Third of a three-part series “He formed everything from door hinges to implements required to clear the land, plow, seed and cultivate the fields and fashion the tools used during the harvest.” Houston County researcher Josephine Hefte thus characterized Thomas Abbotts, originally from England, who arrived in Caledonia in 1856, establishing a blacksmith shop, and later a … [Read more...]

My honey-do list had become a year longer. It was our anniversary, so we ate inside the fast-food restaurant. My wife deserved the royal treatment. I’ve seen people do some insanely courageous things. My wife has done them throughout our married life. She’s an excellent cook. I wasn’t born to cook. I was born to express my gratitude to those who cook for me. She even … [Read more...]

Second of a series Shipping “King Wheat” to market was the primary reason railroad service into the interior of the new state of Minnesota was so critical during the 1860s. Since the late 1850s, wheat had been the major cash crop in an agrarian economy. Ironically, wheat production began to wane by the late 1870s when railroad service finally reached the Houston County seat … [Read more...]

We’d gotten enough rain to settle the dust and make it possible for me to chew mosquitoes when I walked outside. I remembered going to the local drugstore with my mother on similar rainy days. While she was taking care of her business there, I headed to the free library that the store generously provided. It was called a magazine rack, and there were umpteen periodicals to … [Read more...]

“I’m bored.” Sometimes my lips flapped for no reason, but that’s what I said. I have vivid memories of saying that because it was the last time I ever said, “I’m bored.” I immediately regretted saying it because my father heard it. He had used both ears. He’d grown up in a family with many ears, and the members of that fine family leaned in and listened hard to hear when … [Read more...]