Catalog
Ramsey County History – Spring 2013: “Aviation Pioneer: Phoebe Fairgrave Omlie:
Roger BergersonAviation Pioneer: Phoebe Fairgrave Omlie Author: Roger Bergerson Phoebe Fairgrave Omlie (1902–1975) was the first woman to do a lot of things in American aviation: hold a federal pilot’s license; fly over the Rocky Mountains in a light plane; and serve as a top government aeronautics official. Fairgrave first…
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 – Winter 2013: “Helping the Sun Shine Brighter for Farmers: Robert Freeman on Mount Ramsey”
Harlan StoehrHelping the Sun Shine Brighter for Farmers: Robert Freeman on Mount Ramsey Author: Harlan Stoehr The year 2013 marks the centennial of extension work in Ramsey County, beginning with Harry G. Krum’s appointment as county agricultural agent. At the time of Krum’s hiring, Ramsey County was home to over…
Ramsey County History – Winter 2013: “‘Cold Blooded Fraud:’ The White Bear Lake Sewer Project of 1926–1935”
James Lindner“Cold Blooded Fraud:” The White Bear Lake Sewer Project of 1926–1935 Author: James Lindner In the mid-1920s, the City of White Bear Lake occupied a relatively remote portion of Ramsey and Washington counties in Minnesota, but its population was growing and city leaders decided that they needed to replace…
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 – Fall 2012: “The Center of the Universe for Car Buyers: University Avenue Dominated the Local Automotive Scene for Fifty Years”
Peter B. MeyersThe Center of the Universe for Car Buyers: University Avenue Dominated the Local Automotive Scene for Fifty Years Author: Peter B. Meyers This article provides a fascinating photo essay on the role that St. Paul’s University Avenue once played in the retail auto industry, especially between 1915 and…
Ramsey County History – Fall 2012: “Growing Up in St. Paul: University Avenue: Then and Now”
Joanne A. EnglundGrowing Up in St. Paul: University Avenue: Then and Now Author: Joanne A. Englund Looking back on memories of University Avenue mixed with current observations: traffic accidents; the beat of the author’s father, a St. Paul police officer; patronizing local movie theaters, drugstores, and ice cream shops; passing by…
Ramsey County History – Fall 2012: “St. Joseph’s Academy: The Legacy Lives On”
Mary Jo RichardsonSt. Joseph’s Academy: The Legacy Lives On Author: Mary Jo Richardson From its founding in a log cabin on the Mississippi in 1851 to its eventual closing in 1971, St. Joseph’s Academy (SJA) was a legendary educational institution situated on a grand estate in the heart of St. Paul.
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…