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Well, I just returned from the great state of Mizzuriah...Missoriah...Missouri; sorry it is taking me a while to get back to the official spelling of the state.  I was attending the National James-Younger Gang convention.  This group is committed to researching and preserving the history of the James-Younger Gang.  There was a great group of people from Minnesota in attendance again this year!

There were many presentation on the gang and many interesting points were made.  However, the best presentation was that of our very own, Earl Weinmann.  His presentation was on the new book Caught in the Storm, which was just published by the Northfield Historical Society and was written by the SCOPE program students.  In addition, the book won the James-Younger Gang's Perry Award for best book of 2008.

We also attended a re-enactment of the Datlon Gang's failed robbery in Coffeyville Kansas, a Civil War Museum in Carthage MO, The Bushwacker Museum and many other historic sites in Missouri.  It was a wonderful conference!

Finally, I was elected to the Board of Directors for the James-Younger Gang and NHS's good friend Chip DeMann was elected President!  Next year's convention is going to be in Minnesota!!  More details to follow!

Here are some pictures from the conference.

The leaves are starting to change and the air is getting that little bite to it.  Well, that means that it is time for Cemetery Stories!!

This years event will be held at the Oaklawn Cemetery (next to the golf course) on October 10th.  Tours are 5:30, 6:00, 6:15, 6:30, 7:00, 7:15 and 7:30 p.m.  Each tour last about an hour.  If you would like to reserve your spot today please call us at 507-645-9268!  I will post more information next week, when it is a little closer to the event.

This years event was made possible by the generous donations from By All Means Graphics, College City Beverage and the Northfield News

On Sunday, September 28th, the Dundas Historical Society will sponsor its first History, Music & Stories (HMS) Tour!  This event begins at the Memorial Park Pavilion on First Street in Dundas.  The first guided walking tour begins at noon followed by another tour at 12:30 p.m. and the last tour at 1:00 p.m. 

The tour includes seeing various historical sites throughout Dundas, as well as being able to walk in some of the structures such as: (1) the home of Mac and Jackie Gimse, who live in the former Methodist Church on Railway Street; (2) Schrader Photography Studio previously known as the Hummel Church on Hester Street, (3) and the 1873 stone home of Larry and Bonnie Fowler on First Street.

After viewing these sites, the tour then moves over to the cemetery at Holy Cross Church on Second Street, where tour members will meet two of the founders of Dundas, John and Katherine Archibald (played by Bob and Ann Gregory-Bjorklund).  The Archibald family moved to Minnesota from Dundas, Ontario, Canada to begin milling flour on the Cannon River.

From there the tour will move inside the Holy Cross Church where Randy Cox will provide tour members with the history of the Church and the Archibald Family as documented by Marge Neuhaus.  Also on display at the Church, ArtOrg will exhibit “The Twenty Views of Dundas” print making series which began during last year’s Sesquicentennial Celebration.  Boxed sets of the prints are available for sale. 

Ending this wonderful tour at 3:30 p.m. in the Church, will be an organ concert by George Hardgrove.  It promises to be a full, enjoyable and entertaining afternoon!

Tours depart the Memorial Park Pavilion at noon, 12:30 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. rain or shine!  Access to the sites is only via a guided tour group.  Tickets for the HMS Tour are $5.00 per person and may be purchased at the Memorial Park Pavilion before the start of each tour.  Tour members need to be sure to hang on to their admission ticket as there will be drawings at the Church featuring prizes from Cannon Valley Water, CarTime, Cartridge World, Dokmo Ford, Firehouse Liquor, Frandsen Bank & Trust, James Gang Coffeehouse, Jumping Around Fun Center, Pivatol Point, Polzin Glass, Sears, Sweet Lou’s Waffle Bar, Sweet Pea’s Loft, The Sketchy Artist and other local businesses!  Money raised from the HMS Tour will go towards supporting the mission of the Dundas Historical Society.

Bette Lee along with her husband Franklin, has been co-chairing the horseshoe hunt for the past several years.  The two of them select the hiding place and write the clues.  In 2007 and 2008  the hunt went to the fifth clue.  In 2007 the shoe was found on the grounds of the Northfield Public Library by Mary Rossing.  This year it was found near the same spot by Travis Faust.  View the full Northfield News article here.

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Below are the pictures from 2008 Outlaw Run.  It was a great success, there were 68 motorcycles registered!    Thank you to everyone that rode, all of the money raised will go to the Northfield Historical Society Youth Education programs. 

Tell everyone about the Run and we hope to see you again next year!

The Northfield Historical Society will be closed on September 8 and 9.  We will re-open on Wednesday September 10 at 10:00 a.m.

Tonight, Thursday September 4, the Northfield Historical Society is hosting a reception for Jesse James’ Great Granddaughter, Betty Barr, the reception starts at 5:30 p.m.  In addition we will once again welcome our friend from Germany Dietmar Kuegler, Author and Publisher from WYK Auf Foehr Germany.  This year Dietmar has brought a tour group with him from Germany!  R.L. Wilson was scheduled to be in Northfield but due to another commitment he will not be in attendance.

On Saturday authors, John J. Koblas and Victoria Kasten will be on hand to sign copies of their books.

John J. Koblas is one of the top experts on the James-Younger Gang and their travels through Minnesota and has published twelve books on that subject. One of Koblas' best known books on the James-Younger Gang is Faithful Unto Death, that chronicles the Gang's movements through Minnesota before and after their attempted robbery in Northfield, it is the most comprehensive book on the attempted raid to date. Some of John's other books include; Jesse James in Iowa, Jesse James Ate Here, Minnesota Grit and many more.

Victoria Kasten is the author of the widely popular children's books series, Mighty Stallion. The Mighty Stallion series looks at the American Wild West through the eyes of the wild horse. Right now there are 5 books in the series with more on the way.

Both authors will be on hand Saturday starting at 10:00 a.m. and Koblas and Kasten will return on Sunday at 10:00 a.m. to sign more copies of their books.

For more information on the Historical Society or DJJD please call us at 507-645-9268 or email us through our website by clicking here.

The vintage base ball game between the Northfield Silver Stars and the St. Croix Base Ball Club will be played at Old Memorial Field off Seventh Street Saturday, Sept. 6. Game time is 1 p.m.

The match was previously scheduled to be played at St. Olaf College, but a student activity scheduled for the same time required the base ball game be moved. Spectators are invited to bring a blanket or chairs, park in the city swimming pool parking lot and watch the game.

The match is a recreation of base ball as it was played in the 1860s.

The players do not wear gloves; a ball caught on the bounce is an out; and there is absolutely no spitting, swearing or betting.

The event is part of Defeat of Jesse James Days. There is no admission.

GO STARS!!!!

We are very pleased and honored to announce three very special performers for the Saturday September 6 bank raid re-enactments.
KARE 11 TV news anchor and journalist, and noted equestrian, Diana Pierce will be riding in the 11:00 a.m. bank raid re-enactment.   Diana will be riding as Clell Miller.

We are also very pleased to announce that former Minnesota Governor Al Quie will be riding in the 1:00 p.m. bank raid re-enactment.  Al will be playing the part of Jim Younger.

 Finally, Chuck DeMann, who portrayed Henry Wheeler in the very first bank raid re-enactment in 1948, will retire from riding after participating in the bank raid re-enactments.

Congratulations to Allie Lyman (Anna's Closet) for being awarded queen at Saturday night's annual scholarship royalty coronation.  Maria Ziegler (Northfield Dance Academy) and Elyssa Prevost (Polzin Glass) were awarded princess honors. Jr Princess is Lilly King (Northfield Dance Academy) and Jr Ambasador is Sam Hegseth (Women & Kids on Division).

Allie Lyman (Queen)

Maria Ziegler (Princess)

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By now most of you know that on August 23, the Northfield Historical Society will be hosting our first  motorcycle run to raise money for our youth education programs.  If you want to know more about it, visit the Outlaw Run web site.  You can also listen to me on the 93X morning show on August 18 at 8:30 a.m.  I am going to talk about the Run and why a historical society is doing this type of event.

Updates for the Run:

• The lunch at Elysian is going to be a BBQ for $2.00
• After the rally at the Reub N' Stein there will be a drawing for a pair of Minnesota Twins tickets.
• Outlaw Run T-shirts are in!! When you register for the run you get a T-shirt or you can buy them at the Museum Store for $14.95.

For more information on the Run call the Northfield Historical Society at 507-645-9268.

Local author/historian John J. Koblas will give a slide presentation on his new trilogy of books entitled Let them Eat Grass, Thursday, August 14, at the Northfield Historical Society.  The three-part series is broken into different areas about the conflict.  "Smoke," the first book, published in 2006, details American Indian history from earliest times, carefully setting up the climate of inevitable confrontation with the arrival of white settlers in Minnesota. The second book, "Fire," chronicles early attacks on small settlements to the attacks on Fort Ridgely, New Ulm, and the Battles of Birch Coulee and Wood Lake, culminating in the surrender of the Sioux at Camp Release. The final book in the series, "Ashes" focuses on the trials of Dakota leaders, the mass hanging at Mankato, the death of Little Crow, the pursuit of the Sioux into the Dakota and Montana Territories, and the war on a bigger scale—Fetterman, Custer, Wounded Knee, Sugar Point. Whether genocide or accident, if there is a villain in the story it is not peevish old Sitting Bull, or the yellow-haired boy general, but the American people and their never-ending list of places which the Indians 'did not need.'
 

Mr. Koblas will be signing books before and after the presentation.  Refreshments will be served.  The book signing and presentation will start at 6:30 p.m. at the Northfield Historical Society; we are located at 408 Division Street, in downtown Northfield.

Well, Art Swirl is done and it was a great event.  Below are the pictures I took during the event.  You can also view photos from Griff Wigley on Locally Grown and take a look at the northfield.org photos.

There are 158 photos in the slide show!

Last night Art Swirl kicked off with a bang!  The wood sculpture subject was revealed and there was great music and dancing on Bridge Square.  See the slide show from last night.

Art Swirl Poster 2008

I have just updated the Water and 5th Street construction slide show, it is now over 95 images!

I have also added a slide show on the the dam work being done.

In addition, I am posting a picture of one of the first baseball games in Northfield.  It is dated to be in the late 1850s or early 1860s.

Water and 5th Street slide show

Dam work

Baseball Game

Be a donor during Defeat!  Come by the Blood-Mobile on Saturday of the event in the Econofoods parking lot. All donors will be receiving a ARC gift and a chance to win a $25 dollar Econofoods gift card.

Please see the official website to schedule a time and gather further information. 

www.givebloodgivelife.org

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We've put up a raid quiz for all to take.  It's twenty questions that are sure to challenge.  Find out just how raid savvy you are by clicking here.

About a year ago, I was walking in the Northfield Cemetery preparing for our Cemetery Stories event and I noticed many freshly knocked over tombstones.  As I came up to the Heywood plot I noticed that Mattie Heywood (Joseph Lee Heywood's first wife) stone was knocked over and had broken into many pieces.  Well, because of the generosity of the First National Bank of Northfield, Mattie now has a new stone.

Below is a slide show of the new stone being put into place.  At the end of the show you will see the new stone and the old stone.

Despite what the printed brochure says, there will be no arts and crafts show at the Northfield areana on hwy 3 (indoor arena) this year.  Due to renovation by the city, 4-Star Promotions announced that it was unable to find an alternate location and that the event will be cancelled this year. 

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