About 1861, at the depth of 40 feet, water flowed into a drilled well and froze, filling it with solid ice to within a few feet of the top. Summer ice was still found in it many decades later. Eventually, the opening filled in naturally. That was the most amazing well in far southeast Houston County, but not the only remarkable one. Early white settlers lived near springs or … [Read more...]

In the southeast corner of Houston County, the southeastern-most county in Minnesota, proximity to the Mississippi River and Winnebago Creek allowed some of the earliest white settlers to make a living from fishing, trapping and hunting. But like elsewhere in the county, agriculture provided a living for most. Land records indicate that there were more land renters than … [Read more...]

A southeastern Houston County resident told of his grandfather walking home with about three miles remaining, when wolves began to chase him. There were haystacks in the farm field, and he climbed on top of one and lit the hay on fire all night to fend off the wolves until morning. Large wolves and cougars were a threat, according to reports from the earliest white settlers in … [Read more...]

Quarters would turn into silver dollars; dollar bills turned into $100 bills. Thimbles, coins and plastic balls would disappear. A diner seated at a restaurant might have a quarter pulled out of his ear by another diner walking by the table. Orv Wagner, of Caledonia, was always prepared to perform a little magic, always carrying in his pocket a thimble, coins, a rubber thumb, a … [Read more...]

Part two of a series Since 2002, a pair of life-sized, bronze sculptures appear unperturbed by the Highway 44/Main Street traffic passing just a few feet from their prominent position in Viking Memorial Park in Spring Grove. From 1918 to 1942, these two Norwegian-speaking cartoon characters Ola and Per (pronounced “pair”) appeared in the Norwegian-language Decorah-Posten … [Read more...]

First of a series There is no better portrayal of the assimilation of early Houston County Norwegian emigrants into American culture and society than the brilliant, whimsical newspaper cartoon series of Peter Rosendahl of Spring Grove. The cartoon series was called “Han Ola og han Per,” which translates into English as “Him Ola and him Per,” or “He Ola and he Per” and … [Read more...]

The girl would sing all the songs she knew, as loud as she could, hoping to frighten away “whatever evil might be lurking in the thick bushes and trees” as she walked through the “back 40” to bring home the cattle when they had wandered to the far reaches of the family farm. Although the youngster loved that family farm, she dreaded that particular cattle-fetching chore because … [Read more...]

Part two of a two-part series Were there too many circuses passing through town? There were likely quite a few peddlers. Were there problems to be solved or was there revenue to be raised – maybe both? But someone could not just show up and conduct business in Houston, Minnesota. In 1889, it became unlawful for any owner, manager or agent “of any circus, menagerie, concert, … [Read more...]