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ASK the HISTORIAN
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Have a question about Ramsey County or Saint Paul History and you can't find the answer .........Why not ask the Historian!

RCHS offers the first 15 minutes of staff research free, this gives you the perfect opportunity to have some of your questions about Ramsey County or St. Paul history answered.

Due to the volume of  requests, we cannot guarantee that all will be answered.   Understand that your request may be included in the RCHS website .
If you do not want to be included in any RCHS publications please make a note  in your request.
When emailing a request please include your name and city: Jane Doe, St. Paul 

To submit a question, email us at Research@rchs.com
The fire station at  681 University Avenue in 1949.


Fees for research by RCHS staff
First 15 minutes                                                FREE
Each additional half hour (non-member)            $11.00
Each additional half hour (RCHS member)        $  9.50 

A minimum of ½ hour is charged. Please indicate the maximum amount of time we should spend on your research request. By placing this order, you authorize us to increase your order total for the amount of time we spend, up to the maximum amount you authorized.  

We  do not specialize in genealogy. We have  few resources that would be of any help in genealogical research. If you have a genealogy question please  refer to the following information.

RCHS does not hold any Birth, Death or Marriage records. They are held within the St. Paul & Ramsey County Department of Public Health. The Birth, Death or Marriage records are from 1870 to present (approx.) There is a cost involved in retrieving these records. For more information on the County's Birth & Death records visit this website or call 651-266-1333.

Also check the Minnesota Historical Society's online Death Certificate index  

RCHS’s collection does not contain census records or  naturalization records. These items can be found at the Minnesota Historical Society’s Library at 345 Kellogg Blvd. West in St. Paul. For more information visit the  Minnesota Historical Society’s Library website  or call 651-296-2143.

 
QUESTION

Greetings,

 I am trying to find out when the St. Paul Fire Station #18, located on the corner of University Avenue and St. Albans, was first opened.  The closest I can come is - December 1908 - and I was wondering if you had any information as to the date it was opened.

 Thank you, Ron Pearson 

ANSWER 

Well the closest we have to an answer comes from the book "St. Paul Fire a History" by Richard L. Heath 

It list the following information for Engine #18 which was housed at 681 University.
Engine 18- In service December 15,1908. Motorized in 1913. Location 1908- University and St. Albans. 

Ladder #9 which was also housed at 681 University also list an in service date of December 15,1908, It was motorized in 1916. 

So I would say December 15,1908 is your day.  

A building permit was issued May 6, 1908 for the Engine House  #18 and Hook & Ladder Company #9 at  681 University Avenue.
The estimated cost was $25,000. The architect listed are Buechner & Orth.


 
QUESTION


Can you tell me about the theater that was located on the corner of University Avenue and Lexington Avenue.
My mother worked there.

Bob Wagner

  

ANSWER 

 The Centre Theater was located at 1078 (1080) University Avenue.
It was built in 1940 and operated as a theater until 1965.
In 1966 it was converted into the St. Paul Public Library’s  Lexington branch. The building now houses the Central Corridor Resource Center.

The photo at right shows the grand opening on the theater. The movie being shown is Bing Crosby's "If I had My Way".

Also shown in the photo: Lexington Groceteria, Woolworths and in the background a  bleachers and  lights from the  Lexington Ballpark.    


 

 

Share Your Memories of the University Avenue
The Ramsey County Historical Society and the University Avenue History group, a program of University UNITED, seek personal memories, stories and photos from people concerning University Avenue. The Society has hopes of publishing a book on the history of the University Avenue, and wants to include the personal stories of people who worked, played and traveled on University Avenue, or were in some way affected by it. The stories may or may not be included in the publication, however, copies of them will remain in Ramsey County Historical Society's archives.

If you have a story or a memory to share, please use the University Avenue Memory Form
For more information or for a form email Brian McMahon at bmcmahon@universityunited.com or calling 651-647-6711.

 

Read and write about the spaces and places in Ramsey County. Share your story of Ramsey County history.

To see past questions visit the Ask a Historian Archive page. 
 
Support the "Ask a Historian" Project and others like it 
by joining the Ramsey County Historical Society!  
JOIN NOW!

To submit a question, email us at Research@rchs.com

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RCHS arthead
323 Landmark Center, 75 West Fifth Street, Saint Paul, Minnesota 55102     Phone: (651) 222-0701, Fax: (651) 223-8539
info@rchs.com
Copyright 2005.