy Island, the history of the Minnesota Yacht Club, and memories of the Minnesota Boat Club. The Yacht Club began in 1912 as the St. Paul…

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 – Fall 1988: “A Record Setting Winter—And the Ice Harvest on Lake Owasso”

Neill J. O’Neill

A Record Setting Winter—And the Ice Harvest on Lake Owasso Author: Neill J. O’Neill As a lad in the mid-1930s, the author worked three seasons harvesting ice on Lake Owasso in suburban Ramsey County. He recalls in detail how the ice harvest worked—the equipment, the procedures, the job hierarchy,…

Ramsey County History – Fall 1988: “Love and Marriage on the Old Frontier”

Edward Duffield Neill

Love and Marriage on the Old Frontier Author: Edward Duffield Neill This article consists of extracts from an address made by Edward Duffield Neill at Fort Snelling in 1889. Neill tells about romances born at the fort in olden days. Characters include Zachary Taylor, Seth Eastman, Joseph Plympton, and…

Ramsey County History – Spring 1988: “The American National Bank and the Bremer Brothers”

Thomas J. Kelley

The American National Bank and the Bremer Brothers Author: Thomas J. Kelley Many entered the field of banking in the 1880s, but due to the Depression of 1893, many of these institutions folded. The American National Bank was opened in 1903 by local businessmen led by Otto Bremer, owner…

Ramsey County History – Spring 1988: “The Guild of Catholic Women and Their ‘Constant Efforts To Brighten Lives’”

Virginia Brainard Kunz

The Guild of Catholic Women and Their ‘Constant Efforts To Brighten Lives’ Author: Virginia Brainard Kunz “The 20th century’s great social movements—suffrage, social service, prohibition and temperance—were reflected in the work of St. Paul’s women,” according to the author. One of the institutions formed in this period of social…