H. J. English 1889-1915

Hattie English’s parents, John and Martha, emigrated from England to Shalersville, Portage County, Ohio. The youngest of six siblings, she was recorded as keeping house for her father in 1880.

From 1889 to 1907 she was listed in the classified section of the St. Paul city directory under DRESSMAKERS. Miss English lived and worked out of her residence from 1889 to 1895. In 1896 she moved her business to 357 Wabasha and lived as a boarder at various residential hotels in St. Paul including The Newport, The Virginia, and The Albion Hotel. In 1898 she located her business in the Mannheimer block which was between Minnesota and Robert on Kellogg [originally 3rd Street]. During this time she advertised for help: October 8, 1899, she needed “first-class waist hands” in February 1900 she needed “experienced skirt hands;” in April and May of 1900 she advertised for “first-class waist trimmers; also coat and skirt hands.” Applicants were directed to 24 Mannheimer Building for these positions. Several trips to New York and Europe for business are noted in the “Personal Mention” section of the Saint Paul Globe from 1895 to1905.

The “Gossip of Society” column of the Minneapolis Tribune of September 25, 1901, listed Miss H. J. English as one of several residents registered at the Minnesota Building while attending the Pan-American Exposition held in Buffalo, New York, from May 1 to November 2 of that year.

The 1920 census records her residence as New York; in 1930, she was living in Ohio.