Ramsey County History 2026 Issue 3

Volume 61, No. 3

Jennings Mergenthal, Lisa Heinrich, and Kylie Linh Hoang

PDF of full issue: Ramsey County History 2026 #3

 

Articles in this issue:

“An Insatiable Colonial Appetite: The Rise and Fall of the Passenger Pigeon in Ramsey County and Environs”

Author: Jennings Mergenthal

Flocks of passenger pigeons were once abundant in North America, with a range that included Ramsey County, before they famously became extinct. In this article, Jennings Mergenthal inventories all appearances of passenger pigeons in early Minnesota newspapers (including an interactive map) to show how the hunting behaviors of early settlers and the environmental destruction of colonialism caused this species to die out entirely.

 

“Before Her Ascent to Fame: Amelia Earhart’s Sojourn in St. Paul”

Author: Lisa Heinrich

In fall 2026, an expedition hopes to finally locate Amelia Earhart’s plane that crashed in 1937 in the South Pacific. Here, Lisa Heinrich recounts the brief and challenging period of Earhart’s life when she was a resident of Ramsey County and a student at St. Paul Central High School, before she became a world-renowned aviator and cultural icon.

 

“We Should All Be Public Historians”

Author: Kylie Linh Hoang

While most articles published in this magazine showcase the culmination and findings of historical research, this piece by Kylie Linh Hoang instead works to demystify the work of the historian by inviting the reader into the process. Thinking with the methods of public and applied history, community archives, and knowledge production outside the academy, this writing calls attention to the many hands that shape historical narratives and invites the reader into the work of history-making.

 

In Our Collection: Northwestern Aeronautical Corporation Employee ID Badge

Author: Youa Vang

 

Viewfinder: Joseph Burger

Author: James D. Fleming