Saturday, August 4, 2018

On This Date in Minnesota History: August 4

August 4, 1906 – A poor, hungry looking vagrant cat, which had been living in Minnesota’s $5,000,000 state capitol since before it was completed, caused excitement today which was not subdued until the cat was shot.

The cat had made its way into the building while operations were in progress. It was petted by the artisans, and when the structure was completed, it remained in the marble palace.


Minnesota State Capitol during construction 19041


She never went to the main floors of the building, but devoted her time to rummaging around the sub-basements.


For months the employees attempted to chase the cat out of the building, although it did little harm. Each attempt to eject the feline resulted in failure. The cat would always escape in the recesses of the foundation of the building. Otto Sommers, the superintendent of the building, decided last week that the cat must be removed if he had to organize a posse to get the job done.

Saturday afternoon, while the state officers were absent, Supt. Sommers called together the dozen janitors and announced that the cat must leave or forfeit her life.

The janitors looked at each other in dismay. Had they not tried for almost two years to get the cat out of the building and failed? What was the use? Sommers, however, asserted his authority and announced that if that cat was not driven out this afternoon, some of the employees of the scrubbing force in the building would lose their jobs.

Thus admonished, the whole force armed with mops, brooms and other utensils went into the basement.

Sommers stood at the top of the stairs and after a short time heard the shouts of the army below. Finally one of the most daring made a swat at the cat, which only gave the feline renewed courage. Instead of driving her out into the open, it resulted in her taking refuge on a ledge of one of the pillars that sustain the rotunda.

2


After almost an hour of coaxing, driving and swearing, Sommers decided to shoot the cat. He went to the janitor’s room and secured a Winchester rifle. With this armament he marched to the cat’s location. Telling the janitors, who by this time had been reinforced by all the charwomen in the building, to stand back, Sommers stood about 20 feet away, and while the cat was not looking, pulled the trigger. The shot hit the target and the cat fell, mortally wounded.

It was picked up gingerly by one of the crew and carried to an ash heap in a barrel. That the cat was dead there was no doubt in the mind of Sommers, but when the janitor returned after performing the funeral services, he told Sommers that the cat still showed signs of life when he dumped her out, but that he had killed her with a brick.

The Minneapolis Tribune; “Superintendent Kills A Cat In State Capitol. Otto Sommers, Flanked by a Dozen Janitors and Charewomen (sic), Shoots Feline From Ledge of One of Rotunda Pillars—Bullet Takes Away Its Nine Lives.”; Aug. 5, 1906; p. 7.


1http://mankatotimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/A-moment-in-TIme-State-Capitol.jpg


2http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-5298093/Which-paw-does-cat-prefer.html
               __________________________________________________________

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.

                                                        


Discover your roots, and watch the branches of your family tree begin to grow.


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Friday, August 3, 2018

On This Date in Minnesota History: August 3


August 3, 1969 – “Pinch-hitter Rich Reese hit a grand slam to power the Minnesota Twins to a 5-2 victory over the visiting Baltimore Orioles and end Dave McNally's 15-game winning streak. His two victories at the end of 1968 [gave] him 17 straight wins.”

http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/24-sports-news/article980946.ece




http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Rich_Reese

               __________________________________________________________

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.

                                                         


Discover your roots, and watch the branches of your family tree begin to grow.


Website:  TheMemoryQuilt.com > click on Family History

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Thursday, August 2, 2018

On This Date in Minnesota History: August 2

August 2, 1917 – Beltrami County Deputy U. S. Marshal A. H. Jester brought 13 slackers in on today’s afternoon train from Duluth and held them in the Beltrami County jail until 11 p.m. when he again herded them aboard a train to Walker. The slackers were brought from Duluth where the number of alien slackers is very high because of the large number of foreigners in the range country.

Ten of the slackers taken to the Walker jail were Austrians and the other three were Finns.

The Bemidji Daily Pioneer; “13 Enemy Slackers In Bemidji Enroute To Jail At Walker”; Aug. 3, 1917; p. 1.




http://www.lakesnwoods.com/Walker.htm
               __________________________________________________________

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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Wednesday, August 1, 2018

On This Date in Minnesota History: August 1

August 1, 1998 – “Duluth held [its] first Bayfront Blues Festival that grew from a one-day regional event and an audience of about 1,000 to one of the major blues events in the country, attracting 60,000 fans from around the world for three days, hosting over 200 performers of national reputation in 1998.”

http://www.thehistorypeople.com/data/docs/timeline-part3.pdf



https://dubhlinnpub.com/event/bayfront-blues-festival/
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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.

                                                       


Discover your roots, and watch the branches of your family tree begin to grow.


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Tuesday, July 31, 2018

On This Date in Minnesota History: July 31


July 31, 1921 – More than 60 persons were injured, two stores, a cigar store and a jewelry store, were wrecked and two others damaged, and a part of the loop district was thrown into darkness for nearly an hour early today while the cause of the blasts was being corrected, the result of a series of gas explosions in underground electric wire conduits on Nicollet Avenue downtown Minneapolis.

It began yesterday evening when portions of pavement were blown up on Nicollet between Sixth and Seventh Streets. Geysers of flames were sent into the air from 10:10 p.m. until early today.

The first explosion blew the cover of a manhole on the northwest of the street 35 feet into the air, and a ten foot stream of fire shot out just as firemen arrived, called by a passerby who had noticed smoke coming from the manhole.


Minneapolis Manhole Cover1

A large crowd gathered and a second explosion, shortly after 11 p.m., burst into the middle of it from the first manhole, hurling those near in every direction, breaking a large hole in the pavement and demolishing the United Cigar Store at 525 Nicollet Ave and damaging the Joseph H. Green store adjoining. Flying glass was the primary source of injuries for people in the blast area.



Cigar Store Wrecked in Blast2



While the injured lay stunned, a mob broke for the demolished cigar store and began to loot it. Police reserves drove the crowd away, and a cordon was drawn across every street a block from the scene.

Picking up loose diamonds from the street, mixed with bits of glass from broken windows, was the unique experience of Joseph H. Green, proprietor of the jewelry store at 624 Nicollet Ave.

Green was called by the police early today after the last of the explosions had blown out the front of his store, and scattered the display window’s contents over the sidewalk.

Diamonds loose and set in rings and necklaces, watches and other jewelry, had been hurled into the street. Green recovered most of his jewelry. At daylight, however, when police were cleaning the broken glass from the sidewalks, they found other diamonds among the glass.

Officials of the electric company and city officials continue to be perplexed as to the cause of the explosion.

“It is possible that heat generated by the recent long hot spell broke down insulation in the cables resulting in the short circuit, which seems to have started the explosion,” said R. F. Pack, vice president of the Minneapolis General Electric Company.

Police and fire officials were of the opinion, however, that some form of gas must have gotten into the conduits, either by the breaking down of insulation or by leakage of illuminating gas from some nearby main.

Mining experts and chemistry professors at the University of Minnesota, while declining to venture an opinion on the probable cause of the explosion until they had gone over the ground personally, were speculating today as to a possible origin.

It was suggested by one authority on chemistry that rubber insulation, if subjected to intense heat, would form a heavy gas, which would readily ignite and explode if mixed with air.

The most common theory advanced was that illuminating gas or sewer gas had entered the conduits and had been touched off by a spark.

The Sunday Journal
; “Sixty Hurt in Six Downtown Blasts. Two Nicollet Avenue Stores Wrecked; Loop Thrown Into Darkness. Explosions Send Up Geysers of Fire—57 Victims Go to General Hospital—Twenty Physicians in Service. Five Reported in Serious Condition; Mobs Loot Shops. Short Circuit in Electrical Wire Conduits, Igniting Gas; Blamed for Blasts—Spectators Fall Into Hole.”; Minneapolis, Minn.; July 31, 1921; pp. 1 & 4.


The Minneapolis Morning Tribune
; “Property Loss in Nicollet Mystery Blast Over $50,000. Experts Advance Various Theories as to Cause of Explosion. All but Two of 30 Victims Taken to Hospital Are Discharged.”; August 1, 1921; pp. 1 & 5.

1
https://sidewalkcity.wordpress.com/tag/manhole-cover/
2
The Minneapolis Morning Journal; August 1, 1921; p. 1.

               __________________________________________________________

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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Monday, July 30, 2018

On This Date in Minnesota History: July 30



July 30, 2014 – Mendota Heights police officer Scott Patrick was shot to death during a routine traffic stop near the intersection of Dodd Road and Smith Ave. South in West St. Paul.



 Officer Scott Patrick1

Officer Patrick was standing next to his patrol car's door when the subject, Brian Fitch, Sr., fired multiple shots, striking him in the head. He was transported to Regions Hospital where he succumbed to the wound.

Fitch, a career criminal with three active warrants for his arrest, opened fire on officers who located him in St. Paul approximately seven hours later. He was shot and wounded by the officers before being taken into custody.

Lying in his hospital bed after his shootout with police, Fitch allegedly told the officer guarding him, “Just to let you know, I hate cops and I’m guilty.”
2



Brian Fitch, Sr.3


Officer Patrick had served with the Mendota Heights Police Department for 19 years. He is survived by his wife and two teenage daughters.


Star Tribune; “Suspect in Officer’s Slaying is Shot”; July 31, 2014; pp. 1A & 6A.

http://www.odmp.org/officer/22143-police-officer-scott-patrick

 1http://www.lillienews.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_image_full_node/public/field/image/Patrick-Scott.jpg?itok=YxVTBunG
2Star Tribune; “Suspect to police: ‘I hate cops’”; Aug. 2, 2014; pp. A1 & A8.

3http://www.wday.com/content/brian-fitch-man-accused-killing-mendota-heights-police-officer-going-back-jail-no-chance
               __________________________________________________________

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.

                                                         


Discover your roots, and watch the branches of your family tree begin to grow.


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Sunday, July 29, 2018

On This Date in Minnesota History: July 29

July 29, 1904 – Because he was too strong to work, Walter Orr, for years a professional “strong man,” pulled an inch rope apart while hoisting ice into a refrigerator car at Minnehaha Falls today. He sustained a fall that would have been fatal to a man of ordinary physique. Because he was too strong to be killed, Orr was taken to the City Hospital but refused to remain there and this morning is at home, bruised but still in the ring.



Ice Blocks1

“The iron jawed, steel muscled and leather-skinned man” is the title given Orr by his press agent in his long professional career. Not many weeks ago he was one of the star attractions at a local dime museum and astonished all visitors by cheerfully sticking needles through his flesh, breaking iron bars over his jaw, and lifting mammoth weights with arms and teeth.



Strong Man

Tired of this method of earning a living, Orr decided to try manual labor and was hired to handle ice by Charles Patten at Minnehaha Falls.

Up to today the strong man met with success in his new field. He was quick, willing and his strength made him invaluable to his employer.

Today in loading a refrigerator car with 300-pound cakes of ice, Orr came to grief. He was standing in the doorway of the car hoisting an especially heavy cake. Being in a hurry, he carelessly gave the rope more of a tug. There was a snap, the inch rope severed, and the man with the pull started precipitately for the railroad track. He landed on a tie and the ice followed him. As a result he was picked up unconscious.

Patten came to Minneapolis the following morning to buy a 2-inch rope in order to ready for Orr when he has recovered enough to resume work.

1http://ffactory.tumblr.com/post/50170621484/thenoiseinme-nina-leen
               __________________________________________________________

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.

                                                         


Discover your roots, and watch the branches of your family tree begin to grow.


Website:  TheMemoryQuilt.com > click on Family History

Contact me at:
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