Part one of a series Editor’s notes: The following, entitled Springs and Wells, written in the 1940s by Edith Thompson, Coulee Region’s poet laureate, was published posthumously in the January 6 and January 13, 1977, editions of the Houston Gazette and Country Journal. A few alterations reflect currently preferred spelling and punctuation. Father always said of this land of … [Read more...]

Part two of a two-part series Boys sold minnows to fishermen, but most profitable was what John Kelly called their “little show.” At the waterfalls, Kelly and friends dived from a high bank into the deep pool. Meanwhile, another boy was passing a hat among spectators. Around 1900, decades-old, man-made Lake Como in Hokah had become a recreation destination. It was an … [Read more...]

Part one of a two-part series Tourists arrived for a day or for a vacation from not only nearby towns and Winona but also from Austin and even Chicago. They came first by horse and buggy and later on passenger excursion railroad cars as well as on steamboats and ferries from La Crosse. The destination was the tourist town of Hokah, Houston County, Minnesota. The … [Read more...]

Two men from Caledonia took their skill far from home and represented their hometown well during the 1940s. Each, in his own way, helped preserve democracy. One appeared in the company of some of the nation’s most prominent personalities. One contributed to one of the nation’s most impressive wartime achievements. Ed Lee “There must’ve been 30 of us from this area that … [Read more...]

If the intent was to encourage rural settlement by newcomers, the name “Spring Grove” was inviting as it was accurate. The availability of land was widely understood, but the name promises the other two agricultural essentials – water and wood. Emphasizing the importance of all three, Jane Briggs Palen entitled her history book “Soil, Timber & A Spring; The Story of Spring … [Read more...]

A 7-year-old boy stood in Hokah Hardware where the owner handed him flowers to take to his grandma. On December 11, 1928, Anna Vogel was 68 when she headed off on foot with those flowers to a nearby cemetery. “I’m going to talk to Pa,” she reportedly said. John Vogel had died 11 months before (January 15, 1928). Before placing flowers on her husband’s grave, the mother of 10 … [Read more...]

In bygone days, OTC medication was not “over the counter,” but “over the cookstove.” Goose grease, onions, sulphur (sulfur) and lard were ingredients for keeping kids healthy in southeastern Minnesota during the late 1800s and early 1900s. When doctors were few or often far away, mothers were ready with “folk medicine” – home remedies or “cures,” handed down through … [Read more...]

One from Money Creek performed as far away as Panama and Puerto Rico. Another from Spring Grove performed in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. Another did not take his act on the road, but the act was so amazing that a Twin Cities newspaper reporter came to Brownsville to see if it was really true. An exceptional three, in order of their births: Tony … [Read more...]

Winnebago Creek flows through a valley in Winnebago Township and before it crosses into Jefferson Township (southeasternmost township in Houston County), there once was a town in the winding valley called Winnebago Valley. The town, about five miles (as the crow flies) west of the Mississippi River, has long since faded away; all that remains is a privately-owned National … [Read more...]