Saturday, December 8, 2012

On This Date in Minnesota History: December 8

December 8, 19781 – The Jackson Hotel in Anoka, Minn., now Billy’s Bar & Grill, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on this date. It was “built in 1884 after a fire destroyed much of downtown Anoka. [The hotel] was in operation from 1884 through 1875 and played a central role in Anoka's commerce. [It] was located at the hub of water, rail, and overland trade routes, and served a variety of travelers. [The hotel] first served farmers and loggers who brought their goods to Anoka for sale. Later, it served traveling businessmen, politicians, photographers, lecturers, entertainers, and tourists. Traveling salesmen also used the hotel's sample room as a showroom and office. It had a reputation as the leading hotel in Anoka and one of the best hotels in Minnesota.”2

“On August 22, 1885, just barely past the first anniversary of the fire, the hotel became the scene of Anoka's first murder. A drunken disagreement between friends turned deadly as W.F. Mirick (or possibly Mieriet) opened fire on his pal Peter Gross (a German immigrant) with a revolver. Only one of the shots fired struck Gross. It hit him in the back as he attempted to flee from the gunman.

Mirick ran from the scene of his crime and the mortally wounded Gross managed to drag himself into the hotel. He was taken to a room upstairs and put under the care of a doctor, but died the following night. The killer was eventually caught and convicted for his crime.”3

The building is thought to be haunted. A “spectral woman with red hair is said to appear in a third floor window.”3

1http://nrhp.mnhs.org/NRDetails.cfm?NPSNum=78001525
2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackson_Hotel_(Anoka,_Minnesota)
3http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=b&location_id=billys_bar_and_grill_anoka_mn




Photo taken by Pamela J. Erickson. Released into the public domain Dec. 8, 2012,
as long as acknowledgement included

Other Haunted Places in Minnesota:

Forepaugh’s Restaurant in S.t Paul; see July 8, 2013 blog
Thayer’s Hotel, Annandale, Minn.; see August 24, 2012 blog

LeDuc House, Hastings, Minn.; see October 30, 2013 blog

The Palmer House Hotel in Sauk Centre, Minn.; see Feb. 11, 2014 blog
Kohler Hotel, Rochester, Minn.; see February 17, 2014 blog

 


Friday, December 7, 2012

On This Date in Minnesota History: December 7


Photo taken by Pamela J. Erickson. Released into the public domain Dec. 7, 2012,
 as long as acknowledgement included.
 

December 7, 1941 - [This monument near the Minnesota State Capitol is] dedicated to the following men of the 47th Division, 11th Battalion, 9th Naval District U.S. Naval Reserve, St. Paul, Minnesota, ordered to active duty January 21, 1941. These men all served on board the destroyer U.S.S. Ward, DD 139, which fired the first shot of World War II, at Pearl Harbor by sinking a Japanese midget submarine on December 7, 1941, at 6:45 a.m. 


Lieutenant H.F. Doughty
Ensign D.B. Hainie

Anderson, C.F. S2C
Ball, R.L. S2C
Barfuss, C.A. S2C
Bukrey, E.J. S2C
Campion, W.A. S2C
Christopherson, G.H. F1C
Collyard, H.V. S2C
Conroy, W.E. Com
Cyrus, J.H. MATT2C
Derosia, G.H. CWT
Dionisopoulos, P.A. S2C
Dolan, G.C. S2C
Domagall, A.A. S2C
Byrda, J.P. S1C
Ekblad, K.W. MM1C
Entenmann, J.R. F3C
Ethier, O.S. F3C
Fenton, C.W. S2C
Fink, H.J. S2C
Flanagan, H.P. S2C
Fluegel, J.V. S1C
Fratto, F.L. F1C
Gearia, H.F. S1C
Gerner, L.O. CM3C
Gibson, E.T. CY
Gill, J.C. S2C
Gorman, R.H. S2C
Griep, W.C. S2C
Grindall, B.J. S2C
Grueing, D.W. S2C
Haes, D.D. RM3C
Haiberger, G.G. S2C
Hajdu, F.M. S2C
Harris, H.J. F1C
Howat, A.J. F1C
Hueffmeier, G.W. S2C
Hughes, F.V. S2C
Hultman, G.R. S2C
Hurley, M.J. F3C
Jones, D.B. S2C
Kinderman, B.J. F1C
Knapp, R.H. BM2C
Kramolisce, J.W. F3C
Lasch, K.C.J. COX
Leclair, G.J. S2C
Lehner, W.S. F3C
Linn, P.A. WTIC
Lombardi, D.J. S2C
Mayer, W.L. CGM
Merthan, J.R. F3C
Mondo, G.J. GM3C
Morgan, D.J. WTIC
Mrozak, E.A. S2C
Nadeau, T.C. F3C
Nelson, H.H. WT2C
Nolde, R.B. S2C
Norlander, F.C. F3C
Paynter, H.K. F1C
Peick, J.A. S2C
Pepin, D.R.C. S2C
Peterson, J.E. S1C
Pfaff, K.L. S2C
Phenning, F.P. F3C
Probst, P.W. SC1C
Raeubig, H.E. S2C
Reetz, R.A. F3C
Richardson, R.E. S2C
Sanford, A.C. S2C
Schmitt, C.E. S2C
Scholtes, W.A. S2C
Seydel, R.J. F3C
Southward, H. S2C
Spratt, J.L. F3C
Stein, R.E. S2C
Swedberg, K.C. F1C
Thill, R.J. S2C
Throne, J.F. S2C
Trimmer, J.P. RM3C
Wells, H.O. S2C
Wood, R.W. S2C
Zechmann, E.A. F3C
Zechmann, R.A. F3C


http://www.markeroni.com/catalog/display.php?code=MN_MSM_00007



This is a photo of the USS Ward gun crew #3 sometime after the "First Shot" at the Japanese submarine on December 7, 1941.

http://home.earthlink.net/~larrydev/USSWardpage.html

Thursday, December 6, 2012

On This Date in Minnesota History: December 6

December 6, 1862 – “President Lincoln ordered the hanging of [38] of the 303 convicted Indians who participated in the Sioux Uprising in Minnesota. They were to be hanged on Dec. 26. The Dakota Indians were going hungry when food and money from the federal government was not distributed as promised. They led a massacre that left over 400 white people dead. The uprising was put down and 300 Indians were sentenced to death. Pres. Lincoln reduced the number to [38], who were hanged. The government then nullified the 1851 treaty.”
http://timelines.ws/states/MINNESOTA.HTML



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MankatoMN38.JPG

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

On This Date in Minnesota History: December 5

December 5, 1872 – Elizabeth Cady Stanton made her second visit to St. Cloud, Minn. Her lecture on this “visit was called ‘The Coming Girl’ and she urged women to ‘stop lacing and let their waists be as nature intended,’ to stay away from cosmetics, and to get a job so that they could provide for themselves.”
http://wjon.com/this-date-in-central-minnesota-history-march-28th-1870/


Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

On This Date in Minnesota History: December 4

December 4, 1939 – Gangster Bugsy Siegel visited St. Paul and stayed at the Lowry Hotel, 339 North Wabasha Street.
Maccabee, Paul; John Dillinger Slept Here; Minnesota Historical Society Press (St. Paul 1995); p. 14.



Bugsy Siegel mugshot

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mugshot_Benjamin_Siegel.jpg

Monday, December 3, 2012

On This Date in Minnesota History: December 3

December 3, 1842 – “Flour magnate Charles A. Pillsbury was born in New Hampshire [on this date] and came to Minneapolis in 1869. At his death in 1899, the Pillsbury-Washburn Flour Mills Company was the largest in the world.”
http://www.thehistorypeople.com/data/docs/timeline-part1.pdf




Charles A. Pillsbury

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Charles_Alfred_Pillsbury-Atwater.jpg

Sunday, December 2, 2012

On This Date in Minnesota History: December 2


December 2, 1966 – “Minnesota, Chicago, Detroit and Green Bay were chosen to make up the newly-formed Central Division of the Western Conference of the NFL.”http://www.vikings.com/team/history/timeline.html



http://schultzstake.blogspot.com/2011/08/touchdown-how-vikings-are-buying.html