Dave's History Tours

04/28/2024

Save this date! Celebration of West 7th! Free History Tours of West 7th Neighborhood!

08/12/2021

I will have to expand from baseball cap!

Traditional hats. This map surely misses some important traditional maps. Overall the map seems to be correct though I think. Source: https://buff.ly/3lzj89B

07/06/2021

I’m a baseball cap guy.Been wearing one since 5 years old!

Hats of the World. Lovely map shows the different types of typical male hats around the globe. Source: https://buff.ly/3qw4hgD

06/17/2021

Excellent map that shows how slavery spread to the west and lower east coast states.Soils of the East Coast Southern States were becoming depleted. The slave trade of new slaves being brought into the United States ended in 1807 so any growth of slavery was all internal,slaves moving from East Coast states to states along the Mississippi River and Deep South.

Map shows US slave population in 1790 and 1860. A truly dark chapter in US history. Source: https://buff.ly/3pClWma

05/02/2021

Locations that we have never visited!

Map shows the “Lost States of the US”, proposed states that never made it into existence. Which one should we petition for? I feel a new state would be fun... Source: https://buff.ly/3gBo0Zp

03/01/2021

I can smell this post!

Essential knowledge. Where did cheeses get their names from? Source: https://buff.ly/3pdEY1i

02/08/2021

Where is Cannon Falls Bakery?

The Lindstrom Bakery's "Scandinavian Donut" has been a marquee draw since 1973.

02/03/2021

Chart visualizes the size of the 20 largest cities on the planet. Could you locate all of them on a map? Source: https://buff.ly/3p0oGJ7

01/26/2021

We have toured many times!

Don McLean immortalized "the day the music died" at the Surf in his classic song "American Pie."

01/21/2021

Map shows the oldest manmade, free-standing building in each US state. Source: https://buff.ly/2Ni8gxT

01/10/2021

Good read for anyone interested in Saint Paul History!

DID YOU KNOW? An Inver Hills teacher may have solved Minnesota's oldest murder mystery, which some allege took place here in Dakota County.

Was early St. Paul pioneer John Hays killed in 1839 by his quarrelsome business partner Edward Phalen? Or was the crime committed by a Dakota warrior in present-day South St. Paul?

Edward Phalen and John Hays once owned most of the land which now makes up downtown St. Paul. When Hays disappeared in September 1839 and Edward Phalen was the last to see him, all of the circumstantial evidence and Phalen’s own incriminating statements seemed to point to Phalen as the killer.

But a deathbed confession years later by someone else points a different direction.

Gary Bruggemann, who has taught at Inver Hills, took a closer look, writing a thoroughly-researched book about it.

MPR has an excellent article about the mystery and book. Check out this link to the article:

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2015/07/17/books-thread-minnesotas-oldest-murder-mystery

01/03/2021

Map shows the Polish population (diaspora) across European countries. The data is from 2007. I don't expect this to be hugely different today but would love to see an updated map with more current data. Source: https://buff.ly/34RBoSk

11/29/2020

For Map Lovers!

11/26/2020

Map shows the most common last name across Europe. Maps to other continents are in the source: https://buff.ly/3jpzSv9

11/24/2020

German History in Minnesota

How did Yankee Doodle Road get its name? This is a question that comes up locally every once in a while.

Prior to WWI, the road's name was "Old Schmidt Road" after a local farmer. However, with so much anti-German sentiment in those days, farmer Schmidt got tired of being given a hard time about his address by patrons at a St. Paul bar where he stopped each week.

To stem the heckling, Schmidt came up with the most American-sounding name he could for the street: Yankee Doodle Road.

09/28/2020

A stop on Northern Dakota County Tour but ist’t anything like this old photograph.

125 YEARS AGO TODAY... On this date in 1895 a strong storm caused Castle Rock to topple. This 1870 photo shows Castle Rock, a 45-foot-tall spire that attracted thousands of tourists to Dakota County in the late 1800's.

Among the most sacred spots in Dakota County, Castle Rock was known to the Dakota as Inyan Bosndata or “Rock-standing-on-end."

The formation came to be known as Castle Rock by white settlers and was among Minnesota’s most revered features by both Native Americans and early settlers alike. On a clear day it could be seen from as far away as St. Paul.

09/04/2020

Tour today not to Amsterdam, San Francisco or Galena Illinois but to a little town in Wisconsin- Amery instead of 50 people two people. Everywhere has interesting things to see,fun exploring Amery Wisconsin.Lakes, farms and woods along scenic back roads in Wisconsin.Hopefully will be able to travel on a coach bus with 50 people soon.