RAMSEY COUNTY Robert Foulis—Minnesota’s First Golf Professional Joseph Gladke —Page 9 HıstoryA Publication of the Ramsey County Historical Society Summer 2016 Volume 51, Number 2 What Does the Queen Say?: Helen Marks, Dressmaker, the 1903 Summer Carnival, and the Unions David Riehle, page 3 Helen A. Marks, member of the Dressmakers Union Local 1, was elected Queen of the St. Paul Summer Carnival in 1903 by an overwhelming popular vote, including thousands of labor union supporters. Voters paid 10¢ per vote and could vote as many times as they wanted because the money raised went to help pay for the Free Public Baths on Harriet Island, seen here in the background looking southwest from Wabasha Bridge. The portrait of Helen Marks is courtesy of the Minnesota Historical Society. Photo of Harriet Island and the Free Public Baths about 1905 by the Detroit Photographic Co., courtesy of the Library of Congress. RAMSEY COUNTY HISTORY RAMSEY COUNTY President Chad Roberts Founding Editor (1964–2006) Virginia Brainard Kunz Editor Hıstory John M. Lindley Volume 51, Number 2 Summer 2016 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 What Does the Queen Say? Secretary Kenneth H. Johnson Helen Marks, Dressmaker, the 1903 Summer Carnival, Treasurer and the Unions William B. Frels David Riehle Immediate Past Chair Anne Cowie, Cheryl Dickson, Mari Oyanagi 9 Robert Foulis—Minnesota’s First Golf Professional Eggum, Thomas Fabel, Martin Fallon, John Guthmann, Richard B. Heydinger, Jr., Joseph Gladke Janine Joseph, Sandy Kiernat, Judy Kishel, David Kristal, Robert W. Mairs, 13 Ramsey County Historical Society Annual Report 2015–2016 Father Kevin M. McDonough, Nancy W. McKillips, Lisa Dickinson Michaux, 20 Homes vs. Factories: The 95-Year Battle over the Jonathan H. Morgan, Robert Muschewske, Future of the South Highland Park Neighborhood Chad Roberts, Roxanne Sands, James A. Stolpestad, Susan Vento, Jerry Woelfel. Marc J Manderscheid EDITORIAL BOARD Publication of Ramsey County History is supported in part by a gift from Anne Cowie, chair, James B. Bell, Thomas H. 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, and by a contribution from the late Reuel D. Harmon Greg Mackey, James Miller, John Milton, Laurie M. Murphy, Robert Muschewske, Paul D. Nelson, Jay Pfaender, David Riehle, Chad A Message from the Editorial Board Roberts, Steve Trimble, Mary Lethert Wingerd. HONORARY ADVISORY BOARD bout one hundred years ago, Ramsey County was changing with the times. In this William Fallon, William Finney, George Latimer, Joseph S. Micallef, Marvin J. Pertzik, Aissue, you will read about some of those changes. In 1903, for one brief shining James Reagan. year, St. Paul had a SUMMER carnival, which Dave Riehle describes for us. The carni- RAMSEY COUNTY COMMISSIONERS val, whose proceeds went to Dr. Justus Ohage’s public bathhouse along the Mississippi, Commissioner Victoria Reinhardt, chair Commissioner Toni Carter had its own queen, who was a dressmaker and union activist, elected by union mem- Commissioner Blake Huffman Commissioner Jim McDonough bers. Other activities held the attention of Ramsey County residents too. Joseph Gladke Commissioner Mary Jo McGuire shares the story of how, a few years earlier, the newly organized Town and Country Commissioner Rafael Ortega Commissioner Janice Rettman Club recruited Robert Foulis, a native of St. Andrews, Scotland, to help design its nine- Julie Kleinschmidt, manager, hole course and act as its first golf pro. And the City of St. Paul was growing. Marc Ramsey County Manderscheid details the city of Saint Paul’s zoning changes that allowed the transfor- Ramsey County History is published quarterly by the Ramsey County Historical Society, 323 mation of farms and fields in south Highland Park, based on the eagerness of business Landmark Center, 75 W. Fifth Street, St. Paul, MN 55102 (651-222-0701). Printed in U.S.A. Copy- leaders to develop the area for a major automobile factory. Henry Ford’s astute nego- right © 2016, Ram sey County His torical So ciety. tiation for his assembly plant changed the character of that neighborhood, which sup- ISSN Number 0485-9758. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reprinted ported the Ford factory for nearly one hundred years. With proposed new development, or otherwise reproduced without written permission from the publisher. The Society we will see what happens in the next chapter of Highland Park history! assumes no responsibility for state ments made by contributors. Fax 651-223-8539; e-mail address: Anne Cowie [email protected]; web site address: www.rchs.com Chair, Editorial Board 2 RAMSEY COUNTY HISTORY Robert Foulis—Minnesota’s First Golf Professional Joseph Gladke n explosion of interest in the game of golf occurred in America at the to young Robert and during his last year, end of the nineteenth century. According to Geoffrey Cornish and Ron Robert assisted the master with laying Whitten in their book The Golf Course, there were over 80 golf courses out several courses. Robert was incred- A ibly fortunate as he could not have a bet- in the United States by 1896. By 1900, there were over 982 courses with at least 1 ter mentor in the entire golf profession. In one in each of forty-five states. With the rapid expansion of golf came the need September of 1893, Robert left his home for individuals who could lay out a golf course, had knowledge of the correct town of St. Andrews and became the seed to use for fairways and greens, could supply those who could afford to play professional of the Ranfurly Castle Golf golf with clubs and balls, could play the game of golf, and could teach others Club in Bridge-of-Weir, Scotland. how to play golf. Very few individuals had all of these skills and those who did Meanwhile in the United States, Charles were in high demand. One of the most talented individuals with these skills was Blair Macdonald started work on the lay- Robert Foulis, Minnesota’s first golf professional. out of the Chicago Golf Club in 1894. As he was developing the course, Charles Robert Foulis was born on September 26, brothers, David and James. While on contacted his friend Old Tom Morris in 1873 in what many people refer to as the summer break from classes, the boys St. Andrews to secure the services of a home of golf, St. Andrews, Scotland. learned to play golf and caddied as well. golf professional for the club. Old Tom Robert was the fourth of seven children As Robert grew older, so did his interest in Morris recommended Robert Foulis, but born to James and Helen Foulis. The the business of golf. After completing his he turned down the offer to go to America. Foulis family lived at 166 South Street in schooling, Robert began working as an His brother James, decided to take the St. Andrews, just three short blocks from apprentice at the Tom Morris shop. Over job. Word spread quickly of James’s golf the Old Course. James Foulis was fore- the next four-and-a-half years, he learned abilities and his skills related to golf course man at the Tom Morris shop which over- the arts of club and ball making, teaching, design and construction. He realized that looked the 18th green and 1st tee at the and greenskeeping. Old Tom took a liking America was a land of opportunity for Old Course. The Tom Morris shop pro- duced high quality golf clubs and balls. Old Tom Morris was the most prolific golf figure of the nineteenth century. He was the runner-up in the first Open Championship in 1860 and went on to compete in a total of thirty-six Open Championships. Between 1861 and 1867, Old Tom Morris won the Open Championship four times. In 1868, he was runner-up to his seventeen-year-old son, young Tom Morris, who went on to win four consecutive Open Championships, a feat that has never been equaled. In addi- tion to being one of the top golfers of his day, Old Tom Morris was also the Keeper of the Greens at the Old Course in St. Andrews from 1865 to 1904. In addition to his work at the Old Course, Morris also designed or remodeled numerous other courses across the United Kingdom. This photo of the Old Tom Morris golf shop in St. Andrews, Scotland, shows Old Tom Morris without an apron in the front row next to his right-hand employee, James Foulis Senior (shop As a young schoolboy, Robert fol- foreman), in the firstrow , third from the left. Young Robert Foulis is shown in the back row at lowed in the footsteps of his two older the far right. Photo from the Foulis family collection. RAMSEY COUNTY HISTORY 9 must be smoothly rolled and evenly grow- ing to be satisfactory to the golfers. The Foulis brothers also worked with John Thorpe, who was the landscape artist for the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago, trying different grass combinations for both fairways and greens. There are several differing ac- counts regarding who designed the original “golf course” at the Town and Country Club in St. Paul. In 1895 the Pioneer Press reported that an original Town and Country Club found- ing member, E.J.