RAMSEY COUNTY Growing Up in St. Paul Fifteen Minutes with My Dad: Reginald L. Hopwood Victoria Hopwood HıstoryA Publication of the Ramsey County Historical Society —Page 13 Winter 2018 Volume 52, Number 4 “Another Siberia, Unft for Human Habitation?” St. Paul’s Super Ice Palaces, 1886, 1887, and 1888 Robert A. Olsen, page 3 An artist’s depiction of the storming the of 1888 Ice Palace. Note the clouds of smoke from burning sulfur fres that caused the palace to glow in multiple colors. RAMSEY COUNTY HISTORY RAMSEY COUNTY President Chad P. Roberts Founding Editor (1964–2006) Virginia Brainard Kunz Hıstory Editor John M. Lindley Volume 52, Number 4 Winter 2018 RAMSEY COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY the mission statement of the ramsey county historical society BOARD OF DIRECTORS adopted by the board of directors on January 25, 2016: James Miller Preserving our past, informing our present, inspiring our future Chair Jo Anne Driscoll First Vice Chair Carl Kuhrmeyer C O N T E N T S Second Vice Chair Susan McNeely 3 “Another Siberia, Unft for Human Habitation”? Secretary St. Paul’s Super Ice Palaces, 1886, 1887, 1888 Kenneth H. Johnson Treasurer Robert A. Olsen Mari Oyanagi Eggum, Jo Emerson, Thomas 13 Growing Up in St. Paul Fabel, Martin Fallon, Tim Glines, John Guthmann, Susan Handley, Richard B. Fifteen Minutes with My Dad: Reginald L. Hopwood Heydinger, Jr., Janine Joseph, Judy Kishel, David Kristal, Robert W. Mairs, Jeffry Martin, Victoria Hopwood Father Kevin M. McDonough, Jonathan H. Morgan, Robert Muschewske, Chad P. Roberts, 23 Terror Visits Fort Snelling: Roxanne Sands, George T. Stephenson, James A. The 1940 Murder of Mary Jane Massey Stolpestad, Chris Taylor, Jerry Woelfel. Steve Lydon EDITORIAL BOARD Anne Cowie, chair, James B. Bell, Thomas H. Publication of Ramsey County History is supported in part by a gift from Boyd, John Diers, Martin Fallon, John Clara M. Claussen and Frieda H. Claussen in memory of Henry H. Cowie Jr. Guthmann, Lisa L. Heinrich, John M. Lindley, Jeffry Martin, James Miller, John Milton, and by a contribution from the late Reuel D. Harmon Laurie M. Murphy, Robert Muschewske, Paul D. Nelson, Richard H. Nicholson, Jay Pfaender, David Riehle, Chad P. Roberts, Steve Trimble, A Message from the Editorial Board Mary Lethert Wingerd. HONORARY ADVISORY BOARD his year’s lovely Winter Carnival Ice Palace in Rice Park forms a good back- William Fallon, William Finney, George Tdrop for TV shots during the Super Bowl, but Bob Olsen’s article in our Win- Latimer, Joseph S. Micallef, Marvin J. Pertzik, James Reagan. ter issue tells us about the original, huge ice palaces of the 1880s. Built to refute RAMSEY COUNTY COMMISSIONERS East Coast claims that St. Paul was “another Siberia, unft for human habitation,” Commissioner Jim McDonough, chair they towered high above Central Park (the current site of the Centennial parking Commissioner Toni Carter ramp) and hosted the annual overthrow of King Boreas by the Vulcans. The 1888 Commissioner Blake Huffman Commissioner Mary Jo McGuire structure even sported a labyrinth, which later formed the inspiration for F. Scott Commissioner Rafael Ortega Commissioner Victoria Reinhardt Fitzgerald’s story, “The Ice Palace.” Victoria Hopwood also shares with us her Commissioner Janice Rettman story of growing up in St. Paul’s Rondo and Merriam Park neighborhoods. Because Julie Kleinschmidt, manager, her father held a good job as a waiter on the Great Northern’s Empire Builder, she Ramsey County Ramsey County History is published quarterly spent her youth in a house that was flled with books and music. It also allowed by the Ramsey County Historical Society, 323 some great vacations to see scenery of the American West! Finally, as a reminder, Landmark Center, 75 W. Fifth Street, St. Paul, MN 55102 (651-222-0701). Printed in U.S.A. Copy- we now have all back issues of our history magazine (beginning in 1964) available right © 2018, Ramsey County His torical So ciety. at no cost online at the RCHS website, www.rchs.com, for research and recrea- ISSN Number 0485-9758. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reprinted tional reading. This has been the result of hard work by staff and forms part of the or otherwise reproduced without written Society’s updated website to give you even better access to our local history. permission from the publisher. The Society assumes no responsibility for state ments made by Anne Cowie contributors. E-mail address: [email protected]; web site address: www.rchs.com Chair, Editorial Board 2 RAMSEY COUNTY HISTORY “Another Siberia, Unft for Human Habitation”? St. Paul’s Super Ice Palaces, 1886, 1887, and 1888 Robert A. Olsen n 1885 St. Paul was one of the fastest-Growing cities in North America. It was home to over a dozen railroads that hauled Minnesota’s Grain, timber, Iand iron ore east, returning with thousands of European immiGrants— people needed to work in the felds, forests, and mines of the state. Great efforts were made at the time climate, and especially their winters: to portray Minnesota’s climate as Montreal had hosted carnivals the three hospitable, even temperate, to these previous winters, and had Great success new Americans. Newspaper adver- encouraGinG city residents and visitors to tisements and magazine articles pro- take advantage of the health benefts of claimed the virtues of Minnesota’s a Brisk northern climate By engaging in four seasons, and extolled the lonG outdoor sporting events. Central to the growinG season and aBundant sun- Montreal carnival was the construction liGht in hopes of attractinG talented of a palace of ice, the promotion of which and hardworKinG immiGrants. So, it drew thousands of tourists to the city in came as quite the Blow to the eGos of the coldest part of winter. St. Paul’s Boosters, especially those in Unfortunately for Montreal, the city the Business community, when in 1885 was quarantined in the fall of 1885 Be- a New YorK correspondent quipped cause of a smallpox epidemic. It also that St. Paul was “another SiBeria, forced the cancellation of its 1886 win- In 1886 Charles E. Joy (1840–1928), an 1 experienced architect, inspired the people unft for human habitation” in winter. ter carnival. Fortunately for St. Paul, Joy of St. Paul to build the city’s frst ice pal- The response was immediate. On Knew the architect of the Montreal ice ace using plans prepared by a frm from NovemBer 2, 1885, a meeting was held at palace and the contractor who had Built Montreal. The following year the city used a the newly completed Ryan Hotel to dis- it; he suGGested to the St. Paul Business design that Joy developed for a new ice pal- cuss what to do about St. Paul’s image. leaders that they hire the Canadians to ace. Photo courtesy of Robert A. Olsen. Prominent city Business owners were in Bring their expertise working with ice to attendance, including GeorGe R. Finch, St. Paul, which would then organize its Alexander Hutchison of Hutchison & a dry-Goods merchant with AuerBach, own winter carnival. Steele Architects, desiGned the BuildinG.4 Finch and Van SlyKe; GeorGe Thompson, After its meetinG, the newly formed The local Association then sold stock to editor of the St. Paul Dispatch; William Saint Paul Ice Palace and Winter cover the cost of the palace: $5,210 at $10 A. Van SlyKe, Finch’s partner; AlBert Carnival Association declared that for per share. Scheffer, president of Commercial State the next thirty years they would hold a Not everyone in St. Paul endorsed BanK; Alfred S. TallmadGe, secretary of carnival that would Glorify the thinGs Building a palace of ice. H.H. Young of St. Paul’s ChamBer of Commerce; and that were possiBle to do in a climate such the State Board of ImmiGration feared J.H. Hanson of St. Paul’s Contractors’ as St. Paul’s . startinG in FeBruary of that potential immiGrants from Europe, and Builders’ Board of Trade, as well as 1886! reading of a place with Buildings made infuential men from the railroads.2 At of ice, would not choose Minnesota as a that meetinG, one man stood out in the The 1886 Ice Palace destination.5 conversation: Charles E. Joy. At the advice of Charles Joy, the Undeterred, J.H. Hutchison arrived Joy was an architect who desiGned Hutchison Bothers of Montreal were hired in St. Paul on DecemBer 29, 1885, with and superved the construction of new to design and build St. Paul’s frst ice pal- the ice palace plans in hand. With only passenGer stations as the railroads were ace.3 J.H. Hutchison was responsiBle for a few modifcations, the plans were ac- Being Built westward across the country. Building the structure, having proven his cepted By the Association. The site cho- Joy Knew how the citizens of Montreal enGineering sKill with the Montreal pal- sen for the ice palace was Central Park, had made the most of promoting their aces of 1883, 1884, and 1885. His Brother, an eiGht-acre area Bounded on three sides RAMSEY COUNTY HISTORY 3 Bismarck. Stillwater sent the corner- stone, a cube of ice over four feet on a side, cut from the St. Croix River. The fckle Minnesota weather chal- lenged the frst days of construction. Work slowed as the thermometer plum- meted to nearly -30 degrees at frst. When the weather moderated, the work- ers were able to make up for lost time, only to have the temperature drop to -34° a few days later. Progress was glacial. The editors of the St. Paul and Minneapolis Pioneer Press suggested in an editorial on January 25, that per- haps Carnival planners had outstepped their expectations of the giant ice palace.