Early years in St. Joseph, Minnesota (1863-1880). Students in Sister Stephen Schaaf's class of 1892 have been identified as follows: Top row: (Sister Stephen Schaaf), Anna Krahl, Bertha Walz, Christ Walz, George Warnert, Mike Nierengarten, Casper Benning, Frank Rau, Leroy Baloh, Mike Ziegelmeier; 2nd row: Teresa Walz, Lizzie Neis, Molly Roeder, Rose Orth, Anna Walz, Johanna Rau, Mary Mae Schloemer, ___ Burgmeier, Mary Notsch; 1st row: Frank Katzner, Joe Reber, Anton Walz, Joseph Meyer, Pius Ziegelmeier (Saint Benedict's Monastery Archives).
Early ventures in St. Joseph, Minnesota (1880-1890). Students and faculty of the first academy class in the Haarman Building (1880-1881) are identified as follows. Faculty upper row: Sisters 1. Flavia Pokowsky, 2. Magdelen Enste, 3. Elizabeth Will (who later became Sister Julia), 4. Bede Linnemann. Faculty - 2nd row: Sister Anotolia Langsford. Faculty - 3rd row: Sister Irminia Kretzer. Students - 2nd row: Anna Burrell, Cecilia Beck, S. Farrell, Katie Rovischer, Emma Otto, Aggie Zingerly, Rose Weiner, Carrie Capser, Iona Owens, Lilly Miller, Katherine Riesgraf, Anna Kapsner. Students - lower 3 rows: Antonette Jennings, Virgina Gerard (later Sister Anastasia), Lena Schlick, Anna Waschenberger, Mary Phillip, Ella Egan, Jennie Kennedy, Katie Loso, Aloysia Zingerly, Adela Jennings, Clara Pottgieser, Lorrina Maurin, Tillie Maurin, Lizzie Beck, Josie Kapser. Because St. Agnes Academy was not flourishing in St. Cloud, Mother Aloysia Bath and the community decided in 1879 to build a new boarding academy at St. Joseph. When the basement walls were nearly completed, the cold weather halted construction; lack of funds prevented more building for another 2 years. The next prioress, Mother Scholastica Kerst, closed the St. Agnes Academy in St. Cloud and rented the Haarman Building across from the church and convent in St. Joseph to open a select boarding academy, St. Joseph's Academy. The Haarman Building was rented for only one year. Because the school was so successful, the earlier plans for a new academy building were immediately resumed and Cecilia Hall was rapidly completed for use in 1882. When the building was blessed, St. Joseph's Academy was renamed St. Benedict's Academy (Saint Benedict's Monastery Archives ; McDonald, pages 70-71, 99-100).
View of the lobby of the Sherman Theater, St. Cloud, Minnesota. Liebenberg and Kaplan, Architects (1919-1969), were noted for designing more than 200 motion picture theatres in the Upper Midwest, many of the early ones featuring an art deco style.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Northwest Architectural Archives
Perspective view of the building, including the facade and marquee, of the Sherman Theater, St. Cloud, Minnesota. Liebenberg and Kaplan, Architects (1919-1969), were noted for designing more than 200 motion picture theatres in the Upper Midwest, many of the early ones featuring an art deco style.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Northwest Architectural Archives
Partial view of the facade and marquee of the Sherman Theater, St. Cloud, Minnesota. Liebenberg and Kaplan, Architects (1919-1969), were noted for designing more than 200 motion picture theatres in the Upper Midwest, many of the early ones featuring an art deco style.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Northwest Architectural Archives
Perspective view of the facade and marquee of the Sherman Theater, St. Cloud, Minnesota. Liebenberg and Kaplan, Architects (1919-1969), were noted for designing more than 200 motion picture theatres in the Upper Midwest, many of the early ones featuring an art deco style.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Northwest Architectural Archives
View of the auditorium of the Sherman Theater, St. Cloud, Minnesota, from the stage. Liebenberg and Kaplan, Architects (1919-1969), were noted for designing more than 200 motion picture theatres in the Upper Midwest, many of the early ones featuring an art deco style.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Northwest Architectural Archives
View of the auditorium of the Sherman Theater, St. Cloud, Minnesota, from the rear. Liebenberg and Kaplan, Architects (1919-1969), were noted for designing more than 200 motion picture theatres in the Upper Midwest, many of the early ones featuring an art deco style.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Northwest Architectural Archives
View of a hallway in the Sherman Theater, St. Cloud, Minnesota. Liebenberg and Kaplan, Architects (1919-1969), were noted for designing more than 200 motion picture theatres in the Upper Midwest, many of the early ones featuring an art deco style.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Northwest Architectural Archives
View of the entrance lobby and box office of the Sherman Theater, St. Cloud, Minnesota. Liebenberg and Kaplan, Architects (1919-1969), were noted for designing more than 200 motion picture theatres in the Upper Midwest, many of the early ones featuring an art deco style.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Northwest Architectural Archives
Despite the fact that the new St. Benedict's Hospital boasted of a modern heating system, an operating room, two private rooms, wards, and a kitchen, only ten patients were received during the first two months. The sisters began to worry about their hospital project until a cyclone swept over St. Cloud and the neighboring towns killing 58 and injuring hundreds. It wrecked all in its wake but the hospital which became the center for rescue work. The sisters toiled for 48 hours before relief came from the Twin Cities and neighboring towns. The catastrophe broke down the prejudice against hospitals and, thereafter, St. Benedict's Hospital did not lack patients; at the close of the second year of service, the number of patients received reached 400. When over-crowded conditions forced the sisters to build a new hospital, St. Benedict's Hospital was converted to an academy of art and music (Saint Benedict's Monastery Archives , McDonald, page 254).
By 1889 the increased patient rate at St. Benedict's Hospital forced the sisters to look for larger quarters. John Coates and Daniel H. Freeman offered the sisters a five-acre site on the east side of the Mississippi River near the reformatory. The following year, because they were assured that a bridge, road, and even a streetcar line would connect that site with St. Cloud proper, the sisters built a three-story, up-to-date hospital there. Upon Bishop Otto Zardetti's request, it was named St. Raphael's Hospital. For ten years they labored against odds to make this venture a success in spite of the fact that the transportation facilities never materialized. When it became obvious that the site was unsatisfactory, the sisters planned to build another St. Raphael's Hospital (II), this time back on Ninth Avenue next to the site of their first hospital, St. Benedict's Hosptial (Saint Benedict's Monastery Archives, McDonald, pages 256-257).
St. Clotilde Music and Art Academy (1890-1906). When the sisters built a new hospital east of the Mississippi River, the former St. Benedict's Hospital was converted to an art/music academy for 40 students. The enrollment of this academy grew to 50. At the same time, the sisters opened a kindergarten in the academy for 26 three to nine-year olds; later that enrollment increased to 57. When a third hospital was built on Ninth Avenue next to the former St. Benedict's Hospital, St. Clotilde's Academy was closed and the building became a school of nursing (Saint Benedict's Monastery Archives).
Steer with Johne's disease on the Charles Behr farm, Paynesville. The photo was probably meant to illustrate the test site in the shaved area on the steer's neck. A wattle and daub outbuilding is in the background. Notes on reverse of photo say: "tests made by Drs. [Clifford P.] Fitch and [Willard L.] Boyd" and: "Dunkin intradermal Johnin test." Fitch and Boyd were veterinarians in the School of Agriculture at the University of Minnesota. The Dunkin test was first publicized in 1928.
First 50 years of the College of Saint Benedict (CSB). Sister Olivia Egan entered St. Benedict's community in 1886, graduated from St. Benedict's Academy, taught in the Industrial School and then became librarian and teacher at the academy and the college. In the college, she served as librarian from 1916-1930. Because of her vital interest in the establishment of the college, Sister Mariella Gable cited her as one of its prime promoters.
First 50 years of the College of Saint Benedict (CSB) The performances Sister Dominica Borgerding directed would cram this hall and the two adjoining classrooms with seculars paying for tickets three Sundays in a row - from as far as the Twin Cities, Duluth and Milwaukee. She did not offer "milk for babes." Instead she challenged the Dramatics Club and the audiences with the "Merchant of Venice" (with a brilliant Shylock and a magnificent Portia) and with biblical plays of a Queen Esther and a Judith of Bethulia. Women took men's parts and managed very convincingly. If Shakespeare could make-do with men to take women's parts, Sister Dominica turned her women into men for their parts. The costumes were magnificent. They are still among the richest and most beautiful now in that amazing collection in the Benedicts Arts Center.