Saturday, December 29, 2012

On This Date in Minnesota History: December 29

December 29, 1976 – Rudy Perpich took office as the 34th Governor of the State of Minn.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Governors_of_Minnesota





Gov. Rudy Perpichhttp://www.leg.state.mn.us/legdb/fulldetail.aspx?id=10522

Friday, December 28, 2012

On This Date in Minnesota History: December 28


December 28, 1975 – The Vikings were upset, 17-14, in the divisional playoffs at Metropolitan Stadium on [this date] when the Dallas Cowboys scored on a last minute 50-yard touchdown pass.”1  “The Rev. Dallas Tarkenton, Sr., father of Minnesota Vikings quarterback Fran Tarkenton, suffered a heart attack and died while watching the game.  Fran Tarkenton left the stadium in Bloomington unaware of his father’s death, [although] word reached him soon afterward.”2
1
http://www.vikings.com/team/history/timeline.html
2St. Paul Pioneer Press; “Tarkenton’s father dies watching game”; December 29, 1975; p. 1.



Viking QB Fran Tarkenton, #10

http://thehotirondaily.tumblr.com/post/20954969693/top-ten-minnesota-vikings-draft-picks-of-all-time






Thursday, December 27, 2012

On This Date in Minnesota History: December 27


December 27, 1979 – Called the District No. 28 School, this one-room brick schoolhouse was erected in 1892 to serve Anoka County’s growing rural population. The school was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on this date. It was originally a schoolhouse, but later became the town hall. The building is one of only a few structures remaining from the beginnings of Ramsey Township.

http://nrhp.mnhs.org/NRDetails.cfm?NPSNum=79001188
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/District_No._28_School



District No. 28 School, Anoka County, Ramsey, Minn.
Photo taken by Pamela J. Erickson. Released into the public domain December 27, 2012, as long as acknowledgement included.  

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

On This Date in Minnesota History: December 26


December 26, 1979 – Built in 1854, the Shaw-Hammons House was owned by Henry Shaw, one of Anoka's first settlers, one of the first traders in the area, and the first of several lumber barons to live there. The home was later occupied by a succession of Anoka land speculators, lumbermen, business leaders, and politicians. It is believed to be the oldest home in Anoka, and originally served as the first store in the region. The house was listed on the National Register of Historical Places on this date. At the same time, it was also listed on Minnesota’s Ten Most Endangered Properties List.1

In 2005, the house was rescued for the foreclosure price of $25,000 by attorney Kurt Glaser and his wife Dawn. The Glaser’s completely restored the home, renovating it with “artifacts found at antique stores and foreclosure sales.”1

http://nrhp.mnhs.org/NRDetails.cfm?NPSNum=79001183
http://www.placeography.org/index.php/Shaw-Hammons_House,_302_Fremont_Street,_Anoka,_Minnesota
http://www.startribune.com/local/north/136160828.html?refer=y
1StarTribune; “This old house gets new lease on life, but others slip into history”; Minneapolis, Minn.; pp. A1 & A7.




Shaw-Hammons House, Anoka, Minn.

Photo taken by Pamela J. Erickson. Released into the public domain December 26, 2012, as long as acknowledgement included. 

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

On This Date in Minnesota History: December 25

December 25, 1993 - Shot entirely in Minnesota, the movie Grumpy Old Men was released on this date.1 While the protagonists played by Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau in the movie live in Wabasha, Minn., only a few outdoor scenes were really shot there; “most location shots were actually filmed in other Minnesota communities.”2 For example, Jon Gustafson (Jack Lemmon), Max Goldman (Walter Matthau) and Arriel Truax’s (Ann-Margret) houses are actually located in St. Paul near Lake Phalen.3

1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grumpy_Old_Men_(film)
2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wabasha,_Minnesota
3http://www.johnweeks.com/tour/gom/index.html





Jon Gustafson's home left (Jack Lemmon) and Max Goldman's house (Walter Matthau) right






Arriel Truax’s (Ann-Margret) house


Photos taken by Pamela J. Erickson. Released into the public domain Dec. 25, 2012,
as long as acknowledgement included.
 



Monday, December 24, 2012

On This Date in Minnesota History: December 24

*December 24, 1896 – Red Lake County [Minn.] was formed on [this date] from sections of Polk County. It was named after the Red Lake River. Red Lake County is also the only county within the state of Minnesota to not have a single stop light within the entire county.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Lake_County,_Minnesota


http://www.redlakecountyhistory.org/

Sunday, December 23, 2012

On This Date in Minnesota History: December 23

December 23, 1957 – “A fire [on this date] destroyed the old (east) section of Stillwater High School and heavily damaged the newest section on the west. The cause of the fire was not determined. According to Supt. Earl Vitalism ‘The loss is fully covered by insurance. There was $130,000 coverage on the old building and $800,000 on the newer one.’

The fire was discovered at 6 pm and was the most spectacular the city has ever seen and was the largest loss since the Gilbert plant tire of May 16, 1955. ‘By the time the first pumper reached the scene the old building was an inferno and the blaze raged furiously for an hour. A brisk northwest wind fanned the fire and filled the air with blazing embers that floated over the Junior High School and several frame houses along Pine and Third streets.’

In all it is estimated 90 firemen and volunteers fought the fire. A total of 1,142,250 gallons of water was poured on the fire. The fire was visible for many miles, as far away as Willernie and hundreds of people in the surrounding area drove into Stillwater to view the blaze. The school itself was 87 years old. Graduation records from the last five years were lost along with 3,000 books from the library burned.”

http://projects.wchsmn.org/reference/events/high-school-fire-loss-250000/





http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Welcome_to_Stillwater,_Minnesota_(2005_sign).jpg