Joseph Fortier was born in Canada in 1868 and came to the U.S. in 1882. He lived at this address in 1900 with his wife and 7 children. Fortier was initiated into the St. Paul Stone Cutters Union on October 10, 1901 according to a report in the St. Paul Globe.
1904 City Directory. Benton Fox worked on the Capitol as a stonecutter. (427 Franklin is where the Xcel Energy Center is now.)
John Frankot was born in Holland in 1850 and emigrated in 1881.
Stone cutter and stone carver Alexander Fraser was born in February 1855 in Nairnshire, Scotland and immigrated to the US with his father Alexander Fraser, Sr. They arrived in America on April 8, 1870 on the ship SS Europa (to see a transcribed copy of the Europa's passenger manifest click here. Alexander Sr is #315 and Alexander Jr is #316 on this list). His father did not make it to Minnesota.
1902 City Directory. Daniel Frazer listed his occupation as "apprentice" in the 1902 City Directory.
1902 City Directory. George was an apprentice on the Capitol construction.
1902 City Directory. Samuel was an apprentices on the Capitol construction.
1905 Payroll and 1904 St. Paul City Directory. John Freed was a laborer who worked for Butler Bros. In 1902 he lived at 543 Rice.
Daniel Chester French (1850-1931) was one of the most American prominent scuptors of his time. He was commissioned to create the models for the six virtues sculptures above the entrance of the Minnesota State Capitol, as well as the bronze, gold leaf-covered Qudrega sculpture (with E.C. Potter). A plaster model of one of the figures incoporated into the Quadriga can be seen in the photo of French in his studio.
Article from the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art website by Thayer Tolles
