Part two of a series. Before saving the homes of fellow southeast Minnesota settlers and attaining his adult acclaim (as described in part one of this series) – O. W Streeter had been a homeless boy. About two centuries before this writing, Oscar Willard Streeter was born about 1821 in Syracuse, N.Y. Prospects were promising as the youngest son of Dr. Barton Streeter. But the … [Read more...]
“Move the Schoolhouse” pancake breakfast
The Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum will be having an All You Can Eat Pancake Breakfast, Sunday, March 13, 2022, from 7 a.m. - 12 noon at St. Benedict Catholic Church dining hall, 307 W Main St., Decorah, Iowa. The museum is raising funds to “Move the Schoolhouse” onto the grounds of the museum. This one-room schoolhouse, once called the Pot Hollow School, was built in 1915 and … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past Houston County pioneer thwarted land sharks, debt collectors
Thousands of Minnesota “wives and children owe their homes to the foresight and wisdom” of a man from Houston County, stated the Duluth Daily Short Line. In the first Minnesota legislature of 1858, a young senator from Caledonia authored a bill, which decades later was still praised by a Washington, D.C. publication as one of the state’s best laws. Houston County pioneer, poet, … [Read more...]
Three young men join BSA Troop 53
Congratulations to Mannix Darr, Hunter Lee, and Caiden Dahle, front row, left to right, who have completed Cub Scouts and joined BSA Troop 53 of the Rushford-Peterson area. Middle row, left to right, are scouts Chase Humble, Gibson Darr, Beatty Darr, Carter Kopperud-Erickson, Isaac Feine, and Christian Lindmeier. In the back are Assistant Scout Leader Joe Bessler and … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past Gold, murder, a water spout and a new Lutheran edifice
Part six of a series. Residents of Houston County were among those seeking wealth during the Black Hills Gold Rush of 1874-1877. Gold had been discovered in Dakota Territory by an 1874 United States Army expedition of 1,000 men, led by George Armstrong Custer. In 1877, according to a published history of Houston County, “A lot of Blackhillers, as they were called, left … [Read more...]
Thompson hopes Norwegian blood klub tradition will continue
The annual Norwegian Klub & Chili Feed took place at the Lanesboro American Legion in Lanesboro, Minn. on Saturday, February 19, with many people attending the rare occurrence of blood klub being served in Fillmore County. Finding klub in the area may get even more difficult according to organizer of the event, Robert Thompson, who is ready to hand over the reins to … [Read more...]
Follow Winneshiek County influencer Lydia Dawley
If you’re not, you should be following 25-year-old influencer, Lydia Grace Dawley. It is a lot of work to become a recognizable influencer, but Dawley is a natural influencer and makes it look easy. Google her name, and you will see entry after entry of what she has been up to since she moved from Winneshiek County. The Merriam-Webster online dictionary describes an influencer … [Read more...]
LCT presenting Lend Me a Tenor in Lanesboro in March
Live (and lively) theater returns to the St. Mane stage in Lanesboro in early March — after a long pandemic-created pause — with the production of the comedy Lend Me a Tenor by the Lanesboro Community Theater. Under the direction of Kari Berg, there will be six performances of the play over the first two weekends in March, including matinees on both Sunday afternoons. Called … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past Bells rang for classes, curfew and calamities
Before people had clocks and wristwatches, bells rang out the time of day. Centuries later, but still before electricity provided conveniences such as fire sirens, bells were a source of community communication - sometimes summoning people out of their homes, sometimes sending children back home. In the early 1900s, there were bells all around Houston, Minn. – according to town … [Read more...]
Chatfield Center for the Arts ongoing construction
At the February 14 Chatfield City Council meeting, the second pay estimate to Benike Construction was approved in the amount of $436,271.75. The total payout so far for the ongoing renovation project is a total of $1,027,525.92. Councilors Mike Urban and David Frank were absent. Other business in brief •The donation of a bench for the swimming pool in honor of Jeff Buss was … [Read more...]