• Clear Filters

Ramsey County History Summer 2023 – Tribute to John Milton

John Lindley

Volume 58, Number 2: Summer 2023 A Tribute to John Watson Milton Author: John Lindley John Watson Milton, a longtime member of the Ramsey County Historical Society Editorial Board, passed away July 3, 2023, following a long illness. RCHS Editor Emeritus John Lindley spent time reflecting on our esteemed…

Ramsey County History – Fall 2020: “Interminable Township Turmoil: White Bear Township and the Power of the Vote”

Sara Markoe Hanson

Interminable Township Turmoil: White Bear Township and the Power of the Vote Author: Sara Markoe Hanson Why is White Bear Township shaped that way? If you’ve ever wondered about the answer to that question, Sara Markoe Hanson, executive director of the White Bear Lake Area Historical Society, carefully…

Ramsey County History – Summer 2020: “The View from Summit Avenue: Inspiration Point for Sinclair Lewis’s Main Street”

Ralph L. Goldstein

The View from Summit Avenue: Inspiration Point for Sinclair Lewis’s Main Street Author: Ralph L. Goldstein When a young Sinclair Lewis traveled to Saint Paul at the turn of the twentieth century to take his Yale University entrance exams, he found time to explore the city, marveling at…

Ramsey County History – Spring 2017: “Honoring F. Scott in St. Paul: 35 Years of Fitz and Starts”

David Page and Lisa Heinrich

Honoring F. Scott in St. Paul: 35 Years of Fitz and Starts Authors: David Page and Lisa Heinrich In 1982, the University of Minnesota’s Office of Continuing Education organized a conference in St. Paul that focused on the career and accomplishments of literary icon F. Scott Fitzgerald. Since then,…

Ramsey County History – Spring 2017: “Two Graves in White Bear Lake: The Story of Claude and Daisy White”

James Lindner

Two Graves in White Bear Lake: The Story of Claude and Daisy White Author: James Lindner Claude and Daisy White died within two days of each other in November 1918 and are buried in a single grave in White Bear Lake. This circumstance inspired the author to wonder who…

Ramsey County History – Spring 2014: “The Birth of the Ramsey County Fair”

James Lindner

The Birth of the Ramsey County Fair Author: James Lindner The person credited with the concept of the original county fair is Elkanah Watson, of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, who, in 1810, started the Berkshire County Fair. Watson wanted to promote ways to improve farm productivity through education, “personal ambition,” and…

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 – Summer 2008: “Growing Up In Saint Paul: Love in Bloom”

John L. Relf

Growing Up In Saint Paul: Love in Bloom Author: John L. Relf This is an excerpt from the author’s book My Story,  published in 2007. John Relf was born in 1927 and first lived on Portland Avenue near Fairview. He graduated from Central High School, entered the army and later…

Ramsey County History – Spring 2005: “A Novel Look at History”

Steve Trimble

A Novel Look at History  Author: Steve Trimble There are some historians who believe that in many cases novels can give readers the real feel of a city—its smells, sounds, and landscape. This article looks at four novels set in St. Paul. Mr. White’s Confession by Robert Clark is set in…