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...]

It was unlawful to drive cattle to and from pasture or water through village streets of Houston, Minn., in 1890. Both two-legged and four-legged residents were subjects of ordinances passed by the Village Council. Fines imposed over 130 years ago may sound minimal, but $1 in 1890 had the approximate purchasing of $34 in 2024. In addition to fines, there was also the cost of … [Read more...]

Part two of a series Settlers were attracted to the future site of Hokah by the excellent water power, plenty of good timber, rich soil and the navigable Root River, so convenient to the Mississippi River. Local historian A. J. Langen described Hokah as “bounded on the west by Mount Hope and on the east by Mount Tom. To the south, we see forest-covered hills while on the … [Read more...]

First of a series “My brother Edward and myself were probably the first white men, after the government surveyor, that looked upon the townsite on Hokah,” wrote John Thompson. The pioneer settlement of Hokah in eastern Houston County was also the site of an Indian village, whose chief was Wecheschatope Hokah, translated into English as “garfish.” It is the only town in the … [Read more...]

It was likely the only mail received in Eitzen, Minn., from the King and Queen of England. Surely, it was appreciated by Edmund Freiberg (pronounced with a long “I” sound, fry -berg), however it was a condolence card that came with the death certificate for his son. It arrived in 1943, the year following Ralph Freiberg being declared missing after his combat plane did not … [Read more...]

Second of a two-part series Roy Hanke was said to have traveled the equivalent of 19 trips around the world, about 450,000 miles, but all not far from home. He delivered rural mail two months short of 44 years from the Brownsville Post Office before retiring in 1963. He began September 10, 1918, as substitute for Matt Roster and took over a permanent appointment when Roster … [Read more...]

First of a two-part series Cy Larson of Houston used 13 different vehicles while traveling about 560,000 miles, equivalent to 22 and a half times around the world. It was a life-long pursuit for  Larson, who from the age of six, wanted to be a mail carrier while listening to the tales of Mabel-area carrier Grandville Bates. In the early 1920s, rural carriers often stopped … [Read more...]