Saturday, March 23, 2019

On This Date in Minnesota History: March 23

March 23, 1860 - On this date, Ann Bilansky (born Mary Ann Evards Wright) became the first white person and the only woman ever to be legally executed in Minnesota. Bilansky, a housewife convicted in 1859 of poisoning her husband with arsenic, was put to death by hanging on gallows erected at the Court House Square at the corner of Fifth and Cedar Streets, St. Paul. The case is also notable because it appears possible that Bilansky was innocent and, in any event, she did not receive a fair trial.  

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

http://collections.mnhs.org/MNHistoryMagazine/articles/55/v55i08p350-363.pdf




Ann Bilansky Hanging

http://www.streetsofsaintpaul.com/2011/12/how-to-murder-your-husband-and-not-get.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.


Website:  TheMemoryQuilt.com > click on Family History

Contact me at:
pjefamilyresearch@gmail.com



Friday, March 22, 2019

On This Date in Minnesota History: March 22


March 22, 1916 – Standing defiantly at guard over the body of the master he had loved for many years, a little terrier yesterday afternoon stopped the funeral of Joe Jenkins, restaurant keeper at Minnetonka Beach.

For 14 years Jenkins was a familiar character at the summer resort. Almost as well-known as his dog, Jenkins died two days ago at the age of 71. Since that time, the dog has watched over his master’s body, and today when people came to prepare it for its last resting place, the animal fought them off. He held everyone at bay for more than an hour. Then a deputy sheriff was called from Minneapolis. No one objecting, he shot the dog.

The terrier was Jenkins’ sole chief mourner. His wife is living, but early yesterday she suddenly went violently insane from grief at her husband’s death. She is 69 years old.

The Minneapolis Morning Tribune; “Faithful Terrier Guards Body of Master; Holds Up Funeral Whole Hour”; March 23, 1916; p. 15.



https://www.mydogsname.com/boston-terrier-price/

I hope that Joe Jenkins and his dog were buried together.

__________________________________________________________

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:
pjefamilyresearch@gmail.com





Thursday, March 21, 2019

On This Date in Minnesota History: March 21


March 21, 1904 – Forrest Mars, Sr., the driving force of the Mars candy empire, was born in Wadena, Minn., on this date. He is best known for inventing M&M's and the Mars bar, as well as orchestrating the launch of Uncle Ben's. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forrest_Mars,_Sr.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Plain-M%26Ms-Pile.jpg

__________________________________________________________

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:
pjefamilyresearch@gmail.com





Wednesday, March 20, 2019

On This Date in Minnesota History: March 20

March 20, 2001 – “The Mall [of America in Bloomington, Minn.] closes for 10 hours after fugitive Anthony Zappa is spotted on the premises. Zappa [was] wanted in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa for burglary, vehicle theft, flight from law enforcement and being a felon in possession of an automatic weapon. He escapes. He [was] arrested a month later in Montana after kidnapping a 17-year-old girl.”

http://www.minnpost.com/infodoc/2008/11/mall-america-timeline



Mall of America

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mall_of_America_interior.jpg



Tony Zappa

http://www.google.com/search?q=anthony+zappa+wikipedia&hl=en&prmd=imvnso&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=DtkRUN7PL5TzqwHE64DAAw&ved=0CHgQsAQ&biw=1166&bih=555
__________________________________________________________

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:
pjefamilyresearch@gmail.com




Tuesday, March 19, 2019

On This Date in Minnesota History: March 19


March 19, 1977 – After seven seasons, the last episode of the Mary Tyler Moore Show was aired on this date. “In the upside world of WJM [Minneapolis TV station], there's a shake-up in the newsroom and everybody but Ted gets fired, including Mary who is left to turn out the lights.” 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065314/episodes?year=1977



https://culturess.com/2017/01/25/mary-tyler-moore-show/

__________________________________________________________

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:
pjefamilyresearch@gmail.com





Monday, March 18, 2019

On This Date in Minnesota History: March 18

March 18, 1917 – March 18, 1917 – A terrible accident happened on the Duluth & Northern Railroad in Cloquet, Minn., at about 11:20 p.m. this forenoon when Engine 16 plunged off the bridge over the St. Louis River at the east end of Dunlap Island, and broke through the heavy ice, falling to the bottom of the St. Louis River in 18 to 20 feet of water.



Map of Dunlap Island today1

The train crew, which consisted of Herbert Lessor, engineer; Ringvald Hanson; fireman, and Archie Fox and Joe Reidl, brakemen, were taking the engine from the roundhouse down to the Johnson-Wentworth Mill to bring up a string of empty log cars. A loaded train of logs was standing on the main track at the Cloquet Lumber Company’s landing on the island and they were running down over the passing track at this point. The heavy snow there caused the pony trucks of the engine to leave the rails, but as the drivers of the locomotive stayed on the tracks, this was not noticed until they arrived at the switch, which is just at the island end of the bridge opposite the Cloquet Lumber Company’s steam mill.

Lessor then noticed that something was wrong and applied the emergency brake, but it was too late to save the accident, because as the engine slowed down it toppled off the bridge and through the ice into the river. It is probable that the pony trucks running on the ties struck the switch frog and buckled, tipping the engine over as the driving wheels had not left the tracks, as an examination of the bridge shows.



Pony trucks: The leading wheel or leading axle or pilot wheel of a steam locomotive is an unpowered wheel or axle located in front of the driving wheels. The axle or axles of the leading wheels are normally located on a leading truck. Leading wheels are used to help the locomotive negotiate curves and to support the front portion of the boiler.2


Reidl, one of the brakemen, was on the gangway and was able to jump off safely onto the bridge, the other three men being in the cab went down with the engine into the water into the river. Reidl, fearing an explosion as the heated boiler of the locomotive came in contact with the cold water, ran back on the track away from the bridge. No explosion resulted, and he retraced his steps and saw Lessor, the engineer, come to the surface of the water where the engine had broken through. Reidl called to Lessor to hold onto the edge of the ice and running down the bank and onto the ice he was able to reach out and seize Lessor’s hand. Just then another hand appeared above the water, and Lessor seized it and Reidl dragged Lessor and Hanson, the fireman, to safety. Fox, however, failed to come up.




During the early days of railroading, one of the most deadly jobs in America 
was that of brakeman, who worked from the top of moving trains in all weather.3



Lessor was scalded about the back and leg; Hanson on the shoulder from the escaping steam and otherwise slightly bruised. Both were badly chilled from being in the water. Their clothes were ice-covered by the time they were hurried to the Northeastern Hotel nearby, where the alarm immediately caused a crowd of men to hurry to the scene of the accident in the hope that Fox might be rescued. This effort was futile.



The Cloquet Terminal Railroad still runs in front of the Northeastern Hotel on Dunlap Island.4


Two days after the accident, H. H. Thompson a professional diver who had been summoned from Thorn Apple, Wis., went down to the wrecked engine and recovered Fox’s body, which he found in the cab. Death had been caused by drowning, as there were no abrasions or wounds on the body. Additional piling is being driven at the bridge to sustain the additional strain of raising the engine, which will be done shortly.

Cloquet Pine Knot; “Locomotive Plunges Into the River; Snow Causes a Bad Accident on D. & N. E. Railroad and Archie Fox Loses His Life”; March 21, 1917; p. 1.

The Duluth Herald; “Cloquet Brakeman Drowns in River; Archie Fox Carried Down When D. & N. E. Engine Jumps off Trestle.”; March 19, 1917; p. 10.

1https://www.pinejournal.com/news/3712778-transforming-cloquets-riverfront

2
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leading_wheel

3https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brakeman#/media/File:900801-peckwell-apicnic.jpg
4https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloquet_Terminal_Railroad
_______________________________________

Today, Engine 16 is stationed in Fauley Park, Cloquet, Minn., on the west side of the intersection of Highway 33 and Cloquet Avenue.

“With help obtained from the Duluth-Missabe shops in Proctor, heavy hoisting equipment was able to raise No. 16 from the St. Louis River channel” after this accident.

https://www.pinejournal.com/lifestyle/4156597-story-old-no-16-and-fauley-park





Duluth & Northeastern Railroad Steam Locomotive Number 16

http://www.steamlocomotive.com/places/minnesota/dne16.jpg

__________________________________________________________

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:
pjefamilyresearch@gmail.com



Sunday, March 17, 2019

On This Date in Minnesota History: March 17

March 17, 1851 – The first St Patrick’s Day Parade in St. Paul was held on this date. “The celebration was an impromptu event, with 300 participants partaking in flag-raising, speeches and a fired salute.” 

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



http://myspacegraphicsandanimations.com/myspace-animations-myspace_stpatricks-day-graphics.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.

                                                         


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


Website:  TheMemoryQuilt.com > click on Family History

Contact me at:
pjefamilyresearch@gmail.com