The Election of Minnesota’s First Episcopal Bishop Page 11 Fall 2007 Volume 42, Number 3 The Other Librarian Clara Baldwin and the Public Library Movement in Minnesota — Page 4 Clara F. Baldwin in 1936, shortly before her retirement from her position as the director of the Division of Libraries in the Minnesota Department of Education. She was a long-time leader in the Public Library movement in Minnesota whose career is profiled in this issue. Photo courtesy of the Minnesota Historical Society. RAMSEY COUNTY HISTORY Executive Director RAMSEY COUNTY Priscilla Farnham Founding Editor (1964–2006) Virginia Brainard Kunz Editor Hıstory John M. Lindley Volume 42, Number 3 Fall 2007 RAMSEY COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY the mission statement of the ramsey county historical society BOARD OF DIRECTORS adopted by the board of directors in July 2003: Howard Guthmann Chair The Ramsey County Historical Society shall discover, collect, W. Andrew Boss preserve and interpret the history of the county for the general public, President recreate the historical context in which we live and work, and make Judith Frost Lewis First Vice President available the historical resources of the county. The Society’s major Paul A. Verret responsibility is its stewardship over this history. Second Vice President Joan Higinbotham Secretary C O N T E N T S J. Scott Hutton Treasurer Thomas H. Boyd, Norlin Boyum, Julie 3 Letters Brady, Carolyn J. Brusseau, Anne Cowie, 4 The Other Librarian Nancy Randall Dana, Charlton Dietz, Joanne A. Englund, Robert F. Garland, John Clara Baldwin and the Public Library Movement in Minnesota Holman, George A. Mairs, Laurie Murphy, Robert F. Garland Richard H. Nichol son, Marla Ordway, Sally D. Patterson, Marvin J. Pertzik, Jay 11 Creating a Diocese Pfaender, Ralph Thrane, David Thune, Richard Wilhoit. The Election of Minnesota’s First Episcopal Bishop Richard T. Murphy Sr. Anne Beiser Allen Director Emeritus 16 Growing Up in St. Paul EDITORIAL BOARD Frogtown’s Arundel Street Anne Cowie, chair, James B. Bell, John Diers, Thomas H. Boyd, Laurie Murphy, Richard H. James R. Brown Nicholson, Paul D. Nelson, Jay Pfaender, David Riehle, G. Richard Slade, Steve Trimble, 24 Roseville’s “Lost Son” Honored Mary Lethert Wingerd. John M. Lindley HONORARY ADVISORY BOARD 25 Book Reviews Olivia I. Dodge, William Fallon, William Finney, Robert S. Hess, George Latimer, Joseph S. Micallef, Robert Mirick, Marvin J. Pertzik, James Reagan, Rosalie E. Wahl, Publication of Ramsey County History is supported in part by a gift from Donald D. Wozniak. Clara M. Claussen and Frieda H. Claussen in memory of Henry H. Cowie Jr. RAMSEY COUNTY COMMISSIONERS and by a contribution from the late Reuel D. Harmon Commissioner Tony Bennett, chair Commissioner Victoria Reinhardt Commissioner Toni Carter Commissioner Rafael Ortega Commissioner Janice Rettman Commissioner Jan Parker A Message from the Editorial Board Commissioner Jim McDonough David Twa, manager, Ramsey County he theme for this issue is the creativity of diverse Ramsey county residents as they responded to change. TBob Garland adds an important chapter to Minnesota women’s history with his account of Clara F. Baldwin, Ramsey County History is published quarterly who headed the drive to build a library system in greater Minnesota as its population grew. From the time she by the Ramsey County Historical Society, 323 Landmark Center, 75 W. Fifth Street, St. graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1892, Baldwin worked to make books accessible to all Minne- Paul, Minn. 55102 (651-222-0701). Printed in sotans. As state librarian from 1900 to 1936, she first oversaw the development of traveling libraries, then a U.S.A. Copy right 2007, Ram sey County His- comprehensive system of local libraries. James Brown follows an earlier article for this magazine with more torical So ciety. ISSN Number 0485-9758. All lively reminiscences of growing up in the 1920s and ’30s in Frogtown, which was then a vital neighborhood rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reprinted or otherwise reproduced near the state capitol that included African-American residents. His early relationships and activities, followed without written permission from the pub- by his education on racism at the neighborhood barbershop, make a compelling read. And Anne Beiser Allen lisher. The Society assumes no responsibility tells the intriguing story of Rev. Henry B. Whipple’s election as the first Episcopal bishop of Minnesota in for state ments made by contributors. Fax 651- 1859, as that denomination was expanding in the new state. We hope you enjoy reading it all. 223-8539; e-mail address [email protected].; web site address www.rchs.com Anne Cowie Chair, Editorial Board 2 RAMSEY COUNTY HISTORY Creating a Diocese The Election of Minnesota’s First Episcopal Bishop Anne Beiser Allen n the morning of June 29, 1859, approximately fifty delegates from and elect a bishop to govern it. Both the twenty-two Episcopal parishes in the new diocese of Minnesota gath- diocese and its bishop-elect must then re- Oered in St. Paul’s Church at Olive and Ninth streets in St. Paul to ceive a vote of approval from the national choose their first bishop.1 General Convention in order to become a legitimate part of the Protestant Episcopal Minnesota was changing rapidly from a church leaders felt it was time to begin or- Church of the United States of America. frontier region to one filled with farms, ganizing an independent diocese. Thus, in September 1857, a convention towns, and industry. Its population had had been held at Christ Church in St. mushroomed following the signing of the Episcopal Church Polity Paul, at which a diocesan constitution was 1851 treaty in which Dakotah Indian lead- Although the Episcopal Church retains drawn up and approved. Further organi- ers ceded nearly 1.5 million acres of land many of the forms of the ancient Roman zational details were settled in 1858, but in the southern half of the state to the U.S. Catholic Church from which it derives, the election of a bishop had been put off government. In 1849, there were barely there are important differences in its gov- 4,000 white people in the region; by 1859 ernance. When the Church of England there were over 150,000, with more ar- severed its connection with Rome in riving every day. Towns sprang up almost the 1500s, it continued to operate in a overnight. The new settlers brought their system of local parishes, gathered into religious yearnings with them, and visit- dioceses governed by bishops under ing preachers received a warm welcome, the archbishop of Canterbury. In 1789, whatever their denomination. In 1850, the the American Church, influenced by the Episcopal priest James Lloyd Breck had republican philosophy of the late eigh- founded a three-man Associated Mission teenth century, abandoned the mother in St. Paul. Within a year, a parish known church’s authoritarian structure. Instead, as Christ Church had formed around the it set up a bicameral governing body, the mission and built a board-and-batten neo- General Convention, with a House of Gothic church on Cedar Street between Dele gates consisting of elected lay and Third (now Kellogg Boulevard) and clergy delegates from each diocese, and Fourth. A missionary society, led by both a House of Bishops consisting of all bish- clergy and laity, was set up “to assist in ops in the church. The General Conven- the erection and completion of churches tion meets every three years to decide is- throughout the territory.”2 sues of importance to the national church By 1857 nineteen Episcopal churches as a whole. Each individual diocese sets had been founded in Minnesota, and sev- its own operating rules, however, and James Lloyd Breck (1818–1876), Episcopal eral others were in the early stages of the bishop of that diocese, along with an priest and missionary. Educated in Philadel- formation. There were nearly 400 official elected standing committee that is com- phia by William Muhlenberg, a High Church- communicants among their congrega- posed of clergy and lay representatives, man whose fascination with liturgy predated tions, most of them leaders of their com- governs the diocese more or less inde- the Oxford Movement, Breck dreamed of 3 pendently. Each priest (minister) serving founding missions based on the medieval munities. These churches were under monastic model. In 1844 he founded Nashotah the supervision of the church’s mission- in the diocese is licensed by, and serves House in Wisconsin. Six years later, he came ary bishop of the Northwest, the Rt. Rev. at the discretion of, the diocesan bishop. to St. Paul, where his Associate Mission was Jackson Kemper, who was responsible for For a new diocese to be established the first Episcopal establishment in Minnesota. a broad area ranging from Kansas to Wis- in the United States, Episcopal Church After an unsuccessful attempt to organize a mission among the Ojibwe, Breck moved to consin. Now, with Minnesota on the brink law requires that representatives of both Faribault in 1857 and founded Seabury Theo- of statehood and the number of churches clerical and lay leadership convene to logical School. Photo courtesy of the Minne- steadily growing, Minnesota’s Episcopal draw up a constitution for the diocese sota Historical Society. RAMSEY COUNTY HISTORY 11 until 1859. Now it was time to choose the centered on Christ Church in the “Upper- man whose name would be presented to town.” Ebenezer Steele Peake had joined the General Convention’s planned meet- Breck’s Associated Mission in 1856 and ing in Richmond, Virginia, in October, at was responsible for the mission’s In- which time he would be consecrated the dian work, which he supervised from his first bishop of Minnesota.