Part eight of a series This account of an 1877 robbery was published in the 1882 History of Houston County with preservation of the original spelling and punc-tuation. On Mon-day night, June 3d, a most persistent attempt was made to rob the safe in the County Treasurer’s office. Nothing was known of the affair until 7 o’clock on Tuesday morning, when the Auditor, Mr. Trask, … [Read more...]

Part seven of a series (part six published a year ago in February 2022) Houston County and Fillmore County were established, broken off from Wabasha County in 1854. An 1882 history of Houston County reviewed some newsworthy events in the county during its first three decades. For additional historical perspective, the following – except for editorial notations in parentheses … [Read more...]

In one respect, sand saved the city, but it could be deadly. Houston, located just west of where Highway 76 meets Highway 16, was first located east of that intersection. Starting in the 1850s, the village prospered with a flour mill, a sawmill, a shingle factory and a cooper who made barrels for the flour mill. However, with the proximity of the Root River, high water and … [Read more...]

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...]