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West St. Paul doesn’t have a storied history like the neighboring South St. Paul’s stockyards or Mendota’s Sibley House. The history is quieter and easily overlooked, but there are a series of historical markers scattered throughout the city.
Here’s a rundown of the historical markers found in West St. Paul.
Albert Park: Monument
Location: Albert Park
Installed: John Haag, 1953
“Established in 1931 by Alfred LeFevre in honor of his son Albert.”
Note: This monument was removed and not displayed from 1967 to 2013 and presumed lost.
More info: The History of West St. Paul’s Albert Park
Albert Park: Monolith
Location: Albert Park
Installed: Smith-Dodd Businessmen’s Association, 1967
- “Established 1931 by Albert LeFevre in memory of his son Albert.”
- “Smallest dedicated park in the U.S.A.”
Note: Both inscriptions on the monolith are inaccurate.
More info: The History of West St. Paul’s Albert Park
City Employee Memorial
Location: Marthaler Park
Installed: City of West St. Paul
“These trees have been planted by the West St. Paul Park and Recreation Board and West St. Paul businessmen in commemoration of the city employees who have given their lives in the line of duty.”
Three names are listed: Erling Armstrong, John R. Heuer, and Richard N. Neikirk, all firefighters who perished in the Bellows Court apartment explosion on January 11, 1974.
More info: 1974: Four Die in Apartment Explosion
Forty Acres
Location: Kennedy Park
Installed: Dakota County Historical Society, 1989
“In 1874 this unique part of West St. Paul was created to allow Phillip Crowley’s house at 763 Dodd Road to remain within Dakota County. He was superintendent of Dakota County Schools and later, in 1889, served as West St. Paul’s first mayor.”
More info: What Is Forty Acres?
Langula Hardware
Location: Gateway Place (Annapolis & Robert)
Installed: Dakota County Community Development Agency, 2021
“1916, E.E. Langula”
Note: The Gateway Place apartment building is built on the former site of Langula Hardware, a third-generation West St. Paul businesses that lasted 96 years. Emil Langula founded the store in 1914 and his grandson Gary Langula sold to the Community Development Agency in 2010. Gary donated the stone tablets from the original store that were installed in the apartment’s rain garden along Robert Street.
Oakdale School: 1930-1990
Location: Oakdale Park
Installed: Dakota County Historical Society, 1993
“Here stood the Oakdale Elementary School, dedicated by Governor Theo. Christianson on March 30, 1930. The one-story brick building cost $49,500. Kindergarten through 6th grade was taught in its 7 classrooms until 1979 when the school was closed. It also contained West St. Paul’s first gymnasium.”
More info: Then & Now: Oakdale School
Sibley School: 1888-1962
Location: Harmon Park
Installed: Dakota County Historical Society, 1984
“The site of one of West St. Paul’s first four permanent schools. It was named for Minnesota’s first governor, Henry H. Sibley. The building was a two story red brick structure that contained four classrooms. Gladstone, McClung, and McGrath were the other schools constructed during this era.”
Weschcke Park
Location: Weschcke Park
Installed: City of West St. Paul, 1994
“Weschcke Park Dedication: In honor of Mrs. Margaret Weschcke, whose interest in the youth of West St. Paul will be appreciated and remembered. August 3, 1974. 1994 Park Improvement Money, Donated in memory of Margaret J. Weschcke by her grandchildren.”
Note: This marker is extremely worn and hard to read. Margaret Weschcke is perhaps best known for making her backyard pool available to neighborhood children for swim lessons in the days before the city pool opened.
Wolters Field
Location: Harmon Park
Installed: City of West St. Paul, 2015
“Honoring Peter Wolters Sr. and Peter Wolters Jr. and Families. The family greenhouse business was devoted to making the city a more beautiful place.”
Building Markers
A number of government buildings and projects are marked with bronze plaques commemorating the dedication of the building and those responsible for its construction.
Did we miss any? Feel free to let us know what we missed in the comments (we intentionally focused on historic markers with dates that acknowledge a specific historic moment—the memorial to military service members in front of city hall, for example, is not a historic marker so we left it off.)
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One Response
You missed the plaque dedicating the Public Works garage. Also, I believe that there is a tree planted in Marthaler Park honoring the service of Jim Housely.