Catalog
Ramsey County History – Spring 1997: “The View from the 17th Floor: Oppenheimer Wolff & Donnelly And Its 111-Year History”
Virginia L. MartinThe 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…
Ramsey County History – Winter 1997: “Rats, Politicians, Librarians: The Untold Stories of the Old St. Francis Hotel and the Rich Historical Legacy of Seventh Place”
Paul R. GoldRats, Politicians, Librarians: The Untold Stories of the Old St. Francis Hotel and the Rich Historical Legacy of Seventh Place Author: Paul R. Gold Seventh Place—old West Seventh Street between Wabasha and St. Peter—has been many things over the years. It was Vetal Guerin’s farmland, the site of the first…
Ramsey County History – Winter 1997: “What’s Historic About This Site? The Saint Paul Building and Its 108-Year History”
Deanne Zibell WeberWhat’s Historic About This Site? The Saint Paul Building and Its 108-Year History Author: Deanne Zibell Weber Built in 1889 as the Germania Bank Buidling, the red sandstone structure at Fourth and Wabasha remains one of downtown’s finest buildings. This article traces its creation and subsequent uses. PDF…
Ramsey County History – Fall 1996: “Fires, Hurricanes, Diamonds, Elephants: The Colorful History of St. Paul Companies—Minnesota’s Oldest Business Corporation
Virginia Brainard KunzFires, Hurricanes, Diamonds, Elephants: The Colorful History of St. Paul Companies—Minnesota’s Oldest Business Corporation Author: Virginia Brainard Kunz The St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company was incorporated in 1853, five years before Minnesota became a state. As a steamboat, then rail transportation center, St. Paul needed this institution and…
Ramsey County History – Fall 1995: “After 108 Years, a Transformation: Norwest Bank St. Paul and Its Heritage of More Than a Century”
James B. BellAfter 108 Years, a Transformation: Norwest Bank St. Paul and Its Heritage of More Than a Century Author: James B. Bell The Scandinavian-American Bank was chartered in June 1887. It eventually became Norwest Bank, one of the state’s biggest. The author, skilled at institutional history, untangles the changing…
Ramsey County History – Fall 1995: “Banking on Minnesota’s Unfettered Frontier—When Barter was the Name of the Only Game in Town”
James B. BellBanking on Minnesota’s Unfettered Frontier—When Barter was the Name of the Only Game in Town Author: James B. Bell The early years of trade in St. Paul were marked by shortage of cash, phony bank notes, bank failures, nonexistent regulation, and frequent confusion. This article tells the story of the…
Ramsey County History – Spring 1995: “The Great Railway Excursion of 1854—‘The Most Notable Event of the Year'”
Virginia Brainard KunzThe Great Railway Excursion of 1854—‘The Most Notable Event of the Year Author: Virginia Brainard Kunz The completion, in 1854, of the first railroad line to the Mississippi to Rock Island, Ill., provoked an excursion of more than 1,200 people upriver to the head of navigation, St. Paul. It was…
Ramsey County History – Fall 1993: “The Newly Restored, Newly Renovated City Hall-County Courthouse”
Thomas J. KelleyThe Newly Restored, Newly Renovated City Hall-County Courthouse Author: Thomas J. Kelley On the occasion of the completion of its renovation, the story of the financing, building, and decoration of Ramsey County’s art deco marvel (1929–32), and then its renewal sixty years later. PDF of Kelley – Courthouse…
Ramsey County History – Fall 1993: “A Short and Happy History of Ramsey County and Its Two Earlier Courthouses”
Dane SmithA Short and Happy History of Ramsey County and Its Two Earlier Courthouses Author: Dane Smith The courthouse elsewhere celebrated in this issue was Ramsey County’s third. This article tells the story of the first (1850–1889), a very simple structure; and the second (1889–1932), Edward Bassford’s handsome but quickly obsolete…