On this Date in Minnesota History: August 30

August 30, 1933 - "’No handsomer live stock (sic) Exchange is to be found in the West than this one at South St. Paul,’ the South St. Paul Reporter noted in 1887 after the Stockyard Exchange Building opened. Built by the recently formed Union Stockyards Company, the Exchange Building housed commission firms and other businesses associated with the adjacent stockyards, which became the largest stockyards in the United States.

Initially, the building served other functions as well: the town's first post office occupied it, the city council presided before the construction of the city hall in 1890, and the city's first bank, Stockyards National Bank, held space.

On [this date, it] was the site of the robbery of the packing plant payroll by the Ma Barker-Al Karpis Gang, where policeman Leo Pavlak was killed and officer John Yeaman was wounded, but survived with 25 bullet fragments in his body. The machine-gun-wielding gang made off with $33,000.”

This building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 7, 1979.

http://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC24WPR_ssp-stockyards-exchange-building?guid=65ec462e-7841-4933-9c94-90c0795e5589

Photo taken by Pamela J. Erickson. Released into the public domain Aug. 30, 2015,
as long as acknowledgement included.

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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 MHS records.  Both short searches and family history reports.

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