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Frances Kannowski Papers, 1933-2004
Collection Overview
Title: Frances Kannowski Papers, 1933-2004
ID: OGLMC1454
Primary Creator: Kannowski, Frances (1898-2004)
Extent: 0.75 Linear Feet
Date Acquired: 10/08/2002. More info below under Accruals.
Subjects: City of Grand Forks, North Dakota, University of North Dakota - Alumni, Women's History
Languages: English
Abstract
Scope and Contents of the Materials
The Frances Kannowski Papers, 1933-2004, are divided into four series:
Series 1: Personal Materials
Series 2: Grand Forks Park Board
Series 3: North Dakota Peony Society
Series 4: Miscellaneous
Eighty four photographs were separated and placed in the Photograph File Cabinets.
Collection Historical Note
Frances Eleanor (Burdick) Kannowski was born January 4, 1898, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and was the youngest of three children. She graduated from high school in Fairmont, Minnesota, in 1916. She attended Russell-Sage College in Troy, New York. She also attended the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks and studied biology and commerce.
Frances Burdick met Max Kannowski in Mitchell, South Dakota. He took a job as the Superintendent of Parks in Grand Forks in 1921, and she worked in Chicago until their marriage in 1923. Following Max Kannowski's death in 1933, Frances Kannowski was appointed to the position and continued working until 1953. She was the first female Superintendent of Parks and Recreation in the United States. After stepping down from her position as superintendent, she was a realtor for Severson Real Estate Company for 28 years. She was the first female realtor in Grand Forks.
Kannowski was an active member and held offices in many organizations including: the American Institute of Park Executives, the National Shade Tree Conference, North Dakota Horticultural Society, the Chamber of Commerce Beautification Committee, and the North Dakota Peony Society. She was also an active volunteer with the Grand Forks Girl Scout Council, Grand Forks National Victory Gardens, and the Women's Army Corps. She organized the Grand Forks Women's Outdoor Sports Club in 1934 and was a strong supporter of the youth ice hockey programs in Grand Forks and North Dakota.
Kannowski received many honors and awards. She was the Grand Forks' Woman of the Year in 1952, the Grand Forks Realtor of the Year in 1973, and a member of the North Dakota Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983. In 1983 the Grand Forks Park Board named Kannowski Park, in honor of Max and Frances Kannowski, in downtown Grand Forks. She also received the Alexander Griggs Award from the City of Grand Forks in 1987, and the Sioux Award from the University of North Dakota Alumni Association in 1995. In 2001 at the age of 103, Frances was inducted into the North Dakota Recreation and Park Association Hall of Fame.
She had two sons, two grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. She died in Grand Forks on November 20, 2004, at the age of 106.
Subject/Index Terms
Administrative Information
Repository: Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections
Additional material was donated by:
Paul Kannowski, Corpus Christi, Texas, on September 9, 2004 (2004-2692) and by Sandy Slater, Department of Special Collections, on November 29, 2004 (2005-2724)
Rose Raymond, Grand Forks, North Dakota on May 5, 2006 (2006-2828)
Access Restrictions: Open for inspection under the rules and regulations of the Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections.
Acquisition Source: Paul Kannowski, Corpus Christi, Texas
Acquisition Method: Donation; 2003-2606
Related Materials:
Grand Forks Park Board Records: OGLMC 566
Max B. Kannowski Papers: OGLMC 1476
Paul B. Kannowski Papers: OGLMC 683
Preferred Citation: (Description of Item). Frances Kannowski Papers. OGLMC 1454, Box #, Folder #. Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections, Chester Fritz Library, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks.
Finding Aid Revision History: Finding aid added to Archon in April 2014.
Box and Folder Listing
Browse by Series:
[Series 1: Personal Materials],
[Series 2: Grand Forks Park Board],
[Series 3: North Dakota Peony Society],
[Series 4: Miscellaneous],
[Photographs :],
[All]
- Series 1: Personal Materials
- Box 1
- Folder 26: Frances Kannowski Newspaper Clippings and Honors
- Folder 27: Funeral and Obituary of Frances Kannowski, 2004
- Folder 28: Correspondence - Madelyn Bates to Rose Raymond, 2001-2002
- Folder 29: Kannowski, Frances - Diary of Trip Around the World, September-November 1959
- Folder 30: News Article about Kannowski's 104th Birthday, January 4, 2002
- Series 2: Grand Forks Park Board
- Frances Kannowski began her career as the Superintendent of Parks in 1933. The Grand Forks Park Board materials contain several notebooks dating from 1933-1954. One notebook contains personal records including a daily log of her activities when Kannowski began her career. There are four notebooks containing information about trees, shrubs, flowers, and grass and how to care for them. In these notebooks are also women's and men's softball team names. Lastly, there is a small notebook containing notes and records of activities in the Parks in 1953, a larger notebook containing miscellaneous notes, and the 1946 President's Report.
- Box 1
- Folder 1: Park Board Publications
- Folder 2: Greater Grand Forks hockey album
- Folder 3: Personal Records, 7/31/33-1941
- Folder 4: Notes and records of activities in the Parks, 1953
- Folder 5: Miscellaneous Notes, undated
- Folder 6: Notes and correspondence on trees, shrubs, and flowers planted in North Dakota
- Folder 7: Cultural information on growth of flowers and plants
- Folder 8: Information on flowers for Parks, records of men's softball leagues, snow modeling, and miscellaneous records
- Folder 9: Information on growth of trees, shrubs and grass. List of women's softball teams
- Folder 25: Presidential Report, 1946
- Series 3: North Dakota Peony Society
- This series documents the North Dakota Peony Society. Kannowski was an active and long-time member of the society.
- Box 1
- Folder 10: Membership
- Folder 11: Membership card into The American Peony Society
- Folder 12: Correspondence, 1949-1981
- Folder 13: Meeting notes
- Folder 14: Newspaper articles, press release, and Peony Prattle
- Folder 15: Brochures for ND Peony Show, 1957-1964
- Folder 16: Registration Blanks, 1959 & 1964
- Folder 17: Peony Show Schedule, Peony show winners, 1978, 1973 & 1975
- Folder 18: Peony color classification and group E artistic division rules
- Folder 19: Donations to ND Peony Society, 1973
- Folder 20: Planting and care directions for peonies
- Folder 21: Guest book
- Folder 22: Shelterbelt information, 1937-1940
- Series 4: Miscellaneous
- Photographs :
- Separated and placed in the Photograph File Cabinets
- Photograph 1: Side entrance to Superintendent's residence in Lincoln Park, late 1930s
- Photograph 2: Deep snow in Lincoln Park, Winter 1942-1943
- Photograph 3: Peonies growing by Superintendent's residence in Lincoln Park, Mid to Late 1930s
- Photograph 4: Peonies growing at Superintendent's residence in Lincoln Park, Mid to Late 1930s
- Photograph 5: Peonies growing at Superintendent's residence in Lincoln Park, Mid to Late 1930s
- Photograph 6: Peonies growing at Superintendent's residence in Lincoln Park, Mid to Late 1930s
- Photograph 7: Cow in pasture in Lincoln Park. Photo taken from Superintendent's residence, 1930-1935
- Photograph 8: Skiing at Lincoln Park, 1945 or 1946
- Photograph 9: Skiing at Lincoln Park, 1945 or 1946
- Photograph 10: Skiing at Lincoln Park, 1945 or 1946
- Photograph 11: Water lilies growing in pond at Superintendent's residence in Lincoln Park, 1940s
- Photograph 12: Lincoln Park Superintendent's residence, 1927-1929
- Photograph 13: Barn and shops in Lincoln Park from the Superintendent's residence, Mid 1930s
- Photograph 14: Superintendent's home after the barns were taken down (negative only)
- Photograph 15: Superintendent's home after the barns were taken down (negative only)
- Photograph 16: Lincoln Park Golf Course #18 from the Superintendent's residence, Mid 1930s
- Photograph 17: Barn and shops in Lincoln Park, 1941
- Photograph 18: Lincoln Park home. David Kannowski entering home, 1941
- Photograph 19: Workmen planting garden at Superintendent's residence in Lincoln Park, June 1943
- Photograph 20: Lincoln Park–Superintendent's residence, 1941
- Photograph 21: Lincoln Park–team of horses and workman with snow scraping equipment, 1940
- Photograph 22: Snow plow in Lincoln Park
- Photograph 23: Snow plow in Lincoln Park
- Photograph 24: Workman, Edward Kennedy, by barn in the shop area below the Superintendent's residence, Jan or Feb 1946
- Photograph 25: Superintendent's residence in Lincoln Park, March 22, 1941
- Photograph 26: Flooding in Lincoln Park Golf Course between 13th and 17th Ave. S.
- Photograph 27: Flooding in Lincoln Park Golf Course between 13th and 17th Ave. S.
- Photograph 28: Dog swimming in Red River. Taken from Lincoln Park. Showing the Minnesota side of the river, Mid 1930s
- Photograph 29: Unknown man by the edge of the flooded Red River (negative only)
- Photograph 30: Golf groups at Lincoln Park (negative only)
- Photograph 31: Golf groups at Lincoln Park (negative only)
- Photograph 32: Golf groups at Lincoln Park (negative only)
- Photograph 33: Statue on Belmont Triangle (negative only), 1930s
- Photograph 34: Statue on Belmont Triangle (negative only), 1930s
- Photograph 35: A display of craft and recreational activities in Grand Forks Parks, 1950
- Photograph 36: Playground in Riverside Park shows flooding
- Photograph 37: Cabins in Riverside Park located at the end of 2nd St.
- Photograph 38: Cabins in Riverside Park at the end of 2nd St. --shows flooding
- Photograph 39: Shows the cabins in Riverside Park at the end of 2nd St.
- Photograph 40: Flooding of the Clifford and Benwell (right) houses at the north end of Central Park South 3rd St.
- Photograph 41: Eugene Lovejoy, golf pro, at Lincoln Park with a golf class (negative only), Late 1930s
- Photograph 42: Eugene Lovejoy, golf pro, at Lincoln Park with a golf class (negative only), Late 1930s
- Photograph 43: Eugene Lovejoy, golf pro, at Lincoln Park (negative only), Late 1930s or Early 1940s
- Photograph 44: #10 green and Superintendent's residence in Lincoln Park (negative only), 1930s
- Photograph 45: Carport on Superintendent's residence–Lincoln Park (negative only), 1925-1927
- Photograph 46: Superintendent's residence in Lincoln Park (negative only), 1930s
- Photograph 47: Barn–shows area from Superintendent's residence in Lincoln Park (negative only), 1925-1927
- Photograph 48: Workmen removing a large cottonwood tree in Lincoln Park (negative only), 1930s
- Photograph 49: Team of horses in Lincoln Park (negative only)
- Photograph 50: Flower beds in Central Park (negative only), 1940s
- Photograph 51: Flower beds in Central Park (negative only), 1940s
- Photograph 52: Flower beds in Central Park (negative only), 1940s
- Photograph 53: Flower beds in Central Park (negative only), 1940s
- Photograph 54: Steamboat taken from Central Park (negative only)
- Photograph 55: Flooding in Grand Forks, Spring 1943
- Photograph 56: Steamboat on the Red River, 1936
- Photograph 57: Snow sculpture in Grand Forks. Part of the annual Winter Carnival (negative only), 1930s
- Photograph 58: Snow sculptures in Grand Forks. Probably part of annual Winter Carnival (negative only), 1930s
- Photograph 59: Snow sculpture in Grand Forks. Probably part of an annual Winter Carnival (negative only), 1930s
- Photograph 60: Flagpole by Central High School. The lower flag appears to be a war bond flag (negative only), 1942-1945
- Photograph 61: Terminal building at Grand Forks Airport, July 1943
- Photograph 62: Terminal building at Grand Forks Airport, July 1943
- Photograph 63: Military training plane at Grand Forks Airport, July or August 1943
- Photograph 64: Northwest Airlines airplane at Grand Forks Airport–the inauguration of service
- Photograph 65: Northwest Airlines at Grand Forks Airport, 1941
- Photograph 66: Northwest Airlines airplane at Grand Forks Airport–the inauguration of service
- Photograph 67: Someone getting on the Northwest Airlines airplane (negative only)
- Photograph 68: The remains of the Dakotah Hotel after the fire, January 1944
- Photograph 69: Dakotah Hotel remains after the fire, January 1944
- Photograph 70: Dakotah Hotel remains after the fire, January 1944
- Photograph 71: Dakotah Hotel remains after the fire, January 1944
- Photograph 72: Dakotah Hotel remains after the fire, January 1944
- Photograph 73: Allen S. King family: Allen, Louise, and son George
- Photograph 74: Peony Society Show in Grand Forks. The winning Peony, Mid 1940s
- Photograph 75: Central Park, 1948
- Photograph 76: 103rd birthday for Frances Kannowski. Molly Ferguson, Art Raymond and St. Paul's Episcopal Interim Priest Susan Hewitt, January 4, 2001
- Photograph 77: 103rd birthday for Frances Kannowski. Paul Kannowski, Henry Tomasek, Barbara Polovitz, Harriet Thorson, January 4, 2001
- Photograph 78: 103rd birthday for Frances Kannowski. Henry & Ann Tomasek, GF Herald reporter Doreen Yellowbird, Paul Kannowski & Art Raymond., January 4, 2001
- Photograph 79: 103rd birthday for Frances Kannowski. Frances Kannowski, Harriet Thorson, Ruth Bustin, and Jean Fillmore, January 4, 2001
- Photograph 80: 104th birthday for Frances Kannowski. Frances Kannowski and Paul Kannowski, January 4, 2002
- Photograph 81: 106th birthday for Frances Kannowski. Frances Kannowski and Paul Kannowski, December 29, 2003
- Photograph 82: 106th birthday for Frances Kannowski. Frances Kannowski, Paul and Phyllis Kannowski, and daughter Kathy, December 29, 2003
- Photograph 83: 106th birthday for Frances Kannowski. Seated- Ruth Barney, Alpha Scott, Art Raymond, Betty Carey. Standing- Barb and Mike Polovitz & Jim and Katherine Preston, December 29, 2003
- Photograph 84: 106th birthday for Frances Kannowski. Frances Kannowski and Martha Hoghaug, December 29, 2003
Browse by Series:
[Series 1: Personal Materials],
[Series 2: Grand Forks Park Board],
[Series 3: North Dakota Peony Society],
[Series 4: Miscellaneous],
[Photographs :],
[All]