By Angela Denstad Time and again we’re rushed along through shopping seasons from one marketing milestone to the next in a seemingly endless state of anticipation – or is it agitation? – or is that just me? While I tend to be generally content, goal-oriented, and excited to have something to look forward to, as each year passes, it seem that so much of the seasonal hype is … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… Journal Intern Prepares for Future
By Jason Sethre This past spring, we received a request from Isaac Snyder, a 2024 Lanesboro High School graduate. He was inquiring about a possible internship with the Fillmore County Journal. We hadn’t planned on having an intern work for us over the summer months, but his inquiry prompted us to consider the possibility. Within a week, we received an email from the … [Read more...]
Whistling While Your Dog Does Not Herd Sheep
By Al Batt A family member was inducted into something great. As her name was announced, I stood and gave a loud whistle. I'd have done more, but I wasn't sure what the rules allowed because she was one of the first to be introduced. It turned out I could have stomped, screamed and made a complete fool of myself, generally behaving as if civilization had passed me by. A … [Read more...]
Things are Changing
By Wenda Grabau As the summer wanes and the onset of autumn appears, it is easy to notice things that are changing. The landscape highlighting the delicate white blooms of Queen Anne’s Lace in summer now supports the brilliance of autumn’s goldenrod. Wild cucumber vines which have been undercover climbing up and blanketing nearby sturdy supporting plants, now show what they … [Read more...]
Pastor Devotions – Three Things that Never Change
By Pastor Paul Hauschild Chatfield and Root Prairie Lutheran Churches As the school year begins, so do our programs at church ramp up! Pastors and leaders get excited about more youth, children and families in church. What curriculum will we use? What topics and themes do we highlight? How can we bring out God’s story in a new and relevant way? What games should we plan and … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past – Chaotic Clash Between Farmers, Claim Jumpers and Land Sharks
They have been politely called “speculators” or “real estate agents,” and more harshly, “shysters.” But according to Houston County historian Sumner Sheldon, the term used by the early settlers of the Minnesota frontier was “land sharks.” These unpopular, often unscrupulous land sharks purchased land, not to farm but only to sell for higher prices. A rumor of a railroad … [Read more...]
Ask a Trooper
Question: I see a lot of people not wearing their seat belt correctly. Several of them, have the shoulder belt worn underneath the shoulder/arm. Can you provide some education on this? Answer: Seat belt use is required with a properly adjusted and fastened seat belt, including both the shoulder and lap belt when the vehicle is so equipped. You are more likely to survive a car … [Read more...]
Berlin Township’s 107-Year-Old Man From County Kerry
I visited five cemeteries in one day. Four of them would be called rural cemeteries, and the fifth one was in a city with a population inching past 300. What was I doing in five cemeteries? Well, I wasn't in all of them at the same time. That would be a weird superpower to have – the ability to be in five cemeteries at once. "Hold on, I'll save you! I don't know how, but I … [Read more...]
74th Annual Community Celebration Brings History to Life
The Hesper-Mabel Steam Engine Days celebration, scheduled for September 10-13, will bring community history to life through displays, demonstrations, parades, food, and longstanding local traditions. Mabel Historical Preservation, a committee of the Hesper-Mabel Historical Society, continues to help residents and visitors connect with Mabel’s history. The Larson Hardware … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past – White Beaver and Buffalo Bill in Lanesboro
From Lanesboro to Europe? Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show was the largest and most attended live, traveling outdoor performance that reenacted scenes of the American west along with exhibitions of sharpshooting and daring horsemanship in both the United States and Europe for three decades, beginning in 1883. Lanesboro historian Cecil Ward claimed the inspiration and sometime … [Read more...]