RESEARCH RESOURCES

There are many resources that one can use to research topics in the history of St. Louis Park. Your topic will dictate which resource is right for you.

KINDS OF INFORMATION

BOOKS

The definitive history of St. Louis Park is a 300-page manuscript written in 1952 by Norman Thomas called St. Louis Park:  A Story of a Village.  The project was initiated and financed by S. Earl Ainsworth.  He had asked Barney Gross, editor of the Dispatch, for help hiring a writer, and Gross found Thomas, a graduate student at the U of M.   Ainsworth assembled groups of longtime Park residents to contribute their memories to the project.  Although there were plans to add pictures and publish the book, only a few copies of the document were produced - and those with carbon paper.  This document is now available on line.

A smaller but fact-filled volume put out by the Rotary Club in 1976 is also available at Lenox for checkout.

Something in the Water is a self-published book of memoirs and vignettes edited by Don Swenson. Topics run the gamut of St. Louis Park history, focusing on the era before World War II. This volume is available for purchase for $20 by sending a check to the St. Louis Park Historical Society, 3700 Monterey Drive, St. Louis Park, MN  55416.

Depending on the topic, the St. Louis Park Historical Society may have other books that are useful references.

PHONE DIRECTORIES

The Historical Society has a few of the earliest St. Louis Park directories, which began publication by Lydia Rogers in 1933. These are extremely useful research tools, and we greatly appreciate any donations of these precious books.  Those in our collection are as follows.  (Those in parentheses are the ones we don't have; it is possible that they were not published in every single year.)

1933-34
1934-35

1935-36

1937

1938
1939
1940

1941
1942
(1943)
1944

1945
(1946)
1947
(1948)

1949
(1950-55)
1956
(1957)

1958
(1959-1960)

Also on hand are directories from 1961 to the present time, with duplicates for most of the 1970s and '80s.

These materials are not generally available to the public. However, members may make arrangements to see them during office hours at Lenox. There is a full set at the Hennepin County Public Library in Downtown Minneapolis. The St. Louis Park Library has a few of the earlier ones, and a complete set from 1960 on.

NEWSPAPERS

The Historical Society is lucky to have many volumes of the St. Louis Park newspapers. On hand are bound copies of the Dispatch dated November 1941 to December 1963. There is a gap that picks up again as the Sun in July 1969 through March 1978.  We also have unbound copies of the Sun-Sailor in various stages of completeness from the 1980s to the early 2000s. 

These newspapers are not generally available to the public, due to their fragility and the fact that they are also available on microfilm at the Minnesota Historical Society and the Southdale branch of the Hennepin County Library System. However, members may make arrangements to see them.

The Society has only a very few copies of the St. Louis Park High School newspaper, The Echo.  Most are from 1952 to 1954.  The High School Media Center has the bound volumes from 1946 or 1947 on, and many of the issues from 1940 through 1945 or 1946, plus a few issued in 1939. Unfortunately, they do not have the issues from 1929 through 1939.

ECHOWANS

The St. Louis Park has an almost complete set of SLP High School yearbooks.  The High School Media Center has almost a complete set as well. Click here for an Inventory of our holdings. Echowans are kept at Lenox, and can be viewed during office hours and by appointment.

VILLAGE COUNCIL MINUTES

The City Clerk’s Office has possession of the St. Louis Park Village Council and City Council Minutes from the very beginning in 1886. The only exception is the volume that covers the years 1891-1900. The City Clerk has other resources as well with regard to the Council, Mayor, and City Manager.

VIDEOS

The St. Louis Park Historical Society, in cooperation with the St. Louis Park Cable TV office, has produced a number of Oral History and other videotapes. The tapes are shown periodically on the St. Louis Park cable TV channel. They are also available for purchase. Some of the tapes available are:

1. St. Louis Park Centennial Review, 1986

2. St. Louis Park Centennial Parade, 1986

3. North Side Reunion, May 31, 1992

4. St. Louis Park Historical Society Members Recollect:
A Visual History – Marie Hartmann and Doug Gullifer
I Remember When – Marie Hartmann, Doug Gullifer, John Magnusson, and Ruth
and Bill Jaglo

5. Living the Grand Life in the St. Louis Park Area – Neil and Ruby Paulson, 1997

6. 60th Class Reunion, St. Louis Park High School Class of 1938, August 14, 1998

7. Park Center, Walker Street and the Old High School Neighborhood, a Panel
Discussion – Doug Gullifer, Ben Brown, Don Swenson and Stoge Williams, 1998

8. From Morse Code to Fax and the Internet – Edna Jorvig, Age 102, Recollects, 1998

9. Evelyn Tunick Broude Recollects, 1999

10. Ben Brown Tours his Old Neighborhood, Park Center, Now Elmwood – Ben Brown,
Doug Gullifer, Bob Jorvig, October 1999

11. George “Stoge” Williams, Bill Jenkins, and Don Swenson Tour Their Old
Neighborhoods, the Old High School Area, July 2000
12. Walker Street, St. Louis Park’s “First Downtown:” Hamilton’s Grocery, Swenson
and Redeens Meats, Doc Brown’s Barber Shop and Pool Hall – Ben Brown, Doug Gullifer, Bob Jorvig, Don Swenson, and Bill Jenkins, July 2000

13. History – Former Mayor Kenneth Wolfe (unedited)

14. St. Louis Park Historical Society Ice Cream Social, July 1999

15. Ben Brown Recalls Walker Street, His Father’s “Doc Brown’s Barber Shop and Pool
Hall,” and working in the Creosote Plant.

SOURCES OF INFORMATION
 

ST. LOUIS PARK HISTORICAL SOCIETY

The Historical Society keeps historical documents on file at the Lenox Community Center. These files contain information on people, businesses, civic enterprises such as police and fire, and many more. The Historical Society also has a collection of pictures, also organized by businesses, people, etc.

These files are available during office hours, which are Thursdays from 10 am to noon and by appointment.

WEB SITES

Much historical research can be done over the Internet. Sometimes you can get the actual information you're looking for from websites, and sometimes the websites can be used to identify materials ahead of time so that when you go to a library you can go right to them. The following is a list of some basic websites and other resources that can be helpful when doing research on houses, people, etc.

Hennepin County Property Information Search (PINS)

This website contains public information from the county tax records. Enter an address and it will give you the date the house was built, the name(s) of the taxpayer and owner, the legal description and dimensions of the lot, etc. It will also indicate the name of the subdivision - with that you can enter the name of the subdivision and block number to get a list of all of the houses on the block. For example, if you want to know the ages of all the houses on your street, look up your own address to find out the subdivision name and block number, then enter that information to get a list of each house in that block. Click on each house on your street to get the year built. There is also a very helpful mapping feature.

Social Security Death Index

This extremely useful database is made available for a fee through ancestry.com.  It may be available through other sources as well.  It can provide you with the birth and death dates of a person, as long as they had a social security card and their death was reported to the Social Security Administration. For a fee, you can also request a copy of the person's application for a social security card - these applications provide information about the person's parents, date and place of birth, and occupation at the time of application. [You'll find that the basic ancestry.com website has a great deal of useful genealogical information as well.]

Class Web Sites

Other web sources are Classmates.com and individual Facebook pages.  The Class of 1964 has its own web site, as does the class of 1968.  Dave Englund explains how he set up the site for the Class of 1964:

The website I used is a free site (www.webs.com) Webs provides pre-made webpage templates & even hosts the site for free (with outside advertising added) but to eliminate the advertising, I paid $15 (yr) to have all advertising removed. Then, so I wouldn't have to use their name which would have been www.slp64.webs.com, I simply registered SLP64.Com with GoDaddy ($6.90 on sale for a .Com) and then I just set the forward domain feature to the free website address above and set it to "mask". Doing this allows anyone to simply type slp64.com into their browser and they will be taken to the site as if it were a top tier domain, so for a total of $22/Year it becomes a very easy, very inexpensive site. All Classmates can visit, email, blog etc. without having to pay others such as Classmates.Com (which I do have & it does irritate me to have to use their internal email features etc.). I think that it would be great if other classes could set up their own sites.

LIBRARIES

Minnesota Historical Society
345 Kellogg Blvd. West, St. Paul
651-296-6126     800-657-3773

The MHS website includes the following databases:

1. WebPALS: This is the online catalog, where you can search for materials by the categories of author, subject, title, or keyword. It will guide you other related materials as well. Most, if not all, of the materials must be used only at the library.
2. AskRon Newspaper Database: This will give you listings of the newspapers held in the collection. You cannot actually see any articles on-line. All newspapers are available to look at on microfilm in the Hubbs Reading Room at the Historical Society. Machines are available to make copies from the microfilm.
3. Visual Resources Database: The library's photographs are included in this database. You can actually view some of the photos on line, but not all. If you want a copy of a photo, you can have a black and white photocopy made at the library (they do not have a color copier), you can order a print of the photo, or you can order a digital copy of the picture to be emailed to you.

The MHS Library also offers classes on researching house histories. The number to call is 651-296-2143.


John R. Borchert Map Library
Wilson Library, University of Minnesota
309 - 19th Avenue South
612-624-4549

This collection contains, among other things, aerial photographs taken at different years of specific parts of the city (although several of the photos are missing). There are also atlases and maps. (Note: the newspaper section of the Wilson Library does not have any local papers.)

Northwest Architectural Archives
Andersen Library, U of M
222 - 21st Avenue, Suite 213
612-625-3550 (call first)

This collection holds 130 years of records from architects, builders, interior designers, and engineers. If you know who "commissioned" a particular house, (usually the first owner), you might be able to obtain information on building inspections and permits, the name of the architect, and architectural drawings. Whether it includes houses in St. Louis Park is unclear.

Hennepin History Museum
2303 Third Avenue South, Minneapolis
612-870-1329

This library includes historical atlases of maps from the 1880s and onward, a file of miscellaneous documents and clippings, and a card catalog of manuscripts and other documents. It also has a collection of the histories of other local cities and suburbs.

Hennepin County Public Library, Downtown Minneapolis Branch
300 Nicollet Mall
952-847-8000

Microfilms of newspapers are available here, but not to the extent of the Minnesota Historical Society (no St. Louis Park papers). From their website you can search for various books and newspapers, renew a book online, etc. The History section has a complete set of St. Louis Park Directories, which start in 1933. Special Collections has a variety of materials, by topic. There are fascinating clipping files that go back to the 1930s.

Hennepin County Public Library, St. Louis Park Branch
3240 Library Lane
952-847-6125

Some St. Louis Park Phone Directories

No Echowans

The St. Louis Park library does not carry any local newspapers on microfilm, but there is a small file of newspaper articles on schools, prominent people, and businesses.

Hennepin County Library, Southdale Branch
7001 York Avenue So., Edina
952-847-5900

This library has some of the same newspapers on microfilm as the ones at the Minnesota Historical Society, including the St. Louis Park Dispatch and its successors.

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This information comes from a variety of sources: newspapers, books, yearbooks, phone directories, interviews, etc. Given the varied sources, we cannot guarantee that all of this information is correct, and welcome any additions and corrections. Please contact us with your contributions and comments.