1766: According to the Institute for Minnesota Archeology, drawings of various animals were found in Carver's Cave when it was first visited by Capt. Jonathan Carter in 1766. Six of these consisted of  four rattlesnakes and two quadrupeds.  Archeologists thought the quadrapeds may have represented bears.  Closer examination has determined that one of them is more than likely a buffalo while the other is actually the Beagle.

1857: Lyman Dayton was a land developer who purchased land  on the bluffs just east of downtown Saint Paul in 1857.  It is rumored that Dayton once said that his faithful Beagle (who accompanied him on all his travels) was the only thing that could make him smile in this wild frontier city.  The Beagle is widely believed to have been instrumental in getting the first fire hydrants installed in what is now known as Dayton's Bluff. 

1905: This postcard captures a typical Sunday afternoon at Indian Mounds Park at the turn of the century (the last one, not this one). The Beagle was working as a nanny at the time.  Being a big fan of Teddy Roosevelt, his motto was "Speak softly and carry a big stick." This tended to limit the number of parents willing to let the Beagle take care of their children. With employment opportunities dwindling, he eventually headed west and got into show business.  Little did the Beagle realize that he would visit Mounds Park again in 95 years for the 2000 Summer Fest.

1925: The Mounds Theater is re-opening under new mangagement and the signs are advertising the appearance of one of Hollywood's great silent film stars for the event.  For many years it was assumed that the posters were of Charlie Chaplin in his Little Tramp role.  Thanks to the  wonders of modern technology, computer enhancement of the image clearly shows (see insert at upper left) that the star is actually a dramatic actor known simply as the Beagle.  Little did the Beagle realize that he would return to this theater for an extended engagement in 75 years as part of the Peanuts on Parade Celebration in the summer of 2000.
 

1933: This postcard has not been seen by the public until just recently when it was finally released under the Freedom of Information Act.  The original photographic negative and all copies of the card were confiscated by the U.S. Government in 1933.  At the time it was thought to show a secret Nazi flying machine using some unknown technology that enabled it to fly nonstop from Germany to Minnesota.  This was determined to be false after World War II but by that time UFO sightings were begining to worry the American public so the postcard remained classified.  It was  buried in the files of the Air Force's Project Blue Book, one the government's many attempts to solve the UFO mystery.  The government never did connect this photograph with the  Beagle even though the flying doghouse was actually a common sight over Dayton's Bluff in the 1930s.  The Beagle  particularly liked to circle the new Airway Beacon in Indian Mounds Park. 

1938: The Beagle was never a fan of cold weather.  However, in January 1938 he was in Saint  Paul to make a movie with skating sensation Sonja Henie. Part of the picture was filmed on a frigid night at the St. Paul Winter Carnival Ice Court, built near Mounds Park that year. In this scene, captured on a post card, the Beagle is displaying his displeasure at having to watch Sonja practice while he freezes his paws off.

1948: This is the last known photo of the Beagle in Dayton's Bluff.  He is shown on the corner of Earl St. and Hudson Road, probably waving to some fans across the street buying gas at the Standard service station.  This view is looking south towards Mounds Park.  Earl and Hudson  was still a thriving  business district in 1948.  It was shortly after this picture was taken that much of the area was razed to make way for Highway 12 and later, I-94.  Little did the Beagle realize that he would be passing by this very corner in 52 years as grand marshal of the 2000 Dayton's Bluff Children's Parade.

1950 - 1999: The Beagle disappeared from Dayton's Bluff and the rest of Saint Paul sometime around 1950.  For the past 50 years he was often seen in Minneapolis but for some strange reason, apparently tied to a nasty legal situation, he never crossed the river to visit us. 

2000: That situation changed recently.  The Beagle has been seen all over Saint Paul this year. Of course he is regularly dropping in to see his beloved Dayton's Bluff.  There is no doubt about it. The Beagle has landed! Watch for him on August 12 as grand marshal of the Children's Parade and then at Mounds Park during Summer Fest.