Minnesota Family History Research: 6/19/16

Saturday, June 25, 2016

On This Date in Minnesota History: June 25

June 25, 1965 – “The NHL announced its intention to expand the league from six teams to 12, and two years later, that ambition came true, as the Flyers, Penguins, Blues, Kings, California Seals, and Minnesota North Stars entered the NHL.”

http://www.hookedonhockeymagazine.com/this-day-in-hockey-history-june-25/

http://hockeydb.tripod.com/hockey/nhl_teams/minnesota_north_stars.html

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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.

Website: TheMemoryQuilt.com ® click on Family History

Contact me at: pjefamilyresearch@gmail.com

Friday, June 24, 2016

On This Date in Minnesota History: June 24

June 24, 1912 – John Schwister, head of the aviation school at Fort Snelling, received a broken left wrist and probable internal injuries this evening when his airplane crashed about 60 feet from the ground, falling to the earth near the riding hall. Nearly 100 persons, civilians and soldiers, saw the plunge and hurried to the aid of the injured man, who was placed in an automobile and rushed to the fort hospital.

John Schwister¹

Accounts of the accident vary. While the most common accounts say that Schwister was 1,000 in the air when his engine “died.” By skillful and cool-headed steering, he managed to keep his plane afloat and sailed toward the earth. When about 60 feet from the ground, it is believed that he encountered wires leading from the riding hall that caused the plane to veer and finally crash to the ground.

Witnesses of the accident said that the plane appeared to be sailing along through the air when it suddenly seemed to pause for a second until it suddenly pointed straight downward and fell.

Schwister had been in the air about 18 minutes, having left the aviation camp about a mile from the fort and was circling the air above the grounds when the engine stopped. It is then believed that he endeavored to keep the plane straight by steering and floating in the breeze.

Schwister is said to be a good aviator. His plane was fashioned after the make of the Wright brothers’ planes. This is not his first fall, having had several accidents. Last fall his plane collapsed a few feet from the ground, but he escaped with minor injuries.

Schwister’s Plane²

In today’s accident, the plane was practically demolished. It was left where it lay all night, a detail of soldiers guarding it.

Schwister survived the crash. He died in 1927, and was inducted into the Wisconsin Aviation Hall of Fame on Oct. 10, 1998.

The Minneapolis Morning Tribune; “Aeroplane Collapses; Airman Falls 60 Feet. John Schwister Is Dashed to Earth While Flying at Fort Snelling. Head of Aviation School Escapes Serious Injury—Machine Wrecked. Engine ‘Died’ 1,000 Feet in Sky—Glide Saves Life.”; June 25, 1912; p. 1.

http://www.wisconsinaviationhalloffame.org/inductees/schwister.htm

¹http://www.wisconsinaviationhalloffame.org/images/schwister_at_controls.jpg

²http://www.wisconsinaviationhalloffame.org/images/schwister_1911.jpg

³http://www.wisconsinaviationhalloffame.org/index.htm

Thursday, June 23, 2016

On This Date in Minnesota History: June 23

June 23, 1921 – Believed a victim of some mental aberration, John Sylvansus Allanson, 22-year-old University of Minnesota student, is being searched for by police in all Northwest cities, it was disclosed today.

The young man has been missing since he left his Minneapolis boarding house on May 7. He left all his baggage behind and said nothing to his landlady. Allanson lived in Wheaton, Minn., where his father, George Allanson, is the postmaster.

This evening police were considering the possibility that a body taken out of the Mississippi River this afternoon might be that of Allanson. The body had been in the river for at least a month, and bore no marks of identification. All clothing had been washed off, and not even the approximate age could be determined.

The body was taken from the river near the Milwaukee Bridge at the foot of East 26^th Street after pedestrians had seen it floating in the river.

Since his return from service in France, Allanson has acted oddly according to reports to police. He was given to violent moods of melancholy, was always very quiet and avoided conversation.

Allanson was a student at the University before going into the army, and reentered as a Sophomore last year.

The body found in the river was not Allanson. John S. Allanson can be found in the 1940 Census in a Veteran’s mental Hospital in Suffolk, NY.

The Minneapolis Morning Tribune; “Police Search Northwest for Missing Man. University Student Believed Victim of Mental Aberration.”; June 24, 1921; p. 1.

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

On This Date in Minnesota History: June 22

June 22, 2013 – After two days of high winds and heavy rains, it was a water main break near one of the main intersections in downtown Robbinsdale, Minn.–42nd Avenue and Highway 81–that caused a 20 foot deep, 20 yard wide sinkhole. The 36-inch pipe that broke had been put in place in 1963.

http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=1029530

Photos taken by Pamela J. Erickson. Released into the public domain June 22, 2016,
as long as acknowledgement included.

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

On This Date in Minnesota History: June 21

June 21, 2010 – “Convicted murderer David [Francis] Hoffman was denied parole [on this date for the third time] and must serve at least six more years in prison for strangling and dismembering his wife almost 30 years ago in western Hennepin County.

Hoffman, now 63, was convicted in 1981 of killing his wife, Carol Stebbins Hoffman, in their home in Corcoran [on August 10, 1980]. He tried to dispose of her body in a garbage disposal and later threw the remains [in two black garbage bags] in nearby Weaver Lake.”

“The state Department of Corrections, in denying his parole request, [noted his lack of remorse and] ruled Hoffman must serve at least six more years before he is eligible to reapply for parole.”¹

David Francis Hoffman³

“On April 12, 2016, [Hoffman] was granted parole. According to Sarah Latuseck with the Minnesota Department of Corrections, [he] “was assigned a conditional release date of April 2018. During this two-year period will he will remain in the custody of the Department of Corrections before transitioning to intensive community supervision.”²

¹http://www.startribune.com/local/west/96832994.html?refer=y

²http://pressnews.com/2016/04/21/david-hoffman-granted-parole-after-serving-past-35-years-in-prison/

³http://mugshots.com/search.html?q=David+Hoffman%2C+Minnesota&x=16&y=25
David Francis Hoffman, 2010 Photo

Monday, June 20, 2016

On This Date in Minnesota History: June 20

June 20, 1955 – “After a plan [for Met Stadium] by architects Thorshov & Cerny won approval, groundbreaking was scheduled to begin [on this date]. The construction was almost delayed, however, when the owners of the property on which the [Met] stadium would be built on began a protest, claiming they had not yet been paid. One of these owners created a barricade of farm equipment along his property line that ran directly through where the stadium's infield would be. The dispute was settled in time for the groundbreaking to move forward as planned.”

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

Met Stadium, Bloomington, Minn.

http://www.waymarking.com/gallery/image.aspx?f=1&guid=a72d8318-723a-4537-85ad-ec17847c80c1

Sunday, June 19, 2016

On This Date in Minnesota History: June 19

June 19, 1869 – “Duluth Minnesotian newspaper ran an advertisement ‘3000 Laborers Wanted on the Lake Superior and Mississippi railroad….10,000 immigrants wanted…’”

http://www.thehistorypeople.com/data/docs/timeline-part1.pdf

Yes Virginia, there was a time when we appreciated immigrants!

http://www.lsmrr.org/images/logo.png