February, though a short month, has signaled some important dates of the year. Birthdays for important individuals, such as George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, my brother, two of our daughters and one grandson, are remembered this time of year. Some Februarys make for snowy, frigid days. Others flirt with springtime temperatures. With Christmas in the rear-view mirror, it … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past The approach of day warned them to “git”
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...]
The importance of your witness
By Pastor Paul Hauschild Chatfield and Root Prairie Lutheran Churches The philosopher Soren Kierkegaard once told a story about a circus that caught fire. The flames from the circus fire spread to the fields surrounding the circus grounds and began to burn toward the village below. The circus master, convinced that the village would be destroyed and the people killed … [Read more...]
Do I every day?
What if “I do” wasn’t about taking? FamilyLife Today sends a daily marriage tip to my inbox. The subject never fails to give me pause. “I Do Every Day,” it reads, followed by whatever topic is being covered for that day. The first “I Do” I said on my wedding day in response to the long string of intense questioning about having and holding, forsaking all others, in sickness, … [Read more...]
Today’s not the day the teddy bears have their picnic
He had a voice like a truck rolling north on I-35. “I’ll tell you what winter isn’t.” He paused to let the anticipation build. The clock in my brain ticked, “One Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi...” I waited because I wanted to hear. People are fond of telling us what winter is, but seldom tell us what it isn’t. “It’s no picnic,” he said solemnly. I … [Read more...]
Journal Writing Project Perception of witchcraft
By Maddy Bergey The supernatural, sorcery, and spells – key words associated with witchcraft. By definition found in Oxford’s Dictionary, witchcraft is “the practice of magic, especially for evil purposes or the use of spells.” Though witchcraft started as a medieval practice, variations of this mysterious art are still surfacing in today’s world. In the present day, however, … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past 1877: A costly Caledonia fire, a fatal Houston misfire
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...]
Peering at the Past Children warned about peril in the sand pit
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...]
Take that job and shovel it—the song of the snowbound
I knew him a little, but not a lot. “How are you doing?” I asked.He responded by telling me he was all bound up. I didn’t think it had anything to do with being snowbound and I was right. He went into excruciating detail. Some people shouldn’t be asked how they are doing. My family didn’t tell fishing stories, brag about golf scores or go on about the cabin. We fished some, … [Read more...]
The temple of the Lord
Rev. Peter J. Haugen St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church The glory of the Lord was once found in the pillars of cloud by day and of fire by night. That glory filled the temple, but that glory departed from the temple in judgement before the Babylonian Captivity. That glory did not return when the temple was rebuilt, not as it had been. And that glory is now found in … [Read more...]