Charles Powell Adams, Senator and Civil War veteran who assisted in rescuing historic battle flags from the state capitol fire. Engraved by H. B. Hall & Sons ca. 1864..

Charles Powell Adams

Charles Powell Adams, Senator and Civil War veteran who assisted in rescuing historic battle flags from the state capitol fire. Engraved by H. B. Hall & Sons ca. 1864..

State Capitol Fire, 1881

As Minnesota state legislators met on the evening of March 1, 1881, two days before the end of their twenty-second session, two pages alerted them to a fire in the building. Quick action by lawmakers and nearby residents saved important documents, furnishings, and historical collections. The fire took no lives but destroyed Minnesota's first capitol building.

Color image of keys from the first state capitol, found in the ruins of the burned-out building, 1881.

Keys from the first state capitol

Keys from the first state capitol, found in the ruins of the burned-out building, 1881.

Black and white photograph of the first State Capitol building showing enlargement of 1878. Painted by Alfred Palmquist & Company, 1879.

First State Capitol building showing enlargement of 1878

First State Capitol building showing enlargement of 1878. Painted by Alfred Palmquist & Company, 1879.

Black and white photograph of the first capitol building, ca. 1873.

First capitol building

First capitol building, ca. 1873.

Illustration of the first State Capitol, Tenth and Wabasha, St. Paul, 1875, showing the 1873 addition. From, Harper's Monthly, October 1875, p. 629.

First State Capitol, Tenth and Wabasha

First State Capitol, Tenth and Wabasha, St. Paul, 1875, showing the 1873 addition. From, Harper's Monthly, October 1875, p. 629.

Minnesota's First State Capitol

Minnesota became a U.S. territory on March 3, 1849. After much debate, the new territorial government chose St. Paul as the permanent capital city. The first capitol building was completed in 1853 and served as the seat of Minnesota's territorial and early state government until it burned in 1881.

Black and white photograph of John Banfill, ca. 1848.

John Banfill

John Banfill, the builder and owner of the Banfill Tavern, ca. 1848. Banfill was a member of the first Minnesota State Senate. Photograph by Hill, Kelley & Company.

Color image of a Minnesotans in solidarity with Muslim Americans against Islamophobia event, 2015.

Minnesotans in solidarity with Muslim Americans against Islamophobia event

Solidarity event held at Dar Al-Hijrah Mosque on December 14, 2015. Dar Al-Hijrah's main religious leader, Imam Sharif Mohamed, stands with hands clasped at center right. The Islamic Civic Society of America is a civic institution that seeks to demonstrate the compatibility between Islamic principles and the principles of democracy. An example of their work was experienced on a cold winter’s night in December, when ICSA hosted an event to discuss Islamophobia in America. More than a hundred Minnesotans from diverse racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds came to support their Muslim American colleagues, friends, and neighbors, who have faced increasing incidents of prejudice and discrimination in the 2010s. Several elected officials and religious leaders (including imams, rabbis, and pastors) saw Islamophobia as opposing American ideals of freedom and democracy, and vowed to help protect the rights of Muslim Americans. This type of event is one of many hosted by ICSA at Dar Al-Hijrah Mosque.

Black and white photograph of Allan Henry Spear, ca. 1980.

Allan Henry Spear

Allan Henry Spear, ca. 1980.

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