St. Paul Winter Carnival

One of the outstanding Winter events in the United States is the St. Paul Winter Carnival which will run from January 21-31 this year. The Carnival was established in 1886, the same year that Coca-Cola was invented.

Last year, a lady named Kathleen Hanson Nickelson sent me a photograph and letter from the 1941 Carnival. The photo shows the Royal Court from that year helping to open the  brand new Coca-Cola Bottling Plant on South Wabasha Street. King Boreas, standing at the center-front of the photo, threw the switch that started the first bottle of Coca-Cola moving down the bottling line. According to a contemporary report, the plant had air conditioning throughout the building, fluorescent lighting, and a garage capable of housing 90 trucks. Ms. Nickelson, 22 at that time, was Queen of the Carnival that year. She is the second lady from the right side of the photo.

Even in the midst of Winter, Coca-Cola was providing refreshment to Carnival attendees.