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Ramsey County History – Summer 2001: “St. Paul’s Stately Old Buildings—Going, Going, Almost Gone”

Georgia Ray Decoster

St. Paul’s Stately Old Buildings—Going, Going, Almost Gone Author: Georgia Ray Decoster A similar case for preservation in St. Paul is made by George Ray DeCoster, widely celebrated for her ceaseless work in saving the Old Federal Courts Building in the heart of downtown St. Paul. PDF of…

Ramsey County History – Summer 2001: “Old Federal Courts Building—Beautiful, Unique—Its Style of Architecture Facing Extinction”

Eileen Michels

Old Federal Courts Building—Beautiful, Unique—Its Style of Architecture Facing Extinction Author: Eileen Michels From the perspective of the architectural historian, Eileen Michels takes the reader inside this notable St. Paul landmark, in the Richardsonian Romanesque style that was not widely employed with nineteenth century buildings nor widely celebrated. Its resemblance…

Ramsey County History – Winter 1999: “Timber, Steel, Law, and Politics: St. Paul’s Pioneering Attorneys and Their More Interesting Cases”

Samuel H. Morgan

Timber, Steel, Law, and Politics: St. Paul’s Pioneering Attorneys and Their More Interesting Cases Author: Samuel H. Morgan This is the story of the Briggs & Morgan law firm, one of St. Paul’s oldest and biggest, inextricably tied up with the growth of the city and its major business enterprises.

Ramsey County History – Spring 1998: “Upper Levee: Memories of Its People and Its Place in St. Paul History”

Joe Lepsche

Upper Levee: Memories of Its People and Its Place in St. Paul History Author: Joe Lepsche This is a very useful survey of human activity at St. Paul’s lesser-known river levee. We get Hays/Phelan, the First Minnesota, Anthony Yoerg, Nina Clifford, The Bucket of Blood, the…

Ramsey County History – Winter 1998: “A ‘Launching Upon Journalistic Seas:’ A Chronicle of The St. Paul Daily News—1900–1933”

James B. Bell

A ‘Launching Upon Journalistic Seas:’ A Chronicle of The St. Paul Daily News—1900–1933 Author: James B. Bell The St. Paul Daily News, an afternoon newspaper, appeared in 1900 to challenge the Pioneer Press-Dispatch monopoly. It thrived for over thirty years until killed off by the Great Depression. This article tells…

Rasmey County History – Fall 1997: “Speakers, Style Shows, and 12,000 Shoppers: The Women’s Institute and How It Revived Downtown St. Paul”

Kathleen C. Ridder

Speakers, Style Shows, and 12,000 Shoppers: The Women’s Institute and How It Revived Downtown St. Paul Author: Kathleen C. Ridder “The mission of the Women’s Institute, created in 1939 . . . was to generate retail business in St. Paul by actively encouraging women to shop in the city.” And…

Ramsey County History – Summer 1997: “

Demian J. Hess

The Last of its Kind in Minnesota: The Old Wabasha Bridge and How it Linked East to West Author: Demian J. Hess The current Wabasha Street Bridge is the third at that location. This article tells the story of the first two bridges (built in 1859 and 1888–89, respectively), their…

Ramsey County History – Summer 1997: “Millions of Years in the Making: The Geological Forces that Shaped St. Paul”

Edmund C. Bray

Millions of Years in the Making: The Geological Forces that Shaped St. Paul Author: Edmund C. Bray The geological history of what became St. Paul, starting with an epicontinental sea 455 million years ago, through the glacial era and Glacial Lake Agassiz, the Glacial River Warren, and the spectacular waterfall…

Ramsey County History – Spring 1997: “The View from the 17th Floor: Oppenheimer Wolff & Donnelly And Its 111-Year History”

Virginia L. Martin

The View from the 17th Floor: Oppenheimer Wolff & Donnelly And Its 111-Year History Author: Virginia L. Martin The Oppenheimer law firm, now headquartered in Minneapolis, began in St. Paul in 1886 as the partnership Lawler & Durment. William Oppenheimer joined in 1914 and eventually led the firm’s transformation into…