Schools in south-central Minnesota (1876-1909). By 1850, Stillwater, which owes its existence to the building of Fort Snelling in 1819, became the lumbering capital of the St. Croix River region. This soon brought pioneer settlers to the area. Though not the first white settlement in Minnesota, Stillwater claims the title, "Birthplace of Minnesota," because it was at this site that a convention was held to organize the Territory of Minnesota in 1848. The wealthy lumbermen built lavish homes such as those they had built before in the New England States. To this day, Stillwater maintains a characteristic historical atmosphere. One of these historic buildings was purchased by St. Mary's Parish in 1907 to be used as the convent for the four Benedictine sisters from St. Joseph, MN, who were teaching in the German parish school, St. Mary's (Saint Benedict's Monastery Archives; Shifra Stein's Day Trips: Gas-saving Getaways Less Than Two Hours from Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul, page 105
Schools in St. Cloud (1869-1909); St. Benedict's Monastery (convent), St. Joseph, Minnesota. Holy Angels Grade School opened in 1887 with an enrollment of 160 pupils; by 1894, it had an enrollment of 400. By 1880, St. Cloud's population had risen to 2,464 and included other nationalities, such as the Scots, Swedes and Poles. Holy Angels became the parish for all English-speaking Catholics; the German Catholics preferred St. Mary's and at the turn of the century, the Polish-speaking Catholics established their own parish, St. John Cantius (Saint Benedict's Monastery Archives; Robert J. Voigt, Holy Angels in St. Cloud, pages 21-24).
The main floor plan of Goodsell Observatory. Scale 1/4 inch equals per foot. The new observatory opened in 1887. It was named for Charles M. Goodsell in 1891.
Market House building (also known as Gale's Corners")on the corner of Hennepin Avenue and First Street North, was occupied by the Minneapolis Young Men's Christian Association from 1877 to 1887.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Kautz Family YMCA Archives
Schools in north-central Minnesota (1871-1909). Melrose was settled at a ford in the river on the stagecoach trail between the Red River Valley and St. Cloud. It got its spurt of growth in 1871 as the terminus of the west-bound railroad, making it a marketing center. Melrose (named after Melissa Rose, the daughter of one of the early settlers) soon developed into a strong Catholic community eager to establish its own parish. In 1880, St. Boniface School (parish/district) was built and the Benedictine sisters responded to the pastor's invitation to teach there. By 1894, four sisters were teaching 170 pupils, despite the fact that at first they suffered from the usual prejudice of German communities regarding public versus parochial schools. In subsequent years, the enrollment peaked at 325 pupils even though the Irish parishioners established their own grade/high school and enrolled as many as 166 pupils. When St. Boniface and St. Patrick parishes merged in 1958, the parish and school were renamed St. Mary's School which reached a peak enrollment of 481 (Saint Benedict's Monastery Archives).
Exterior of the Minneapolis Young Men's Christian Association Boys Division building, located behind the main Y. M. C. A. building at 10th Street and Mary Place.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Kautz Family YMCA Archives
Minneapolis Young Men's Christian Association Central Branch, at 10th Street and Mary Place. The photograph was taken looking northwest along 10th Street. The building was occupied by the Y. M. C. A. from 1892 to 1919.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Kautz Family YMCA Archives