‘Tales from Pioneers & Soldiers Cemetery’ Archives
Tales, No. 213: Freed Family Embraced Freedom Across U.S. & Haiti
Glenalvin Goodridge, 1829-1867; teacher, iconic photographer Goodridge and Grey Family: Extraordinary Abilities and Service While Enduring Racial, Economic, and Judicial Injustice By SUE HUNTER WEIR from Tales from Pioneers and Soldiers Memorial Cemetery The identity of the man in this photo has not formally been identified but John Vincent Jezierski, author of “Enterprising Images,” believes that it is most likely a photo of Glenalvin Goodridge. The man in the photo bears a strong resemblance to William Goodridge, Glenalvin’s father. The photo was taken sometime in the 1850s. Photo Credit: from 'Enterprising Images' It’s taken more than a century and a-half but Glenalvin Goodridge is finally getting his due. Although he was well-known and highly regarded during his lifetime, he died in 1867, and other than a handful of scholars, few people have heard of him. That has changed since his work is now part of an important exhibit at the Smithsonian American Art [...]
Tales: Strawberries in October
Tales from Pioneers and Soldiers Memorial Cemetery 212th in a Series By SUE HUNTER WEIR Keeping the tradition alive. Students have been an integral part of Memorial Day observances since 1869. This year was no exception. Students from the Minnesota Transitions Charter School posted the colors and read “The Gettysburg Address” and “General Logan’s Orders.” Photo: Tim McCall Maria Elizabeth Siglin was born in Sweden on July 12, 1850. She emigrated to the United States in 1880, when she was 30 years old. One year later, on September 27, 1881, she married Johan Herman Siglin who was born in Sweden on April 27, 1851. He was the youngest of his parents’ six children.In 1853, when Herman (his preferred name) was two years old, his father died. His mother died in 1861, leaving him orphaned by the time that he was ten years old. When he was 22, he emigrated to the United States, arriving on May 26, 1873. Immigration records indicate that he was single and traveling [...]
Tales from Pioneers and Soldiers Memorial Cemetery: #211
No Justice for Martha By SUE HUNTER WEIR On September 9, 2012, the University of Minnesota hosted a dedication ceremony to honor the 250 adults who served as research subjects for medical students in the years 1914-1916.The University provided a marker in their memory. Photo: Tim McCall Gilbert Seashore, the Hennepin County Coroner, ruled Martha Rossa’s death as an “intentional homicide.” But despite the fact that Nick Piritano, the man who shot her, confessed, her case never went to trial. Instead, the county prosecutor devoted his efforts to prosecuting Piritano for killing Nick Bruno, a man who was in the same house as Martha on the night that she died.The transcripts of Piritano’s trials, both of them for the murder of Bruno, appear to no longer exist. And newspaper accounts about what happened on the night of May 5, 1913, are confusing and contradictory at best.What is known is that on that evening she was at the home of Nick Piritano. The papers referred to her [...]
