Saturday, June 30, 2012

On This Date in Minnesota History: June 30

June 30, 1908 – Montevideo, the county seat of Chippewa County, Minn., became a city on this date. It was platted on May 25, 1870, and incorporated as a village on March 4, 1879. Its Latin name means “from the mountain I see,” or “Mount of Vision,” as settlers were “so delighted by the wonderful view gained from the heights overlooking the interlocking valleys of the Minnesota and Chippewa rivers at that point.”
Upham, Warren; Minnesota Geographic Names, Their Origin and Historic Significance; Minnesota Historical Society (St. Paul, Minn., 1969); pp. 104-105.

Friday, June 29, 2012

On This Date in Minnesota History: June 29

June 29, 1862 – During the Civil War Battle of Savage Station, the First Regiment Minnesota Volunteer Infantry “defended the Union left flank, almost as an independent unit, and didn’t leave the field until 10:00 p.m. George Burgess, Color Sergeant, [was] killed.”
http://www.firstminnesota.org/history/first.html



Color Sergeant George Burgess

http://www.1stminnesota.net/1st.php?ID=1131

Thursday, June 28, 2012

On This Date in Minnesota History: June 28

June 28, 1922 - Water skiing came about “when eighteen-year-old Ralph Samuelson of Minn., proposed the idea that if you could ski on snow, then you could ski on water. Ralph first attempted water skiing on Lake Pepin in Lake City, Minn., towed by his brother Ben. The brothers experimented for several days until July 2, 1922 when Ralph discovered that leaning backwards with ski tips up lead to successful water skiing.” Ralph Samuelson never patented any of his water skiing equipment.
http://inventors.about.com/od/wstartinventions/a/waterskiing.htm



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Samuelson

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

On This Date in Minnesota History: June 27

June 27, 1977 — “Duluth heiress Elisabeth Congdon [was] smothered to death in her bed and her night nurse is bludgeoned to death on the stairway of Glensheen, the 39-room Congdon family mansion in Duluth. Congdon's son-in-law, Roger Caldwell, [was] later convicted of the crime. Her adopted daughter Marjorie Caldwell [was] later accused of planning the murders, but [was] acquitted.”
http://www.minnpost.com/politics-policy/2008/07/part-2-150-minnesota-moments-wed-just-soon-forget



http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Glensheen-Historic-Estate

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

On This Date in Minnesota History: June 26

June 26, 1959 – The “St. Lawrence Seaway, after a 40-year struggle, [was] officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II and President Eisenhower. In the Guinness Book of World Records: The St. Lawrence Seaway is the world's longest artificial seaway. It enables ocean going vessels to sail the 2,342 miles from the North Atlantic to Duluth, Minn. (602 feet above sea level.)”
http://www.thehistorypeople.com/data/docs/timeline-part2.pdf




http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Saint_Lawrence_Seaway.aspx

Monday, June 25, 2012

On This Date in Minnesota History: June 25

June 25, 1999 – University of Minnesota President Mark Yudorf accepted basketball coach Clem Haskins' resignation after allegations of academic fraud by Gopher basketball players.
http://www.answers.com/topic/clem-haskins

Sunday, June 24, 2012

On This Date in Minnesota History: June 24

June 24, 1919 – Office George Woessner was killed in a motorcycle accident at 22nd Street South and Lake Street [Minneapolis], when he swerved to avoid a car driving the wrong way. He was responding to a call involving a vehicle that drove into a crowd waiting for a streetcar. Officer Woessner had been a member of the Minneapolis Police Department for seven years and was survived by his wife.”
http://www.odmp.org/officer/14419-officer-george-woessner