Dayton's Bluff in Saint Paul in Ramsey County, Minnesota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

Cornerstones & Time Capsules

Photographed By McGhiever, June 26, 2019

1. Cornerstones & Time Capsules marker

Inscription.
Setting the Cornerstone, Building 21
President William L. McKnight, accompanied by chief engineer E. M. Johnson, supervised the installation of the cornerstone in October 1939.

The mason worked for the William Murphy and Son Construction Company. The date had been carved before the stone was set.

Etching the Cornerstone, Building 42
The Building 42 cornerstone contained a time capsule holding samples of 3M products, the 1949 company annual report, a copy of Megaphone magazine, a history of the company, newspaper accounts of the attempted assassination of President Harry S. Truman several days earlier, and an aerial photo of the Saint Paul Plant.

On November 3, 1950, President Richard Carlton inscribed the date on the cornerstone of Building 42 using a sandblast stencil, a 3M product that simplified stone carving techniques.

Erected by Saint Paul Port Authority, Historic Saint Paul, 3M, United States Environmental Protection Agency. (Marker Number WM-18.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Communications • Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the Former U.S. Presidents: #33 Harry S. Truman, and the Time Capsules series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1939.

Location.

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44° 57.899′ N, 93° 3.763′ W. Marker is in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in Ramsey County. It is in Dayton's Bluff. Marker is on Bush Avenue west of Forest Street North, on the right when traveling west. Marker is on the island between the two parking lot areas. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 777 Forest Street N, Saint Paul MN 55106, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. 3M & World War II: The People (within shouting distance of this marker); 3M & World War II: The Products (within shouting distance of this marker); The 3M Flagpole (within shouting distance of this marker); Explosion: 3M Response to Disaster (within shouting distance of this marker); 3M & the Community (within shouting distance of this marker); Working Women at 3M (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); "Scotch" Tape to the Rescue of General Gray (about 400 feet away); Getting a Job at 3M (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Saint Paul.

Marker in front of the 1940 3M Administration Building image. Click for full size.

Photographed By McGhiever, June 26, 2019

2. Marker in front of the 1940 3M Administration Building

Credits. This page was last revised on February 12, 2023. It was originally submitted on June 14, 2020, by McGhiever of Minneapolis, Minnesota. This page has been viewed 230 times since then and 37 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 14, 2020, by McGhiever of Minneapolis, Minnesota. • Mark Hilton was the editor who published this page.