/ RAMSEY COUNTY ‘Say It Ain’t So, Charlie:’ Comiskey’s Labor Dispute and the Opening of Lexington Park Page 14 Summer, 2004 Volume 39, Number 2 From Farm to Florence: The Gifted Keating Sisters and the Mystery of Their Lost Paintings

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Madonna of the Rosebower (Stephan Lochner, c. 1435; Cologne, Wallraf-Richartz Museum). A beautiful example of the elegant International Courtly Style of the late Middle Ages, this 3‘ by 5' copy was painted by Sr. Anysia in 1939 as a gift for her niece, Margaret H. Marrinan. See article beginning on page 4. RAMSEY COUNTY HISTORY Executive Director Priscilla Farnham Byron R. Mortensen Editor Virginia Brainard Kunz Remembers The Society in His Will RAMSEY COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY Volume 39, Number 2 Summer, 2004 BOARD OF DIRECTORS James A. Russell THE MISSION STATEMENT OF THE RAMSEY COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY Chair ADOPTED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS IN JULY 2OO3: Marlene Marschall The Ramsey County Historical Society shall discover, collect, President preserve and interpret the history of the county for the general public, George A. Mairs First Vice President recreate the historical context in which we live and work, and make W. Andrew Boss available the historical resources of the county. The Society’s major Second Vice President responsibility is its stewardship over this history. Judith Frost Lewis Secretary J. Scott Hutton Byron R. Mortensen Treasurer CONTENTS 1949-2003 Duke Addicks, Charles L. Bathke, W. An­ drew Boss, Norlin Boyum, Joseph Camp­ 3 Letters bell, Norbert Conzemius, Anne Cowie, 4 From Farm to Florence: The Gifted Keating Sisters Charlton Dietz, Charlotte H. Drake, Joanne A. Englund, Robert F. Garland, Howard And the Mystery of Their Lost Paintings Byron R. Mortensen (1949-2003) was bom Guthmann, Joan Higinbotham, Scott Hut­ Margaret M. Marrinan in St. Paul and spent the early years of his ton, Judith Frost Lewis, John M. Lindley, George A. Mairs, Marlene Marschall, Laurie 14 Say It A in’t So, Charlie life at 865 Sherwood Avenue, near Arcade Murphy, Richard Nicholson, Marla Ordway, Street. His father, Gordon Mortensen was an Marvin J. Pertzik, Penny Harris Reynen, The 1897 Dispute Between Charles Comiskey David Thune, Glenn Wiessner, Richard Wil- And the St. Paul Trades and Labor Assembly East Sider, but his mother, Loretta, was from hoit, Laurie Zenner, Ronald J. Zweber. Over the Opening of Lexington Park the West Side. In 1961 the Mortensen fami­ Richard T. Murphy, Sr. David Riehle ly moved to White Bear Lake, where Byron, Director Emeritus his brothers, Gordon Jr. and Neil, and his 19 The Rondo Oral History Project EDITORIAL BOARD sister, Arvilla, all grew up. Buelah Mae Baines Swan Remembers Piano John M. Lindley, chair, James B. Bell, Thomas Byron graduated from White Bear Lake Lessons and a ‘nice vegetable garden’ Out Back H. Boyd, Mark Eisenschenk, Tom Kelley, Laurie High School. One of his favorite school Murphy, Richard H. Nicholson, Paul D. Nelson, A HandinHand Interview with Kate Cavett David Riehle, C. Richard Slade, Steve Trimble, activities was the Photography Club, a Mary Lethert Wingerd. 24 Spring Wagons and No Roads hobby that Byron continued as an adult. HONORARY ADVISORY BOARD A Gibbs Daughter Remembers a Pioneer After high school, Byron attended Gustavus Elmer L. Andersen, Olivia I. Dodge, Family’s Sunday as ‘a serious undertaking’ Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minn., study­ Charlton Dietz, William Finney, William Lillie Gibbs LeVesconte Fallon, Robert S. Hess, D. W. “Don” Larson, ing history and business. He completed his George Latimer, Joseph S. Micallef, Robert 26 Book Reviews business education at Lakewood Comm­ Mirick, Marvin J. Pertzik, James Reagan, Rosalie E. Wahl, Donald D. Wozniak. unity College. Publication of Ramsey County History is supported in part by a gift from Using his business training well, Byron RAMSEY COUNTY COMMISSIONERS Clara M. Claussen and Frieda H. Claussen in memory of Henry H. Cowie, Jr. was employed by various Twin Cities busi­ Commissioner Victoria Reinhardt, chairman and by a contribution from the late Reuel D. Harmon Commissioner Susan Haigh nesses in the food service industry. He Commissioner Tony Bennett became very skilled at analyzing food Commissioner Rafael Ortega Commissioner Janice Rettman A Message from the Editorial Board preparation and handling equipment and Commissioner Jan Wiessner udge Margaret H. Marrinan has long had more than just the casual interest of a family member in arranging for its installation at commercial David Twa, manager, Ramsey County Jthe artistry of her two aunts, Sr. Anysia and Sr. Sophia Keating, who belonged to the Congregation sites. His employer for about the last six of St. Joseph of Carondelet in St. Paul and were sent by their Order to Italy from 1908 to 1910 to study Ramsey County History is published quarterly years of his life was Commercial Kitchen by the Ramsey County Historical Society, art and copy Old Masters’ paintings. The many reproductions of famous religious and secular paintings 323 Landmark Center, 75 W. Fifth Street, St. that the Sisters made during their three-year journey, as well as those they made after their return to the Services in St. Paul. Paul,Minn. 55102 (651-222-0701). Printedin College of St. Catherine, have been a source of great pride to Judge Marrinan and her family, but have Byron's father had been a lieutenant U.S.A. Copyright, 2004, Ramsey County His­ also raised many questions concerning what became of these paintings beginning in the 1950s. torical Society. ISSN Number 0485-9758. All Judge Marrinan unravels this tale as best she can, but a full account remains untold. So that our colonel in the U.S. Army and had served in rights reserved. No part of this publication readers will better appreciate the artistry of Sr. Anysia and Sr. Sophia, the Society has reproduced eight may be reprinted or otherwise reproduced of their paintings in full color on the front and back covers and in selected pages of this issue. The So­ without written permission from the pub­ ciety also salutes the College of St. Catherine, which on August 31 begins a nearly year-long celebra­ lisher. The Society assumes no responsibility tion of its 100th birthday, by publishing these paintings and acknowledging the talent, hard work, and for statements made by contributors. Fax 651- faithful dedication of two of the many women religious who have served so well to educate so many at 223-8539; e-mail address [email protected].; the College over the past century. web site address www.rchs.com John Lindley, Chair, Editorial Board

2 RAMSEY COUNTY HISTORY Books

Making Minnesota Liberal: less than one percent of the population as well as moral power: If African- Civil Rights and the Trans­ was African-American? In this slim and Americans had access to good jobs, it elegantly argued volume, Jennifer Del- would increase their purchasing power formation of the Democratic ton asserts that the politics of civil rights and add to the health of the economy; Party. in Minnesota had little or nothing to do if they were paid on the same scale Jennifer A. Delton. with the voting power of African-Amer­ as white workers, it would eliminate Minneapolis: University of Minnesota icans. Rather, as a human rights issue, it an exploitable labor pool that created Press acted as a point of agreement that could downward pressure on wages. And 234 pages ISBN 0-8166-3922-1. bring otherwise divided Democrats and in Minnesota, the black population Reviewed by Mary Lethert Wingerd Farmer-Laborites together. It facilitated was too small to create significant job the two parties’ merger into the DFL. competition or raise other fears. As for innesotans might find it hard More importantly, led by Humphrey, African-Americans themselves, once Mto imagine that our state, today civil rights played a key role in shifting attracted away from historical loyalty known for its liberal Democratic tra­ the national Democratic Party, as well to the Republican party, activism as an dition, was once so dominated by the as the DFL, to an orientation on issues interest group provided them a place at Republican Party that it was considered and away from reliance on ethnic, reli­ the political table. Thus, civil rights be­ gious, and sectional loyalties. a “one-party” state. When Republican came the glue that held the Democratic According to Delton, this momen­ ascendancy was eventually challenged Party together. tous political change was driven in large in the 1920s, it came from the newly Delton writes that this “new” Demo­ part by a group of political science grad­ cratic Party, freed from the taint of formed Farmer-Labor Party, not the uates from the University of Minnesota patronage, sectionalism, and machine Democrats. In fact, outside St. Paul, (most notably Humphrey, Orville Free­ domination, was less ideologically where Irish politicos held sway, the man, and Arthur Naftalin). They advo­ bound than the Farmer-Laborites, who Democratic Party was a weak player cated a politics driven by competition were limited by the politics of class. in state politics until after World War among various interest groups, believ­ Because it acted as a broker among II. Hubert Humphrey, elected in 1948, ing the will of the people would be best multiple interests, the Democratic Party was the first Democrat ever sent to the represented by the relative influence of had the capacity to become a powerful Senate from Minnesota. the groups. Since every voter had mul­ national force in a way that was beyond Humphrey broke ground in another tiple interests (such as workers’ rights, the FLP or the old Democrats. way as well: When he delivered his education, human rights), the role of The author slants this transformation historic speech at the 1948 Democratic the party was to find issues that avoided in a generally positive light; however, Convention that urged the party to “get conflict among those whose interests she acknowledges that Humphrey and out of the shadow of states’ rights to overlapped. In other words, they sought his cohorts were quite ruthless in the walk forthrightly into the bright sun­ not to unite voters in a common cause, tactics they used to obliterate what shine of human rights,” he signaled but to create a viable political coalition remained of the Farmer-Labor left, co­ a new direction for the party—a turn through compromise and flexibility. opting a moderate version of its issues away from complicity with the segrega­ Civil rights in Minnesota were the while red-baiting its leaders out of the tionist South and toward the pluralistic point of convergence on which all fac­ DFL. She also notes that the party that liberalism that characterizes it today. tions could agree. In the wake of World emerged from this struggle was a politi­ The speech also catapulted Humphrey, War II, human rights was an issue on cal coalition, not a movement. Interest then mayor of Minneapolis (in a state everyone’s mind, deemed central to group negotiations rather than citizen notable for its lack of racial diversity), the American way of life. And human activism became the order of the day, a into national prominence as a champion rights in this era were defined primar­ far cry from the heyday of the Farmer- of civil rights. ily as economic rights, the right to fair Labor Party, which relied on the partici­ Why did civil rights become such a employment and equal wages. Few op- pation of rank-and-file citizens. compelling issue in Minnesota where posed such parity for it had pragmatic Farmer-Laborism, whatever its flaws,

26 RAMSEY COUNTY HISTORY was a model of participatory politics, a beyond. Where did the mounds come Mississippian Culture). The Woodland virtue that Delton ignores as she charts from? Who built them and when? What Culture built many of the burial mounds its demise. She also gives little attention were the builders like? and effigy mounds (mounds built to to the important role women played in Biloine Whiting Young and Melvin resemble animals, birds, geometric the FLP or to the fact that party leftists Fowler help us understand the people forms) scattered around the Midwest. constituted the vanguard of civil rights who built the mounds by looking at The book contains a number of activism. Instead, she focuses almost the largest and most carefully studied chapters on the early investigations of entirely on the undeniable factional­ mound site, Cahokia. The largest Na­ Cahokia, how the picture of Cahokia ism that internally wracked the FLP. tive American city, Cahokia was built slowly emerged in the 1950s, ’60s, This is a disservice to what was perhaps on the east side of the Mississippi River and ’70s, and chapters on the physical Minnesota’s quintessential democratic near present day St. Louis. At its peak, layout and culture of the Cahokia site. moment. By its very nature, democracy the city had a population of perhaps My favorite chapters were the ones on is messy, many voices, many points of 25,000. the physical layout of Cahokia, includ­ view. When one considers the abysmal In their engrossing and fact-filled ing downtown Cahokia with its grand record of voter participation over the book, Cahokia: The Great Native Amer­ central plaza and large earthen mounds last thirty years, it suggests that the New ican Metropolis, Young and Fowler resembling pyramids surrounded by a Democrats reaped some unintended trace the dual history of Cahokia: the wooden palisade, the chapter on the consequences from their overhaul of history of efforts to protect and study woodhenges, and the chapter on the popular politics. But that perhaps is the the site, and the history of Cahokia as engineering and construction of the topic for another book. we have been able to reconstruct it. mounds which required a sophisticated Making Minnesota Liberal is a fasci­ They richly illustrate the book with knowledge of soil types, drainage, and nating exploration of the internal work­ photos and maps (the maps are espe­ so on. ings of state and national politics and cially helpful). Woodhenges are astronomical obser­ situates Minnesota (surprisingly) as a Young is a St. Paul writer and Fowler vatories and calendars, like the famous key player in the civil rights movement. is a professor of anthropology (emeri­ Stonehenge in England, used to predict Anyone with an interest in politics will tus) at the University of Wisconsin, the position of the sun on the equinoxes find it an illuminating and thought-pro­ Milwaukee. Fowler has been one of the and summer and winter solstices. Ca­ voking read. leading researchers at Cahokia since hokia had a number of henges. 1951. His personal knowledge, along The book ends with chapters on other Mary Lethert Wingerd is a member of with Young’s writing skills, makes Ca­ Mississippian sites or “outposts of Ca­ Ramsey County History’s Editorial hokia read like a novel, with the story hokia” (the closest to St. Paul are near Board and author of Claiming the of Cahokia’s history unfolding along Red Wing and La Crosse), the abandon­ City—Politics, Faith, and the Power of with the story of the archeological in­ ment of the site (due to environmental Place in St. Paul, published in 2001 by vestigations. You finish the book with degradation and falling food produc­ Cornell University Press. both a sense of archeology as a messy tion), and comparisons of Cahokia to adventure in which real people (with other pre-Columbian sites. Cahokia: The Great Native quirky personalities and egos) try to After finishing Cahokia: The Great figure out the past and a sense of what American Metropolis Native American Metropolis, I hopped Cahokia was like over a several hundred in my car and drove to Mounds Park. Biloine Whiting Young and Melvin L. year period. Standing on the bluffs overlooking the Fowler Cahokia emerged as a major urban river and downtown, I had a deeper University of Illinois Press, 366 pages site around 800 AD; shortly after com respect for the peoples who lived here Reviewed by Michael G. Livingston production began in the area, and was before Columbus arrived in 1492, and abandoned between 1275 and 1350 still live here today. I am now plan­ f you stand in Mounds Park in St. AD. The peak of the site occurred from ning my trip to the Cahokia site and IPaul you can see the downtown sky­ about 1200 AD to 1275 AD. The area its museum. line and below you, the broad curve in which Cahokia is located is known of the Mississippi River. The mounds as the American Bottom, an area that is Michael G. Livingston is an associate themselves are a few of the surviving fertile and well-suited for com growing. professor of psychology at St. John’s mounds that once dotted Minnesota, Cahokia is part of the Mississippian University and the College of St. which 100 years ago numbered in Culture, which existed from about 750 Benedict. He grew up near the Norton the thousands. Mounds like those at AD to 1400 AD. The Mississippian Mounds (on the banks of the Grand Mounds Park (and even bigger and Culture followed the Woodland Culture River in Grand Rapids, Michigan) and more complex ones) are found through­ (from about 1000 BC to 1000 AD— has been fascinated with the mound cul­ out the Mississippi River valley and overlapping in some places with the ture ever since he was a teenager.

RAMSEY COUNTY HISTORY 27 The Pantheon (Rome). Original watercolor, 1908. The nuns’ sojourn coincided with modern Italy’s movement to distance itself from Vatican influence. An example of this evolution is found in the Pantheon itself. In the late nineteenth century, two bell towers added during its use as a Catholic church were demolished and the building reverted to the secular Pantheon we recognize today. Several of the people in this 1908 watercolor by Sr. Anysia wear the peasant dress still worn at that time by the lower classes. See article begin ning on p a g e 4.

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