On this date in 1916, James J. Hill dies in St. Paul at the age of 77. A native of Ontario, Canada, Hill moved to St. Paul in 1856 and began work in the shipping business. During his lifetime, he would go on to assemble a rail network that stretched from Duluth to Seattle across […]
General
1900-05-26
On this date in 1900, Harriet Island was donated to St. Paul by the city’s first public health officer, Dr. Justus Ohage. The island was named after the pioneer school teacher, Harriet E. Bishop.
1872-02-28
On this date in 1872, the cities of Minneapolis and St. Anthony merge into a single, larger city taking the name “Minneapolis.” Saint Anthony, located on the east side of the Mississippi River, was established in 1848 when Franklin Steele obtained title to the land and constructed a sawmill at St. Anthony Falls. Ard Godfrey, […]
1869-02-16
On this date in 1860, the Minnesota State Agricultural Society is incorporated replacing the Minnesota Territorial Agricultural Society that was previously established in 1854. Better known as the governing body of the Minnesota State Fair, the society finances the annual production of the State Fair and manages all capital work and maintenance of the grounds.
1912-08-15
On this date in 1912, a train Engine from the St. Paul Bridge and Terminal Railway Company carrying eight carloads of cattle, sheep and hogs from the Hoffman Avenue Yards in St. Paul to the stockyards in South St. Paul plunged off of a swing bridge into the Mississippi River. The bridge had been opened […]
