Sun, 5 October 2014
What can an anti-Nazi writer and intellectual, exiled in the United States, do for his beloved Germany? Over 70 years ago Prince Hubertus zu Lowenstein visited St. Paul and met Hamline University student John Larson. A lifelong friendship and flood of letters ensued. John Larson has now assembled some of these letters, from World War II and after, into a book entitled The German Friend. We interviewed Mr. Larson at his home on Taylors Falls. The Minnesota Historical Society has created a new venture called MNopedia: short-form articles of state history -- including several Ramsey County stories -- in an on-line encyclopedia. We interviewed MNopedia's then-editor, Molly Huber. |
Wed, 23 July 2014
Edward Phelan was one of St. Paul's very first settlers. Was he also a murderer? In September 1839 the body of Phelan's cabin-mate, John Hays, was found floating in the Mississippi River. He had been beaten to death. Phelan was charged with the crime, but not convicted. Now, 170 years later, St. Paul author Gary Brueggemann believes he has solved the case. He tells the tale in his new book, Minnesota's Oldest Murder Mystery. We met with Gary Brueggemann at Landmark Center in downtown St. Paul.
Swede Hollow is a ravine on St. Paul's east side, and for a hundred years -- 1850s to 1950s -- a receptor neighborhood for recent immigrants. Swedes first, then Italians, then Mexican-Americans. St. Paul historian Steve Trimble edited the Swede Hollow memoirs of Michael Sanchelli for the Spring 2014 issue of Ramsey County History magazine. Steve Trimble joined us to talk about life in old Swede Hollow. |
Thu, 22 May 2014
John Milton tells the story of how citizen opposition delayed for many years to completion of Interstate Highway 35 through St. Paul. Labor historian Peter Rachleff describes how he and his partner Beth Cleary plan to convert the closed Arlington Hills public library into the East Side Freedom Library in St. Paul. |