Friday, July 20, 2018

On This Date in Minnesota History: July 20


*July 20, 1914 – The nine-year-old son of Mrs. Mary Skinner was kidnapped from the yard of her summer cottage near Spring Park, Lake Minnetonka, this evening. Three men in an automobile whisked up to the cottage, seized the boy, bundled him up into the car in spite of his screams, and drove away at top speed.

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 The boy is also the son of Prof. M. Skinner of Leland Stanford University, Calif., whom Mrs. Skinner recognized as one of the abductors.
 Less than two years ago, the couple separated, and Mrs. Skinner has instituted an action for divorce in the courts of Calif.  She has been spending some time at Lake Minnetonka with her three children, the boy Selby and his younger sister Barbara and brother Carlton.

A half a dozen people, including Mrs. Skinner, saw the car speed away. The machine was started toward Minneapolis, but made a detour and went in the direction of Shakopee.

The next day, Mrs. Skinner turned in the key to her rental cottage, saying she was going to stay with friends in Minneapolis. “They will take care of me there,” she told her landlady, “I can’t stand it here anymore. I thought I was safe, but I guess I was wrong.”

That she left in a hurry was evident from the condition of the cottage. A half-eaten meal was still on the table. Bureau drawers were pulled out and their contents strewn on the floor. Mrs. Skinner feared, it is gossiped, that her husband would attempt to take her 6-year-old daughter and the baby Carlton.

The Duluth Herald; “Boy Kidnapped at Lake Minnetonka. Small Son of Prof. Skinner of California Taken in Auto.”; July 21, 1914; p. 1.

The Minneapolis Morning Tribune; “Mother of Kidnaped (sic) Boy Hurriedly Leaves Cottage. Gossip is That Mrs. Skinner Feared Her Other Children Would Be Taken. She Thought Boy’s Father Was the ‘Kidnaper,’ Neighbors Assert.”; July 23, 1914; p. 9.

The Virginia Enterprise; “Sees Her Son Whisked Away By Motorists. Child is Taken From Road in Front of His Home Near Lake Minnetonka.”; July 24, 1914; p. 6.

1https://www.swnewsmedia.com/lakeshore_weekly/news/lifestyle/new-boat-slips-approved-for-seton-lake/article_726af784-6d88-5787-a841-c4863d243630.html
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In the 1920 Federal Census, the family is reunited and living in Seattle. However, according to Mrs. Skinner’s obituary (click read more), she divorced her husband in 1920 and married George Beach in 1933.

The accomplishments of Mrs. Beach and her three children are remarkable:

Selby became a prominent Physicist, Barbara (click read more) was appointed special representative to the U.S. High Commissioner for Germany, and Carlton became the first civilian governor of Guam.

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If you are interested in finding out more about your family history in Minnesota, I specialize in researching  genealogical and historical records in Minn. and western Wis., including:
census records,  birth records,  death certificates, obits, grave site photos, ship passenger lists, marriage records and declarations of intent/naturalization records.  I will visit locations to research local history and county records, as well as take photos. Quick turnaround on MNHS records. Both short searches and family history reports available.

                                                         



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