Ramsey County History – Summer 2019: “‘I’m as Restless as a Lion:’ The Aspirations of St. Paulite Ruth Cutler”

“I’m as Restless as a Lion:” The Aspirations of St. Paulite Ruth Cutler
Author: Johannes Allert

A young, affluent St. Paulite, Ruth Cutler searched for a purposeful life. A college-educated progressive, Ruth watched the world around her react to war, poverty, the suffrage movement, illness, and loss and responded with her own thoughts and desires to make a difference. Struggling with self-doubt and frustration, Ruth remained hopeful for a better future. How do we know this? Fortuitously, the Cutler family descendants preserved Ruth’s ideas and experiences in beautifully written diaries, journals, and correspondence. More than a century after her death overseas, local author and historian Johannes Allert, spent countless hours researching this remarkable young woman, bringing her story to light. Despite her untimely death, we discover that her circuitous journey was the destination.

PDF of J. Allert article