Roseville Heritage Trail Site 46 marks where the 45th parallel— halfway between the North Pole and the Equator— runs through Roseville. (Image via NineNorth)
Take a tour of over 50 historical landmarks right in your backyard!
You’ve probably noticed signs like that on the left scattered throughout Roseville. Have you ever wondered what they’re for?
Roseville’s Heritage Trail signs mark a driving and walking loop of our city’s historical landmarks. These markers are tucked away in a seemingly random manner— among residential neighborhoods, next to senior living communities, behind strip malls— illustrating how much our city has changed since the mid-1800s.
The Heritage Trail is a unique way to showcase Roseville’s history. It’s an easily accessible way to see remnants of Roseville’s early heritage so it doesn’t become lost in the present. And it’s the result of an incredible endeavor.
Bicentennial beginnings
The Heritage Trail’s inception began as part of the 1976 Bicentennial celebration. The 200th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence reignited an interest in history on national and local levels. In Roseville, several Bicentennial celebration committees were formed, with one of them exploring marking our local city’s pioneer sites.
The Heritage Trail committee envisioned a self-guided trail that would highlight geographic landmarks, historic homesteads and early market-garden farms dating back to the 1840s. This was the start of the Roseville Heritage Trail.
To accomplish this, committee members conducted research, interviewed community members and visited possible trail locations. Twenty-four sites were eventually selected and a trail map was designed. Metal signs for each location were then designed and installed at each site. The Heritage Trail was now ready to welcome public exploration.
Roseville’s Heritage Trail opened on August 1, 1976. Over the years, the Heritage Trail has grown to include 53 sites.
To spark your spirit of exploration and give you an idea of how much Roseville has changed, here are just a few of the Heritage Trail’s offerings.
Site #8 – 2700 Lexington Ave. N
Original site built before 1939
A fruit stand operated by George Reiling originally stood on this site. Later it was replaced by a small fruit and grocery store owned by Arthur and Elton Carrier. The present building was built in 1939. It was divided into three parts: a gas station, a grocery store/tavern and a hardware store.
In the early 1950s, an addition was built across the back of the building and became Carrier’s Hardware Store. That store eventually closed and the space transitioned into a County Cycles bike shop. That business closed in 2019, after operating for almost 30 years.
Showtime Studio and Coffee, a multi-purpose space combining a music venue, an eclectic coffeehouse and lesson studio now occupies this truly Renaissance building.
Site #15 – 1016 West County Road B
Built in 1918
The original owner, “Johnson”, ran a fox farm. Fancy Paris fur fashions were trending and fox pelts rose into high demand. This made “fur farming” very lucrative and much easier than working trap lines. One fox pelt sold for about $25 (worth about $417 today).
However, in the 1930s, the stock market crashed, pelt prices fell dramatically and the fox fur boom died out. Most local fur operations closed by the late ‘30s.
This property was later owned by Joe Koalska, an expert explosives loader and detonator. It’s said that Koalska did some blasting at a greenhouse on West 7th Street without breaking a single pane of glass! He kept several draft horses on his property and used them for plowing and excavating.
Site #20 – Hess Hair Milk Laboratories, 1911 Rice St.
Frank Hess founded Hess Hair Milk Laboratories in 1906. The barber and beauty supply company was best known for “Hess Hair Milk”, an anti-gray hair tonic with the consistency of milk. In 1921 Hess moved his enterprise from Cleveland, Ohio to Roseville, where it became our city’s first manufacturing company.
The business has remained family-owned and continues to operate as a wholesale specialty barber and beauty supply distributor.
Site #28 – Don the War Horse, 803 Larpenteur Ave. W
This story begins during the Civil War. William Rainey Marshall was a Lieutenant Colonel with the 7th Minnesota Infantry. Don the War Horse was his faithful steed through many fierce battles. Millions of horses were used by both the Confederate and Union armies. The equines carried soldiers into battle, moved artillery and helped deliver messages. It was not unusual for fighting men to form special bonds with their horses.
When the war ended, Marshall brought Don to his country estate in Roseville. While his war horse enjoyed a quiet retirement, Marshall went on to serve as Minnesota’s fifth Governor from 1866-1870.
In 1886, Don died at age 29. Marshall’s treasured horse was wrapped in an American flag and buried on the property. Don’s grave marker reads: “My Faithful War Horse.” Marshall’s land later became part of Roselawn Cemetery provided that Don’s grave remained undisturbed.
Site #37 – 1358 Skillman Ave. W
Built in 1914
Clemett Swett built this five-acre hobby farm (the size of four football fields). He hoped the “country air” would improve his daughter’s fragile health. Swett kept harness racing horses called trotters and could often be seen exercising them in his sulky. His land was used to grow feed for his trotters.
Fast forward 112 years to 2026. The Skillman property now occupies ⅓ acres, about 15 times smaller than the original area. The block is also packed with other houses. This is just one illustration of how Roseville has morphed from its quiet rural landscape into a bustling first-ring suburb.
Site #46 – 45th Parallel Marker, near Cleveland & Roselawn Aves.
Imagine a gigantic circle around the Earth, halfway between the North Pole and the equator. This circle, known as the 45th parallel north, stretches across oceans and continents. It even passes through Roseville, near the intersection of Cleveland and Roselawn Avenues. A large stone with a bronze plaque marks this exact line of latitude.
The original 45th parallel marker plaque was put in place in 1940. In a surprising turn, the marker was pried off its supporting boulder in 1990! It was never seen again and the stone sat blank and forgotten for several years.
When Cleveland Avenue was rebuilt in 1994, however, the Capitol Area Land Surveyors Association of St. Paul stepped in. They had a replacement plaque made, and it was rededicated on October 12, 1995.
Site #49 – Langton Lake Smokehouse
At the south end of Langton Lake lie the remains of a 9-by-8-foot smokehouse built by William Schacht. The walls and floor of the smokehouse were made with stones and meat was cured using a fire. The smoking process was widely used before the introduction of home refrigeration to prevent spoilage and enhance meat flavor. The smokehouse also kept meat safe from vermin, insects and thieves.
The Schacht family also had a residence at 1942 Snelling Ave. with a truck farm and small orchard (Site #39).
And there’s so much more to see! So jump on your bike, hop in your car or get your feet moving and explore these reminders of Roseville’s rich and unique past.
Have you taken the time to explore all 53 Heritage sites? I’d love to hear about your experience and feedback about your favorites!
