Champagne, Peter, 1884 - 1978. Photographs, ca. 1910, and Oral History Interview, 1977

Collection — Multiple Containers

Identifier: SMHC Collection 1242

Staff Only

Abstract

This collection consists of photographs belonging to Peter Champagne, of Mankato, Minnesota, and an oral history interview conducted with him in 1977. Champagne was an engineer, and worked on the Rapidan Dam in Blue Earth County, Minnesota. The official photographer for the dam construction. Bay Weller, took the photographs with an Ansco camera. Many individuals in the photos have been identified by Champagne. Also included in this collection is an interview conducted with Champagne. In this interview, he discusses the construction of the Rapidan dam, and the people who worked on it.

Dates

1977

Biographical / Historical

Peter Champagne was bom in Montreal, Quebec, Canada in 1884. His mother, Kate, was of Irish decent, and his father, Pete, was French. He had eleven brothers and sisters. Champagne was a mechanical engineer, and came to Minnesota in 1910 to work on the Rapidan Dam on the Blue Earth River. In 1911 he married Florence Weir, in whose home he had boarded in Rapidan. Champagne traveled from one engineering job to another before settling in Wooster, Ohio for many years. The Champagnes came back to Mankato when he retired around 1952. Peter Champagne died in 1978.

Extent

2.00 folders

Language of Materials

English

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title: Champagne, Peter, 1884 - 1978. Photographs, ca. 1910, and Oral History Interview, 1977
Status: Completed
Author: Karin Thiem
Date: 1978-01
Description rules: Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description: English
Script of description: Latin
Language of description note: English