With 47 seconds remaining and the score tied, the Spring Grove B-team faced a fourth down at the Houston 39 yard-line. But instead of opting for a short pass for the first down, freshman Caleb Eiken threw deep to freshman Gavin Ostern who then raced down the sideline into the end zone. After a two-points pass to Bryce Berns, the Lions led 20-12. But that lead was still in doubt … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past Wolf scalps worth more than a bushel of wheat
Part two Houston County and Fillmore County were established, broken off from Wabasha County by the territorial legislature, in 1854. An 1882 history of Houston County reviewed some news-worthy events in the county during its first three decades. The following is quoted with the original spelling, capitalization and punctuation from that large volume. These entries are most, … [Read more...]
Lion girls build with experience, seek improvement
The 2022 Spring Grove girls, more experienced but still young, will be an improved basketball team this winter for fourth-year head coach Kody Moore. All the key contributors are back from last year – all five starters and the two most active reserves. A few promising young players may make the Lions a deeper team than last year. Summer league basketball returned after a … [Read more...]
Spring Grove boys are experienced but still young
The Spring Grove boys embark on the 2022 basketball season as an experienced but still young squad with aspirations of winning another regular-season championship and winning a postseason playoff game. “Last year we were "very young", this year we are just "young," said veteran coach Wade Grinde. “We will play only one senior again this season with all (others) sophomores and … [Read more...]
Spring Grove gridders remain in the middle
There were plenty of eye-popping big plays and a couple of dramatic late rallies during Spring Grove’s 2021 football campaign that ended with a 3-5 record after facing a few of the state’s best teams, including the runaway state champion. It was often highly entertaining to witness and with only three seniors, a young Lion lineup proved to be very resilient. However, the … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past Imported sheep, a fiery death and fine trout fishing
Part one of a short series. An 1882 history of Houston County included a collection of occurrences that would reflect life in the county during its first three decades. One typographical error has been corrected for clarity, but the rest of the following text is quoted with the original spelling, capitalization and punctuation from that large hardbound volume. These entries … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past After dark in Black Hammer, “Mathias with the Fork”
Sometime before Minnesota became a territory in 1849, there was a tale of a trapper who roamed the area that included what later became Black Hammer and Yucatan Townships in Houston County. During extreme weather, he would ask for food and shelter overnight at whatever settler’s cabin he could find. Other information about him, even his full name, was not known. But when asked … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past Wild animals gave way to an iron Lion, wings of steam power
The following history of Spring Grove was written in 1880 by Sven H. Ellestad in the Spring Grove Posten, the town’s first newspaper, published weekly in Norwegian for approximately a year. An annual subscription cost 50 cents. There has been no change in the punctuation from a 1947 reprint in English as translated by his niece, Clara Johnosrud Torvik: Spring Grove, … [Read more...]
Spring Grove girls fall to top seed in section semi-finals
The Spring Grove girls, with the No. 4 seed, saw their volleyball season end in the section semi-finals with a 3-0 loss to top seed and state-ranked No. 8 Bethlehem Academy. The Lions, who closed at 20-10, were the only Section 1A semi-finalists that were not state ranked. The Cardinals from Faribault (20-11) went on to win the section championship with a straight-set victory … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past Commemorating those who could not come home
“What a pleasant experience to be halfway around the world and see someone I knew. It made Houston County seem a little closer,” recalled Ron Strub about one treasured memory from his mid-1960s service as an Army medic in Vietnam. “There were a lot of times I knew someone was looking over my shoulder and taking care of me and keeping me safe.” During a Sunday church service in … [Read more...]