Good morning List, I have found an advertisement for Wooley and Shirley, Manufacturing Jewelers and Engravers. Thomas Shirley was my Great Great Grandmother's 2nd husband and I am curious as to where in St. Paul this address, 404-406 Ryan Bldg., would have been located, anyone know?? Is it still there? Thanks, Connie Westcott --------------------------------- Talk is cheap. Use Yahoo! Messenger to make PC-to-Phone calls. Great rates starting at 1¢/min.

Your message regarding the Ryan Building brought back lots of memories. The multi-story building (actually a group of several buildings, built at different times) was located on E. Seventh St., southeast corner of Robert St., at the opposite end of the block from the famous Ryan Hotel, which was on Robert St., northeast corner of Sixth St. So, if you are familiar with downtown St. Paul, the Ryan Bldg. stood across Seventh street from the Emporium Department Store, across Robert street from the Bremer Arcade/Bank Building, and kitty-corner from the Golden Rule Department Store. As a child in the 1950s, I hawked newspapers from a news stand in front of the Ryan Bldg. The first floor of the building then housed the Maurice L. Rothschild -Young Quinlan Clothing Store. Although I was allowed to explore the store, it seemed all too expensive for my meager income. When sales were slow at the news stand, I would venture down the block and stake out the lobby of the Ryan Hotel, where I usually found a few customers. The overly ornate (but then much neglected) six-story Victorian confection, called the Ryan Hotel, was built in the mid-1880s, and was considered the finest hotel in the state of Minnesota. Had it survived, (and it should have) it is likely that every turret, quoin, and column would have been meticulously restored, and today would have been our only five-star hotel. But, like so many others, this extraordinary landmark was targeted during our city's Capitol Centre urban renewal (actually: urban removal) project. The stately Ryan was knocked down and carried away to some distant landfill in 1962, and the adjoining Ryan Building fell a few years later. Today, a modern office building is located on the site of the Ryan Bldg. and Ryan Hotel. Hope this helps. Best regards, Jim Sazevich, Historian St. Paul, Minnesota

It can be seen at http://www.drakkar91.com/stpaul/ Beautiful structure. Elaine I once said cynically of a politician, 'He'll doublecross that bridge when he comes to it.' --Oscar Levant Hello Jim On Sunday, July 16, 2006, you wrote > Your message regarding the Ryan Building brought back lots > of memories. > The multi-story building (actually a group of several > buildings, built at different times) was located on E. > Seventh St., southeast corner of Robert St., at the opposite > end of the block from the famous Ryan Hotel, which was on > Robert St., northeast corner of Sixth St. > So, if you are familiar with downtown St. Paul, the Ryan > Bldg. stood across Seventh street from the Emporium > Department Store, across Robert street from the Bremer > Arcade/Bank Building, and kitty-corner from the Golden Rule > Department Store. > As a child in the 1950s, I hawked newspapers from a news > stand in front of the Ryan Bldg. The first floor of the > building then housed the Maurice L. Rothschild -Young > Quinlan Clothing Store. Although I was allowed to explore > the store, it seemed all too expensive for my meager income. > When sales were slow at the news stand, I would venture down > the block and stake out the lobby of the Ryan Hotel, where I > usually found a few customers. > The overly ornate (but then much neglected) six-story > Victorian confection, called the Ryan Hotel, was built in > the mid-1880s, and was considered the finest hotel in the > state of Minnesota. Had it survived, (and it should have) it > is likely that every turret, quoin, and column would have > been meticulously restored, and today would have been our > only five-star hotel. But, like so many others, this > extraordinary landmark was targeted during our city's > Capitol Centre urban renewal (actually: urban removal) > project. The stately Ryan was knocked down and carried away > to some distant landfill in 1962, and the adjoining Ryan > Building fell a few years later. > Today, a modern office building is located on the site of > the Ryan Bldg. and Ryan Hotel. > Hope this helps. > Best regards, > Jim Sazevich, Historian > St. Paul, Minnesota