By Lee Epps They came on foot, walking beside a yoke of oxen, which pulled a cart laden with their belongings. Sometimes the women and children rode atop the load in the cart. These were settlers of the early 1850s, making their way into what would become Houston County, Minn. Some of these migrants had accompanied oxen from as far away as southern Illinois. Others arrived … [Read more...]
Journal Writing Project – What school was like in 2020 (Fillmore Central edition)
By Kristina Biel Wake up, get dressed, brush teeth, do hair, pack bags, grab a mask, then wait for the bus. Wait – it’s Wednesday. So then you have to unpack your backpack and get ready for online school. As an 11th grader in this pandemic, school can be... different. First of all, we don’t have in-person classes on Wednesdays; instead, we log on to a virtual meeting website … [Read more...]
Enjoy your cranberry sauce and watermelon pickle sandwich
This year it’s turkey, stuffing and masked potatoes. I remember another rough patch at Thanksgiving back when Grandma was still living. We had a small turkey that year. There was a message tied to one of its legs. She didn’t worry about finding the perfect turkey. She knew it didn’t exist. James Beard, the late chef, said, “Food is our common ground, a universal … [Read more...]
The Plant Lady
Growing up in a large family, dinner was always an important topic of discussion. Every week, each of us four kids would give a meal suggestion. My brother’s pick was typically overruled because he always wanted steak. The oldest sibling asked for spaghetti every week. The youngest was easily pleased with macaroni and cheese or chicken nuggets. I fall somewhere in the middle, … [Read more...]
Self-taught artist, Micah Hanson sets a goal to draw a micro-drawing every day for 365 days
Each artist has their own individual style describing how their artwork looks. Local artist Micah Hanson uses the adjective detail, small detail, when describing his work. While interviewing Hanson, he talked in detail about the fish scales, the turkey feathers, and the realistic features added to his paintings, such as the crayfish swimming among rocks. Last November, … [Read more...]
Journal Writing Project – Just move forward
By Zenessa Anderson On November 2, I served as an election judge. It was one of the best, but most exhausting, days of my life. From early morning to long after sunset I helped get people registered, kept the process moving smoothly, and counted. Counting, double checking numbers, and counting a third time, all to make sure that the American People are heard. We carefully … [Read more...]
Historic memories of Fillmore County – The Daniel Dayton family – a pioneer life in Big Spring, Minn., Part II
Continuing on today where Daniel Dayton’s granddaughter, De Orra Dayton, (her father was Zara Dayton) left off last week. Once again, please note, this pioneer story was authored by my good friend, “Flip” (Brian Huggenvik. He has done an outstanding job, educating us about the challenges our forefathers faced as they tamed the wilderness of Fillmore County over a century … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past – Boatmen, Indian blacksmiths and finally a few farmers by 1850
Eight years before Minnesota statehood, Minnesota Territory was included in the United State census of 1850. A year previous, the Minnesota Territorial assembly had created nine counties. What is now Houston County was then part of a very large Wabasha County, which extended from the Mississippi River west to the Missouri River (now in central South Dakota) and from the Iowa … [Read more...]
Back when Googling was nothing more than goofy giggling
The first vehicle I fell in love with wasn’t a Corvette or a Mustang. It was a bookmobile. I miss libraries. I know some are open, but the ones I haunt offer limited services. I still get books, but I do so without entering a library. My screen had gone wavy, so I knew it was a flashback to a day in high school, back when girls introduced me to their mothers, “This is Al … [Read more...]
Shopping – Man, has it changed!
As I was driving to Rochester one day to buy crafting ribbon, I was taking count of how many of my quick stop shops had closed – JoAnn’s south, gone. Shopko, nope. Kmart, long gone. WalMart – too crazy, just can’t do it. So, this means that my shopping from now on has to be very thought out and well planned to know what I need and where I can get it. With many of my quick … [Read more...]