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EDITORS’ NOTES
Looking back, moving forward “History never really says goodbye. History says, ‘See you later,’” – Eduardo Galeano, Uruguayan journalist, writer and novelist As myself and co-editor Jason Schoonover sat down to plot out this edition of Austin Living Magazine, we found ourselves in a unique position. It’s not that we weren’t ready or didn’t have any ideas — the readers of our magazine always make sure we are never short of great ideas — it’s that we soon found that our planning was taking a fluid, almost guided path towards history. It wasn’t our intention and it certainly isn’t like it’s never happened before, where the end is different from the beginning. But in this instance it came so naturally, especially considering that Austin and the surrounding area is very involved in its history. It happens so often that somebody mentions to us how they ‘remember’ those times in our past, so this theme seemed a perfect fit for not only us but for our readers in general. In this issue we’ll talk about the older, smaller cemeteries throughout our county, those neat and weird objects on display at the Mower County Historical Society and the history of one of the most recognizable ball parks in southeast Co-Editors Eric Johnson and Jason Schoonover Minnesota — Marcusen Park. Even our new travel series visits the colorful and exciting past of the Wabasha Caves in St. Paul. As much fun as it was for us to unravel the history surrounding us on every street corner, it wouldn’t have come together so easily and been so readily available to us had it not been for Mower County Historical Society curator Jaimie Timm. Even as this issue steps back in time, Jaimie has been a part of our we also have to acknowledge a new and magazine for a while now, helping different future. us out by getting us content and After several years as editor of the pictures for our popular Looking Austin Daily Herald and even more as a Back stories. But this time we asked co-worker, Austin Living co-editor Jason Jaimie for so much more and she Schoonover is leaving us for new oppordelivered at every turn, going so far tunities in St. Paul that includes marryas to ride with me for a morning ing his fiancee Megan Greulich. as we explored the cemeteries of I’ve had the pleasure of working Mower County. with Jason since his arrival as a reporter. Her knowledge and passion It’s been one of the easiest working refor history, along with no small lationships I’ve had and so when we beamount of patience, was indiscame co-editors of Austin Living, it was a pensable in putting this issue natural transition. together. We can’t thank her There were, of course, times of disenough for her help. agreement, but in the end we were alSo step back with us and live ways able to guide Austin Living to what Austin and Mower County’s past we hope was an entertaining read of our with us. magazine for our readers.
– Eric Johnson
Austin Living co-editor 2 | Austin Living | September–October 2017
We wish Jason all the luck in the world as he moves on to newer and exciting things.
PUBLISHER Jana Gray EDITORIAL Co-Editors Eric Johnson Jason Schoonover Contributing Writers Rocky Hulne Eric Johnson Deb Nicklay Jason Schoonover Michael Stoll Photographer Eric Johnson ART Art Director Colby Hansen Graphic Designers Susan Downey Kim Ehrich Colby Hansen Eric Johnson Kathy Johnson SALES & PROMOTION Advertising Manager Heather Ryks Sales Representatives Mike Delhanty Brenda Landherr Heather Ryks SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2017 Volume 5, Number 5 EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE: Editors, Austin Living 310 2nd Street NE Austin, MN 55912 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reprinted or reproduced without written permission. For comments, suggestions or story ideas call 507-434-2235. To purchase advertising, call 507-434-2220 © A Minnesota Publishers Inc. publication
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SEEN
WHAT’S INSIDE
6-8 SESQUICENTENNIALS
SEPTEMBER – OCTOBER 2017
Blooming Prairie, Rose Creek both celebrate 150 years.
10 AUSTIN FREEDOM FEST
A GEM OF A DIAMOND
Austin once again holds its annual Fourth of July blowout.
12 AHS SPANISH CLASS TRIP TO BELIZE
Marcusen Park: driven by memories and a need to make baseball succeed
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Students take once in a lifetime trip.
AUSTIN EATS 14 SAMPLING FOR THE FUTURE
Hy-Vee boasts ways of getting kids to diversify and eat healthier.
THE LIST 16 BIZARRE HISTORY
Unique and unusual artifacts at the Mower County Historical Society.
HOME & HEARTH 18 HISTORY OF HOME
Last known, original building of Frankford carries the past of a town.
OUT & ABOUT 24 THE ROAR OF PERSEVERANCE
Golf tournament carries on the cancer fight of Ryan Gordon.
28 THE BEST OF AUSTIN
Statue Tour celebrates best of us.
32 REMEMBERING THE DEAD
REMEMBER WHEN? Facebook page has people sharing history about the Austin they recall
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CHANGING FACE
Austin’s unique and historic buildings give town flavor
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Rural cemeteries are a direct link to our ancestral past.
TRAVEL 54 A TOUR OF HISTORY
Wabasha Street Caves offer portal into St. Paul, Minnesota history.
LOOKING BACK 58 STREET SCENES
Past pictures of Austin show a much different town.
AREA HAPPENINGS 60 THE BIGGEST UPCOMING
EVENTS IN AUSTIN
BOOK REVIEW 62 DOCUMENTING THE ‘OPEN ROAD’
George A. Hormel’s autobiography relates how positivity led the way.
WHY I LOVE AUSTIN 64 STORIES THAT SURROUND US
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Loving Austin is about loving the tales that weave it together.
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SEEN | Blooming Prairie 150th The Fourth of July is always a reason to celebrate, but in small communities, hitting a milestone like 150 years makes it even more festive. That’s exactly what Blooming Prairie did this year, sparking an all out bash to celebrate the July holiday and its sesquicentennial. There were tractor pulls, old cars, bean bag tournament, food and fun and of course fireworks to cap off this rural community’s big birthday in the style that only a small town can.
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(1) A cake to commemorate Blooming Prairie’s sesquicentennial celebration. (2) Visitors admire cars on display during the Blooming Prairie’s Car Show. (3) Hungry patrons line-up for food at Blooming Prairie’s Old Fashioned Fourth of July celebration. (4) Cody Hendrickson of Blooming Prairie stands in front of his flag with three-year-old son, Charlie. A supporter of the military, he wanted to honor their service. (5) Tony Foster of Ellendale, Minnesota gets his tractor ready for the tractor pull. (6) Jeff Kruger of Northfield, Vermont, and his son, Emmett, check out a tractor. (7) Competitors gear up for a bean bag tournament. 6 | Austin Living | September–October 2017
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SEEN | Rose Creek 150th Much like Blooming Prairie to the north in Steele County, Mower County’s own Rose Creek also celebrated its sesquicentennial this year. Over the span of four days the tiny community partied in a big way including a dance to kick things off, a softball tournament, kids games, parade and, of course, a fireworks show in the park to bring it all home.
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(1) Tammi Bustad of Tammi’s Flower’s and Crafts in Rose Creek sells a jar of homemade jam during the Rose Creek 150th Celebration. (2) Susan Heard (standing) and Tamara Harmon of Sue’s Country Crafts sell items. (3) A pitcher tosses a pitch during a game of the men’s softball tournament. (4) A Rose Creek baseball uniform, circa 1960s, was one of the pieces of memorabilia on display at the Rose Creek City Hall. (5) Bob Gansen of Elma, Iowa, waits for his turn to participate in the tractor pull. (6) Zach Johnson and his son, Ruger, of Rose Creek watch the tractor pull event. (7) Janet Hackensmith (left) and Daphne Wagner of Austin, both graduates of Rose Creek High School, look over memorabilia. (8) An original jail cell from the Rose Creek Jail was on display outside the Rose Creek City Hall. 8 | Austin Living | September–October 2017
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SEEN | Austin Freedom Fest Centered here in Austin, over the Fourth of July holiday, freedom takes over with Freedom Fest, a blow out that always has this community celebrating with family and friends. The Freedom Fest parade always turns out huge numbers of floats as well as those lining the streets waiting to see the fun move slowly past. All of this fun includes the Hog Jog, fishing contest and Dan Ulwelling Bike Race and was capped with not just one, but two nights of fireworks.
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(1) Members of the Austin VFW, DAV and American Legion Color Guard prepare for the flag-raising ceremony at Freedom Fest. (2) Emerson Ray (from left), Jillian Ray, Phoebe Sloan, Ella Ray, Lula Sloan and Greta Sloan (front), the grandaughters of Hormel Foundation Chariman and newest Pillar of the City, Gary Ray. (3) Brooke Steward, Kynzlee Patterson, 2, Zoey Stewart, 7, Justice Nelson, 4, and Amber Barclay, all of Austin, pose for a photo during the Freedom Fest parade on Main Street. (4) A boy with Martial Arts Fitness Center does a move during the parade. (5) Clara Otto tells a joke during the Little Miss Sparkler, Mr. Firecracker Contest on July 3 during the Freedom Fest Pageant. 10 | Austin Living | September–October 2017
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(6) Arn Huizenga marches with the Austin marching band during the parade. (7) Members of the Rochester Caledonian Pipe Band entertain visitors at Bandshell Park. (8) Young runners take part in the Piggy Fun Run. (9) Seoyoung Hwang, 4, of Rochester reaches the front of the pack to grab a flower lei from a float. (10) Spambassador Samuel Ehret, 17, gives a thumbs up while carrying the banner for the Spam Museum float during the parade. (11) A group poses for a photo during the parade. Pictured in the front (from left): Emilee Phelps and Zoey Wiseman; in the middle: Akayla Vue, Aimee Erickson and Dena Wiseman, and in back: Pam Lindahl and David Wiseman. September–October 2017 | Austin Living | 11
SEEN | AHS Spanish Class Trip to Belize Trips to other countries for many are a once in a lifetime thing, but students from Austin High School got to take one of these trips not only for the fun of taking in another culture, but for the education. Seniors, juniors and sophomores ventured to the Central American country of Belize as part of their Spanish 3 class. The seven-day trip was taken over June 14-21 and had students experiencing history, the country’s schools, snorkling, wildlife and so much more of what this tropical country had to offer.
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(1) Ivy Arnold, Paiton Schwab, Lizzy Christiansen and Lauryn Bell in front of a pyramid. (2) Stopping for a quick picture while snorkling. (3) Zhora Lilly, from left, Madyson Palumbo and Chloe Sheehan on the beach with the ocean behind. (4) Students pose for a photo during a day of snorkling. 12 | Austin Living | September–October 2017
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(5) A group of students get some beach time. (6) Enjoying some pool time on the beach. (7) Stopping for a picture at Xunantunich. (8) Students take a faster ride down the river. (9) Students got a chance to get up close with the tropical wildlife. (10) Students take a tube ride down a river. September–October 2017 | Austin Living | 13
AUSTIN EATS
Eli Anderson concentrates as he scoops out melon at a Kids Day at Hy-Vee event aimed at exposing youngsters to healthy foods. It is one of Hy-Vee’s many events aiming to get kids to try new foods.
Sampling for the future HY-VEE BOASTS WAYS OF GETTING KIDS TO EAT HEALTHIER AND DIVERSIFY Story
Photos Schoonover
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Twins Ella, left, and Kassidy Slowinski try fruit smoothies during a Kids Day at Hy-Vee event. 14 | Austin Living | September–October 2017
Hy-Vee dietitian Megan Groh helps Ella Slowinski assemble a fruit kebab as Ella’s sister, Kassidy, looks on.
Another popular offering at Hy-Vee continues to be Children and their parents milled around the east side of Kids in the Kitchen classes, where kids learn about a specific Hy-Vee in the ready-to-eat meal area trying out veggies at the produce — strawberries at one class — by making a berry Hibachi Asian grill, smoothies and more. As she served up melon bruschetta. samples of bread, peanut butter and bananas, Hy-Vee’s Cristin “The goal is to teach them nutrition, teach them kitchen Griffey summed up a series of events at the store in succinct safety and then also develop their culinary skills,” Groh said. fashion: “It’s just to get you to try different foods,” she told “And then enjoy delicious food.” one child. Kids in the Kitchen events are to be held on a Saturday With its new store, like at its old one, Hy-Vee is hosting each month, and they could go to two a month after recent myriad events to get children interested in new, healthy success. Other events, like Kids Day at Hy-Vee, are foods, cooking and grocery shopping. For Hy-Vee peppered in at various times of the year. registered dietitian Megan Groh, a big part of The One Step Garden also returned in that is getting youngsters involved. late summer, this year without a garden due “The number one thing to get kids to the move to the new Hy-Vee, as a way more interested and eating healthy foods to promote recipes and plantings, often is doing hands-on and application-type through games. things,” Groh said. Groh and Hy-Vee also offer To teach nutrition, Groh likes to recommendations for what children can do ask the youngsters questions about why to get involved in the kitchen by their age: a food is good for their bodies. Those 3 years old: simple motions like tearing questions help get kids thinking about the lettuce or washing fruits and vegetables, which foods. Hy-Vee registered dietitian can ease preparation. Studies show it takes children eight to 18 4 years old: opening packages, greasing pans, times of tasting a new food before they begin to peeling hard boiled eggs and mashing potatoes with a fork. like it, and many don’t like something at once. Repeated 5-6 years old: begin learning to cut soft foods with a exposure is key. blunt knife, setting the table and measuring ingredients. “That’s kind of our goal: Repeated exposure to these 7-8 years old: rolling and shaking dough and using a healthier things,” she said. whisk to beat ingredients. At her station during a Kids Day at Hy-Vee event, 9-12 years old: use of more advanced kitchen tools, Groh worked with kids on “mastering melons” by having like a vegetable peeler, knife and ovens; they can also start youngsters put on food prep gloves and scoop out circles of shredding cheese and veggies. melon. They then combined them with other foods to make fruit skewers, or kebabs. 13-17 years old: teens are ready to independently prepare “They’re more likely to try something new if they recipes with multiple ingredients and can take a more active themselves are preparing it,” she said. role preparing grocery lists and helping with shopping.
“ the number one thing to get kids more interested and eating healthy foods is doing hands-on and application-type things “ – Megan groh
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re ar z i B Y R O T S I H
THE LIST
Unique and unusual artifacts at the Mower County Historical Society By Michael Stoll • Photos
courtesy of the
Mower County Historical Society
We’ve all, at least once in our lives, been to a museum. As children on field trips, we’ve walked through museum halls, glancing at the artifacts in their glass cases as we went from exhibit to exhibit. You may not have given it much thought to what you were looking at. You were just grateful to be out of school. But sometimes, even the most basic, almost mundane items can have backstories you never could have imagined. With that in mind, I asked Mower County Historical Society Curator Jaimie Timm to show me some of the more unusual and unique items in the MCHS collection. Here are some of the things she found.
Red Velvet Reclining Chair, circa late 1800s-early 1900s
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One of the challenges for a historian is that sometimes the information is not available to verify a story, thus we’re stuck with having to go on hearsay, as is the case with this item. According to the story, this red velvet reclining chair was the first chair of its kind in Mower County. This is speculation, as Timm says there is nothing to confirm this story. “I’m not sure where the story came from,” she said. “I found advertisements that look similar, but nothing to verify or confirm the kind or style of chair.” Timm said the chair was most likely delivered by train, as delivery by stagecoach would have been very expensive. That would put the earliest date for the chair in the 1870s.
“Dr. Pierce’s Golden Medical Discovery” Elixir Bottle, circa 1880s In the days predating the Food and Drug Administration, traveling “doctors” would go from town to town peddling their “miracle elixirs” of questionable medicinal benefits. And, if this bottle is any indication, someone in Mower County was desperate (or gullible) enough to buy a bottle. “Dr. Pierce was one of the most well-known ‘snake oil’ salesmen,” Timm said. “He was based out of New York and ran a company known as the World Dispensary Medical Association that would give people these different kinds of medicine.” Pierce’s “Golden Medical Discovery” was marketed as a “blood purifier.” Timm said it was advertised as follows: “When people are losing flesh and strength and vitality with the life oozing out of them day after day, they need Dr. Pierce’s Golden Medical Discovery, which acts directly upon the vital organs, completely transforms the nutritive organism and totally reverses the wasting and debilitating process which is at the root of all diseases.” Ingredients included water, borate of soda, golden seal root, queen’s root and stone root.
Alligator Foot Coin Purse, circa late 1800s One of the most obvious lessons we learn from history is how much times change. That lesson is made very clear with this item. “[Accessories made from dead animals] were a very popular part of fashion at the time,” Timm said. “Alligator feet were considered a lucky charm.” Unfortunately, fashion trends of this nature led to the endangerment of many species, such as the whooping crane, which was hunted widely in the 1940s and 50s for its feathers. So, why are rabbit feet considered lucky, but alligator feet are not anymore? Well, which would you rather hunt?
Hair Wreath, circa 1900 Admittedly, this one appeals to those with a love of the macabre aspect. At first glance, it looks like embroidered flowers set together to create a wreath. But that is not thread or yarn. It is hair from the deceased, shaped like flowers with wire, slips of papers with names next to each one. “There are eight or nine different last names,” Timm said. “Some are listed as couples, while others are solitary.” Timm said it was common practice in the late 1800s to collect hair from deceased family members to create a mourning family tree. Books and magazine articles were available to show people how to shape them. Timm said it also could have been done by a church congregation, or a school or some other sort of organization as a commemorative piece.
The Taopi Table, circa 1876 I know what you’re thinking: “Ooh, a table! How compelling!” No doubt a sigh of exasperation and a roll of the eyes followed that comment. But like what was said earlier, every artifact has a story. Like the reclining chair listed earlier, this one is based on hearsay. According to the story, notorious outlaw Jesse James played cards at this table while he was in Taopi. “We have no information to corroborate this,” Timm said. “It is just something that has been passed down through the historical society for many years.” If the story is to be believed, then that puts the date of the table at about 1876, the same year the James-Younger gang killed a bank clerk and a civilian in a failed attempt to rob the bank in Northfield, Minnesota.
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HOME & HEARTH
History y Home Story
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Photos
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Eric Johnson George and Meta Baarsch outside of what would be the home of Craig and Cindy Seabright in 1920. Photo provided
Right, Craig and Cindy Seabright stand outside their home, one of the very last reminders of the town of Frankford.
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resting a small rise and just past the Frankford Cemetery, you first spy the home of Craig and Cindy Seabright. It’s an older, two-story home surrounded by the lush greens of late summer, snugly situated on a plot of land at the corner of 795th Avenue and 251st Street. In a way it’s unassuming and no different from so many other rural homes, but while it appears to be the perfect home for a family loving country life, it is packed with more history than the facade let’s on. Aside from some other homes nearby that may or may not have a similar distinction, records point to the Seabright’s home as being the last standing, originally-built home of the ghost town of Frankford. “It’s really solid,” said Cindy as she guides visitors through
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the house and around the boxes packed with family mementos. The couple was in the midst of selling the historical home. And then she adds with a laugh, “It’s not haunted either.”
Frankford’s near miss There is very little to distinguish the Seabright’s home as being part of Frankford, yet early, hand-drawn maps, along with Craig and family friend Bob Baarsch, who both grew up in Frankfort, remember the town as it was. Bustling. At its height, the community, which was built around Deer Creek, hosted three hotels, three stores, three blacksmiths and a grist mill among several other businesses. The Seabright home, built by Lewis Patchin, was a home
Last known original building of Frankford carries the past of a town along with being a hotel and post office. It was also at the center of one of the more infamous acts in Mower County history. More on that in a bit. Frankford, in the late 1800s and early 1900s spread laterally along the creek with growth going a little ways both north and south. Going south led you to a church that was across the way from the cemetery and the school. At the time, Frankford was the county seat and looked strong enough to hold that distinction; however, legend and destiny would say otherwise. As the story goes, in January 1857, the official papers marking Frankford as the county seat were stolen. Ruth Goodsell, a former resident of the town, wrote about the nefarious deeds as she remembered.
She wrote: “The removal of the records is based on an old letter written by Mrs. Charles Lamb, Frankford. ‘Not in the still of the night, but at noonday when the officers were taking their dinner and smoking their pipes in quietude, they came, stealing noiselessly into their vacant rooms and silently marched away with what comprised our county seat.’” After that the history plays out like a high western, complete with posses and villains. Ultimately, the records would be carried back to Austin where, despite the best efforts of those in pursuit, the records remained along with the county seat. Just a few short years later, the town’s mystery gains a little more excitement when Goodsell writes under the heading of “The Mystery of the Old Lamb House.” Continues on Page 20 September–October 2017 | Austin Living | 19
A map of Frankford, drawn originally by Ruth Goodsell and then touched up by her son and granddaughter shows the Lewis Patchin farm at the corner of State and Water Streets.
Continued from Page 19 “There are rumors of dark deeds which occurred in this house in the 1870s. A gang of famous outlaws was supposed to have lived there. Hence the need for the numerous exits. The one place in the center layer of flooring near the extra window hid counterfeit plates or money until it could be picked up by other gangsters.” “Gang members were also professional horse thieves. Horses seemed to disappear without a trace. It was said they were hidden in a large cave with a camouflaged entrance. Such a cave has never been found, so Emily [Galloway] believes the cave was sealed with a rock years ago.”
History of a different sort Craig Seabright and Baarsch remember a different history, even while hearing the old stories, including a tale that Jesse James himself rode through Frankford, using a nearby cave as a hide out. “I don’t doubt Jesse James staying here,” Baarsch said with a wry smile. “I’m just not sure how big a story it was.” At some point it was Baarsch’s grandfather that took over 20 | Austin Living | September–October 2017
ownership of the Patchin residence. “I don’t know when grandad moved here,” Baarsch said. “Dad had been born and raised here.” Baarsch said his grandfather died when he was just five or six-years-old and afterwards the residence was rented out by his dad. Eventually the ownership of the home fell to Craig’s parents, Jerry and Deenie Seabright. Craig remembers days of being outside, enjoying the countryside. “There were horses and cattle and a little of everything,” he said. “We were always riding horse and doing things we shouldn’t be doing.” Both Baarsch and Craig remember fishing up and down Deer Creek. At the time it wasn’t the history that spoke of the theft of papers or Jesse James, it was the history of growing up. However, years later, Baarsch, who lives just down the road from the Seabrights, started taking a deeper interest in the area after having to put together a Power Point for a meeting of Mower County townships. As he began to dig, he began to uncover more and more of Frankford even as the old town no longer stood.
“This area outside is history,” Baarsch said. “This is the first of the prairie settlements. This is an old part of the state.”
The history of home The one thing you notice about the Seabright’s home is just how sturdy it appears from an outside glance, and it’s something that Craig will agree with. After so many years of weathering Minnesota’s extremes, the home still stands as strong as it did in those early days of Lewis Patchin. “It’s held pretty square and that’s amazing considering all the wind it’s seen coming across,” Craig said. Inwardly, it’s a little harder to tell the age of the home due to some remodeling Craig and Cindy had done about 20 years prior, but a close inspection will give up its clues. The stairs to both the basement and the second floor are steep and narrow and the rooms throughout the house are small considering how big the home appears from the outside. Continues on Page 22 September–October 2017 | Austin Living | 21
Continued from Page 21 In the early days, homes were built to make use of every available space. In the basement, the most outward sign of the home’s past can be seen. Old timber used as floor bracing is still featured prominently, running parallel next to modern-day wood, pipes and ductwork and while they look aged, they have not been replaced and still hold solid. At most, Craig has had to reinforce just to add a little extra bracing. “They are in pretty good shape,” Craig said. “They didn’t put them as close together so I put some more in just to give them a little more support.” There’s also some studs off the back porch the Seabrights suspect were the remains of what used to be a summer kitchen, an addition off the main kitchen to keep hotter elements of cooking away from the rest of the house. Craig believes the slant of the studs — the way they were cut — marks the area just off their kitchen now as being the place where it stood. Over the years the Seabrights slowly brought a more modern In the basement, old architecture becomes visible, including the original floor bracing, upper left, running alongside the newer bracing and ductwork.
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feel to the place. They separated off what used to be the old dining room for a larger bathroom, took out the old fireplace and remodeled the upstairs to create more private rooms for their daughters along with more bathroom space. “The girls couldn’t be in the same room anymore,” Cindy joked. It’s as if the home is only getting stronger. With so many years, it shows very little wear and the Seabrights can only remember water in the basement on very few occasions. “Otherwise it’s stayed dry,” Cindy said. And even when they were remodeling, the Seabrights were finding bits and pieces of history: wooden forks, small medicine jars and even Sunday school papers in the walls that were written in German. Even as the Seabrights pack and prepare for the next step in their lives, it’s clear to see the pride and joy they have taken in their home, a final reminder of a small town with the history of a lifetime packed into it. “I think it’s served us well,” Cindy said with a smile. “It’s those little things. It’s a nice cozy place.” The home of Craig and Cindy Seabright appears after crossing over a rise. Around it used to be the town of Frankford.
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OUT & ABOUT
The family of Ryan Gordan stand with golf clubs covered with lion club covers, signifying Ryan’s love for the animal and its spirit.
The roar of perseverance Golf tournament carries on the cancer fight of Ryan Gordon By The Hormel Institute • Photos Provided The Hormel Institute regularly meets wonderful, loving people whose lives are abruptly devastated by cancer. While researchers work round the clock to advance discoveries with the mission to prevent cancer and extend lives, cancer still wins battles, leaving lives forever changed. One such family who lost a loved one are the Gordons from Adams, Minnesota. Ryan, the oldest son of Roger and Shirley Gordon, was only 42 in 2011 when he was diagnosed with inoperable stomach cancer. Despite a courageous battle, Ryan lost his life less than six months after his diagnosis. He was happily married and was the father of two young sons. Ryan loved life — and golf. High school friend Kevin Brown spearheaded the annual 24 | Austin Living | September–October 2017
Ryan Gordon Memorial Golf Tournament held the third Saturday in June at Cedar River Golf Course in Adams. The tournament is managed by another classmate, Loren Nerison, and has grown to 19 teams. It includes a dinner and auction and is supported by the generosity of relatives and friends. Ryan had used a “lion” golf head-cover for many years as he’d always admired the strength and courage of the lion. During his illness, he used the phrase “Let ‘em hear you roar!” to rally his support team while fighting his cancer battle. Family and friends now use lion club covers and the“Roar” theme in honor of Ryan’s courage. Continues on Page 26
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Continued from Page 24 “Anyone who has experienced deep loss knows that grief is a lonely, never-ending journey,” said Ryan’s mom, Shirley Gordon. “This tournament — and the love and support shown to our family over and over again — has helped us immensely.” Chad, Ryan’s younger brother, describes the tournament as a way to outwardly express the inner experience of love and loss. “Our favorite thing about the day and the year preceding up to it is that it keeps Ryan with us even more than he already is,” said Chad, who bears a twin-like resemblance to his much loved brother. “For that reason alone, we can never say thank you enough.” Since the first tournament in 2013, family and friends have raised $35,000 for cancer research. Funds have increased steadily and this year, $10,000 was raised for The Hormel Institute’s cutting edge, innovative cancer research. Making a difference in the lives of others — through supporting new discoveries that will improve longevity and survival rates — is what leads many to fundraise to support cancer research. Thanks to The Hormel Foundation’s annual support in covering administrative costs, 100 percent of every donation to The Hormel Institute directly funds cancer research. For tournament information please call 507-582-3571.
Ryan Gordon poses with his family. Pictured in the back row, from left, are: his brother, Chad; Ryan, holding his son, Brecken; and his wife, Shannon. Pictured in the front row are: Ryan’s parents, Shirley and Roger, and Ryan’s son, Jake.
“Today (Sunday) also started in a magical way. Early this morning I went to The Summit Golf Club in Cannon Falls to play golf. Teed off at 6:30 a.m. and it was just me, some wild turkeys, a few deer and what may have been a Bigfoot rustling around in the bushes behind one of the tees on the back nine!! ;-) When I teed off the sun was just coming up (check out the updated pictures), and all I could think of as I was part of it was how this just had to be God’s Light saying “good morning and hit ‘em long” to me. What a beautiful setting! While I’d rather be golfing with family and friends, I do enjoy the tranquility (minus my iPhone playing some Dave Matthews) of playing alone early in the morning when everything is just coming alive for the day. No matter how I’m playing, the peacefulness of it all is calming and re-energizing at the same time. I can’t wait to get out there again!”
Ryan Gordon ~ August 21, 2011 26 | Austin Living | September–October 2017
OUT & ABOUT
The best of Austin Statue Tour celebrates our community By Deb Nicklay • Photos
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by
Eric Johnson
The images are varied, but they all intend one thing: To celebrate or pay tribute to the best of what is Austin. Many of the statues are alive with hope and smiles: The police officer helping a young child, in “The Protector,” located at the Austin Law Enforcement Center; the family enjoying the outdoors at Worlein Park; or the life-sized statue of the farmer with two hogs in front of the Spam Museum. Those are just a few of the statues on the 17-stop self-guided tour, created by the Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau two years ago. CVB Director Nancy Schnable said the idea sparked when she pulled an old shopping map out of her files. After some brainstorming, she and Eileen Chao of the CVB, with help from Jaime Timm, curator at the Mower County Historical Society, the society’s research and archives manager Sue Doocy, and parks and recreation director Kim Underwood, provided information that allowed them to create the statue tour. The 17 statues are located primarily in the downtown and at the historical society. Selection was somewhat subjective, taking location and historic worth into consideration. The statues also had to have been dedicated by the city, said Schnable. “And, they are in every quadrant of the city,” Chao said. Continues on Page 30
Opposite page, Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau executive director Nancy Schnable, from right, Eileen Chao and Paul Worlein visit the George Washington statue outside the Law Enforcement Center. Top left, One of the more emotional stops on the tour is the Veteran’s memorial and this gripping scene anchoring the display. Top right, The Protector statue is situated outside the Austin Law Enforcement Center and surrounded by flowers, a symbol of safety for Austin’s public.
September–October 2017 | Austin Living | 29
Continued from Page 29 The offerings are diverse, from the “Ray of Hope,” a colorful sculpture created by Minneapolis artist Steve Carpenter, which stands in front of The Hormel Institute, dedicated in 2016; to the oldest on the tour, the Vermont Granite Fountain which once stood at the head of Main Street, used to water horses, birds and dogs, and probably dedicated in 1900. The fountain has since been relocated to the historical society. Other statues serve as tributes, such as The Red Cedar Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution Memorial Stone, also at the historical society; or the Fallen Soldier, at the VFW Post 1216, Second Street and Third Avenue Northeast. Groups have taken to the idea of journey; some walking clubs enjoy the tour that, if taken in total, “covers two hours,” said Schnable. “Some others might want to take another mode of transportation,” Schnable said. Others only want to tour the downtown, “or a particular artist or type of statue design,” said Chao. “Overall, it’s been very well received.” The early planning was a revelation for its organizers. “I don’t know how many times I’d passed the statue of George Washington (located at the Government Center, on the corner of Main and Second Avenue Northeast) and didn’t realize it was there,” Chao said. “I think there are the tour
30 | Austin Living | September–October 2017
Nancy Schnable talks with Kenneth Johnson outside of the Spam Museum, letting him know about the Statue Walk. Below, this statue featuring three children in play graces LaFayette Park East at South Main Street and Seventh Place Southeast.
groups who now know about the statues, but a lot of people in the Austin community don’t know they’re there.” Schnable said printed tour information can be found at the CVB (Discover Austin) and the Town Center. The information includes a complete list, along with a short history of each and a map for locating the pieces.
Worlein Park has special significance for longtime Austin family Worlein Park and its statuary holds special significance for one Austin family. Worlein Park, located on the corner of First Ave. and First Drive NW, was the site of the first Worlein Funeral Home, operated by the late Ward and Margaret Worlein for 50 years, said their son and current director, Paul Worlein. In 1993, the business moved to its current location at 1801 Fourth Avenue Northwest. Looking forward, Paul, his brother, John, and friends began to think about how the former site could be used. They finally decided “to honor both family and nature,” Paul said, by creating a small park setting, complete with plantings and bronze representations of a young family, as well as animals and birds. Photographs of Ward and
Margaret were used as guides by Montana artist Michael Capser for the creation of the faces of the young couple, said Paul. Paul and John watched the artist at work by traveling to Billings, Montana, where Paul “actually put my thumbprint on the back pocket” of the man represented in the statuary, he said. The park was dedicated in 1999 and
the site given to the city. “It was a beautiful day,” said Paul. “All the relatives were there. My mother, who was not able to attend, was very pleased” with the site. Visitors continue to enjoy the quiet and peaceful beauty of the space, located across from the senior citizens community housed at The Cedars of Austin.
Worlein Park is a pleasant stop over in the middle of downtown Austin. Above, artist Michael Capser used pictures of Paul Worlein’s parents, Ward and Margaret Worlein to create these statues at Worlein Park.
September–October 2017 | Austin Living | 31
OUT & ABOUT
Remembering the dead Rural cemeteries are a direct link to our ancestral past Story
D
and
Photos
by
Eric Johnson
riving through Minnesota, or any rural community, it normally doesn’t take long to come across one of many rural cemeteries that dot that land. Many of them surround quaint and quiet churches; some are surrounded by trees and situated on scenic hillocks. Others, however, can be more difficult to find — and still others have been lost to the years, as upkeep becomes expensive and the plots difficult to maintain. These cemeteries, sometimes pioneer cemeteries that were dedicated to certain families, become overgrown and forgotten, taking with them the history unique to the area. For people like Jaimie Timm, curator at the Mower County Historical Society, this becomes a missed opportunity. “I think there is an element of sadness,” Timm said. “My job is to save stories, but I can’t save everything. It’s sad to know these people led lives, had friends and families.” While not every rural cemetery has been forgotten, many have or have been reduced in visibility. Timm walked through Bear Creek Lutheran Cemetery, a well-groomed cemetery with tombstones — some scribed in Norwegian, mirroring its ancestral heritage — standing tall. Some memorials have accompanying flowers, and along its border, trees stand as a natural fence. The cemetery itself wraps around the back of the rural church to spread along the east and west sides of the structure. But standing in stark contrast, just across the road, is a huddle of much older stones, some of which are leaning against the large tree fanning out above. It’s tucked in a corner of a wooded area with a few of the stones still residing inside the clutch of trees. The stones themselves are well-worn and many are hard to read.
32 | Austin Living | September–October 2017
At the Bear Creek Lutheran Cemetery, many of the markers are reflective of the Norwegian ancestry with words like “born” and “died” written in the language. Opposite page, this elaborate stone marks the resting spot of Batholomew Kennedy, a Civil War veteran who is buried at Frankford Cemetery.
It’s just part of what makes these cemeteries so interesting. Not just the stones themselves, but the history they represent. “I love making the connections,” Timm said. “It’s probably my favorite part, seeing something tangible like a headstone. Being able to connect some element.”
Bear Creek Lutheran Church & Norwegian Methodist Cemetery This church and its cemetery lies just south of Grand Meadow along 265th Street and is a model representation of a small rural church. On this sunny and mild day, Timm weaves through the headstones, looking closely at the names and words there. As she will on a later visit to another of Mower County’s rural cemeteries, Timm is looking for names she knows or recognizes. To her, this is the most direct connection to our area’s past. “Obviously, [I’m looking for] the names just because as I was working here, I am becoming more familiar with the early moves and shakers of Mower County,” Timm said. The origins of the cemetery are directly attached to the church that was founded in 1856 when the first service was held at the site. The service was held under a burr oak tree and led by the Rev. C.L. Clausen, the pioneering clergyman from Iowa. The church itself was under construction in 1869
and finished the next year, in 1870. According to records provided by Timm, Ole Simonson Jobraaten donated the land for the cemetery while Under Torhaug was the first person to be buried there. This cemetery was not the well-kept cemetery surrounding the church today. This was the original pioneer cemetery. Around 1861, however, Bear Creek Lutheran Church split due in some part to a Rev. Steen who was reportedly not well liked. An off-shoot of the church was led by a Swedish Methodist preacher named Rev. Bjork. Despite Rev. Bjork speaking Swedish and his congregation being mostly Norwegian, the reverend pushed and eventually created and built a small church and parsonage on a corner of land just about a half mile away from Bear Creek. It’s roughly here that the smaller, nearly hidden cemetery rests, down the road to the west of current church. While the stones in the smaller cemetery are hard to read, the stones at Bear Creek are still largely readable and still harken back to a time when the predominant language was Norwegian. One example can be seen on the stone marking the final resting spot of Ole Peterson, 1845 to 1898. One side the stone reads, “Ole Peterson, Fodt Nov. 10, 1845, Dode Jan. 29, 1898. “Fodt” is Norwegian for Born and “Dode” for died. Continues on Page 34 September–October 2017 | Austin Living | 33
Of the many stones both old and new at Cedar City Cemetery is this one marking the resting spot of Jesse Welch who died at age three. The stone is elaboratly carved and stands out among many of the stones.
Frankford Cemetery
Continued from Page 33 It is that history that Timm loves so much and had her thinking back to the times when she was younger and she would walk through her own local cemetery. “I loved walking around there,” Timm said. “Some of the stones had pictures of the people. I loved walking around and looking at the pictures.”
A stone, despite a large crack, still stands at Frankford Cemetary.
34 | Austin Living | September–October 2017
Back to Grand Meadow and east on Highway 16 about four miles, with another jaunt north on a gravel road will bring you to Frankford Cemetery, a cemetery without the church. It’s also representative of a much larger picture. It is one of the very few reminders of the town of Frankford that was once laid out along Deer Creek to the north. The town of Frankford, the original county seat of Mower County, is no longer there. The cemetery got its start with a tragedy. According to records, the town of Frankford was located on what was known as the popular Dubuque Trail, that extended from Dubuque, Iowa, to St. Paul in the 1850s and 60s. A family passing through had a child die. While staying overnight in a hotel, the owner allowed the family to bury the child on his land. Another child was found that had drowned and was buried there as well. The cemetery itself was officially platted in 1856. Aside from the older stones, an assortment of newer stones also stand in the cemetery, marking the cemetery as still being used. “I kind of forget people still associate with their hometown,” Timm said. “Frankford doesn’t exist anymore but clearly there are people out [here] that associate [with this area].” Among the markers at Frankford include Bartholomew Kennedy, an Irish immigrant who died in June 1895. In November of 1862 he enlisted with the Union Army and was assigned to John Porter Hatch’s battalion and Minnesota Volunteer Cavalry. Also found in Frankfort is an unusual marker of Dr. Erasmus Belden, who passed away in February 1867. A large, granite rock marks the resting place of the first doctor at Frankford according to the “1883 Mower County History” book.
Cedar City Cemetery A quick run south out of Austin on Highway 105 with a westward turn on 160th Street will bring you to a solitary little cemetery just before Orchard Creek — Cedar City Cemetery. This cemetery, surveyed in 1879 by G.H. Clough, features some of the bigger names from Austin’s early history: Trowbridge, Chandler and Aultfather. All of these were names with long and extensive histories during the early days of settlement. One of those buried at this quaint country cemetery is David Luman Chandler, one of the county’s earliest settlers, according to records. Chandler came to the county in 1854. After establishing himself in the county, Chandler took an active part in township and school affairs as well as holding government offices. He also built the area’s first mill. Perhaps one of the most interesting of those buried at Cedar City is Henry “Count” Trowbridge. Trowbridge arrived in the Lyle area as early as 1865 and married Roxana Chandler in 1870. Trowbridge would go on to become a grain buyer and own a grocery store in Austin until buying a farm later on. Known as a kind man with a wide circle of friends, Trowbridge was a believer in the Victorian era fad of spiritualism. But of these broad stones that mark these families, it’s one stone that looks carved out of a hunk of rock and is dedicated to a Jesse Welch that draws Timm’s attention. Jesse was just three years old when he died, but the stone is ornately carved and lends an air of importance to the site. It’s these markers that really get Timm wondering about the history.
“It’s the stones themselves,” Timm said. “We saw a couple of the ones that were neat and then I wonder why. There are so many things I know I’m never going to know the answers to.”
Mower County Historical Society curator Jaimie Timm examines an older grave marker at Bear Creek Lutheran Cemetery. Below, a pair of grave markers are left leaning agianst a tree making it unclear where the graves are at Norwegian Methodist Cemetery.
September–October 2017 | Austin Living | 35
A Gem Of A Diamond Marcusen Park: driven by memories and a need to make baseball succeed By Rocky Hulne • Photos
36 | Austin Living | September–October 2017
by
Eric Johnson, Provided
M
arcusen Park is turning 70 years old next summer, and it’s a testament to the community of Austin that the park still hovers next to the Cedar River. Built on farm land owned by the Marcusen family in 1948, Marcusen Park has seen a lot of baseball over the last seven decades, but it’s also seen its fair share of floods as well as the park nearly being torn down in 2004 until the Marcusen Park Baseball Association was formed. To the Austin residents who grew up playing in Marcusen, it’s a lot more than a baseball stadium. When Marcusen Park Board Association member Joe Serratore moved to Austin, he quickly started to try and revive the amateur baseball scene, which had fizzled in the 1980s. Since then, he and his wife Kathy have made Marcusen a labor of love as they’ve put in countless hours preparing the field, fundraising and running the concessions stand. “There’s a lot of good things down here. It’s quiet and it’s a good atmosphere,” Serratore said. “Very simply, its ours. It’s not some park that you’re directed on what you can and can’t do, but in the same token you’re responsible for
everything. We’ve gotten huge support lately from the city of Austin, mainly the Park and Rec department and they are extremely helpful. I think they now know that we’re not going anywhere.” When Austin grad John Frein moved to the Twin Cities 20 years ago, he could’ve found a team to play in the Metro and plenty of people have asked him why he doesn’t play in the cities. But Frein, who has played approximately 300 games at Marcusen Park, has chosen to make the 200-mile round trip commute to Austin to play home games with the Greyhounds and he hasn’t regretted it. “It’s like golf, you don’t just play golf on any par three course. I’ve played ball on many ballparks across the state and across the country,” Frein said. “There’s just something about playing on the field where you grew up. The park has been worked and manicured to its current state, getting a little better each time I see it. What you see on the surface is nice. However it’s more than aesthetics. The character of the ballpark is like no other. The feeling of playing the game at Marcusen Park is different than anywhere else.” Continues through Page 41
Marcusen Park was lit up this June during the SpamTown Challenge. Eric Johnson
September–October 2017 | Austin Living | 37
Marcusen Park under construction in the 1940s.
Photo by Vern Judd
Frein has spent many of his years playing with Bryan Toov, who always looked up at Marcusen Park as the big stage in Austin. Like Frein, Toov played VFW, Legion, high school and amateur baseball in Marcusen Park. “We grew up just hoping to play a game there someday, hoping to be good enough to play high school baseball there, and [Frein and I] ended up playing there for 20-plus years,” Toov said. “I have a lot of personal memories at Marcusen but I think it is the big picture that is probably the most important for this story.” Frein said that each summer has brought him closer to calling it quits on playing with the Hounds, but Marcusen keeps drawing him back in. While the drives from his home in the cities can sometimes be stressful, he finds himself immersed in comfort during the game and when it ends, he often finds himself meeting up with family and friends. “After every game I pack relatively slow,” Frein said. “Typically I’m one of the last to leave. One of my favorite things to do is sit in the bleachers, taking in the sight and 38 | Austin Living | September–October 2017
sound of the ballpark after the lights turn out. It is a very peaceful place.” Frein’s children have also become very familiar with Marcusen as they’ve grown close to the park in their dad’s hometown. “They know and understand how much fun the ballpark is. If they’re unable to attend with me, they get very upset, as if something is being taken away from them. My kids have learned to know and love the game simply hanging out around Marcusen Park,” Frein said. “It’s not just my kids either. You know the park is an awesome place when the sidelines are packed with kids playing wiffleball between chasing foul balls. Every once in awhile a stray ball comes onto the field and it’s well worth the timeout.” Serratore credited Jeff Ettinger and Mike House for being benefactors in the past and but he said Marcusen will need more funds in the future as it still owes $58,000 on the new lights and he’s hoping the park can undergo another $150,000 worth of improvements in the future.
“One of my favorite things to do is sit in the bleachers, taking in the sight and sound of the ballpark after the lights turn out. It is a very peaceful place.”
But there is plenty to suggest that the park will persevere like it has so many times before. On the wall of Marcusen Park, there is a mural that reads, ‘Keeping the Memories Alive’ and the park certainly created a lot of memories over the years. There was a legendary home run hit by Kent Hrbek, there were games played by MLB players Paul Molitor,
Dave Winfield and Austin’s own Mike Wuertz. Frein recalled the FSN night in 2006 when Ron Coomer held his son TJ during the postgame show and he also looked back on some games in the SpamTown Challenge, including Craig Braaten’s walkoff homer against Chaska in 2008 and a game between LaSalle and Jamestown that began at 1:30 a.m. in 2009.
John Frein holds down second base during the SpamTown Challenge. Herald file photo
The success of Marcusen Park Beginning in 1932 when it played in the town ball state tournament, Austin began to build a storied resume of amateur baseball. • State tournament appearances by Austin amateur teams since 1932: 34 (including Packers, Blues, Greyhounds and Blue Sox) • State championships by Austin amateur teams since 1932: 7
John Frein Austin Greyhounds September–October 2017 | Austin Living | 39
“The memories created Earlier in the year the historical at Marcusen Park are way stadium received an upgrade in the beyond my interpretation,” form of brand new LED lights. Frein said. “Thousands Herald file photo of players and fans have experiences that stem from the SpamTown Challenge and Marcusen Park.” Toov’s favorite memory at Marcusen Park was playing against the Southern Mini Stars team that included Juan Berenguer and Greg Olson. “We grew up watching those guys in the World Series,” Toov said. Serratore has several fond memories of the amateur games as he recalls the Blue Sox’ Casey Toops hitting a walk-off homer to knock off the Hounds in a state-qualifying game in 2010. He’s also been a student of Marcusen’s history and bat leagues so there was an important reason he credits well known baseball names like for amateur baseball. That was a big deal,” Dick Seltz, Emil Scheid and Howie Strey of Serratore said. “Baseball brought a lot of all being key contributor’s to the sport in wonderful people to town like Dick Seltz, Red Austin. Lingren and Joey Raso, Jack Level and Sam “At that time there were no college wood House.” Austin Greyhounds pitcher Andrew Clemen pitches under an early evening sun at Marcusen. Herald file photo
40 | Austin Living | September–October 2017
“Baseball brought a lot of wonderful people to town like Dick Seltz, Red Lingren and Joey Raso, Jack Level and Sam House.” Joe Serratore
The Life of a Historic Ball Park 1948 Marcusen Park opens on June 7 of 1948. The Austin Packers beat Spencer, Iowa, 9-5 in the first-ever game at the park. Emil Scheid was the coach for the Packers in that game and Duane “Red” Lingren hit the first homer in Marcusen Park history.
1952 Dick Seltz brings the Austin High School team to begin playing at Marcusen
1962-1969 There were no amateur games played at Marcusen.
1970s Austin Blues bring back amateur baseball to Marcusen.
1971 New lights are put up at Marcusen Park.
1980s Amateur baseball slows down in Marcusen
1990s Austin Greyhounds begin in 1991 to bring back amateur baseball in Austin.
2004 Marcusen avoided being torn down due to a big donation from Mike House.
2011 A new batter’s eye, new dugouts and new fences were added to Marcusen Park.
2017 New LED lights are installed in Marcusen Park, along with a new sound system and new storage space.
September–October 2017 | Austin Living | 41
Dianne Stevens and Brian Pirmantjen stand in front of one of the most visible icons of Austin, St. Augustine’s Catholic Church. Stevens started a Facebook page in 2011 called “You Know You Are From Austin When.” Pirmantjen is a contributer to the page. Eric Johnson Austin Living
42 | Austin Living | September–October 2017
?
Remember When Facebook page has Austinites sharing history about the place they call home By Deb Nicklay • Photos Provided
S
ometimes you’re just not sure what side roads you might take when you’re invited on a trip down memory lane. Plenty of Austin lovers have been finding that out when they log on to the “You Know You Are From Austin When” Facebook page. The page, which was set up by Dianne Stevens in 2011, invites members to post old photos and remembrances about their hometown – or adopted hometown. The page has almost 6,000 members. There is a simple reason for that fan count, according to Carole Renville Apold: “We can go back to our memories to the best times of our lives,” she wrote in one post. Stevens agreed. The Austin native, daughter of the late Austin Daily Herald pressman Frank Stevens, said she saw a similar page in a neighboring town. “I thought, ‘Why can’t we start one for Austin?’ ” She sent the page to all of her Facebook friends who, at first, couldn’t really understand why she was sending it to them. “Outside of that, I really didn’t promote it, but pretty
This postcard serves as the header for the page, “You Know You Are From Austin When …” The iconic postcard is most likely from the late 1940s. Photo provided
soon, is just took off,” she said. The page continues to be popular. “I think we get at least one request every day from someone to join the group,” she said. The page is a chockablock of yesteryear tales and posts, many spurred by questions, such as: “What was the name of the restaurant across the street from the court house on Main Street? All I can remember is going there with my Dad; he would always get a hot roast beef sandwich, and a chocolate shake,” asked Laurie McGuiness Huess. (The consensus in response: The Townhouse; before that, Austin Candy). Continues through Page 45 September–October 2017 | Austin Living | 43
Or, “Does anyone know why there isn’t a Second Avenue Northeast … goes from First to Third.” (Okay, well, there is a Second Avenue Northeast, just not on the east side of East Side Lake because, the explanation goes, if you took a straight line from the avenue across the lake to the east from the west, the road would end up going through houses there, so it was skipped over.) The question drew scores of comments. Or, as Jeff Daniel said with humor, “I had a transmission that did that. No second, just went from first to third.” Brian Pirmantjen is one of the crew who regularly posts old photographs he finds and collects that also trigger much discussion. Many come with an “Awwwwwwwww” factor. “I’d love to recreate a delicious Tender Maid burger on a 3-D printer!!!” wrote Gary Allen, after having seen old photos of the Tendermaid. “I love a good Tendermaid — with onions, mustard and pickles,” agreed William Kelly. Pirmantjen said he has been impressed with the interest shown in Austin history, and the wide range of ages who have become members, especially the younger crowd. “You’ll get a response from someone who sees an old
photo, and goes, ‘Wow, that used to be there?’” Some who post live as far away as California, Alabama, Pennsylvania — and even farther, according to Kathy Turbott. “I’m in Sydney Australia and absolutely love this group....I have connected with so many people...a big thank you!!” she wrote. Stevens agreed that making connections is part of the page’s charm. She said those connections, at the same time, can be helpful, too. She said a group from England wanted to connect with a woman the Britons saw in a photo of her on the site, while she was tobogganing on Skinner’s Hill. Although from Austin, she had graduated from high school in the U.K. and the group wanted to alert her to a class reunion. Those who saw the post knew the woman — who today lives in Austin — and the group and woman finally connected. A lot of Austin history is posted. Some photographs come from Austin’s earliest years. Others are more recent — well, relatively. You might see an Austin High School homecoming court from the early 1960s; or, in another, a 1915 Memorial Day Parade being led by who is probably Sheriff Nicholas Nicholsen. Photos of old landmarks can draw lists of
“You’ll get a response from someone who sees an old photo, and goes,
‘Wow, that used to be here?’” Brian Pirmantjen
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Bonnie Swenson, in a post from 2015: “Was eating at the Tendermaid the other day when a ‘mature’ gentleman came in and asked the woman serving him if she knew the original owner. She laughed and said yes, she did. (her dad). He looked like a person in his late 60s and he said he was a lifeguard when he was 16. He said, ‘Me and my buddy came in to eat. He didn’t have any money and asked for a glass of water. The owner said, ‘I’ll front you a Tendermaid and you pay me out of your first check.’ This man’s eyes started watering and said, ‘I was so proud that this man believed in me and trusted me. I cashed my first check a week later and RAN to the restaurant and paid him. I’ve never forgot that.’ The woman smiled at him and nodded her head. She’s heard a lot of stories like this but it still touched her heart.”
The 1004 Baldwin Steam Engine coming down the road on its way to the historical society. Photo courtesy Mower County Historical Society
Right, Hormel Packing Plant, 1908. Photo courtesy of Dan Cafourek
responses, with many trying to guess what building was located where. Favorite pastimes also draw lots of comments. Several responded to an item posted that showed kids sledding on Skinner’s Hill. “At the height of the California surfing craze in the mid 1960’s my friend, Doug Shreiner, and I would go there in the evenings when it was less crowded, stand up on the back of our toboggans and try to surf down the hill. The operative word was ‘try.’ On the icy and hard-packed snow it was lucky we didn’t break our necks,” said Al Madison. There is also an occasional music video — Martin Zeller of the Gear Daddies posted a promotional video, recorded in the early 1990s that brought over 90,000 views.
Stevens continues to oversee the page, which she says is kept clean of politics and pornography, although there have been a few times when a porn site has found its way onto the page when someone asked to join the group. She said she and helpers — in addition to Pirmantjen, there is Dan Cafourek and Shelli Merritt — are “a lot more careful,” Stevens said of requests to join. Stevens herself has gotten a kick out of the page, learning a lot of town history. “Except I still can’t tell you were Water Street was,” Stevens said with a chuckle, referring to early names assigned to streets before they were numbered. “My mom will say, ‘Oh, that used to be down on Water Street, and I say, where the heck is Water Street?” September–October 2017 | Austin Living | 45
Changing Face Austin’s unique and historic buildings give town flavor By Michael Stoll • Photos
by
Eric Johnson
I
t’s easy for us to pass buildings without giving them a second thought. In an age where most people need to be wowed and awed by dazzling
gaudiness in order to pay attention to something, an ordinary building may not be worth the effort it would take to feign interest. But like so many things in life, there could be more than meets the eye. Austin has many buildings that may not look like what you would find in a bustling metropolis like New York or Chicago. But within their walls lay stories of times past, the echoes and ghosts of more glorious days gone by. Here are a few of those buildings and the stories you may not have known. Continues through Page 53
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Knauer’s Market has been a fixture in downtown for years and along with several other landmarks in Austin sets the historical tone.
September–October 2017 | Austin Living | 47
Knauer’s Meat Market – 121 First Ave. NW Have you ever heard of Square Deal Grocery? How about Kasak’s Grocery? Or Red Owl Super Market? You’ve definitely heard of Knauer’s Market. You may have heard of the other stores if you grew up in the 1940s, as they were three of the nine grocery stores in competition with Knauer’s in downtown Austin. Today, only Knauer’s is still in business. Opened in 1886 by Austrian immigrant Tony Knauer, Knauer’s has remained in the same building on present-day First Avenue Northwest throughout its entire history. “This was a sausage and meat market back in the day,” said Mark Knauer, Tony Knauer’s great-grandson and the fourth generation owner of Knauer’s Meat Market. “[Tony Knauer] was trained as a meat cutter and sausage maker.” The storefront where the meat is sold has been the storefront for 131 years. In that storefront, Knauer first sold sausage made in-house and meat from local farmers. As time went on, he started selling meat from the packinghouse of his friend, George Hormel. Competition increased in Austin during the 1950s and 60s as several supermarkets came and went. But Knauer’s survived, thanks to several generations of loyal customers. Although the storefront has remained in the same place, some changes have been made. For example, the brick building behind the main store used to be the sausage factory. Today it serves as a warehouse. Sadly, one of its most famous features is gone: the leaning smokehouse or, as it came to be known, “The Leaning Tower of Knauer’s.” The smokehouse first started to lean in 1950 after a nearby tree, whose roots had unknowingly been supporting the smokehouse, was removed. Many years later, the issue came to the attention of the City Council, who told the business to fix it or remove it. Despite efforts to save the smokehouse, nothing could be done. It was torn down in 2013. “We kept it as long as we could, but it became a hazard, so we had to do something,” Knauer said. Although times have changed, Knauer’s has proved to be consistent. “It’s probably one of the last of the landmarks in the downtown,” Knauer said. “I would think it’s one of the oldest markets in Austin.” Knauer’s Market as seen in its little corner of downtown Austin today. Right, Knauers Market in 1995. Photo provided
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September–October 2017 | Austin Living | 49
A view of the bandshell from the Cedar River in 1940. Photo provided
Below, how it appears today.
Municipal Bandshell – Fourth Street Southwest and Ninth Street Northwest The Municipal Bandshell’s story begins in the 1930s. The land where Bandshell Community Park now sits consists of land donated by Mr. and Mrs. John Hormel and Mr. and Mrs. J.H. Skinner and land purchased from the Andrew Moonan Estate and Mrs. J.C. Kenevan. It was agreed that the bandshell would be built as a concert venue as a project of the Public Works Administration, one of several New Deal programs of the Roosevelt Administration. The PWA, however, took too long, causing Mayor Hans Marcusen and F.C. Sheldon, chairman of the City Council’s music committee, to look elsewhere. The council had a sketch of the proposed bandshell, which the Mower County News described as “patterned after the Iowa State College shell which is regarded as one of the finest in the west. The general architectural lines are similar to those of the Ford and Swift shells at the Chicago World Fair. It will have the latest acoustic properties and also an amplifying system.” The city hired Wehner Construction Company to build the bandshell at a cost of $16,000. The bandshell was dedicated on June 16, 1938. More than 1,500 people attended the dedication of the 87-foot wide and 36-foot deep amphitheater. The dedication was followed by the first performance held at the bandshell, the Austin Municipal Band, conducted by C.V. (Pop) Sperati. The dedication marked the first of many free weekly 50 | Austin Living | September–October 2017
concerts performed at the bandshell. Shortly after the dedication, 300 permanent seats were installed. A parking lot was also created to allow people to listen in their cars. During World War II, war bond rallies were held at the bandshell, bringing in many acts. The most famous actors to appear at the bandshell were Bud Abbot and Lou Costello. Although the bandshell served as a major community hub for summer events, attendance began to dwindle in the 1950. By the 1960s it was rarely used. As time went on, it accumulated damage from vandals. Significant damage was done when it caught fire in 1972. Thanks to the efforts of community organizations like the Austin Jaycees, the Bandshell has since been restored and still serves as a concert venue.
September–October 2017 | Austin Living | 51
The Hirsch Clothing Building as it anchored its spot on North Main Street in 1910. Photo provided
Below, Brick Furniture occupies the space now and is still a fixture downtown.
The Brick Furniture Building – 500 – 504 N Main St. The black awning with white lettering that reads “Brick Furniture” may be familiar to many in Austin, but the building originally started as a clothing store. German immigrant George Hirsh came to the United States in 1873 and opened Hirsh Clothing in 1887 at 201 N Main Street. As business grew, Hirsh had a new building built at 500 N Main St. from 1900 – 1901. Hirsh Clothing opened in this new location, a two-story building with double brick block of St. Louis pressed brick with Kasota Stone, natural and hardwood floors, steel tiles and settees for customers at the entrance, on Sept. 1, 1901. While Hirsh Clothing occupied the main floor, the basement and second floor were rented to a variety of tenants, such as a barber, a plumber, a medical practice (complete with operating room) and even a steam bath. In 1905, Hirsh purchased the other half of the block, which was built at the same time and connected to his building, from a Mr. E. Joseph, who ran a department store in the main floor and rented the upper level to the Woodman Hall fraternity. The Austin Furniture Company then occupied the space of Joseph’s old department store. The Austin Furniture Company store was virtually destroyed when the furnace exploded on Feb. 23, 1923. The roof of the building was raised 18 inches in the blast and every 52 | Austin Living | September–October 2017
member of the fire squad, along with several civilians, were injured fighting the blaze. George Hirsh retired in 1927, selling the building to his son Alex. Alex continued to run the business until 1967, when he sold the building to Jack Keenan, who then ran Keenan’s until Brick Furniture moved into the building in 1997.
The Milwaukee Road Depot as it looked in this undated photo. Photo provided
Below, the sign for the building looks in better shape and the trees around the building have been removed.
The Milwaukee Road Depot – 430 10th St. NE The wear and tear of time can take their toll on any building, and this was the case with the first Milwaukee Road Depot. Built in 1871, the three-story train depot fell into disrepair and was torn down in 1941. With the United States’ entry into World War II, train transportation increased. The city hired Otto Kuhler to design and build a new train depot at a cost of $75,000. The building
was dedicated on April 15, 1942, and an open house was held for the public. According to the Mower County News, people were entertained “by a group under the directorship of F.J. Stephenson, Austin, and the Hiawatha male quartet of Chicago.” According to records of the Austin Housing and Redevelopment Authority, it was “a beautiful structure with a club room large enough to seat 150 people.” Rail lines that serviced the depot ran from the Twin Cities to Omaha, Nebraska, and from Chicago to Madison, South Dakota. With the advent of passenger airliners and affordability of automobiles, trains went into a decline. In 1955, Austin’s 20stall roundhouse was torn down. Even so, an average of 20 trains ran through Austin everyday through the 1960s. Milwaukee Road filed for bankruptcy on Dec. 19, 1977, and the Austin City Council considered razing the depot. The Austin HRA received permission to purchase the depot in 1982. The last train left the depot in 1983. The building currently serves as a driver’s license exam station. September–October 2017 | Austin Living | 53
TRAVEL
A tour of history Tour guide Cynthia Smith talks to a tour group from Wisconsin about the history of the Wabasha Street Caves in St. Paul. This area was once used for America’s first mushroom-growing operation, but it also has much Prohibition-era history, and the caves are believed to be the final resting place of three murdered gangsters.
Wabasha Street Caves offer portal into St. Paul, Minnesota history Throughout our little corner of the state, there are opportunities to get out and about and experience those gems outside of Austin and the immediate area. For a year, Austin Living Magazine is going to take you to these spots. Some you will recognize, some you will not, but all of them we hope will be worth the time to get out and maybe embark on a new adventure. In this issue, we traveled to a corner of our state capitol, St. Paul, to Wabasha Street Caves, a tourist destination and event center that offers many insights into the city and state’s history through various tours. Look for further journeys down the road as we set off to places a little farther away.
E
Story
and
Photos
by J ason
Schoonover
dna “the Kissing Bandit” Murray struts to the front door of her 1930s hangout to greet tourists in her best Prohibition garb: a flower dress, a pearl necklace, a plum-colored hat and a Tommy gun. “Hey, honey, how you doin’?” she says in a gangster accent. “Shake a leg, honey. Shake a leg.” She directs the Lamers Tour & Travel of Wisconsin group to seats in the first cave of the Wabasha Street Caves, 215 Wabasha St. S, in St. Paul. Murray, played by tour guide Cynthia Smith, welcomes them with no shortage of sass. 54 | Austin Living | September–October 2017
Smith welcomes a tour group from Wisconsin into the Wabasha Street Caves holding a model Tommy gun and sporting her best Prohibition gangster accent.
“Ah, there’s not enough chairs,” she says in the gangster accent at seeing some visitors standing. “Well, I felt sorry for a few seconds; I’m done now. You want a nice tour guide, go to the historical society, ‘cause it ain’t me.” The Wabasha Street Caves are today a destination for tours, especially the popular Gangster Tour, and an event center. The site is all about the past. The tours of the caves are a slice of Minnesota and St. Paul history, touching on ghosts, gangsters, mushrooms, the Old West, disco and even the Ordovician Age. “It’s a fun way to see St. Paul,” Smith said. “People think of St. Paul as the sleepy little sister of Minneapolis, this boring little town where the streets roll up at 10 o’clock. Which of course is far from the truth, but it’s the reputation. So when people come here and they hear this history of St. Paul, they’re just blown away.”
The history The caves were dug out mostly by hand starting in the 1840s for silica sandstone to make glass, which later helped draw a Ford plant to St. Paul. That silica dates to the Ordovician Age — about 450 to 500 million years ago — when what’s now Minnesota and Wisconsin was largely covered by a warm inland sea. St. Paul was white sandy beach, which was compressed over time into sandstone. Wabasha Street Caves represents seven of the roughly 90 caves dug for silica and are the only caves that are privately owned. Most others were plowed shut or are used by the city. The tour goes through five of the seven caves. Caves four and five are still vaulted with rock and show the signs of pick axes. Caves one and two are part of a restored 1930s restaurant, formerly the Castle Royal, which was a hotbed for many famous gangsters of the 1930s: John Pictures of the gangsters who frequented St. Paul and the Wabasha Street Caves, Dillinger, Murray, like John Dillinger, line the walls of the the Barkers and front hall of the caves in St. Paul. more. The city used the caves to store fruits and vegetables after they were abandoned, as St. Paul was once a stopping ground for families to cross the Mississippi and stock up on food before continuing west during the 1800s. In the late 1800s, three Frenchmen covered some of the caves in horse manure and used them to start America’s first commercial mushroom farm. One of the men’s daughters, Josie and her husband, Bill, took over the business in 1916 and changed the name to Lehmann Farms, which still sells various products today. Continues on Page 56
September–October 2017 | Austin Living | 55
Continued from Page 55 The caves then entered perhaps its most prominent historical era when “The Lehmanns were selling more than mushrooms,” Smith jokes. The Lehmanns opened the Castle Royal Restaurant, which became a speakeasy during Prohibition and was a haven for gangsters. When the restaurant closed, the mushroom farm engulfed the front two caves again and caves four and five were rented to Land O’Lakes to age blue cheese. The Lehmanns sold the caves in the 1970s and the Castle Royal reopened — as a disco. After St. Paul’s flood of 1952, the West Side Flats neighborhood was badly damaged and then razed, with the remnants shoved into the abandoned caves to serve as landfills. Later, Faribault-based Bremer Construction bought seven caves — just days before a scheduled destruction by the city of St. Paul — to store equipment. But things didn’t go as planned. The joke is the company accidentally got into the event hall and tourism business. The back was still filled with smashed up houses and debris that took about five years to sort out. The Bremer’s also cleared the leftover disco items and vegetation that’d grown onto the walls with the intent to park their equipment. But the allure of the old castle restaurant facade — and many requests by people to get a look at the caves — led them to a different kind of business. “People kept bugging them all day: ‘Hey, can I see your cave,’” Smith said. “... That’s when they accidentally figured out people would pay money to look at their caves, and they accidentally got into the cave tour business.” A castle facade, restored from one of the many caves many used over the years, welcomes visitors to the Wabasha Street Caves in St. Paul.
56 | Austin Living | September–October 2017
The tours Tours are year-round at the caves, with the summer being their peak season. Forty-minute cave tours are yearround at 5 p.m. Thursdays and 11 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, with summer tours at 4 p.m. Mondays for $8. Reservations are not needed. Smith talks to a tour group from Wisconsin about the history of the Wabasha Street Caves in St. Paul.
Smith tells the tour about the ghost tours offerings, and she shifts her accent to her best Transylvania Dracula imitation: “Ask for Nurse Hatchet,” she said. “She looks like me but with a different accent.” The caves bring plenty of spooks for Halloween, too, as they’re considered one of St. Paul’s most haunted places. Since the ghost stories aren’t great for children on typical
tours, they host a Lost Souls Tour on the last Sunday of each month at 12:30 p.m., and it’s done entirely by candle light. The tour is all on the ghost stories of the cave, ending with a slideshow of pictures of ghosts caught by the cameras. Additional ghost tours are offered in October, which Smith says is a peak time for the caves, many ghosts. But the caves’ signature is the $27, two-hour Gangster Tour at noon on Saturdays year-round and noon on Sundays from May to September. The tour, which requires reservations, starts and ends at the caves and takes a bus into other hotspots around St. Paul, like the place where Dillinger had a shootout with the FBI, a house where the Barker gang lived and more. It’s nice, Smith says, because St. Paul has preserved more of the old buildings and sites than Minneapolis. “Most of the stuff that we go to is still there,” she said. “Which is really cool.” – For more, visit www.wabashastreetcaves.com
September–October 2017 | Austin Living | 57
LOOKING BACK
Street scenes
Past pictures of Austin show a much different town By Jaimie Timm, Mower County Historical Society • All
photos courtesy of the
The Water Street bridge (Fourth Avenue Northeast). 58 | Austin Living | September–October 2017
Mower County Historical Society Sometimes, the best way to enjoy one’s town is to take a walk. Travel by foot can allow you to see details you might otherwise miss and enjoy the atmosphere. I hope you enjoy these scenes around Austin. Some of the most interesting pictures in the Mower County Historical Society’s collection are these street scenes. They are not necessarily pictures of a specific thing, but capture the hustle and bustle (or lack thereof) of past life in Austin. Some places are instantly recognizable. For others, the landscape has changed over the years and it takes a little imagination to see what is there today. Let these serve as a reminder that photographs do not have to focus on a certain subject or event in order to be useful for preserving history.
Left, An earlier view of North Main Street ca. 1900, looking south. This is the 400 block. The tall structure on the left side is the Austin Opera House. Built in 1884-1885 by Gustav Shleuder and C. Ha. Davison, it closed in 1904 and collapsed two years later. Above, The 500 block of North Main Street looking south.The Fox Hotel is located on the right (current location of Wells Fargo). Wolf, Mier & Sons was a store that sold drapery, furniture, carpets, and appliances. Right, The 100 block of Mill Street (Third Avenue Northeast), ca. 1950. Below, Railway Street (10th Street Northeast) on the “East Side” of Austin looking north.
September–October 2017 | Austin Living | 59
Summer is over and it’s now back-to-school for the kids. But back to school doesn’t mean there is no fun to be found in Austin. —All dates, times, and locations subject to change
Sept. 9
5K Your Way
When: 8 a.m. to noon Games and activities for the whole family following the race, as well as over $20 in Hormel coupons. Register at active.com; key word “5K Your Way”. Check out the event on the Facebook page. For more information, call 507-433-1881.
Sept. 9
Second Annual Out of the Darkness Walk
When: 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Where: Lafayette Park Check-In/registration at 8 a.m., walk begins at 9:30 a.m. Online registration closes noon the Friday before the walk, but walk-in registrations accepted. Walk donations accepted until Dec. 31, 2017. For more information, contact Laurie at 641-832-0983 or email laurietucke@gmail.com.
Sept. 9-10
Cedar River Archery Club 3D Shoot
Sept. 23
Hormel Nature Center 8K Run
When: 8 a.m. to noon Where: Jay C. Hormel Nature Center In-Person registration begins at 8 a.m. 8k and Kids Race begin at 9 a.m. 2017 Pricing: $18 for the 8k and $5 for the kids run (pre-reg), and $25/$7 the day of the race. For more information, call 507-437-7519.
Sept. 23
Fall Harvest Celebration
When: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Where: Mower County Historical Society Annual celebration featuring baked goods, arts and crafts, pumpkins, apple cider pressing, rope-making, wagon rides, Thresher’s dinner and more. For more information, call 507-437-6082.
Sept. 23
St. Andrew’s Sisters
When: 7 p.m. Where: Historic Paramount Theatre “Zero Shades of Grey,” music and comedy stylings of Alice Holst, Penny Kinney and Coni Nelson as the St. Andrew’s Sisters. For more information, email info@austinareaarts.org or call 507-434-0934.
When: 8 a.m. Where: Cedar River Archery Club Safe, fun and family oriented opportunity for people to come and shoot with others who share their passion. This event includes the Sure Shot Challenge, with prizes. For more information, call 507-438-7619.
Oct. 7
Sept. 9-13
ComedySportz
Second Annual Spamazing Race When: 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Come on out for a fun scavenger-hunt type competition. For more information, contact Megan Elliott.
Oct. 7
When: 9:30 a.m. Where: Mower County Fairgrounds World Series of Swine!
When: 7:30 p.m. Where: Historic Paramount Theatre Interactive improv comedy. For more information email info@austinareaarts.org or call 507-434-0934.
Sept. 10
Oct. 12
When: 1 p.m. Where: Mill Pond Sponsored by the Mower County Humane Society. Prizes, refreshments and hot dogs will be available. Pledge forms can be picked up at the Mower County Humane Society, Austin Vet Clinic, Double-K Specialty or the Austin Public Library.
When: 5 to 9:30 p.m. Where: Holiday Inn Austin Conference Center A social fundraiser for women in business with a portion of the proceeds dedicated to scholarships for non-traditional students at Riverland Community College. Social hour from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., dinner at 6 p.m., program and prize drawings at 7 p.m. Tickets $35 per person; tables can be sponsored. For more information or for reservations, call 507-437-4561.
71st Annual National Barrow Show
21st Annual Walk for Animals
Sept. 16
Harvestfest 2017
When: 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Where: Downtown Austin Sponsored by Vision 2020. For more information, call 507-434-0934.
60 | September–October 2017
Ladies Night Out - Favorite Jersey
Oct. 13-14
Vintage Holiday and Antique Sale
When: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the 13th, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the 14th Where: Mower County Historical Society For more information, call 507-437-6082 or email collections@mowercountyhistory.org.
Hormel Historic Home For more information, call 507-433-4243.
History Happy Hour • Sept. 11: Austin’s Other Historic Homes, Part 2 • Oct. 9: History of Oakwood Cemetery Doors open at 5:30 p.m., 6 p.m. presentation. Free for members of the Hormel Historic Home, Mower County Historical Society and Friends of the Austin Public Library, $5 for non-members. For more information, call 507-433-4243. Home and Hearth Series • Sept. 12: Smoothies, 10 a.m. • Oct. 16: History of Austin High School, 10 a.m. Other events • Sept. 9: History for Half Pints Family Open House, 10 to 11:30 a.m. • Oct. 7: Kid’s Music in Motion, 10 to 11:30 a.m.
Jay C. Hormel Nature Center
There is no shortage of outdoor activities at the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center. For more information, call 507-437-7519 or email info@hormelnaturecenter.org • Sept. 11: Laura Merten - Quality Homes for Wildlife, 7 p.m. • Sept. 16: Fall Bus Trip (Friends members only), 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Oct. 13-14
Halloween Warm-Up
When: 6 to 9 p.m. Where: Jay C. Hormel Nature Center For two magical nights, the Nature Center (with the help of Matchbox Children’s Theatre) is under special enchantment. Take a 45-minute hike and enjoy “spook”tacular Halloween and nature skits performed by creatures, critters, and spirits of the night. Then relax inside Ruby Rupner Auditorium with cider and treats! Especially designed to appeal to children ages 4-11 (accompanied by an adult), but all ages are welcome! For more information, call 507-437-7519.
Oct. 21
Fall Country Western Show - Collin Ray with Special Guest Stars The Larkins
When: 7 to 9:30 p.m. Where: Knowlton Auditorium, Austin High School Annual country western sponsored by the Austin Police Officers Association. Featuring country artist Collin Ray, one of the great voices of our time, with hits such as “Love, Me,” “In This Life,” “Not That Different”, “If I were you”, “My Kind of Girl,” “That’s My Story,” “I Can Still Feel You” and “I Want You Bad.” Also featured will be country pop duo The Larkins. For more information, call 507-437-9400.
Oct. 21
One Night in Memphis
When: 7:30 p.m. Where: Historic Paramount Theatre Tribute to legendary Sun Records recording artists Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Presley. Rockabilly, country, gospel and pure 1950s rock and roll. For more information, email info@austinareaarts.org or call 507-434-0934.
Oct. 28
Movies every Wednesday night at the Historic Paramount Theatre. All shows start at 7:30 p.m. (subject to change). Purchase tickets at concession stand on night of the show - tickets $5. No advance ticket sales. For more information or to request your favorite flick for future showings, email info@austinareaarts.org or call 507-434-0934. Stephen King September • Sept. 6: It (TV-14) • Sept. 13: Stand By Me (R) • Sept. 20: Misery (R) • Sept. 27: The Shawshank Redemption (R) Haunted October • Oct. 4: Ghost (PG-13) • Oct. 11: The Sixth Sense (PG-13) • Oct. 18: Poltergeist (1982) (PG) • Oct. 24: Ghostbusters (1984) (PG)
Austin Bruins Home Schedule
Go, Bruins! All games begin at 7:05 p.m. (unless otherwise noted) at Riverside Arena. Gates open one hour prior. For more information, call 507-434-4978. • Sept. 30: vs. Minnesota Wilderness • Oct. 6-7: vs. Janesville Jets • Oct. 14: vs. Brookings Blizzard • Oct. 20-21: vs. Aberdeen Wings • Oct. 25: vs. Brookings Blizzard (game starts at 11:30 a.m.)
Farmers Markets
Farmers markets in Mower County will be selling fresh produce and crafts through the end of October. Austin Farmers Market - located at 501 Oakland Ave E, Austin, MN 55912. Open 4 to 7 p.m. every Monday and Thursday and 9 a.m. to noon every Saturday. For more information, call 507-279-2787 or email info@eatfreshaustin.com. Farmers Market Place LLC - located at 1209 18th Ave. NW, Austin, MN 55912. Open 4 to 6 p.m. every Monday and Thursday and 9 a.m. to noon. For more information, call 507-438-3956.
Dead Man Winter
When: 7 p.m. Where: Historic Paramount Theatre Caravan Du Nord presents this new project from David Simonett of Trampled by Turtles. For more information or to request your favorite flick for future showings, email info@austinareaarts.org or call 507-434-0934.
Movie Night at the Paramount
Garden Spot Market - located at 106 W Main St., Brownsdale, MN 55918. Open 4 to 6:30 p.m. every Tuesday and Friday until Oct. 14. For more information, call 507-567-2009 or email brownsdalemarket@gmail.com. LeRoy Farmers Market - located at 111 E Main St., LeRoy, MN 55951. Open 4 to 7 p.m. every Thursday until Oct. 5. For more information, call 507-273-5815 or email farmersmarket@leroymn.com. Tanner Morris Photography
September–October 2017 | Austin Living | 61
BOOK REVIEW
DOCUMENTING THE ‘OPEN ROAD’
George A. Hormel’s autobiography relates how he positivity led the way By Bonnie Besse Rietz, Austin Page Turners Co-Chair “He was not obsessed with (life’s) problems; he was challenged by its possibilities. What most men in his position would have considered an obligation, he considered a creative opportunity.” Talking about his father’s philosophy and advice in the first part of his book, “The Open Road: The Autobiography of George A. Hormel,” George showed what a positive influence his father had on his life. When he was young, ambitious and hard-working, the advice of his father rang true “that the only man who never fails is the man who never quits trying, and that success is the result of the last, not the first, try.” I decided to read George A. Hormel’s book and add it to the list of possibilities for our Austin Page Turners’ 17th citywide book read in 2018. Each year we choose a book by a Minnesota author to feature for our project. Sandra Weinrib Stanfield lead the editing process of the book along with two of George’s grandsons — Tom and Jim Hormel. Sandra is part of our Austin ArtWorks Festival this year, and she will be speaking about her work at noon on Saturday, Aug. 26. at Sweet Reads Books and Candy on Main Street. I called her to discuss the process of editing this important book. She said that the main issue was that there were two versions of the book: “The Open Road,” written in 1946 by George A. Hormel and a later, edited version entitled “Three Men and a Business,” which had removed some passages. She spent two and a half years restoring the passages, proofreading it, finding photos, fact checking and getting it published. Sandra very much enjoyed this project. She loved the book and she found George to be a “deep, insightful man — thoughtful and a thinker.” “Originate, don’t imitate!” is a phrase that anyone who is familiar with the Hormel Company has heard. I found it very interesting to read how that statement came about. Early on in his career, George was wanting to start a Southern market. He made a trip to other meat packing plants and saw a process of making bacon. He 62 | Austin Living | September–October 2017
experimented and came up with a new product that was similar to what we now know as Canadian bacon. Hormel’s Sugar-Cured Pig Back Bacon was started and soon the demand became greater than the supply, and it was a good source of profit. “From then on, throughout my active business career, I kept constantly before me the challenge, ‘Originate, don’t imitate!’ and made it one of the key commandments of the organization.” George was very concerned about his workers, and he wanted them to be challenged and know that they could advance in the company. He realized that their self-respect was important and he wanted the young people in Austin to realize their worth and importance. He stressed working together well and two factors were always in the forefront: “encouragement and hope.” George made the rounds of every department each day and encouraged the workers. When other meat packers visited the Austin plant, they often commented on how superior the Austin workers were. “They were superior, partly I believe, because they felt differently about themselves. … Living under better social conditions, they produced more and earned more.” George’s two living grandsons, Tom and Jim, are donating the profit from the sale of “The Open Road: The Autobiography of George A. Hormel” to the Hormel Historic Home. You can buy copies of the book at the Hormel Historic Home and you can also hear the editor, Sandra Weinrib Stanford, speak at the Home on Monday evening, Aug. 28. George A. Hormel started a company that is now a Fortune 500 company with more than 19,000 employees across the globe. In 1946 when he was finishing this book and realizing that the Hormel business had more than doubled since his retirement, he wrote, “But frankly, that is not what has interested me most. It is the human aspects that have interested me primarily — humanity and one’s obligations to it from the industrialist’s standpoint. That is why I have written this book- no small job at my age for one who has been anything but a writin’ man.”
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September–October 2017 | Austin Living | 63
WHY I LOVE AUSTIN
Julie Clinefelter, the new director of the Austin Public Library.
Stories that surround us Loving Austin is about loving the tales that weave it together By Julie Clinefelter, Director
of the
Austin Public Library • Photo
I love a good story. Hopefully, you know the ones I mean. They draw you in, fill your head with sights and sounds and wrap you up in things both foreign and familiar. When I was asked to write about why I love Austin, I realized that the abundance of good stories were a surprise to me when my family moved to Austin. Austin was supposed to be a starting point only; a place that would ease our way into the next “big move.” That was 14 years ago! What happened? Stories happened! We met amazing people, all who had wonderful stories to tell. Some folks were locals who gave us directions based on landmarks that no longer exist. Others were transplants like us who started off in very different locations and, somehow or another, found a home here in Austin. I’ve made friends from Chile, Brazil and Canada. I have friends who grew up on the west coast like me, and friends who grew up on the east coast. Some travel often to 64 | Austin Living | September–October 2017
by
Eric Johnson
exotic places, and others rarely leave the state. The variety of people is limited only by this city’s population, and all of these wonderful people have stories to tell. Stories told over a drink at Dusty’s or over a burger at the B&J. Stories told over produce at the grocery store or the counter at the library. And then there are the stories with strange coincidences. Like the PTA meeting where another mother starts talking about the small college in Iowa she attended and it suddenly dawns on you she is talking about your alma mater! Or the time, over dinner out after a volleyball game, that your husband’s co-worker starts talking about all the places she’s lived and it turns out she was raising kids in your hometown when you were there attending high school! These people and their stories make the world feel at once infinitely large and very small. These people and their stories are why I love Austin.