Part two They walked from the ridge down through the woods into a valley below. Their intention was sure - while swinging wooden bats, to challenge the yet unseen adversary. It was school year 1949-1950 in Houston County when two country grade school teachers had arranged for their one-room school students to meet for a picnic and softball game. It was a highly unusual and … [Read more...]
One step toward hope
Fillmore County towns are eager for the opportunity to host Relay for Life. Earlier Relay for Life events in Fillmore and Houston Counties were a joint venture; one year in Fillmore County, the following year in Houston County. Houston County no longer holds a relay event. Host communities must commit to hosting the event two years in a row. This is Fountain’s second year … [Read more...]
Never forgotten
The traveling half-size replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall was in Houston 19 years ago during the 2004 Hoedown Days and will be in town again this year in conjunction with the town’s well-known celebration. There will be plenty of time for Fillmore County Journal readers to visit the wall between July 27 and July 241 and pay their respects. Whether you have seen the … [Read more...]
Peterson gnomes make Quirky Minnesota Places list
At the July 12 Peterson City Council meeting, Councilwoman Gail Boyum shared that she’d been approached by visitors to the city as she worked in the garden in back of the museum, asking where the gnomes were throughout the city and if there were gnomes for sale. It turns out that Peterson has gained notoriety on Facebook in the group Quirky Minnesota Places; now people are … [Read more...]
Fair time!
Celebrate 165 years of tradition, food, entertainment, and exhibits at the 2023 Fillmore County Fair, July 17-23. The fairgrounds is located just minutes west of Hwy. 52 in Preston. Food is one of the top reasons fairgoers attend county fairs. Food, especially fair food, challenges all fiave senses. Whether it is a bag of fluffy sticky sweet cotton candy, grilled burger, … [Read more...]
Iowa Creative Places update
The state of Iowa has officially announced the Iowa Great Places redesignation as well as the newly designated Iowa Cultural & Entertainment Districts of which now Decorah is one. There are only 18 Cultural & Entertainment Districts in the State of Iowa. This year only two were added – Decorah and Burlington. (The 18 includes the two new communities) To receive the … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past Almost impossible to get the girls to play ball
“We boys pretty much ignored the girls, unless they were needed for a ball game,” wrote now octogenarian David Beckman about attending country grade schools in Houston County, Minn., in the 1940s and 1950s. “Even so, I did realize that girls were much more aware of subtle things that were going on around us than we boys ever were. We either didn’t notice or didn’t much … [Read more...]
Lanesboro makes a statement with new mural
As a town known for its arts and culture, Lanesboro has now made a large statement in the form of a colorful Theatre District Mural. The mural, located at the corner of O’Koren Law Office, 204 Parkway Ave. N., was a collaborative effort between Lanesboro Arts and Commonweal Theatre, who partnered with Joe O’Koren who owns the building. Lanesboro Arts and Commonweal Theatre … [Read more...]
It’s farmers market season
Fresh, nutritious, and delicious tasting veggies are now in season! Shoppers will now find a large selection of veggies. In addition to veggies, shoppers will find a selection of jams, pickles, mushrooms, jerky, fish, beef, wine, flowers, homemade pie and bread, handmade dog treats, baby ducks and chicks, handcrafted items like potholders and scrubbers and dish towels, … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past Piggy banks, hitchhiking, whatever got them to the rink
Part two of a two-part series An 1884 newspaper credited S. D. Torrey of Lansing, Iowa, for introducing the roller-skating rage to Caledonia. “We had the pleasure of witnessing the first experiment of some of our denizens on rollers at the courthouse Monday evening, and we enjoyed it hugely. We did not venture to try on a pair of skates, however, fearing that a certain part of … [Read more...]