the road to our story
DESCRIPTION
Vol. 1 Issue 4TRANSCRIPT
2
"THAT'S NEWS TO US"Barbara Waters and Stone Fox
Sharing Yesterday’s News Todayfor a Better Tomorrow!
Fun-Filled Facts About28 OUR STORY Towns
in 4 States!
Highlighting communities that have become part of OUR STORY...small-town living at its best!
Vol. 1, Issue 4 • ourstorymn.com • $3.95
UNCOVERED!BETTY THOMPSON &
LAWYER ED on AS THE CORN GROWS!
The Latest SWEET SWINE
COUNTY Scoop!
You Really Oughtto Give Iowa a Try!
Algona, Armstrong, Emmetsburg & More!
3
Yea, yea, yea. I know…I know. I should do this, I should do that. So if you think you know better, send me an email. I’ll probably look at it. I might publish it, I might not. But keep it pithy. I’ve got a lot to do.
Dear Our Story Productions:
I’ve just got to tell you that I love your new Sweet Swine Scoop blog. It’s nice that you’re includ-ing a sample of it in each issue of this magazine. When I pulled up the site at www.sweetswinescoop.com, I prit-near laughed to death. I know so many of those people that are on the blog! Jeepers, may-be you’ll cover something about me on it sometime. Don’t forget that I live in this great county, too!
Until my next email, I remain,
Daly E. Mailer, Jr.
Dear Our Story:
We advertised from Madison, SD, but there was no advertising in the Vol. 1, Issue 3 magazine from Madison advertisers. Why?
Sherry Van LiereLake View Realty217 N Egan Ave.Madison, S.D. 57042
Dear Sherry:
Simply, we lay out our magazine at least two months before it's pub-lished. At the time we set up the issue you mentioned, we included another interesting article about Madison as an introduction to your fair city, although our sales consul-tants hadn't yet even canvassed the town.You'll find your ad in this issue with more interesting articles about Madison. We're delighted you and many other businesses in Madison now have become part of the Our Story "family" there! Our readers will enjoy learning about you in this issue.
Regards,
The Our Story Staff
So YOUR story's better?
If you feel you must, you’ll find our email address on
www.ourstorymn.com. Good luck!
4
And Even More!49 The Road to Our Story
Discover Martin County!54 Pipestone Civil War Days58 WFS in Truman60 Faribault County
Courthouse62 Windom Prairie Wetlands64 Belle Plaine’s Valley View
Golf Course
OUR STORY Dish23 LARK Toys in
Wabasha/Kellogg, MN27 Olde Triangle Pub,
Wabasha, MN42 Amboy Cottage Cafe46 It’s Blizzarding in
Madison, SD!52 Luverne’s Green Earth
Players76 San Pedro Cafe and
Barker’s Bar & Grill
Featured Stories18 Algona POW Museum28-37 Fairmont, MN
Pioneer Museum, HeritageAcres, Our Story Studios,Gemini Studios
44 That’s News to Us Meet Fox and Waters!
50 As the Corn Grows Uncovering Betty Thompsonand Lawyer Ed!
CONTENTStable f It means what’s all in this magazine! Giddy-up!!
Stone Fox...a man of many
faces...and many plaids.
See page 44!
Why does Barbara Waters
love Sweet Swine?See pages 44-45!
5
6 Sanborn, MN - “On the Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Highway”
8 Alden, MN - “It’s All in Alden!”
10 Kiester, MN - “The best is yet to be!”
12 Balaton, MN - “On the Shores of Beautiful Lake Yankton”
14 Lamberton, MN - “A Learning Community”
16 Edgerton, MN - “Home of the Dutch Festival”
20 Beresford, SD - “Live Our Lifestyle”
24 Yankton, SD - “What a Discovery”
38 Canby, MN - “The Gateway to the Prairie”
40 Albert Lea, MN - “The Land Between the Lakes”
56 Flandreau, SD - “A Rich History”
66 Emmetsburg, IA - Five Island Lake
70 Madelia, MN - “Pride of the Prairie”
78 Milbank, SD - “You’ll Like Milbank!”
82 Graettinger, IA - “Small Town, Big Heart”
84 Armstrong, IA - “A Big Surprise in a Small Package”
86 Ringsted, IA - “Home of ‘The Happy Dancing Danes’”
87 Ruthven, IA - “Small-Town Living at its Finest”
88 Wilmar, MN - “A Four-Season Destination”
RELUCTANT PUBLISHER: Jeff RouseOUR STORY StudiosFairmont, MN 56031Tel: 507.236.5607Web: [email protected]
WHY-ME MANAGING EDITOR: Bryan Peterson
HELPFUL EDITORIAL DIRECTOR—STYLE & ENTERTAINMENT:Denise Rouse
SUPER-CREATIVE DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR—GRAPHIC ART & DESIGN:Samantha Lund-Hillmer
GRAPHICS & OTHER SUNDRIES CONTRIBUTORS:Shelly AbitzNick Larsen Media
COOL CONTRIBUTINGPHOTOGRAPHERS: Sarah Morphew Samantha Lund-Hillmer
COPY-CAT CHIEFS:Shelly AbitzSamantha Lund-HillmerBryan Peterson
POOFREADERS:Samanta Land-Hillmor Bryon Pederson
COLOSSAL CIRCULATION & MARKETING DIRECTORS:Jeff Rouse
DIRECTORS, HOPEFUL SALESPLANNING:Dani KainzScott Evans
HOPEFUL SALES PLANNINGCONSULTANTS:Andrea ChristensenSherrie Knapp
MASTER WEBMASTER:Nick Larsen Media
PERFECT PRINTER:John C. Draper, Publisher Pipestone Publishing Co. and Page 1 Printers
COVER PHOTO COURTESY OF:OUR STORY's Polaroid Instamatic
City Spotlights
6
7
Dear Readers,
Welcome to another issue of The Road to OUR STORY! We’re featuring backgrounds on a host of new towns and businesses that have joined the Our Story “family.” We hope you enjoy discovering more about them!
The big question is: Have you yet figured out who shot JR—John Robert Olson (Cousin John)? The intrigue has been building on Our Story’s zany reality soap opera, “As the Corn Grows,” while Officer Dave has been inter-viewing the cast of characters who all had good reason to “off” Cousin John at his surprise birthday party. We hope you’re watching the show either on our website at www.ourstorymn.com, or on TV in your area! In this issue, you will learn more about the characters of Lawyer Ed and dear Betty Thompson (who may not be quite as “dear” as you think!).
As many of you know, Our Story Produc-tions is headquartered in the beautiful “City of Lakes”—Fairmont, MN. We hope you’ll enjoy the multi-page spread of stories that feature
the town, including “behind-the-scenes” articles about Our Story’s Studios as well as our talented camerawoman/film editor/writer, Shelly Abitz. Feel free to contact us about being a guest at a live taping of one of our many TV shows, where you’ll get to experience “show-biz” right here in Southern Minnesota!
There’s also much to read about on Sweet Swine County’s blog: Sweet Swine Scoop. In each issue of this magazine we’re includ-ing a few of the latest stories that have been snooped-out by Sweet Swine Scoop’s intrepid reporters—who have their “snouts” into every-one’s business around the county!
Who could ask for anything more?!
Jeff Rouse
Executive ProducerOur Story Productions
"Remember, it's not just the pastbut the present
that becomes OUR STORY!"
8
Bringing Belly dance
to Southern MinneSota:aMerican triBal Style (atS), triBal FuSion,
Wild WingS,caBaret, SWord, egyptian & Skirt
availaBle For all
occaSionS: Bachelorette partieS,
BirthdayS, Fund raiSerS & other eventS
9
“On the Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Highway”
Sanborn, MN
Clockwise from top left: Laura Ingalls Wilder; Highway 14; City Park; Water-melon Days; sod house; Farmer’s Health & Golf Club; Watermelon Days.
On each episode of Split Hoof Tonight, Earl, who has never left Sweet Swine County, shares with us his plans to "step out" and discover life—way beyond his comfort zone. And Earl does just that! Read here about one of many discoveries Earl has made. It sure seems comfortable to us!!
All of Earl’s video reports are viewable atwww.ourstorymn.com.
Downtown Sanborn
10
ocated in Redwood County, quaint
Sanborn, Minnesota was originally platted
in 1881, and incorporated as a town ten
years later (after the post office had been
established in 1880). Sanborn was named in honor
of Sherburn Sanborn, who for many years was an
officer of the Chicago and Northwestern Railway
Company.
Home to such festivals as Watermelon Days, Art
in the Park and Hometown Christmas, visitors in
Sanborn also will be intrigued to view what life was
like for early settlers at “Sod House on the Prairie”
(www.sodhouse.org). This one-of-a-kind exhibit just
20 miles from Laura Ingalls Wilder’s home in Walnut
Grove hearkens back to the days of the “sod busters.”
Open from April through October, the Sod House
on the Prairie is an educational experience for young
and old alike.
www.cityofsanbornmn.org
L
Above: Laura Ingalls Wilder books
July 6-7, 13-14, 20-21, 2012
Performance 9:00 pmTickets 888-859-3102
The sun goes down, the lights go up, and so begins the magic on the hillside. Over a hundred years ago, when life was simple, dreams were plentiful, and family love was for a lifetime....
The Wilder Pageant is a family-oriented outdoor drama based on the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder in Walnut Grove. It is a live performance each night with all characters from the Walnut Grove area. Laura narrates the story, reflecting on her life in Walnut Grove in the 1870’s.
The Wilder Pageant is presented every July on the banks of Plum Creek west of Walnut Grove. The hillside amphitheater has been developed to allow for extensive lighting, sound, and special effects. Refreshments are available at the conces-sion stand, and the pageant grounds are sprayed for mosquitoes. It is our hope that visitors will take with them a sense of history and a deeper appre-ciation of the joys and hardships that challenged our ancestors when settling the prairie.
Act One Scene 1: Arrival in Walnut GroveAct One Scene 2: New NeighborsAct One Scene 3: Kennedy HouseAct One Scene 4: Building the ChurchAct One Scene 5: SchoolyardAct One Scene 6: Oleson’s StoreAct One Scene 7: GrasshoppersAct One Scene 8: Christmas
Intermission
Act Two Scene 1: Laura’s Party on Plum CreekAct Two Scene 2: Prairie FireAct Two Scene 3: Town CouncilAct Two Scene 4: Prep for SocialAct Two Scene 5: Church SocialAct Two Scene 6: Mary’s BlindnessAct Two Scene 7: Decision/Epilogue
Pageant Policy: No video recording or pets
Wilder Pageant
11
Built around the scenic 21-acre Morin Lake, the city of Alden in Freeborn County was platted as a railway village
in 1869 by the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad. Now considered as part of the metro area surround-
ing the burgeoning county seat of Albert Lea, Alden has reported having a post office since 1866. Early German,
Scandinavian and Irish settlers are recorded to have arrived in what are now Alden and Carlston Townships in
1858. That heritage is still reflected in the people who reside in this community that lies in the 720 square miles
of rolling land, beautiful lakes, and rich soil of Freeborn County.
Word about Sweet Swine County, and all the other great counties and towns throughout OUR STORY Country, has made its way around the world! Tourists are traveling in droves to our area and regularly report back to us about what they’ve experienced! This story just came in from our English fan, Kate, about Alden, Minnesota. Obviously, she had a spiffing good time here! Cheers, Kate!
“ I t ’ S A l l I n A l d e n ! ”
12
Top: Downtown mural; Alden playground; Community Museum. Opposite page: Scenic view of Alden
Reviews:
“Betty’s Denial sure ain’t no river in Egypt!” ...Ronnie P. Silage, Poet Lariat
“A slap-yourself-upside-the-head sensation!”...The Daily Boar
“A sweet taste of sour grapes in my estimation!”...Mrs. Swanson, Hotdish Maven
Sweet Swine County’s New #1 Bestsellerby TV’s tantalizing
“Cooking It Up With Betty” hostess!
13
Kiester, MN
Word about Sweet Swine County, and all the other great counties and towns throughout OUR STORY Country, has made its way around the world! Tourists are traveling in droves to our area and regularly report back to us about what they’ve experienced! This story just came in from our French fan, Gigi, about Kiester, Minnesota. Merci, Gigi!
14
iester is a small town in Faribault
County that is nestled among some
of the highest hills in Southern
Minnesota. The “Kiester Hills”
are glacial moraines that were formed during the last
Ice Age. The tallest hill rises to an altitude of 1,432 feet
above sea level and travelers
driving north out of Kiester on
Highway 22 will certainly notice
the beautiful panoramic views
from the rolling hillsides.
Named for Judge J. A.
Kiester (a prominent figure in
early Faribault County history),
Kiester was platted in 1865 when
land claims were filed by Eli and
A. W. Judd. In 1899, the Iowa,
Minnesota and North Western Railroad built a depot in
Kiester while it was joining together many communi-
ties from Belle Plaine, MN to Mason City, IA. The town
grew quickly and by 1900 it was noted that the local
population of 896 was supporting several general stores,
a state bank, hardware and implement stores, two
blacksmiths, a newspaper and a livestock dealer.
Kiester continues to be a thriving community with
many businesses tied to agri-
culture, two churches, and the
wonderful Kee Civic Theatre. A
city-sponsored renewal proj-
ect on Main Street in the 1990s
included a newly constructed
retail/grocery store complex.
Kiester Clinic-Mayo Health Sys-
tems provides top-notch medical
care for the surrounding area.
The friendly, progressive spirit of
the town’s residents is especially
on view at annual events like the Farming of Yesteryear
Show, the Kiester Days Celebration, and the Kiester
City Park Holiday Lights Festival.
For more information ----> www.cityofkiester.com
15
shelters, and softball and baseball fields. The scenic
Fred Swanson Memorial Trail starts at Knudsen-Bosley
Park on the shores of Lake Yankton.
N amed after the largest lake in the Central
European country of Hungary,
picturesque Balaton, Min-
nesota was platted in July 1879 and
incorporated on December 12,
1892. Balaton rests on Lake
Yankton in Lyon County and has
a population of about 620. The
Balaton Fun Fest annually draws
visitors from around the area during the
first weekend of July with events that include a boat
parade, as well as a street parade and dance, fireworks
and much more. Balaton is a great destination point for
summertime outdoor activities and its parks sport a
sand volleyball court, four clay horseshoe courts, picnic
This story about Red Wing, Minnesota just came in from Rudy the Runner, where he took a breather while on his run to another finish line!
“On the Shores ofBeautiful Lake Yankton”
Legions of fans are watching “the stars come out” in Sweet Swine County and beyond! Yes, many infamous Our Story celebrities are show-bizzily digging up all kinds of entertain-ing information about people, places and events in the area. Celebrity Earl Silo, adored as the TV co-host of “Split Hoof Tonight” and star of “Earl Steps Out,” is stepping out again right here with this story about Balaton, Minnesota! You go, Earl!
16
Balaton’s residents are proud of their volunteer
fire department and ambulance service that serves
three neighboring communities and 10 townships.
The city also built and owns the 9-hole “East Bay”
Golf Course that is enjoyed by many in the area.
Balaton’s citizens actively support their commu-
nity and encourage participation in their civic or-
ganizations such as 4-H, the Lion’s Club, Women
of Today, the Park Commission, the Historical
Society and the American Legion. Visit beautiful
Balaton soon!
17
purpose. Land could be acquired for $1.25 an acre by
residing on it for six months. Normally, the price of
land at this time averaged
about $5.00 per acre.
amberton, Minnesota is located on the
Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Highway (#14)
in Redwood County. Like so many other
small towns in the Midwest, Lamberton’s
rich history reaches back to the days of the
early homesteaders who arrived with the high hopes
of farming the unbroken prairie soil. Under the Home-
stead Act of 1862, any head of household at least 21
years old could file for a claim on 160 acres in the public
domain—land not already designated for a special
This story about Red Wing, Minnesota just came in from Rudy the Runner, where he took a breather while on his run to another finish line!
The “Learning Community” of Lamberton, Minnesota is about to get a lesson on “How to be a Celebrity!” You show ‘em, Earl!
Lamberton, MN“A Learning Community”
top:Hot Iron Days; Hot Iron Pour
Hot Iron Days info: http://www.rrcnet.org/~ironpour/
top:Lamberton sign
right: 2010 Jazz Festival
18
When Lamberton was platted, it is said that the
width of the streets were measured by how much room
it took two teams of oxen pulling covered wagons to
turn around. The early pioneers favored oxen to do the
heavy work of turning the prairie sod. Although slower
than teams of horses, oxen were stronger, ate less, and
better survived the bitter winters.
Today, Lamberton is a thriving city with an excel-
lent public school system, a new library, 63-bed nurs-
ing home with attached apartments, a University of
Minnesota agricultural research center, a medical clinic
affiliated with the Mayo Health System and a burgeon-
ing business district. Visitors are especially welcomed
to attend the annual Hot Iron Days Festival in Septem-
ber. This two-day event brings to life the traditional art
of transforming molten iron into sculptures, tools and
automotive parts.
www.rrcnet.org/~lambrton
“As The Corn Grows - Reality
Bites”
Watch reality-biting video clips ofthe citizens of Sweet Swine County who live and love on “As TheCorn Grows”! Log onto www.sweetswinescoop.comto watch all the videos featuring the real people who live in Sweet Swine County!You’ll be glad you did!
19
lars and Inga accidentally stumbled upon edgerton, Minnesota while looking for the town of ... huh? Oh dear, they forgot their map! no loss, though, because they’ve
discovered much in edgerton!”
Built on ancient bedrock of Sioux Quartz-
ite, Edgerton is a thriving small town of
roughly 1000 residents in Pipestone County
in southwestern Minnesota. The town is very
close to the quarry where the Sioux and many
other Native American tribes traveled to mine
the soft stone used in making ceremonial
pipes.
Home of the renowned annual “Dutch
Festival” (2011 marks the 62nd celebration!),
Edgerton has proudly retained the flavor of
its ethnic heritage. Edgerton has a strong
economy supported by local agriculture,
several manufacturers, and numerous suc-
cessful small businesses that include two
grocery stores, two hardware stores, two car
dealerships, several hair and beauty salons,
two card and gift shops, a bakery and a meat
EDGERTON, MNHome of the Dutch Festival
20
market. In 2006 Edgerton opened a new medical clinic.
Adding to the services in this vibrant community are
a post office, bank, new public library, weekly news-
paper, eye-care practice, volunteer ambulance and fire
department. Edgerton also has terrific schools (both
public and private), and churches that welcome guests
and members with open arms.
For more information about
Edgerton and its famous Dutch Festival,
log on to:
www.edgertonmn.com
clockwise fromtop left: Veterans’ Memorial; Playgroundat Rock River Park; City Park; Downtown; Baseball Diamonds
“Watch for more about
Edgerton businesses in upcoming
magazine issues.”
21
Algona, Iowa is home to a museum dedicated
to preserving a unique period of WWII history in
the Midwest. During World War II, Algona was the
site of a prisoner of war camp that housed a total of
10,000 German prisoners from April 1944 to Febru-
ary 1946. Camp Algona was the main site of a large
wartime U.S. incarceration system that included 34
branch camps for German prisoners reaching from
285 miles east of Algona to Clinton; 220 miles south
to Shenandoah; 185 miles west to Onawa; north to
Fairmont, Minnesota; and even 400 miles further to
Grafton, North Dakota.
The first POWs in the Algona system had been
captured in the North Africa Campaign during WWII.
After June of 1944, many more German prisoners
were brought to the U.S. as a result of the Normandy
invasion. The prisoners performed many kinds of
daytime work within the communities of the camp
system. They helped local farmers, worked in canner-
ies, nurseries, milk-processing plants, and a nearby
box and barrel factory. They detasseled hybrid corn
for DeKalb and Pioneer in Humboldt and Algona.
They cut timber and pulpwood in northern Minneso-
ta. They worked in brick and tile factories, built silos,
and cleared drainage ditches of scrub trees.
Our Story’s Officer Daveloves thismuseum.
In a July 1945 press release, Camp Commander Lt.
Col. A. T. Lobdell reported a most spectacular agricultur-
al effort was undertaken by over 2,400 prisoners work-
ing out of seven Southern Minnesota branch camps in
saving an estimated 65% of a record-breaking pea crop.
Lobdell said, “If prisoners of war had not been utilized,
a total of 2,594,150 cases of canned peas would not have
been made available [to the American public]. The peas
saved by the POWs had a retail value of $9,812,757.”
The museum’s staff has indicated that many area
residents had no idea such a camp existed. To that end,
The Camp Algona POW Museum was established to in-
form and educate Midwest residents and visitors about
this important chapter in local World War II history. Its
exhibits include artifacts from American personnel and
German prisoners at the camp, over 500 photos of the
prisoners, letters, diaries, paintings, journals, and record-
ed interviews with 80 camp personnel and prisoners.
Camp Algona POW Museum
114 So. Thorington Street, Algona, IA 50511
(515) 395-2267
www.pwcamp.algona.org
The Camp AlgonaPOW Museum
photos, clockwise from top left: The German Experience Exhibit (opening exhibit); Crafts made by POW’s; American military artifacts; Paintings by POW’s; A re-creation of the barracks; Portrait wall of some of the 2600 Algonians who served; The opening exhibit on POW expression.
22
23
South DakotaBereSforD
Word about Sweet Swine County, and all the other great counties and towns throughout OUR STORY Country, has made its way around the world! Tourists are traveling in droves to our area and regularly report back to us about what they’ve experienced! This story just came in from Frenchie LeBeauabout his visit to Beresford, South Dakota. Sacré bleu, Frenchie! You are zee man! Merci!
24
ounded in 1883 by the Chicago North-
western Railroad, Beresford, South Da-
kota is conveniently located on the I-29
corridor at the intersection of Highway
46, just 25 minutes south of Sioux Falls. The town
was named for Lord Charles Beresford, an Irishman
and admiral in the British Navy. Beresford lies in two
South Dakota counties—Union and Lincoln—and is
a progressive community embracing a bright future.
The town’s picturesque Main Street and neighbor-
hoods are complimented by well-kept city streets
and parks. Beresford offers an array of activities from
scenic bike trails to camping and art galleries. There’s
also a terrific golf course and a number of fine restau-
rants and great places to stay.
At any time of year, Beresford is a wonderful place
to visit. Its residents invite visitors to come and see
how they’re building a quality community that offers
an incredible lifestyle!
25
“Live Our Lifestyle”
Clockwise from top left: Lawrenson Memorial Field; Downtown; Pool; Park; Veterans’ Memorial Park; Downtown
26
For over a quarter of a century, Kellogg, Minne-sota has been home to LARK Toys—one of the larg-est independent specialty toy stores in the country. In over 20,000-sq.-ft. of space, children of all ages can find remarkable delights old and new that include marbles, tea sets, wind-ups, puppets, blocks, cars, games, puzzles, dolls, collectibles, vintage toy replicas, and even an outdoor 18-hole mini-golf course, featur-ing a play-through mountain, waterfalls, ponds, and streams. Visitors to the store especially love riding a one-of-a-kind carousel on which each animal is an exquisite work of art hand-carved from basswood.
Owners Kathy and Ron Gray, and Miranda and Scott Gray-Burlingame lived in the Twin Cities for many years, but ventured to the beautiful Mississippi River Valley in scenic southeastern Minnesota to establish a family-owned business where they, in their own words, get to “do what the love and love what they do.”
All the folks at LARK Toys are having a world of fun as they incorporate into their business a host of talents and further interests in art, writ-ing, dance, camp counseling, youth ministry, human development and wellness, special-effects makeup, graphic design, retail/wholesale manufacturing, car-pentry, parenting, sustainability, peace, nurturing, and teaching.
There’s something for the child in all of us at LARK Toys! It’s easy to find the store off Hwy 61 in Kellogg by taking County Rd. 18 to LARK Lane.
Wabasha/Kellogg, Mn
Visit their artful website atwww.larktoys.com
for much more information!
63604 170th Ave • P. O. Box 39Kellogg, MN 55945
507-767-3387
27
Yankton, SD
clockwise from top left: Yankton River view;Yankton’s Westside Park; Historic Yankton; Yankton Area Arts Gallery; Mount Marty College.
And here’s another story that just came in from our French fan, Gigi, about Yankton,
South Dakota. Gigi, you are so chic!
28
rom its early days as the capital of the Dakota
Territory to being an origination point for
“Tales of The Old West,” Yankton, South Da-
kota’s interesting and abundant history still is easily ex-
perienced in the city today! As early as 1804, the Lewis
& Clark Expedition journeyed through the area that
wouldn’t actually be opened for settlement until 1859,
when Yankton was officially platted. Life in Yankton
has always revolved around the Missouri River. Native
Americans followed the river’s flow to their destina-
tions centuries ago. They named the land “E-Hank-Ton-
Wan” meaning “people of the end village.” Without the
Missouri, Yankton might not exist. The river brought
steamboats and their captains to Yankton. Steamboats
brought not only color and expansion to the budding
town; they also brought technology and skilled people.
Located just 30 miles west of I-29 on the scenic Mis-
souri River, Yankton hosts over 1.5 million visitors a
year who come to see the historic city, attend exciting
festivals or enjoy the boundless recreational opportuni-
ties found throughout the area. With a population near-
ing 14,000, Yankton’s beauty is reflected in ten parks on
F
“What aDiscovery!”
29
more than 208 acres in the community. Nearby Lewis
& Clark Lake and the Missouri River are used for all
kinds of recreational activities. Whether you seek pre-
mier golf, miles of trails, kayaking, archery, swimming,
hunting, sailing, eagle-watching, Yankton has it all and
more! The city has a well-developed cultural base—
Yankton, in fact, is a thriving music, art and theatre
town. Besides performances at the college and at Yank-
ton High School, the Lewis and Clark Theater Company
performs in Dakota Theatre downtown, and on sum-
mer evenings at Lakeside Theater by Lewis and Clark
Lake. Dance troupes and musical groups entertain year
around. In summer, there is an outdoor concert every
week at the amphitheater in Riverside Park.
Simply said, Visit Yankton and exclaim for yourself,
“What a Discovery!”
A fantastic website for a fantastic town!www.yanktonsd.com
Yankton...it is
très chic!
30
May your glass be ever full, May the roof over your head be always strong, And may you be in heaven Half an hour before the devil knows you’re dead.
Oh Betty.... Ms. Thompson...where have you wandered off to now? What’s this? Wabasha and The Olde Triangle Pub? All we have to say is, “Watch out Wabasha! Here she comes!”
Well, folks, I once read about the evils of drink, so I gave up reading . . . and then ran right to The Olde Triangle Pub in Wabasha, where you’d be hard-pressed to find any place that ranks higher for combining friendship, food and drink—a real “tri-angle” of the best things in life, in my book! Take it from me, your favorite “Cookin’ It Up With Betty” hostess, besides offering wonderful home-cooked Irish food, The Olde Triangle Pub also serves up traditional Irish ales and lagers at their full-service bar that’s so cozy, there’s not a leprechaun around who isn’t green with envy at the way its decorated! You’ll feel like you’ve been transported right back to a classic Irish public house of yesteryear! Wheth-er you have a hankerin’ for Irish stew (with beef tips that have been marinated in Jameson’s whiskey, by the way) or scrumptious Shepherd’s Pie, this is the place for all that and more!
The Olde Triangle Pub is owned by the Mathias family who have the motto—“May our pub always be too small to hold all of our friends!” That’s evident the minute you walk in and are greeted by a host of smiling faces. So visit Wabasha soon! The town is loaded with interesting places to see and things to do. And round out your visit at The Olde Triangle Pub. You’ll be glad you did!
For much more information including daily menu specials and dates when live entertainment is scheduled, see the pub’s website at: www.theolde-trianglepub.com
The Olde Triangle Pub219 Main Street West
Wabasha, MN 651-565-0256
W a b a s h a , M i n n e s o t a
The Olde Triangle Pub
31
Did you know that Linda and Paul McCartney (of “The Beatles”) came to Fairmont in 1994 to launch a line of veg-etarian TV dinners? Did you know that the first company in America to produce motor-powered railway cars for use in maintaining railways was located in Fairmont? Did you know that Lawrence Welk, Count Basie, Glenn Miller, and even the patron saint of swing himself, Duke Ellington, performed at Interlaken Park in Fair-mont? If you didn’t, then you’d better get to The Martin County Historical Society’s Pioneer Museum and catch up on what you’ve been missing!
In 1929, the Martin County Historical Society was formed by Mrs. H. W. Brodt with the help of several prominent Martin County citizens. Their mission was to preserve and share the history of Martin
“I lovethis
museum!”
From top left: Pioneer Museum; World War I boots, leggings, med kit, and artillery shells; drinking fountain; U.S. Air Force flight crew helmet with oxygen mask and radio headphones used during WWII; old fire engine; Feed Bag sign with photos of Paul and Linda McCartney’s Fairmont Food TV dinners in the background.
32
County by acquiring, conserving, and appropriately displaying items for viewing, research and educational purposes.
In 1956, Dr. and Mrs. Roscoe C. Hunt donated $15,000 to the Historical Society for the purchase of the former Catholic School on Blue Earth Avenue in Fair-mont, the beautiful lakeside community that serves as the county seat of Martin County. Renamed the Pioneer Museum, the former school building now has three floors chock-full of fascinating exhibits covering every facet of Martin County’s rich history. A state-of-the-art Research Library was completed in 2003 to house the majority of MCHS’s many resources. In 2009, the Martin County Genealogical Society moved to the building, bringing their research expertise, knowledge, and con-siderable resources with them.
Whether you wish to find information from one of the Fairmont Sentinel’s issues dating back to 1874, or wish to view a gown worn by a local resident to the Inauguration Ball of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, you’ll find all that and more at this incredible museum!
Martin County Historical Society 304 East Blue Earth Avenue • Fairmont, MN 56031 Phone: 507-235-5178 • Email: [email protected]
Indian arrowheads and corn grinders. Indian arrow-heads have been found around the many lakes in Martin County
33
Fairmont, Minnesota
History Comes Alive at
Top: Heritage Acres, with its variety of farm buildings. Right: Railroad tracks and old rail car. Center: Old country school house. Left: Windmill
Opposite page, top: Reflection of an old hand car in the train depot window. Bottom: the chapel at Heritage Acres.
“Ooo...Heritage Acres is loadedwith history!”
34
ocated on the western shore of scenic Lake Sisseton in Fairmont, Minnesota, the Heritage Acres Agriculture Interpre-tive Center offers visitors a chance to experience the rich agricultural history of Martin County and early farm life found
on the Midwestern prairie at the turn of the century.
Step into yesteryear while touring Heritage Acres’ variety of farm buildings, a Victorian-styled farm-house, an old country schoolhouse, a country church, a small-town train depot and much more. History buffs will especially enjoy view-ing the old farm equip-ment that is on display. Heritage Acres is host to numerous public and private events through-out the year. For more information about this incredible site, contact:
Heritage Acres Agriculture Interpretive Center 827 Lake Avenue, • Fairmont, MN 56081
(507) 235-5191
35
Our Story Studios is
located in a uniquely restored
turn-of-the-century building in Fairmont,
Minnesota. Built in the late 1800s as an Odd Fellows
Lodge, the building’s intriguing interior spaces have been
decorated with a spectacular collection of old-time Hollywood
memorabilia that fills the two-story headquarters. In the build-
ing’s grand-foyer entrance, a quote by the illustrious photogra-
pher from Hollywood’s Golden Era—George Hurrell—greets
visitors above a collection of his famed photos:
“They didn’t just walk into a room, they arrived.
It was as if they had internal trumpets that blew for them
just as the door opens.”
Visitors immediately experience the glamour of Hollywood
as they are “greeted” by movie-star mannequins attired in glit-
tering gowns representative of that alluring bygone era. Among
other fascinating interior features are three live-concert spaces,
including a summertime outdoor stage called the Flamingo
Lounge; an exotically decorated belly-dancing rehearsal room;
and, hand-painted wall murals
of film celebrities that have been
autographed by the same celebs
when they visited the Studios!
Our Story Studios serves
as the headquarters for
Our Story Productions,
where most of Our Story’s
TV programs are taped
utilizing three cameras.
“Yep. It’s about
entertainin’ all youfolks!”
36
“I do all my shopping
at Fareway Foods in Fairmont. Watch for more info about
them in the next issue.”
By popular demand, Our Story is developing a special “Sweet Swine County Museum” on the main floor of the building featuring exhibits of many of the zany characters and programs highlighted on Our Story Tele-vision. Another beautiful feature at Our Story Studios is the outside ambient, multi-tiered “secret garden” filled with gurgling fountains, conversation areas and climbing roses that perfume the air during the warmer season. As every visitor exclaims, “You have to see this place to believe it!” The production staff at Our Story has named the Studios a place “where Hollywood meets small-town living at its best!”
Our Story Studios also provides a home for several local social clubs, and welcomes all visitors to beautiful Fairmont—the City of Lakes—to have the experience of touring the Studios, attending a live shoot for one of the Our Story’s TV programs, or watching a Saturday night movie screening with other film lovers.
Additional photos found on page 36.For more information about Our Story Studios,
including rental options, visit: www.ourstorymn.com
37
ctress Rachel True said, “Editing is a natural
extension of collage-making. It’s actually one of the
few areas in which women were able to excel in the film industry from the beginning.” And excelling for Our Story Productions behind the camera and in the edit-ing booth is Shelly Abitz, who works her magic from Gemini Studios in Fairmont, Minnesota, a company she co-owns with her husband, Bruce.
Gemini Studios is a video produc-tion and media education studio that offers a wide range of services from producing commercials and instruc-tional DVDs, to athletic-event cap-ture and broadcast, book illustration, logo design, and transfer-to-DVD services. Gemini expanded its opera-tions this year into a new 1,900-sq.-ft. production studio. The expansion allowed for the creation of five new sets and a 20-ft. green screen, upon which images are projected to create realistic backgrounds behind actors.
After having worked in the bank-ing industry for years, Shelly decided to follow her creative yearnings and went back to school to get a degree in graphic design. In 2005, Shelly joined the Gemini Studios staff full time and now primarily uses the studios’ facilities to work exclusively for Our Story Productions. She has produced over 600 video program segments for Our Story that have been broadcast on TV to over 1.2 million households throughout Minnesota, Iowa, Wis-consin and South Dakota, and which
are also viewable on Our Story’s website at www.ourstorymn.com.
Shelly says, “I enjoy the challenge of producing two and a half hours of television programming per month for Our Story. Executive Producer Jeff Rouse is very creative and pro-vides me with new and interesting projects on a weekly basis. My career path took me from dealing with dol-lars and cents [in banking] to deal-ing with cameras and a computer. I couldn’t be happier.”
Among all the other programs
38
Shelly shoots for Our Story, she scripts, films and edits Our Story’s zany “reality” soap opera—set in fictional Sweet Swine County—called, “As the Corn Grows.” With a cast of over 50 volunteer actors, Shelly has her hands full to film and edit all the footage that is shot on three different cameras as they capture every angle of the antics of this crazy cast of characters!
For more informationabout Gemini Studios, visit:
www.geministudiosmn.com
39
Paris says:“Just look at ALL these
incredible Fairmontbusinesses!”
40
Our Story Studios, clock-wise from top left: Our Story Studio’s entrance; view from the stairway to entry; cigar room; cigar room with humidor and cigars for purchase; first floor sitting area.
bottom left: The Women of Sweet Swine County, of course!
“There are just so many fun Hollywood-styled roomsfor us to sign autographs in
at Our Story Studios!”
41
Canby, Minnesota is the westernmost city in Yellow
Medicine County and sits in the center of a broad, flat
valley from which the Coteau des Prairies—a flatiron-
shaped plateau—in South Dakota can be seen. Located
at the junction of U.S. Highway 75 (The King of Trails)
and State Highway 68, Canby has an excellent K-12
school system and has long been celebrated for its high
school wrestling program. The school proudly displays
trophies marking wins at the Minnesota State Team
Championships eight times since 1976! A private college
and a technical college support ongoing educational
opportunities.
Canby’s quality healthcare system includes a hospi-
tal, nursing home, assisted-living facilities, and wellness
center. The town is proud of its inviting churches and
abundance of recreational and leisure activities that
include hunting, fishing, golf, shooting, a public swim-
ming pool, bowling, and camping. Canby still utilizes
its historic movie theater and residents will boast to any
visitor, “We also have fresh air, clean water, a low crime
rate and friendly people!”
www.canbymn.org
“The Gateway to the Prairie”CANBY, MN
Word about Sweet Swine County, and all the other great counties and towns throughout OUR STORY Country, has made its way around the world! Tourists are traveling in droves to our area and regularly report back to us about what they’ve experienced! This story just came in from Canada Dirk about Canby, Minnesota. It’s a great place, eh?
State Champs in Wrestling & Cross Country! Canby City Park
42
Photos, clockwise from top left: One of the parks in Canby, lund-Hoel House museum, another park, Wrestlers!, playground for the kids, downtown Canby.
“There’s lots of beautyin and around
Canby! Look for more info about Canby businesses in an
upcoming issue!”
Photos, clockwise from top left: lund-Hoel House Museum; Entry to Lund-Hoel House Museum; Canby City Park; City Playground; Downtown Canby
43
“The Land Between the Lakes”Albert Lea, MN
Skate Park!
Playful Lakes!Beautiful Parks!
And here’s another story from Canada Dirk about his travels to Albert Lea, MN.
44
In 1855, a small settlement sprang up along the north-west edge of a lake that Joseph Nicollet had named for Lieutenant Albert Lea. By 1856, the prosperous little vil-lage of Albert Lea was well on its way towards fulfilling a great future!
The city of Albert Lea is located at the crossroads of In-terstates 90 and 35, about 90 miles south of Minneapolis. Albert Lea is the county seat for Freeborn County, and its location at the conjoining of two interstates easily links it to most major Midwest markets while it serves as the proud home of notable industrial, retail, agricul-tural, and medical enterprises.
Downtown Albert Lea has the largest intact Commercial Historic District in the state of Minnesota and offers unique shopping and business opportunities in a scenic lakeside setting of lovely neighborhoods and parks. Albert Lea’s burgeoning cultural life includes annual festivals and events that draw visitors from a wide area. Visit Albert Lea for a nighttime and you just might want to stay for a lifetime!
www.cityofalbertlea.org
“Watch for more info
about Albert Leabusinesses in an upcoming
issue!”
45
Well, friends, take it from me: if you
want to get happy fast, zip on over to
Amboy, Minnesota’s Cottage Café for
an experience that’s bound to bring
a smile to your face. Lisa Lindberg’s
charming restaurant draws food lov-
ers from far and wide to this lovely
little town about a half hour south of
Mankato on Highway 169.
As Lindberg says on her website,
“Rural Minnesota is full of stories
about people preparing and enjoying
wonderful food together. Here in the
Amboy Cottage Café, we cook from
scratch using wholesome ingredients.
Local meats, dairy and fresh produce
are used when possible. We avoid
hydrogenated fats, we don‘t own a
deep fryer and use real canola, olive oil
and organic butter. Whole grains, fruit
and vegetables fill the menu. To Your
Health, Enjoy!” I couldn’t have said it
better myself!
Who knew that in 2000 when Lind-
berg saved a 72-year-old gas station
building from the wrecking ball she
could turn it into an artfully deco-
rated cottage-styled eatery that would
garner attention even from sophisti-
cated Twin Cities’ gourmands! That’s
right, small private planes carrying
the Cottage Café’s dedicated clientele
from the Metro area have been known
to land on a nearby farmer’s grass air
strip outside of town. In other words,
make a reservation if you want to get
in! You may be bucking up against
big-city patrons clamoring after the
delectable items on the Cottage Café
There’s Lovin’ in the Oven at the Cottage Café!
photos, from top left:The Cafe today; Cafe logo;Raspberry chicken salad;Original Cafe - 72 year-oldgas station
Cooking from scratch using wholesome ingredients? Ahhhhh....music to my ears...and I
found it at the Cottage Café in Amboy!
46
menu! As Lindberg
said, “We have 31
seats, if you count
the restroom!”
During the sum-
mer, that expands
a bit for al fresco
dining in an out-
door gazebo.
Obviously,
Lindberg’s organic
ingredients and
loving food presen-
tations have struck
the right chord
among restaurant-
goers throughout
the area, as proven by the rave reviews and press cov-
erage she has received in food and travel magazines
regionally.
So, stop cryin’ in your soup and get to the Cottage
Café for some epicurean delights while enjoying the
enchanting ambiance that Lindberg has created off the
beaten path in quaint Amboy, Minnesota!
The Cottage Cafe
100 Maine Street East
Amboy, MN 56010
507-674-3123
www.amboycottagecafe.com
47
haute-couture farming crowd of Sweet Swine County. A chain of stores throughout the County soon followed, with each being named individually and carrying corresponding plaid fashions: Real Farmers Wear Plaid; Real Veterinar-ians Wear Plaid; Real Hired Men Wear Plaid; and, Real Animal Lovers and Their Ani-mals Wear Plaid.
Unfortunately for Stone, the advent of plain-colored ultra-suede overtook the fashion industry. Plaid became passé. Stone’s stores failed, and as a last-ditch effort to make some money, he wrote an autobi-ography called, The Real Me in Plaid. The rest is nearly history. As all of you know, Earl Silo, co-host of Split Hoof Tonight (Earl’s always had a hankerin’ for plaid himself), arranged for KLUK TV owner, John Olson (Cousin John), to meet with Stone Fox, where-upon a deal was struck for Stone to co-anchor a news show. Stone had it written into his contract that he can wear all the plaid he wants. Talk about being happy as a pig in mud!
After graduating from Sweet Swine County’s well-regarded Flat Land High School in 1973, Stone Fox received a scholarship to attend Purrdoo University—Sweet Swine County’s Institute of Hire Learnin’—to study fashion design, spe-cializing in The Art of Plaid. Ultimately, some of his unique and colorful designs came to the attention of the equally unique and colorful Elton John. For a period, Stone was Elton’s main designer, until the infamous ‘Plaid Shoes Incident’ was reported by Roll-
ing Stone magazine. You may remember that story in which Elton said, “While I have always been a fan of Stone Fox’s plaid fashions, even I must admit he has gone off the deep end. Those plaid shoes he designed for my Sweet Swine County concert tour . . . well, they were even too wild for me to wear!” Sim-
ply: Stone Fox was deeply hurt. Hurt enough to give up designing for
Elton forever.After the
fashion-split, Stone left the
County and worked for a short time as a safari guide—a stint that ended rather tragically resulting from an incident involving a rhino and a plaid-and-khaki hunting vest. Not discouraged and still a big be-liever in plaid, Stone returned to Sweet Swine County where he scrounged up the money to open a men’s store called, “Real Men Wear Plaid.” The success was instantaneous, and plaid was soon de rigueur among the more in-the-know
You want news? Well, Sweet Swine County sure has it! And it’s ALL reported by hosts Stone Foxand Barbara Waters on their much acclaimed news program, “That’s News To Us”! Stoneand Barbara are on top of all the latest and greatest not only inside Sweet SwineCounty, but nationally and internationally, too—these two newscastersconstantly scan the horizon for breaking stories, no matter wherethose stories may be unfolding!
Sharing yesterday’s news today for
a better tomorrow!
StonefoX
48
Sweet Swine Scoop recently reported that these well-known anchors are in fact leading double lives! Stone Fox is known as John Grimm outside Sweet Swine County’s borders. Barbara Waters is leading her double-life as Kim Green-hoe Hansen. Cousin John told Sweet Swine Scoop, “My good friend, the donald, called and said while his detectives were en route to Hawaii,
Long known as Sweet Swine County’s little sweet-heart for having written the award-winning 25-word essay in third grade entitled, “Why I Love Sweet Swine,” Barbara Waters is as much loved now as she was then! Barbara’s rise to fame in Sweet Swine County was meteoric after that initial third-grade achieve-ment—upon which she built a highly successful speaking career by reading that essay prior to every basketball game held at Flat Land High School. Now there is nary a funeral, wedding or church-basement luncheon to which she isn’t invited to read that essay, too.
Everyone understands about life’s “rough patches,” and Barbara Waters had hers when, at age 28, she discovered she was basically penniless. Her parents had grossly mismanaged the size-able fortune she’d made from speaking engagements in her childhood by buying nice houses, fancy pickups, and only the best cuts of meat—for themselves. Barbara really had an adulthood reckoning
during the contentious lawsuit following her discovery and that pitted her against her money-grubbing parents. But upon winning the suit, Bar-bara reinvented herself by writing a new 25-word essay entitled, “Why I Still Love Sweet Swine.” That essay picked up where the last one left off, and Barbara’s speak-ing engagements again sky-rocketed. Among the many, many venues she is invited to speak at, Barbara now has a life-long contract to read the essay before each Flat Land High School basketball AND football game.
As luck would have it, KLUK TV owner, John Olson (Cousin John) attended Barbara’s 10th-anniversary reading of, “Why I Still Love Sweet Swine” at Flat Land High School’s championship basketball game against the neighboring Podunk County Swinelanders team. Cousin John saw in Barbara that something special that made
WATerS
him think, “Ratings Winner!” and immediately cut a deal to feature her as a co-anchor with Stone Fox on his newly created That’s News To Us news program.
Cousin John’s massive PR machine immediately cranked out promotional materials celebrating Barbara Waters hiring. By now, we’re sure you’ve seen the 27 billboards dotting the gravel roads around Sweet Swine County that picture Barbara and Stone with the logo: “Watch Sweet Swine County’s Little Sweetheart Sweeten-Up the News with Sly Stone Fox!” At this writing, not one bit of graf-fiti has appeared on any of those billboards—a testament to how everyone in Sweet Swine County respects this newscasting duo!
“Why IStill love
Sweet Swine.”Barbara
they stopped off for lunch at edie’s Café and overheard nosey norma saying to customers that there seems to be something fishy going on with the duo’s birth certificates. The Donald has rarely led me astray in the past, so I’m looking into this matter myself. those two had better not be moon-lighting as anchors on tV in another county!”
WE INTERRUPT YOUR READING PLEASURE TO BRING YOU THIS IMPORTANT
ANNOUNCEMENT: THIS HAS BEEN A TRUE KLUK-TV GOSSIP NEWS PIECE.
49
And they’re screaming hurrahs, too, at the Dairy Queen
in Madison, South Dakota! For four consecutive years,
DeLon Mork’s Madison Dairy Queen has sold the most
Blizzard® ice-cream treats of any Dairy Queen in North
America on Miracle Treat Day—a DQ-sponsored fundrais-
er on behalf of the Children’s Miracle Network (CMN).
Founded by Marie Osmond and her family, John Sch-
neider, Mick Shannon and Joe Lake, CMN’s goals are to
help as many children as possible by raising funds for chil-
dren’s hospitals; and to keep funds in the community in
which they were raised to help local children. Dairy Queen
serves as a corporate sponsor for CMN, and Madison’s
Dairy Queen has been a record-setting fundraiser during
the annual August Miracle Treat Day when proceeds from
Blizzard® sales go to CMN. As of 2011, Children’s Miracle
Network has raised more than $4.3 billion—most of which
is donated a dollar or two at a time.
In a town of 6,000 residents, Mork’s Madison DQ sold
3,083 Blizzards® in 2006. In 2007, Madison more than
doubled their sales by selling 7,011 Blizzards® on that
one day. In 2008, Madison kept up the tradition and sold
12,347 Blizzards® on Miracle Treat Day. In 2009, the
Madison Dairy Queen sold 18,017 Blizzards®. Each year,
the Madison DQ continues to work hard in breaking their
fundraising records for CMN.
at the Dairy Queen in Madison, SD!
It’s BlIzzardIngI scream, you scream,
we all scream for ice cream!
50
The original Madison Dairy Queen
was built in the mid 1950s by John and
Maude Holly and operated out of a
small white shack. In 1964, DeWayne
and Joanne Mork took over, and built
the current Madison DQ which they op-
erated until 1998, when they passed over
the management reigns to their son,
DeLon. He has continued their tradition
of community involvement and service
t hat includes sponsoring sports and
other events in the community. For their
tireless philanthropic efforts, DeWayne
and DeLon each have been recipients of
the prestigious South Dakota Retailers
of the Year Award. Kudos to the Morks
and their Madison Dairy Queen!
Lick it all up at:
Madison DQ
117 NE 2nd St,
Madison, SD 57042-2203
(605) 256-4042Ad citing Madison, SD’s DQ as 2009 Miracle
Treat Day’s #1 Blizzard seller in North America.
51
“If I can step out and visit all of these great
Madison businesses,so can you!”
52
Located in south-central Minnesota,
Martin County was most likely named
for Henry Martin originally from Wall-
ingford, Connecticut. He was a resident
of Mankato who hunted and fished in the
area at the time the county was estab-
lished, before Minnesota even had become
a state. By 1857, a census report shows
that 29 men, 9 women, and 23 children
lived in the county. Most of these early
settlers were primarily of English origin.
The early history of Martin County was
a colorful time and was marked by coura-
geous individuals willing to brave the
elements of the Minnesota prairie in order
to make a better life for themselves and
their families. In 1862, a substantial log
stockade—Fort Fairmount—was built to
We often hear that the rural way of lifeis dying. We believe, however, that our way of life is merely changing--
adapting to a vibrant new future--and we citizens of Martin County are
proud to share with you how we areembracing these changes while
preserving our unique rural heritage!
garrison volunteers and troops of the 25th
Wisconsin regiment to defend the area
during the Sioux Uprising. The beautiful
Martin County Courthouse, completed in
1907, now stands on this same hill over-
looking Lake Sisseton in Fairmont.
Constructed from Marquette rain-drop
sandstone from Michigan, and Buff-
Bedford limestone from Indiana, the
courthouse still serves as the county’s
headquarters—providing government
services for the ten communities in the
county: Fairmont, Sherburn, Trimont,
Truman, Welcome, Ceylon, Dunnell, East
Chain, Granada and Northrup. Much of
the history of Martin County is recorded
in archives and exhibits at the fascinat-
ing Martin County Pioneer Museum in
Fairmont.
The Road to Our Story
Martin County, Minnesota
53
cooking contest after cooking contest. It was at one such contest that she met millionaire food connois-seur Harvey Thompson, a self-made appliance mogul—also the contest’s sponsor.
In a whirlwind courtship in which Betty was slathered with expensive gifts, the couple mar-ried and honeymooned at Niagara Falls. As fate would have it, Harvey tripped over one of Betty’s high-heeled feet and catapulted over the falls’ viewing platform fence—falling to his death. The police report stated, “Betty stared helplessly as her second husband slipped out of her reach into the rainbow mist surround-ing the falls.” Soon thereafter, Betty sold
Thompson’s Appliance Megastore chain, collected his life insurance, and once again got on with her career.
Betty continues to have eyes for rich men while she lives in Sweet Swine County and hosts her new TV show, “Cookin’ It Up With Betty.” Here’s to ya, Betty! Gulp.
Betty Louise Mulrooney Brown Thompson was born a precocious only-child to her parents Vern and Velma, the hard-working owners of the Sweet Swine Bar and Grill. Betty took to her parents’ busi-ness at an early age, soon learn-ing how to add her own special flair by incorporating wine into her father’s secret family recipes. By age sixteen, go-getter Betty had started her own catering business, “Betty’s Best,” supplying exquisite wine-flavored, down-home-styled cuisine mostly for men’s-group gatherings.
Known as a golden-haired beauty, Betty was espe-cially popular with the boys at Flat Land High School, where she was crowned homecoming queen in her senior year. Betty went on to study the culinary arts at Sweet Swine County’s Purrdoo University, where she wooed the male chefs with her cooking prowess, ultimately receiving the famous Silver Spatula Award for what became her signature dish—“Betty’s White Wine Corn Crumble Casserole.” Following graduation, Betty married local cattle-prod manufacturing heir and banker, Harlan Brown, and began expanding Betty’s Best to a nationwide level. Tragically, as Betty’s business seemed to be building up, Harlan died unexpectedly at age 29 of what was thought to be late-onset infant-crib-death syndrome. No really definitive cause of death was discovered during the autopsy. Betty scooped up his life insurance payout and pressed on.
Undaunted by her personal loss, Betty went on to win
Betty Thompsonplayed by Joan Suhr
As the youngest of three children of Harold and Ethel Snout, Lawyer Ed grew up in a family that had long been prominent members of Sweet Swine County society. His father was the senior partner in Snout and Mortimer, the most prestigious (and only) law firm in the county.
In high school, Ed hankered after Ella. She hankered back. The pair was so popular, they won the coveted King and Queen titles at the senior high prom, and their high school year book tagged them as, “Most likely to stay together for all time.”
Lawyer Edplayed by Chuck Hounshell
54
Chuck Hounshell is a man with many feathers in his cap! Originally hailing from Ohio where he attended Ohio State University during the tenure of legendary OSU football coach, Woody Hayes, Chuck ultimately went on to finish medical studies in Cleveland at the Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine. With wife Cathy in tow, and soon with two sons joining the picture, Chuck practiced podiatry in New Mexico prior to moving to Fairmont, MN where he is on staff at Mayo Clinic Health Systems. In his free time when he isn’t busy creating the quirky, unforgettable character of Lawyer Ed, Chuck follows his passions as a film buff, guitar player and singer. You might even catch him pounding a hammer on DIY construction projects while he practices ventriloquism with his duck, Quackers. Yes, Chuck is always adding another feather to his cap one way or another!
As Joan Suhr tells it, “It’s sometimes hard to know where ‘As the Corn Grows’ character Betty Thompson leaves off and Joan Suhr begins.” Indeed, Joan lives life to the hilt, much like the popular character she plays on Our Story TV. Shortly after she was born in Roswell, New Mexico (the alien/outer space capital of the world—ahem!), her parents moved to Whiting, Wisconsin, where Joan and her five siblings learned nearly everything there was to know about hunting, butchering, gardening, canning, cooking and living self-sufficiently. With a double-major degree from the University of Wisconsin in Home Economics Education and Biology, she, along with her husband, Marv, and their baby daughter, set up life in Wyoming. Joan and Marv later retired to Truman, MN, after Marv was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s. Joan valiantly cared for her husband 24/7 throughout his illness, and since his death has immersed herself in gardening, traveling, canning, wine ‘connoisseuring,’ and becoming an “A Number One Actress” on TV. She is currently writing a book about her experience of caring for a spouse with debilitating dementia entitled, Another Kind of Love.
At Flat Land High School, Ed starred in each and every school drama pro-duction. To his father’s chagrin, Ed’s drama teacher encouraged him to fol-low his artistic ambitions upon gradu-ating from high school. So, Ed rebelled against his father’s wishes that he become a lawyer, and announced that he was instead heading for Hollywood with his wooden duck “Quackers” (a gift Ella gave him) to pursue a career as a ventriloquist.
The marriage so widely proph-esied in the high school year book was not to be. Ed and Ella parted ways when Ella, though heart-broken, couldn’t bring herself to leave Sweet Swine County and the farm she loved. Teary-eyed, Ed took off alone for the bright lights of Sunset Strip (Route 66).
After several years of failed auditions and eeking out a living in dark, smoke-filled ventriloquist clubs, Ed (and Quackers) returned to Sweet Swine County—hat in hand—and enrolled in law school at Purrdoo University (PU), where he ultimately graduated top of his class of three. Ed secretly hoped to rekindle his relationship with
Ella, although she had already married and had be-come known throughout the county
as “Aunt Ella.” Unfortunately, Aunt Ella died before much could happen on the reuniting front.
To fill the void after the death of Aunt Ella, Ed proposed marriage to anyone he met who had the name, Ella. Several failed Ella-marriages later, Lawyer Ed lives alone with Quackers, and still secretly aspires to return to Hollywood to make it big as a ventriloquist.
Lawyer Ed now suffers from vision problems, after an unfortunate running-with-scissors accident. One of his eyes
was affected—he forgets which one that is. “But one is definitely affected,” he has told Sweet Swine Scoop.
In the early 1990s, Lawyer Ed started a highly suc-cessful Internet hair-loss club for men called, “The Comb-Over Society.” He has attracted such high-profile members as Donald Tramp, Bruce Wills and Ted Dancer. Ask anyone in Sweet Swine County—they’ll tell you that Lawyer Ed is special.
55
Since 1915, the historic Palace Theatre in Luverne has been richly contributing to Southwestern Minnesota’s cultural life. Designed by architect W. E. E. Greene for owners Herman and Maude Jochims as a 550-seat venue for traveling theatrical productions of the day, the theatre underwent a $1 million renovation in 2007 and now is the proud home of Luverne’s well-loved community theatre group—The Green Earth Players.
Made up of community residents from a 50-mile-radius sur-rounding Luverne, The Green Earth Players has become one of the premier local theatre groups in the region. Present-ing two productions a year in addition to several Reader’s Theatre events, The Green Earth Players also has a well-developed summertime children’s theatre program for budding thespians.
The Green Earth Players’ recent production of the popular musical, “Gilligan’s Island,” is set to be followed by their fall presentation of “A Don’t Hug Me County Fair” with performance dates in November, 2011.
For much more information about the historic Palace Theatre and The Green
Earth Players, visit: www.palacetheatre.us/greenearth.htm. “Ya gotta
checkthis out.”
The Green Earth Playersat Luverne, Minnesota’sPalace Theatre
“Another Op’nin’, Another Show”
56
And to find outmore about all thegreat things to seeand do in beautiful
Luverne, Minnesota,visit their website:
luvernechamber.com.
Photos from “Gilligan’s Island”
“Cocklebur”is a Hit!
Just when you thought you’d gotten the cockleburs outta your overalls, they’re now on TV! That’s right, The Cocklebur Morning Show is one weed you won’t want to pull! It’s a hit in Sweet Swine County. So watch it grow with hosts Bobby Ray and Sally Sue while they deliver a mix of news, entertain-ment and information about towns throughout Our Story Country. Log on to our Scoop site:www.sweetswinescoop.comand click on the Cocklebur logo to see all their episodes!
57
ipestone, Minnesota’s “Civil War Days” reenactment celebration is considered to be one of the best living-history events in the region. Hosted by Company D of the 13th U.S. Infantry Regiment, and made pos-sible in part by a grant from the Southwest Minnesota
Arts and Humanities Council, Civil War Days allows attendees to experience “living” history by interacting with soldiers and civilians as they recreate life during Civil War Era.
Civil War Days participants include historians from through-out the upper Midwest as well as other individuals dressed in
uniforms and costumes as they portray the customs and manners of the Civil War era and recreate scenes from camp life, religious activities, and the daily life of the time. Accurately portrayed battle scenarios by soldiers offer an inside look into how war was fought in America in the 1860s.
CIvIlWarDaysPIPestone, Mn
the roarof the cannon
and the smell of gun powder, and the work of our actors, musicians, and other performers make a full immersion in the 1860s possible for those who attend the event.
top: Troops
left: Confederate march
above: telegraph demonstration
“Hmmm...infomercialmaterial
perhaps?”
58
The city of Pipestone is located in southwestern Minnesota. The town of over 4,000 is the home of the famous Pipestone National Monument, and the Pipestone quarries are located within walking distance of the Civil War grounds.
Civil War Days is held each even year at the Song of Hiawatha Pageant Grounds, near Pipestone National Monument. Make your plans now to attend the 2012 event on August 11 and 12!
For more information, visit: www.pipestoneminnesota.com/cwd/Home.html
top: camp musiciansabove: soldier with flag
Sweet Swine County
PETA Club
The Sweet Swine County PETA Club’s members meet the first Tuesday of each week. Their primary goal is to determine the definitive meaning of the acronym, PETA--their club’s title. To date, the members believe one of the following four meanings is right: 1. Piggy’s Esoteric Theological Association 2. Pigs Explain The Answers 3. Pork Expands The Abdomen 4. Pigs Enrage Their Adversaries. If you wish to learn more about this club, visitwww.sweetswinescoop.com
59
s one of the oldest cities in South Dakota, Flandreau has a number of historic sites dating as far back as 1822—many of which have been
listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Much of the history of these sites is connected to the Flan-dreau Santee Sioux Tribe that is comprised primarily of descen-dents of “Mdewakantonwan,” a member of the Isanti divi-sion of the Great Sioux Nation, often referred to as the Dakota, which means friend or ally. The Flandreau Santee Sioux Indian Reservation is 2,500 acres of land located along and near Flandreau on the Big Sioux River in Moody County in a region known as the Prairie Coteau, which consists primarily of undulating or gently rolling land.
Flandreau,South Dakota
The Rich History of
Above: old bridge; left: Dancer at the Mdewakanton Traditional Wacipi; right: Chief Little Crow
60
When the first European settlers were arriving in the Midwest, the Dakota lived in Minnesota and Wisconsin. But after many years of semi-nomadic existence, and due to pressure from these white settlers, the Santee ceded their lands and entered a reserva-tion in 1851.
In 1862, the Santee revolted against reservation life, when the government did not meet its treaty obligations and white traders re-fused to allow food and provisions to be distributed. This uprising, led by Little Crow, was quickly crushed. Twelve hundred Indians surrendered, although many were innocent of any involvement in the uprising. Over 306 Indians were sentenced to death by a military tribunal, and after President Lincoln granted some pardons, 38 were hung on December 26,1862. The remaining survivors were sent to prisons in Davenport, Iowa and Ft. Thompson, South Dakota.
In 1866, the Ft. Thompson and Davenport groups were reunited at the Santee Agency at the mouth of the Niobrara River in Nebraska. One third of the group converted to Christianity. In 1869, 25 families gave up tribal rights to become citizens, and acquired homesteads along the Big Sioux River in the area that would become Flandreau. In 1873, they built their little Presbyterian Church, which is one of the oldest continually used churches in South Dakota. The graveyard memorializes many of those early Christian names who shared in the journey from Mankato to Flandreau, and also is the final resting place of Chief Little Crow, the Santee Sioux patriarch.
Above: First Presbyterian Church;
top and right: Children and female dancer at the Mdewakanton Traditional Wacipi
Wacipi photos and old bridge photo courtesy of Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe.
61
“Ummm...I did not
do that...”
When a group of farmers banded together in 1937 to form Consumers Cooperative Oil Company of St. James, they probably had no idea that by 2009 their Southern Minnesota cooperative would post sales of $484 million and serve more than 4,000 producers as well as provide farmers with an array of products including fertilizer, crop chemicals, seed, livestock feed, petroleum products and production financing.
Renamed Watonwan Farm Service in 1965, the com-pany has undergone explosive growth during the last 45 years. With the stated goal of “continually work-ing to grow member value and cooperative strength,” WFS consistently ensures that cooperative members receive a fair price when selling their products and provides a reliable source from which members may also purchase products.
Working for Farmers’ Success
Watonwan Farm Service
TRUMAN, MN
62
From its headquarters in Truman, Minnesota, and with numerous locations throughout Southern Min-nesota and Northern Iowa, WFS takes pride in serv-ing hard-working farmers and business owners in the Midwest area.
For more information about WFS,its services, management staff and employees,
check out their website at www.wfsag.com.
63
Blue Earth was named the temporary county seat of Faribault County when it was being organized as one of Minnesota’s territorial counties in early 1856. At the time, the village of Blue Earth had only 15 residents. However, by the fall of 1856, 82 residents of the sur-rounding area unanimously voted to retain Blue Earth as their permanent county seat.
Some years later in 1890, the Faribault County Commissioners advertised for bids to build a grand courthouse that re-flected the stature of the county. The low construction bid for the project came in from S. J. Hoban of St. Paul for $42,120, and the architect C.
A. Dunham from Burlington, Iowa was chosen for his designs to build the courthouse in a Romanesque style. Stone used in the construction of the courthouse was
CourthousE
I do lovea nice
courthouse...
the faribault county
blue earth, minnesota
64
transported from Kasota, Minnesota to Blue Earth by horse and wagon as well as by rail. Most of the sand used in the mortar came from the bottom of the nearby Blue Earth River. The pillars on the front of the building were made of polished granite. Upon its completion in December 1892, the Faribault County Courthouse ultimately cost $70,000, but still stands largely unchanged today as an example of turn-of-the-century engineering and craftsmanship excel-lence.
For more interesting information about thecourthouse, visit the Faribault County website at
www.co.faribault.mn.us
65
Windom, Minnesota serves as the home of The Win-dom Wetland Management District, a land management office that is part of the greater United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Established in 1990, the Windom Wet-land Management District’s mission is to conserve, pro-tect and enhance fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats for the continu-ing benefit of the American people. As one of 545 national wildlife refuges that en-compass 96 million acres nationwide, the Windom Dis-
trict manages 65 separate parcels of federally
owned
Windom Wetland Management DistrictU.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
land called Waterfowl Pro-duction Areas (WPAs) within a 13,000-acre, 12-county manage-ment district.
The Windom Wetland Management District also manages the first fee title tract of the Northern Tallgrass Prairie National Wildlife Refuge. “Touch the Sky Prai-rie” is a nearly 800-acre unit of the Refuge dedicated to helping preserve native tallgrass prairie. Touch the Sky Prairie is located north of the city of Luverne in Rock County, Minnesota. Northern Tallgrass Prairie National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1999 to preserve 77,000 acres of native prairie and buffer lands at
“Restoring OurPrairie Wetlands”
66
KLUK TV:The station you’re always watching
“Big Successes come on Small Screens”: KLUK TV is Sweet Swine County’s most successful TV station (it’s also their only one). Sweet Swine Scoop posts stories and videos provided by KLUK TV in association with Our Story Productions, which also include the shows found on our blog:
www.sweetswinescoop.com
widespread locations within the historic northern tallgrass prairie region of western Minnesota and northwestern Iowa. The refuge was established to counteract the loss of America’s grasslands. Many grassland species have been vanishing as fast as the prairies that support them.
Wetlands are transitional areas between land and water. They are covered by shallow water or water-logged soils, have soil lacking in oxygen, and grow water-loving plants. A wetland has the ability to ab-sorb the force of floods, filter pollutants from runoff, recharge and discharge groundwater, and meter out water to streams and rivers are part of its hydrologi-cal cycle.
Restoring wetlands is often simply a matter of destroying manmade drainage facilities and letting water and vegetation return to the site naturally. Af-ter restoration, wetland plants begin to reappear. The seeds of some wetland species can lie dormant, but viable, for as long as thirty years, waiting for moist conditions to return. These species will be among the first to appear after restoration, often even after years of agricultural herbicide use.
For more interesting information about wetland resto-ration, visit: http://midwest.fws.gov/windom
Where to find Windom WetlandsManagement Department
67
“Calling AllDuffers to
Belle Plaine,Minnesota!”
Belle Plaine, MN
f you feel like getting into the swing of things,
Belle Plaine, Minnesota’s challenging 18-hole,
par-71 championship Valley View Golf Course is
THE place to go! Built in 1991, the 6,300-yard course
offers golfers (and duffers like me!) a full range of
golfing opportunities within the breathtaking Min-
nesota River Valley not far from the Minneapolis/St.
Paul metro area. If you are looking for a great way
to meet new friends as well as playing some com-
petitive golf, tee off in one of Valley View’s men’s or
women’s leagues or clubs; or for younger beginners,
join Valley View’s Junior Golf School to learn the full
basics of swing mechanics, putting, chipping, pitch-
ing, bunker play, safety, golfing rules and etiquette.
68
And you sure won’t go hungry or thirsty after
your game because Charlier’s Eagle Ridge Restau-
rant & Sports Bar serves up flavor-filled entrees
and full-service bar refreshments in Valley View’s
beautiful clubhouse—newly built in 2001. Eagle
Ridge Restaurant has a banquet area with seating
for up to 175 people. Their large outdoor patio is a
perfect hang-out spot where you can boast to your
friends about the hole-in-one shot you just made.
(Ah, dreams never die for an old duffer like me!)
Read much more about Valley View Golf
Course and Charlier’s Eagle Ridge Restaurant &
Sports Bar at: www.vvgolf.net
Call us at
952-873-4653for tee times, dinner reservations, banquetsand more.
Find directions to Valley View Golf Course at:http://www.vvgolf.net/mn/directions-to
69
When the last glacier cover-
ing Iowa receded 12,500 years
ago, it left indentations in the
land’s surface that eventually
became prairie lakes. One
of these glacial lakes is the
centerpiece around which
Emmetsburg, Iowa was built.
Named “Five Island Lake,”
this body of water covers
1,000 acres in its five-mile
length and has a watershed
of 8,000 acres. Its southern
90 acres are within the city
limits of Emmetsburg and are
The Star of Emmetsburg, Iowa
partially separated from the
upper 900 acres by a railroad
trestle built across the lake in
1890.
In 1989, after a five-year
drought, Five Island Lake was
especially shallow. Its average
depth of four to six feet had
decreased to two to three feet
in the lower part of the lake,
and the upper 900 acres were
mostly dried up. The water
quality was extremely poor
and the lake became useless
for recreational activities. But
Five Island Lake
a group of concerned citizens
rallied together to form the
Five Island Lake Restora-
tion Board that facilitated the
rehabilitation of this scenic
body of water by dredging the
silt from its bottom to increase
its depth and rejuvenate the
water quality.
Classified at the time as the
largest-ever lake restoration
project in the U.S., the fruits of
those efforts are evident today
as Five Island Lake offers
excellent summertime fishing,
70
boating, swimming, and water-
skiing, and wintertime op-
portunities for snowmobiling,
cross-country skiing, ice fishing,
hockey, and skating. On the west
side of the lake is Kearny State
Park, which provides camping
and picnicking facilities, and
Five Island Golf Course. To the
south is a swimming beach and
Soper Park, which is extensively
used in the summer for public
events. Beautiful private homes
dot the shoreline of the lake.
Top: Kearny State Park;left: a perfect fishing spot; right: Art Weir memorial stone; bottom: grandfather and grandson hoping to catch a walleye.
71
Emmetsburg is rich in history.
The town was platted and named
by Irish immigrants in honor of
the Irish patriot, Robert Emmet,
who in 1803 was executed by the
English government in Ireland’s
fight for independence. In 2007
and 2009, Emmetsburg was in the
“Top 100 Places to Live” listing on
the Relocate-America website. Visit
Emmetsburg soon to discover what
its residents have long known—it’s
a wonderful place!
“I have been overcome by the beauty and richness of our life togeth-er, those early mornings setting out, those evenings gleaming with rivers and lakes below us, still holding the last light.”
—Anne Morrow Lindbergh
Top: Soper Park swimming beach is a favorite for locals and visitors.
left: Soper Park sign welcomes you to swim or play. right: The playground at Soper Park is just steps away from the beach.
bottom: Five Island Lake is the perfect place to sit and dip your toes into the water.
For more things to see and do at Five Island Lake in
Emmetsburg, Iowa, log on to www.emmetsburg.com
72
73
Carrying the motto “Pride of the Prairie,”
the city of Madelia, Minnesota in Watonwan County was estab-
lished on September 10, 1857. Originally named Wapaca, within
a year of the city’s founding the name was changed to Madelia
in memory of the deceased teenage daughter of one of the five
founding fathers, Philander Hartshorn. The Minnesota legisla-
ture created the County of Watonwan in 1860, naming Mad-
elia as the county seat. However, in 1878 the county seat was
moved to nearby St. James.
History at its
finest!
Madelia’s population grew rapidly in the city’s first few de-
cades. Much of this growth is attributable to the increased safety
the construction of Fort Cox provided to area settlers during the
1862 Sioux Uprising. Madelia was located on the main railroad
line running from Minneapolis to Omaha, which also made it
easy for many settlers and businessmen to establish themselves
there.
Madelia, MNMuch Ado
About
74
Madelia has a rich history that is preserved at nu-
merous historical sites that dot the area. Visitors may
view historical markers for Fort Cox, Fort Slocum,
Fort Hill, as well as the completely restored Aship-
pun Post Office (the first post office in Watonwan
County) now on display in the city park. Just west
of Madelia is a historical marker erected where the
Younger brothers (members of the Jesse James gang)
were captured shortly after their infamous Northfield
bank heist. Madelia celebrates the capture of this
notorious band of bank robbers every year in Sep-
tember with a live re-enactment, as well as with other
events including a family barn dance, an all-city auc-
tion, and plenty of great Southern Minnesota food!
top: Two of the Younger brothers, Cloe and Jim.
bottom: Younger brothers with the Jesse James gang.
75
Each summer, area residents enjoy Madelia’s
big “Park Days” celebration. The annual festival is
always held the weekend after the 4th of July in
Madelia’s Watona Park. There’s always much ado
about all there is to do in Madelia!
For all this and more, see
www.madeliamn.com.
top: Re-enactment of the capture of Cleo Younger, one of the Younger brothers who rode with the Jesse James Gang.
bottom: Ashippun Log Cabin, Madelia, Minnesota. Ashippun Post Office was the first in Watonwan County
Madelia, Minnesota has some great businesses. Check them out...and tell them Bonnie from Sweet Swine County sent you!
76
“Heylook at
MainstreetMemories
Mall in Emmetsburg,
Iowa! I may justhave to leaveSweet Swine
for this!
Giddy Up!!”
77
OUR STORY’s primary goal is to innovatively report on all aspects of the incredible life we share in the Midwest! Via our cable-TV programming, on our Internet website and in this magazine, we seek to relate—often with a tinge of humor—the latest and greatest “goings-on” in OUR STORY’s “family” of communities.
Just take a look at this ever-expanding OUR STORY family! Wow!
Small-Town Livingat Its Best!
MINNESOTA:
AdrianAlbert LeaAldenAmboyAppletonArlingtonBalatonBelle PlaineBeresfordBlooming PrairieBlue EarthCanbyCannon Falls
EdgertonEyotaFairmontFuldaGaylordGranite FallsHendersonHendricksJacksonJanesvilleJordanKassonKenyonKiesterLake BentonLake City
Lake CrystalLakefieldLambertonLe CenterLe SueurLitchfieldLuverneMadeliaMantervilleMapletonMarshallMongomeryMortonNew PragueNew RichlandNew UlmNicolletOliviaPaynesville
PipestoneRed WingRedwood FallsSanbornSherburnSlaytonSleepy EyeSt. CharlesSt. JamesSt. PeterSpringfieldTracyTrimontTrumanTylerWabashaWabassoWalnut GroveWanamingoWelcomeWellsWest ConcordWillmarWindomWinnebagoWinthropWorthingtonZumbrota
the our story familyis growin’ like a weed.
Just look at all these towns we’re in!I know, it’s a heck of a read!
78
Minnesota
Iowa
SouthDakota
IOWA:
AlgonaArmstrongBancroft
EmmetsburgGraettinger
RingstedRuthvenSheldonSpencer
Spirit LakeStorm LakeSwea CityWest Bend
SOUTHDAKOTA:BrookingsFlandreauMadisonMilbankYankton
WISCONSIN:Hudson
MINNESTOA(See list
on the left)
79
Betty Thompson is always “Cookin’ it up” wherever she goes. this time, she hiked it over to Hudson, WI and hit up two places in one day: San Pedro Café and Barker’s Bar and Grill! Ahhhh....that Betty.
f you’re craving the sights, smells and flavors of the Caribbean Islands, you’ll find them all at Hudson,
Wisconsin’s San Pedro Café! The café’s centerpiece is a wood-fired brick oven from which an extensive Caribbean-themed menu of tantaliz-ingly fresh seafood, slow-smoked meats and specialty pizzas is served up to savvy patrons from around the greater Metro area.
Located in a former 1870s-era bank building in Hudson’s historic downtown, the San Pedro Café has been brilliantly decorated to reflect the colorful ambience of its namesake—the town of San Pedro on the island of Ambergris Caye located 40 miles offshore from Belize. A 100-gallon salt-water aquarium filled with tropical fish will sooth you as much as do the wonderful wines, beers and San Pedro’s signature island-styled Golden Margaritas!
In the warmer months, you’ll love the outdoor two-tiered patio with its tropical waterfall—the perfect spot for enjoying some coffee with the San Pedro’s famous in-house-made desserts. This ain’t the half of it folks! For much more information, take a peek at the San Pedro Café’s very impressive website at www.sanpedrocafe.com.
SAN PEDRO CAFé ~ 426 2ND STREET ~ HUDSON, WI 54016
80
nd you all know how I’m not just a “one-stop eater,” so let me tell you about Hudson’s fabulous Barker’s Bar & Grill, too!
It’s the spot where historic small-town charm meets big-city tastes.
Also located on Main Street among Hudson’s many intriguing specialty shops, Barker’s Bar & Grill has been one of the St. Croix River Valley’s most popular restaurants since opening in 1988. It’s housed in a turn-of-the-century building that was smartly renovated to retain the historic tin ceilings, English brick façade and red-oak woodwork. In fact,
Barker’s was one of Hudson’s first restau-rants to utilize a fully open, “exhibition-style” kitchen that showcases a quality bar-and-grill menu. Barker’s also features a large selection of imported and micro-brewed craft beers that can be enjoyed with meats that are hand cut in-house. They’re especially known for daily seasoning and roasting whole-bird turkeys in their own ovens. And trust me, their pico de gallo salsa was to die for!
Is your mouth watering yet? It certainly will be when you look at all the wonderful food photos on Barker’s website at www.barkersbarandgrill.com. Treat yourself to culinary outings in Hudson, Wisconsin soon!
BARKER’S BAR & GRILL413 2ND STREET
HUDSON, WI 54016
Photos courtesy of Barker’s Bar & Grill website
81
long the south fork of the Whetstone River, Milbank,
South Dakota rests upon a large outcropping of car-
nelian granite, an intrusive igneous rock that formed
during the Proterozoic Era nearly two billion years
ago as molten lava cooled outside the earth’s crust.
The granite found in and around Milbank is comprised of a variety of
colors and textures that resulted from the differing chemical composition
and cooling speeds of this molten lava (or magma). In some blocks of
granite, you may view tiny mineral crystals that cooled quickly. In most
cases, interlocking crystals of clear quartz, pink feldspar, and various
dark minerals cooled slowly, and are large enough to identify with the
naked eye. Shim-
mers of gold in the
granite are actually
pyrite—also known
as Fool’s Gold.
It’s no wonder that upon discovering these rich deposits of granite,
enterprising mining and quarrying businesses developed around
Milbank. Granite from these quarries has been used in monuments
and construction projects around the world. Fabricators and customers
from as far as Italy, Japan, China, and Malaysia are becoming frequent
visitors to this little village on the
plains of South Dakota in order to
purchase granite with the unique,
warm blue/brown colors that is
found here.
in Milbank, South Dakota
82
The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial in Washington, D.C. is built
nearly entirely from carnelian granite mined in Milbank. This memo-
rial wall, decorated with bronze panels, is just one element of a large
complex of walls, water features, bronzes and inscriptions honoring
FDR. Large amounts of granite were cut and polished for the walk-
ways and steps, with the most important feature of the memorial being
furnished in large blocks
to the sculpting design-
er, Lawrence Halprin,
for him to hand-cut.
For more interesting information about Milbank,visit the city’s website at: www.milbanksd.com.
83
“Speaking of Health” is the program that helps you to learn how to live a longer and healthier life! Watch Host Jason Howland talk with doctors and other providers from Mayo Clinic Health System about important healthcare top-ics. When it comes to speaking of health, Mayo Clinic Health System tells the expert story!
www.fairmontclinic.org www.mayohealthsystem.org
Journey along with OUR STORY as we take you down the highways and byways throughout the OUR STORY region in our quest to uncover the many fascinating and informative stories that make for great TV programs that include “Spinning Wheels,” “By Design,” “Speaking of Health,” and “State of the Arts.” There’s always something to discover “On the Road to OUR STORY”!
Our Story Productions’ NEW Regional TV Programs!
left: Dr. LeRoy Hodges;right: Jason Howland, Host
84
“Spinning Wheels” is an informa-tive TV program about transporta-tion. In each episode, our host interviews one or two experts about subjects ranging from new car and motorcycle models and their latest gadgets, trends in bi-cycling, collecting vintage vehicles, purchasing opportunities, to vehicle care and maintenance questions. If it has wheels, OUR STORY spins an interesting story about it!
The premiere episode featured our host, Jeff Hagen, interviewing Tom Hawkins—President/CEO of Hawkins Chevrolet in Fairmont, MN. Tom is the expert in “all things wheels”!
OUR STORY turns homes, gardens and imaginative businesses inside out to uncover stories for programs you’ll love to watch about design! If it’s somewhere in the world of design, OUR STORY finds it!
www.hawkinsbestprice.com
Jeff Hagen, Host
above: “The Old Car Guy” - Spinning Wheels Expertright: Tom Hawkins (left) Jeff Hagen (right)
85
Established in 1893 by German immigrants, Graettinger, Iowa
is located in Palo Alto County. Named after an early resident, Dr.
Graettinger, the city holds the distinction of having held a Labor
Day celebration annually since 1896—a state record. Graettinger’s
first Labor Day celebration was held on the farm of Mr. A. A.
Wells. This first picnic was sponsored by the Farmers’ Institute, ac-
cording to the September 4, 1899 edition of the Graettinger Times.
In 1913, the event was moved into town where it has been drawing
residents from throughout the area each year since with a parade,
carnival, street dance, variety show, queen coronation, raffle draw-
ing and many other fun-filled events at Graettinger’s three parks,
municipal swimming pool, tennis court and Hillcrest golf course.
Small town,big heart!
GraettinGeriowaVisit Graettinger’s Homepage: www.graettinger.net
photos, top left: Welcome banner in downtown Graettinger. right: Labor Day celebration in downtown Graettinger complete with carnival and food vendors.
86
photos from top left: Pool with waterslides; golf course; Labor Day tractor pull; Graettinger Park; Downtown Graettinger.
“tell everyone in Graettinger, that Betty thompsonsent you.”
87
Originally known as “Armstrong Grove” after the area was explored by trapper, Thomas Armstrong, in 1856, Armstrong has grown into one of the cleanest, most well-kept little towns in Iowa. The first permanent settlers arrived in 1864, and in 1872 the first 4th of July celebration marked the beginnings of the town’s yearly event that now draws thousands of people from the region. Armstrong is only a short half-hour drive west of Iowa’s premier resort area—Spirit Lake and Lake Okoboji—and the famous Arnold’s Park amusement park. West Okoboji is often considered to be one of three blue-water lakes in the world. The other two are Lake Geneva in Switzerland and Lake Louise in Cana-da. With depths reaching 136 feet, the lake makes it a popular regional destination point for motor boating, water skiing, sailing, and swimming.
Armstrong’s rich history includes the arrival of the locomotive in 1892, followed by a spurt of develop-ment in the years 1894 through 1903 when the first
A Big Surprise in a Small Package
schoolhouse was erected, a fire depart-ment was organized, waterworks and telephone systems were established, gaslights illuminated the business area, and an Opera House opened. Much of this history is on display at Armstrong’s Heritage Museum, which opens by appointment and during city-wide celebra-tions. Armstrong’s residents are proud of that fact that their library is one out of 199 accredited libraries of the 542 that dot the state of Iowa. Armstrong’s progressive pioneer spirit is carrying it strongly into the future!
88
Ricky Ray says,
“Check out thetown of Ringsted,
Iowa on the next page!”
ROn WIlSOn 36 years experienceOffice: 712-868-4450Cell: 712-260-0034
Crop, farm, auto, homeowners, &
business insurance.
89
ingsted, iowa
Located in Emmet County, the town of Ringsted, Iowa has a population of about 440 people and is known for its Danish-Lutheran heritage. The St. Ansgar Danish Lutheran Church was organized by the city’s original founders in 1882. In 1894, a theological debate erupted when factions within the national Danish-Lutheran
community argued whether activities such as dancing were biblically endorsed. A primary question became whether the Bible or the Apostle’s Creed held sway as God’s truest word. The Danish Lutheran community divided into two groups nicknamed the “Happy Danes” and the “Sad Danes.” Not until 113 years later in 2007 were the two Lutheran factions reunited into the United Lutheran Church.
Ringsted gained particular notori-ety in the 1940s when a folk-dance group called “The Happy Dancing Danes” popularized the Lutheran leader N. F. S. Grundtvig’s belief that “amusements such as dancing, dramatics, songs, games, read-ing of novels and card playing . . . festivals and celebrations of a social and national character” weren’t necessarily spiritually wrong.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ringsted,_Iowa
photos clockwise from top left: Memorial Park; Downtown Ringsted; The Happy Dancing Danes(photo from Des MoinesRegister) Park with playground; Ga-zebo; Lutheran leaderN.F.S. Grundtvig
90
Located in Palo Alto County in northwest Iowa on Highway 18, Ruthven is a quaint town with about 770 residents. Founded in 1884, Ruthven has been called the “Hub of the Wetlands” since five lakes are located within 10 miles of the community. Four miles north of town, Lost Island Lake offers visitors and residents a swimming beach, campground, cafe, resorts, public boat launches and beautiful hiking trails. Ruthven residents are proud of their K-12 public school, a well-kept public park and swimming pool, a public library, fire department, five churches, and a community care facility that has assisted- and independent-living units.
Ruthven celebrates “Bully Bullhead Weekend” annually on the weekend following July 4th. The event includes a parade, a tractor ride, a kid’s carnival, athletic tournaments, and of course, the bullhead fishing tournament.
www.ruthvenlostisland.com
“Keep your glasseson so you can read all
about Ruthven’s businesses in the
next issue.”
91
Willmar, Minnesota
erving as the county seat for Kandiyohi County in west-central Minnesota, Willmar,
Minnesota has a population of about 19,000 and is surrounded by pristine lakes, rolling hills and rich farmland. Located about 100 miles west of the Twin Cities, Willmar is the fastest growing non-metropolitan city in the state, and combines the friend-ly ambiance of a small town with a burgeoning business and cultural life. Willmar has top-notch medical services, educational opportuni-ties, and expanding industrial and commercial businesses. Willmar’s residents are proud of their com-munity’s 32 churches, well-kept homes, beautiful tree-lined streets, and recreational facilities that com-plement a wide range of outdoor sports and cultural activities.
The first settlers arrived in the Willmar area in the 1850s, attracted in large part by the fertile land and abundance of timber and game. The Lakotah Indians were indigenous to the area, and during the Great Sioux Up-rising of 1862, the township was abandoned for several years. In 1869, the advent of the railroad in Kandiyohi County brought a new surge
“A Four-Season Destination!”
of settlers—primarily immigrants of Scandinavian heritage. In 1870, Leon Willmar—a Belgian acting as a European bondholder of St. Paul and Pacific Railroad Company—purchased the title to Section 1 of
Willmar Township. Willmar was established as the county seat in 1871 and was incorporated as a village in 1874, and finally as a city in 1901.
Willmar is a four-season destina-tion that offers something for everyone!
www.ci.willmar.mn.us
photos from top: statue; Veteran’sMemorial; Robbins Island NatureTrail; Holiday parade.
Banner photo: Rau Park
92
he sweet swine County Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that Purrdoo University recently has joined its membership ranks.
PU, sweet swine County’s distinguished “Institute of Hire learnin’” has three classroom trailers that can accommodate up to nine students each. two full-time, PU-educated professors carry on the grand tradition of educating eager students for entree into the workforce in and out of sweet swine County. It was ronnie P. silage, the county’s Poet lariat and PU alumnus, who first proved that PU makes every-thing possible by promoting the “in and out” method.
the sweet swine County Chamber was formed in 1938, but didn’t have any mem-bers until 1967. Until then, farmers were the only “busi-nessmen” in the county. Now, reflecting the extraordinary business growth of late, PU’s membership brings the total to five! Chamber President Cousin John beamed while saying, “Whoopee! With this new member, things are really on the upswing in sweet swine County. I have a feelin’ this is just the beginning of something. I’ve long thought it was a stinkin’ shame that there weren’t more interested businesses seeking membership. With PU, all that changes!”
Betty Thompson is the Subject ofTabloid Headlines Again!
The Sweet Swine Scoop has been told by a unnamed source that the one and only Betty Thompson, from OUR STORY’s hit TV shows, “Cookin’ It Up With Betty” and “As The Corn Grows,” has again found herself the subject of tabloid headlines--this time throughout the Ha-waiian islands! When we consulted with Dr. Cornell, well-known behavioral and addiction therapist in Sweet Swine County, he told The Scoop: “Unfor-tunately, we seem to be witnessing a pattern of behavior not unlike what happened with Sweet Swine’s famous actor, Farley Shean. I’ve seen your coverage in The Scoop that Betty has been pictured milking a life-sized statue of a cow in Switzerland, hand-milking a wine bottle in Germany, and now this picture of her directly sucking milk from an unripe coconut in Kauai. I think it’s fairly well known that Betty has quietly had a long-time association with Shean. I hope we’re not seeing similar problems developing. If any of you concerned Sweet Swineians have any influence here, please tell Betty I would be most happy to consult with her when she returns from this latest trip, if she’ll have me.” The Scoop found out Betty was sent to Kauai by KLUK TV to do research about lus-cious luau pork for her show “Cooking It Up With Betty.” While she was there, Betty was hosted by OUR STORY’s “Mr. Hollywood” and sometime host of “State of the Arts” program, Bryan Peterson. Mr. Hollywood elusively was not was not available for com-ment!
Sweet Swine County
Chamber of Commerce
Welcomes New Member
Sweet Swine ScoopIf it happens in Sweet Swine County,
it’s news to us!
93
ou are now departing the world of Sweet Swine County where fantasy and reality collide on The
Road to OUR STORY—Small-town living at its best!
“Remember it’s not just the past but the presentthat becomes OUR STORY!”
OUR STORY Productions109 W. First StreetFairmont, MN 56031