Debbie Thompson presented the annual report and funding request for the Preston Historical Society (PHS) at the Preston, Minn., city council August 7 meeting. The report was put together by Sheila Craig, president of PHS, and included numerous activities throughout the year. Most city council members are members of the historical society. Some of the activities of the PHS are … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past Stinky fish, chicken livers and nightcrawlers
Part two of a series About 1950, some Rushford students received permission to be a couple of hours late to school, so at the break of dawn, mostly men and boys could be at nearby streams, hoping to catch the first trout of the season. It was the fishing opener, the opening day of trout season. The Minnesota Governor’s Fishing Opener has been a time-honored tradition in … [Read more...]
Snoopy Collection on Exhibit During the Houston County Fair
Local Caledonia resident, Luan Hammel’s 30-year Snoopy collection will be on exhibit during the Houston County Fair. The fair runs from August 16-20, in Caledonia, Minn. Fairgoers can find the collection in the Houston County Historical Society agricultural building. Hammel started the collection when she was in college after purchasing a calendar. She was immediately hooked … [Read more...]
Culture & Community This Ex-Amish Life: Eddie Swartzentruber
I had the opportunity to sit down with Eddie Swartzentruber and his wife Karwyn for about three hours at Estelle’s Eatery & Bar in Harmony, Minn., to discuss his life’s story. For those of you who don’t know, Eddie has become a mega ex-Amish superstar, interviewed by major TV networks and media nationwide. He’s become a social media sensation. He told me he was offered a … [Read more...]
Wearing of the green
The Irish music reaches the depth of your soul and will have your feet stomping and your body waving to the fast-paced music. You might jump up out of your seat and start dancing the jig. Plenty of Irish music will be at the 18th Annual Irishfest in La Crosse, Wis., August 11-13. Say hi to the green and orange-clad with red hair leprechaun, Clancy, and don’t forget to take a … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past Catching Fish with Your Feet
Part one of a series Maybe on the bank of a river, smaller stream or a slough (rhyming with flew), there was the thrill of the pursuit and the later savoring of the flavor. It could involve a family, a couple of buddies or just one person. When growing up on a farm in the 1940s and 1950s, fishing was one of the few enjoyable activities for which there was time and also … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past Bayonet threat: “Say you’re a Yankee!”
Horses needed rest after about 10 miles of pulling a stagecoach. In Houston County, the Lorette House was either the first or the last stop for a stream of stagecoaches traveling between La Crosse and St. Paul, following what later became County Highway 25. When white settlers arrived in the mid-1900s, a stagecoach was the only public transportation and safer than traveling … [Read more...]
Early birthday present changes Ann Thacher’s life
Ann Thacher of Bristol Center (west of Harmony) received an amazing gift for her birthday this year. “It was like an early birthday present,” she said. On April 26, the week of her birthday, she received a phone call that would change and save her life. “When they called and said, you got a kidney, I was kind of in shock.” Thacher had waited four years for that call. On May 17, … [Read more...]
Summer fun in Lanesboro
Join the community of Lanesboro, Minn. at the 39th Annual Buffalo Bill Days, August 3 through the 6. Family movie night kicks off the four-day event. The Disney movie “Encanto” will start at 8:30 p.m. in scenic Sylvan Park. New this year, a dunk tank! On Saturday, August 5, from 12-2 p.m., take aim at the Lanesboro Fire Department, from 2-4 p.m. teachers will be waiting in … [Read more...]
Fillmore County Flashback Meet the stars of Hamilton!
By Sara Sturgis Executive Director Fillmore County Historical Society Surprise, it’s not Lin Manuel Miranda of the acclaimed Broadway play but rather Doctors Alfred and Henry Plummer, the two stars of our own village of Hamilton (not to mention the international medical community), Around 1867, following his service in the Civil War, Dr. Albert Plummer and his wife … [Read more...]