Butter was a staple for the early settlers of southeast Minnesota. Before cooking oil, there was lard and butter for cooking and baking. Butter was on every dinner table for use with many foods. However, butter did not become a major commercial enterprise until dairying became a major agricultural pursuit in the 1880s. Raising hogs was the first large-scale livestock operation … [Read more...]
Winter carnival being held in Wykoff on Saturday, January 28 St. Johns Lutheran Church & School hosts annual carnival as part of National Lutheran Schools Week
St. Johns Lutheran Church and School invites the community to its annual Winter Carnival on Saturday, January 28 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Wykoff Commons in Wykoff. The youth-oriented event will offer fun, games and activities, featuring multiple inflatable bouncy units and a balloon artist. St. Johns is hosting this event as part of National Lutheran Schools Week (NLSW), … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past Watchdog a better solution than a train ticket to North Dakota
Second of a series Referred to as vagrants, bums or tramps, these men on the move often moved through southeastern Minnesota during the early years of settlement in the mid-to-late 1800s. Some were heavy drinkers, disheveled in appearance and possibly ill mannered. Even some who were obviously well bred and highly educated preferred an existence through charity rather than … [Read more...]
Late surge lifts Lions past West Lutheran
The Spring Grove girls scored the last dozen points of the game to win by 15 against West Lutheran, 58-43, on Dec. 28, the second day of holiday double headers at Rushford-Peterson. West Lutheran is located in Plymouth, just west of the Twin Cities and plays in Class A, Section 4. Lion freshman Kylie Hammel had an outstanding stat line with 18 points, 8 rebounds, 2 … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past Rosy cheeks and recess at the skating rink
Fifth of a series “Fox and Geese” or “Crack the Whip” or “Pom-pom-pullaway“ or even a hockey game might break out. It was all impromptu as Spring Grove youngsters organized games on outdoor ice during the 1950s and ‘60s. Nature provided ice skating locations in lower elevations with rivers, lakes and sloughs. Farm youth, after shoveling off snow, could skate on frozen ponds, … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past Icy and fiery, a Christmas like no other
It was a Christmas never to be forgotten by those who experienced it or heard about it from older family members. The temperature was teens below zero, but stationed on every nearby roof to the southeast, people guarded against airborne embers. It was about 10:30 Friday night, December 19, 1924, when on his way home, Owen Onsgard smelled smoke. Several hours after the start of … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past Backwards races and barrel races – on ice
Fourth of a winter series A century ago, young and somewhat older residents of southeast Minnesota did not always pass personal time indoors during long winters. When work was completed, recreation thrived outdoors in January as well as in July. In the first half of the 1900s, ice skating was a given on a large lake in Hokah, the Big Slough in Houston, the Mississippi River … [Read more...]
Call for applicants: Sales and Exhibition Galleries at Lanesboro Arts
Lanesboro Arts is now accepting entries for both our Juried Sales Gallery (2023) and Exhibition Gallery (2025 solo exhibits). A jury will convene in January to make selections. Both galleries present work from Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin. Pieces selected for the Sales Gallery present a unique vision and original voice and quality craftsmanship. More than 80 artists are … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past Fun on ice with clubs and a flaming missile
Third of a winter series There was plenty of action and competition in the 1870s and 1880s, even before the advent of school-sponsored sports. W. J. Langen (1869-1960) like many other boys, ice skated near Hokah on a 30-acre lake, which at the slightest spell of cold weather, would provide fine skating ice. Boys would gather evenings, often for a game of “shinny.” A block of … [Read more...]
Rushford church inspires “deeper meaning of Christmas” with live Nativity
“Last year, my husband and I had the wonderful opportunity to take a lovely drive down to Rushford to experience the Nativity at Root River Community Church. We could imagine ourselves coming from other parts of Israel to go to Bethlehem. We heard the news of something quite mysterious and we wanted to see and hear for ourselves,” recalled Julie Miller. She had attended the … [Read more...]