General

1945-06-16

April 9, 2018 By

On this date in 1945, the Navy ship USS Wacissa (AOG-59) is launched into the Mississippi River at the Savage Shipyards. The Wacissa was a Patapsco-class gasoline tanker built for the U.S. Navy for the task of transporting gasoline to warships in the fleet, and to remote Navy stations during World War II. The Wacissa […]

1905-06-12

April 4, 2018 By

On this date in 1905, William J. Colvill Jr. dies in his sleep at the Old Soldiers’ Home in Minneapolis. Colvill was in town for the dedication of the new State Capitol building. He was to carry the battle flag of the First Minnesota Volunteer regiment during the dedication ceremony. Colvill had led the First […]

1859-06-10

April 4, 2018 By

On this date in 1859, the Nobles expedition to Canada gets under way from St. Paul. Stimulated by the discovery of gold on the Frazier River in British Columbia, an expedition, headed by Colonel William H. Nobles and sponsored by the St. Paul City Council, set out to explore the feasibility of an overland route […]

1956-06-09

April 4, 2018 By

On this date in 1956, a U.S. Navy F9F Panther jet fighter plane crashed into a house and set fire to five others at the north end of Wold-Chamberlain Field in Minneapolis (now Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport) killing six people and injuring nine others. Just before the crash occurred, three Navy planes had been flying […]

1854-06-08

April 3, 2018 By

On this date in 1854, former president Millard Fillmore visits St. Paul as part of a Grand Excursion celebrating the completion of the Rock Island Railroad from Chicago to Rock Island, Illinois. The group had journeyed up the Mississippi River by steamboat. Although not a Minnesota railroad, the rail connection between the river and Chicago […]

On this date in 1890, the Bijou Opera House in Minneapolis is totally destroyed by fire. Opened on October 31, 1887 at the "People's Theatre", it was located at 20 Washington Avenue North. The theater was owned by Lambert Hayes and its first manager was W. E. Sterling of Buffalo, New York. On February 1, 1889, Kohl and Middleton leased the theater, and in July, 1889, it was taken over by Jacob Lit, who renamed it the "Bijou Opera House." A gas jet behind the scenes was responsible for the fire. A second Bijou Opera House was built on the same site the following year.

Second Bijou Opera House in Minneapolis circa 1907 (MHS)

Armour Gates

December 12, 2019 By htc

On an empty, overgrown lot located at the corner of Armour and Hardman Avenues in South St. Paul sits the only remaining vestige of what was once the largest livestock operation in the world. Developed on 260 acres along the Mississippi River, five miles south of downtown St. Paul, the stockyards employed over 6,000 people […]

Highland Park Water Tower

April 3, 2019 By htc

Sitting in the shadows of two modern, sky-blue water towers in St. Paul’s Highland Park neighborhood is the most visible symbol of the city’s water utility. The Highland Park Water Tower has been a fixture in the neighborhood since 1928 when the city constructed the 134-foot structure to supply water to nearby residents. [Go to […]

Soldiers and Sailors Memorial

January 28, 2019 By htc

Shortly after news of Fort Sumter’s fall reached Washington D.C. on April 14, 1861, Minnesota Governor Alexander Ramsey, who had been visiting the nation’s capitol to address conflicts within the Minnesota Republican party, immediately offered 1000 men to the Secretary of War on behalf of the State of Minnesota. With this commitment, Ramsey became the […]

Hiawatha and Minnehaha

November 30, 2018 By htc

Just above the falls of Minnehaha Creek in Minneapolis, perched on the southwest side of its rushing waters, sits an unassuming symbol of the area’s original inhabitants. The sculpture of Hiawatha and Minnehaha has been a fixture in Minnehaha Park for over 106 years greeting visitors as they make their way to the falls. Its […]

New York Life Eagle

July 31, 2018 By htc

Perched atop the bluffs of the Summit Hill neighborhood overlooking the Mississippi River in St. Paul is an imposing bronze sculpture of an eagle clutching a rock with its wings spread as she watches over her young. One might imagine the sculpture was originally created and installed in this location to symbolize a guardian keeping […]

Witch’s Hat Water Tower

July 31, 2018 By htc

Rising above the treetops of the Prospect Park neighborhood in Minneapolis is a structure that one might expect to find in medieval times rather than in modern day Minneapolis. The Prospect Park Water Tower, also referred to as the Witch’s Hat, was designed by Norwegian born architect Frederick William Cappelen in 20th Century Revival style, […]