Ramsey County History Summer 2024

Volume 59, Number 3: Summer 2024

Link to download PDF of full Ramsey County History Summer 2024

Articles in this issue:

Rondo Recreation in the St. Croix River Valley, 1909-1977

Author: Haley Prochnow

For some Minnesotans with a little extra disposable income, “summertime” can translate to “cabin time.” What a joy to escape the busy-ness of the Twin Cities to find one’s quiet place. Author Haley Prochnow highlights residents from St. Paul’s Rondo community who did just that between 1909 and 1977. Trial lawyer Fredrick McGhee and his wife, Mattie, bought land on the Apple River—perfect for farming and fishing. James and Anna Belle Rideaux transformed an old mansion into the St. Croix Valley Country Club, where guests gathered for meetings, sleepovers, and games of pinochle on the porch. Maceo Finney and Emmett Searles invested in land along Big Round Lake, opening the property to others. Time spent in the woods of Wisconsin proved mostly idyllic, but, even in the middle of nowhere, racism sometimes made an appearance.

A Family Reclaims Its Heritage
Growing Up with Anna Belle Rideaux

Author: Cherrelle Swain

We’ve been told, “talk to your elders; record their memories; learn what it was like living long ago.” But how many of us stop to do this—before time runs out? Filmmaker Cherrelle Swain never knew her great-grandmother, Anna Belle Rideaux, but she’d heard a few anecdotes and grew curious. Who was this creative, powerful, determined woman? What was life like raising children and grandchildren in St. Paul’s Rondo community in the mid-twentieth century? Determined to learn more, Swain gathered family members—Rideaux’s four grandchildren—who poured over documents, photos, and other items over a long, fall afternoon. The exercise opened a treasure trove of memories, healing conversations, and feelings of hope for the future.

Violet Gould’s Operetta School

Author: Christine Podas-Larson

“. . . of all the arts I think Music has the most mighty, universal, and immediate effect.”

Violet Gould of St. Paul would likely have agreed with that 1891 quote from composer Sir Arthur Sullivan who partnered with W. S. Gilbert to create many light and humorous operettas in the late-nineteenth century. Gould, a renowned professional vocalist, dreamt of sharing the world of singing and acting with young people, and so, in 1952, she established Violet Gould’s Operetta School. Children from around the Twin Cities learned proper singing techniques, stage direction, cooperation, teamwork, and the biggest lesson—“Singing is fun!” Gould’s dream touched the lives of nearly 1,000 youngsters—some of whom used the skills they acquired to become professional vocalists, actors, directors, and community leaders. The music Gould shared with young people most certainly had a “. . .mighty, universal, and immediate effect.”