This week in state history

Historic Minnesota events with anniversaries this week.

June 5

1885 The Western Appeal (later the Appeal), the first Minnesota-published African American newspaper to gain national readership, premieres, edited by Frederick D. Parker.

June 6

1945 Just after 5 a.m. a fire was discovered at a farm home near Mahtowa. Vivian Doan, aged 28, was found dead in the home along with four children, Dorrayne, 8; Laurene, 5; Darlene Kay, 2; and Danny, about two months. The father, Robert Doan, later signed a confession stating that he had beaten to death his wife and three of the four children with a baseball bat. He said he also set fire to the house, killing the remaining child. His first trial in Carlton County closed with a 9-3 deadlock because Doan’s attorney argued that his client had signed the confession under extreme duress. Doan denied the murders during the trial. At a second trial in Duluth, Doan was sentenced to life imprisonment for second-degree murder. He continued to argue his case, even after his release from prison. In 1975, the Minnesota Supreme Court upheld the court conviction in the last known action Doan took to seek a new trial. Records show he died in 2004 at age 87, in Turtle Lake, Wisconsin.

June 7

1892 The Republican National Convention meets in Minneapolis and renominates Benjamin Harrison to the office of president. Two women from Wyoming attend the convention as alternates, the first female delegates to a national political convention. Wyoming had granted full suffrage for women upon statehood in 1890.

1902 The steamer Hadley rams the whaleback freighter Thomas Wilson near the entry to the Duluth harbor. The Wilson sinks quickly, and nine crewmembers drown.

1921 The Minnesota Cooperative Creameries Association, now known as Land O’Lakes, is formed.

June 8

1880 The flour of the Washburn-Crosby Company wins a gold medal at an exhibition in Cincinnati, launching the Gold Medal brand. Washburn-Crosby would eventually become General Mills.

1910 Cartoonist C. C. Beck, who drew Captain Marvel, is born in Zumbrota. Captain Marvel was Beck’s answer to Superman, who had just arrived at the newsstands. In the 1940s, Captain Marvel sold more than 1 million copies a month, the most successful comic book in history.

1927 Popular artist LeRoy Neiman, known for his wildly colored sports scenes, is born in St. Paul.

June 9

1871 A court orders an injunction against construction of a shipping canal in Duluth, which it was building in order to divert traffic from Superior, which has the natural mouth of the harbor. Duluth mayor J. B. Culver orders the excavation into high speed, completing the work on June 13, just before the formal court order is delivered. Duluth’s reply to Superior is “You can stop the water if you can. We can’t.”

1979 Gov. Al Quie calls out the National Guard to protect truck drivers who continue to work during a nationwide strike.

June 10

1922 Frances Gumm, later known as actress and singer Judy Garland, is born in Grand Rapids.

This column is derived from MNopedia.org and developed by the Minnesota Historical Society.