July 2017 Sailor

Free

July 2017

Your Summer Guide to Southwest Minnesota!

Splashing into

Summer

Six-year-old Aaliyah Kleve (left) and 3-year-old Miah Rolfes enjoy the cool waters of Lake Sarah earlier this year. The girls were swimming at the small beach at the Murray County Park.

Published by Tracy Publishing Company, Inc. • 207 4th Street • Tracy, MN 56175 • (507) 629-4300 • www.swmnsailor.com

2 – Southwest Sailor, July 2017

1979

Congratulations!

1996

to the Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant on

40 Years of ProductIon!

Fond Memories 521 Main Street (507) 859-2929

Hoyt Oil & Convenience

241 6th St./Highway 14 (507) 859-2552

on 40 Years!

Walnut Grove Bar & Grill Main Street (507) 859-2399

Walnut Grove is proud of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Production

40

Country View Senior Living Community 810 8th Street • (507) 859-2133

Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum Gift Store 330 8th Street • (888) 528-7298 or (507) 859-2358

Years

Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum

1978

• • • •

new! garth Williams illustrations display new! Wilder Pageant’s 40 years in Photos in Grandma’s House Grandma’s Attic in Grandma’s House with Hands-on Area for Kids.

New Veteran’s Exhibit in Grandma’s House featuring photos of Area Veterans, Uniforms and Service Pieces.

• The Depot displays Laura history & “Little House” memorabilia • Grandma’s House has Laura & Rose Wilder Lane’s writing collections & a 300+ piece doll collection • The life-sized Dugout is for all to enter • The Little Red Schoolhouse allows you to have a seat in class • The Early Settlers’ home is similar to many early pioneers’ homes in our area • A Covered Wagon & General Store are a few of the displays in Heritage Lane • The Walnut Grove Jail Cells, & Covered Wagon are great photo opportunities for the whole family • Gift Store with Laura-related Books, Handcrafted Bonnets & so much more!

anniversary t-shirts for sale

ms neW itegift i n t h e e! s to r

Walnut Grove Community Club Visit Walnut Grove, MN!

7 1 0 –2

& Information Center

330 8th Street • Walnut Grove, MN (888) 528-7298 • (507) 859-2358 www.walnutgrove.org

We are excited for the future!

1979

Congratulations

hands-on activities throughou t th buildings e

to the Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant on

Celebrating laura’s 150th birthday all year long

40 Years of ProductIons!

(1867-2017)

OPen Daily 10 a.m.-6 P.m. aDmissiOn is chargeD The Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum is a non-profit organization working to preserve the history of Laura Ingalls Wilder and the community of Walnut Grove.

2016

2016

Southwest Sailor, July 2017 – 3

Westbrook depot is still community hub

By Carolyn Van Loh

1900 was an eventful year for the area known today as Westbrook in Cottonwood County. The Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railroad carried out plans for a 38.6-mile railroad branch line from Bingham Lake in Cottonwood County to Currie in Murray County.

Other stops on the “Currie Line,” which was completed in June 1900, were Delft, Jeffers, Dovray and Storden. The Des Moines Valley Railway Company, the railroad survey company, plotted the town June 8 and lots were available for sale on July 11. The depot, which still stands on its original site, was constructed in July and August.

The name Westbrook refers to one of two creeks that ran through the eastern and western edges of Westbrook Township. Incorporating a new village at the same time as building a rail line through the fertile farming area fulfilled mutual interests. The railroad needed customers. Settlers needed a reliable means to receive necessary supplies, an affordable way to ship crops and livestock to market and a speedier way to travel.

The large, 24 X 70-foot depot quickly became the hub of activity in the fledgling village. In the first quarter of 1902, business was brisk. Freight forwarded

The former Westbrook railroad depot once served a morning and afternoon passenger train, plus a daily freight train.

from the Westbrook depot included 45 carloads of livestock and nearly six million pounds of merchandise.

Another nearly five million pounds of merchandise arrived via rail.

The building was typical of depots

in the early 20th Century with its two main rooms. Freight was separated from passengers; ladies waited in a second room; men waited in the stationmaster’s room/office. The large office provided the stationmaster and his assistant space

for telegraph equipment, a wood stove, and large windows for viewing up and down the track. Three loading docks opened from the freight room: south to

Westbrook Depot: See page five

Call today to advertise your business in the next Sailor!

(507) 629-4300 ask for Lisa or Kris!

PRAIRIE VIEW SENIOR LIVING 250 5th Street E. • Tracy, MN • 507-629-3331

Welcome to Prairie View Senior Living. We’re located in Tracy, Minnesota, in the heart of the southwestern agricultural region.

Our 55-bed Skilled Nursing facility offers a wide range of services and the medical clinic and hospital are directly across from our facilities.

We’re proud that our staff has received the Silver Quality Award presented by the American Health Care Association.

MEDICARE/MEDICAID CERTIFIED 24-HOUR SKILLED NURSING SERVICES

611 South 4th Street • Tracy, MN • (507) 629-3485 2705 County Road 6 • Marshall, MN • (507) 532-9430 •Landscape Design •Landscape Installation •Lawn Care & Seeding •Custom Pot Planting •Windbreak & Hedge Planting •Shrub Trimming •Irrigation Installation & Repair

Plants • Flower & Vegetable Seeds • Fertilizers, Insecticides & Chemicals Bird Supplies • Garden Supplies • Patio Furniture www.greenwoodnurserymn.com

– Short term rehabilitation – Hospice – Activity Programs

– Dietary services – Wound/Skin care – Physical therapy

CONGRATULATIONS LYNN PETERSEN 2016 SUPER STAR RECIPIENT

Lynn was nominated for the Superstar Sward due to her dedication to Prairie View and our residents. The Superstar Award recognizes an employee who not only does her or his job, but also does a whole lot of ‘extras’ that enhance the quality of life for residents/tenants/clients and others. This individual’s dedication, commitment, and caring go far beyond what is included-or even expected-in their job description.

Also each time one of our resident passes away Lynn sets up their bed as a memorial for the families. On each bed she will place and arrange their possessions on display to honor them.

– Occupational therapy – Speech therapy – Worship Services

Our goal is to enrich the lives of those we serve by…

CARING FOR THE WHOLE PERSON RESPECT – everyone for who they are and who they may become.

RECOGNIZE – that every person is unique and has their own set of values, beliefs, ideas and own way of doing things.

RESPOND – to all your concerns, needs, and ideas.

...because the journey matters

4 – Southwest Sailor, July 2017

Open May-Oct. 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Free Admission

Welcome to

Pipestone, Minnesota

New Minnetonka Moccasins & Sandals •Crafts & Craft Supplies •Rough Pipestone •Pipestone Articles •Jewelry

At the entrance to the Pipestone National Monument 104 9th St. NE, Pipestone, MN (507) 825-4474

•Pottery •Collectable •Moccasins •Souvenirs

May 27 – Sept. 2, 2017 Tickets $8.00 Guided Tours start at Pipestone Co. Museum Reservations Recommended

(507) 825-2563 Not recommended for Children under 12.

Large Selection of… ➻ ➻ ➻ ➻

Jewelry Clothing Carvings CDs

➻ ➻ ➻ ➻

Peace Pipes Hats Books Videos

Located at the Pipestone National Monument and www.authenticpipestone.com

PO Box 727, Pipestone, MN 56164

Monument open 7 Days A Week

Monday thru Sunday 8 a.m.-6 p.m.

Hours subject to change (507) 825-5463 • pipestone.isa@gmail.com

Pipestone Ghost Walks Dar’s Pizza 8:00 p.m.

Saturday Nights

Authentic Pipes & Crafts

Corner of Hwy. 30 & 8th Ave. SW Sunday–Thursday 4-11 p.m.

Friday & Saturday 4 p.m.-Midnight When you want the BEST Pizza Around… and the LOWEST price!

Beer • PoP • Pizza • ChiCken ShrimP • SandwiCheS Party Room for up to 80 people Game Room – Children Welcome!

We’re a Pipestone Tradition!

(507) 825-4261

eat in • Carry out delivery

Pipestone Summer Cruize-Ins

Thursday, June 1 & July 6 5:00-8:00 p.m.

Historic Downtown Thursday, Aug. 3 • 5-8 p.m.

Pipestone County Fairgrounds Saturday, Sept. 2 • 7:30 a.m.-Noon Cruize-in, Fly-in, Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast at Pipestone Airport Free • FuN • Food Bring Your Car or TruCk!

www.pipestoneminnesota.com Call the Chamber at (507) 825-3316

Pipestone Performing Arts Center Summer Schedule

Sunday July 9 - 3:00 pm

Calumet Children’s Theatre

South Dakota Old Time Fiddlers

“Pinocchio”

Adults $12 / Students $5 / $30 Family

Adults $10 / Students 12 & Under $6

Saturday, July 29 - 7:30 pm

Saturday, August 19 - 7:30 pm

Shaun Johnson and the Big Band Experience

Don Shelby “An Evening with Mark Twain”

Adults $20 / Students $5 / $45 Family Monday, July 31 – Saturday, Aug. 5 - 7:30 pm

Adults $20 / Students $5 / $45 Family

Summer Camp/Performance Sat., Aug. 5 - 2 & 7:30 p.m.

All dates and programs are subject to change. Check the website or box office for additional show. Vouchers can be used for many Center shows.

However, we reserve the right to withdraw any show from voucher use!

These activities are made possible in part and by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the SW MN Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund”

www.pipestoneminnesota.com/performingartscenter

TickeTs available aT The pipesTone museum box office, pipesTone, mn •mon. – saT. 10 – 5 p.m.

(507) 825-2020 or Toll Free (877) 722-2787

Keepers Gift Shop & Gallery 400 N. Hiawatha Avenue • Pipestone, MN • Unique Gifts • American Indian Art • Crafts • Craft Supplies • Pipestone • Pipes Open All Year! (507) 825-3734 www.pipekeepers.org online store

Culture Camp, Classes & Workshops

• Beadwork • Leatherwork • Pipestone Carving • Dream Catchers • Games • History • Dance

• Drumming • Overnight in a Tipi

Southwest Sailor, July 2017 – 5

Westbrook Depot Continued from page three

the main track, west toward the street and north toward the siding.

The railroad, anticipating a rush of business, built a spacious rail yard as well as switching tracks that connected with the elevator and nearby stockyards.

The railroad also dug a deep well and built a water tower west of town. A gravel pit dug by the railroad provided gravel for stabilizing the grade of the line from Bingham Lake to Currie.

E.T. “Hop” Hopkins served as depot agent from 1914 until he retired in 1955.

In the early years, two passenger trains passed through town each day. The 8 a.m. train connected with an east-bound passenger train at Bingham Lake, and the

Longtime Westbrook physician Dr. J.V. Carlson donated many items related to his medical career to the Heritage House.

Cloud 9 Awaits

train returned in late afternoon. Hopkins also welcomed a daily freight train and supervised a Saturday night stock train loaded with livestock heading to the Chicago stockyards.

Frank Groenke replaced Hopkins and served until January 1972 when the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad closed down the Westbrook and nearby Jeffers depots, the last of the original six depots along the Currie Line. In 1980, Chicago and Northwestern Transportation Company, owner of the Omaha railroad, abandoned the track and sold the rightof-way. That year Westbrook State Bank bought the depot.

Heritage House is born As time passed, the abandoned depot succumbed to nature and vandals until a few concerned citizens birthed a restoration project. Workers salvaged windows from the Jeffers depot. As interest grew, individuals and service clubs donated time and money to install a bathroom and a new roof. They scrubbed and painted both the inside and outside of the building. People worked together cleaning up the outdoor area and restoring the building until it was ready to become home of Westbrook Heritage House Museum in 1984.

When the improvements were completed, the building was filled with historic donations from area residents.

Everything from a wicker funeral basket and a horse-drawn 1908 Studebaker buggy with accessories such as a fur coat worn by Dr. Henry Schmidt who died

Stop wishing, and start living the dream in one of our beautiful lake homes, handpicked for their in-demand locations and amenities.

20 Pleasant View Rd. – $439,000

42 Owanka Lane – $459,000

59 Keeley Island Dr. – $299,000

Newer custom-built 1-story home with walk-out basement on waterfront lot.

Water on 2 sides, Spacious Kitchen, Custom-Oak Cabinets, Vaulted Ceiling, Hardwood Floors, Gas Fireplace, Master Suite with walk-in closet, Main Floor Laundry, 2nd laundry area in basement.

16x24 Family Room, 2nd kitchen.

2-story Beach House, 3 Bedrooms, Open Floor Plan with Custom White Cabinets, Breakfast Bar, Tile Floors, Gas Fireplace, Family Room With Wet Bar, Hardwood Floors, 1-1/2 Bath, Heated Bathroom Floors, Stamped Concrete Patio, Built-In Fire Pit, 56’ Of Lowbank Shoreline.

Some of the best shoreline on the lake. 3 Bedroom, 1 bath home, CA, Double Garage, New Shingles in 2016, Spacious Deck, 13x24 All Season Room Overlooking the Lake, Detached Garage, Large Storage Shed, located on a paved road.

SOLD! 16 N. Foreman Rd. – $199,500 46 Lakeview Drive – $349,000 3 BR, 2 BA Rambler Style Year ‘Round Home with Sandy Shoreline, Wood Fireplace, Main Floor Laundry, 548 sq. ft. of Wrap-Around Decking, Located on Paved Road.

Waterfront, Year ‘Round Home features sq. ft. of living space. Detached 62 Shady Rest Rd. – $259,900 1,894 12x24 and 12x18 garage. 4 BR, 2-1/2 Totally Remodeled, Just Like New Bath, Screened in Porch, 75’ of Lowbank Condition, New Quality Flooring, New shoreline.

Electric Furnace, CA, Rural Water Paid in Full, Composite Deck overlooking Lake, Sprinkler System, New Rock & Block Landscaping, Tile Floors, Insulated Attic, New Walk-Out Basement with In-Floor Heat, Covered Patio. Includes Dock & 2 Electric Lifts.

SOLD!

88 South Shore Dr. – $249,000

REATIVE THREE, INC. 2520 Broadway Ave. • Slayton, MN

507-836-8503 or 507-920-7630 creativethree@iw.net • www.creative-three.com

100’ of Level Shoreline on Lake Shetek, Moved to site in 2013, Open Floor Plan, 1,568 sq. ft. of Living space on Main Floor, Breakfast Bar, CA, Steel Siding, 3 BR, 1-1/2 Bath, Cement Lakeside Patio, Attached 24x33 Garage.

This Heritage House exhibit lets visitors imagine what it would be like covering up with a heavy fur blanket, and traveling in a horse-drawn wagon in the winter.

during the flu epidemic of 1918.

Photos of bygone days and military uniforms from area soldiers now hang on the depot’s walls. A classic kitchen is furnished with vintage equipment and utensils. Another display shows promotional gift items once handed out by local businesses. Out-dated hospital equipment forms another exhibit. All stimulate conversations and teaching moments for children visiting with their grandparents.

In 1990, a two-room log cabin built in the 1870s a few miles northeast of Westbrook found a new home on the depot/museum property. It is no longer open to visitors because it needs caulking between the logs, but visitors can still marvel at the simplicity of houses that early settlers made their homes.

The depot museum has survived more than 30 years without major changes. Enter the Westbrook Lions Club commemorating Lions International’s

centennial anniversary. Members have donated time and the club money for making necessary improvements.

“The museum project is coming along well….I’m really enjoying working on it,” comments Connie Rupp, Westbrook Lions president.

The museum is providing space for an exhibit about the club’s community projects. A new display honors Dr. John (J.V.) Carlson with memorabilia he collected during his long career in Westbrook.

The once abandoned Westbrook depot is listed on the National Historic Register and is the last depot on the Currie Line still standing on its original site.

The Westbrook depot museum is open every Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m. The Lions plan a Sunday, August 6, fund-raising picnic with their food wagon. Children’s games and musical entertainment are planned.

Pipestone Paranormal Weekend October 13 & 14 Activities include: •Popular Ghost Hunt

with EMF/EVP equipment provided.

• Psychic Gallery Reading •Cemetery tours and more!

Reservations Required.

Contact the Pipestone County Museum for more details.

(507) 825-2563

Stacy Like Tara Onken Broker/Owner Realtor (507) 920-7630 (507) 820-1710

pipctymu@iw.net pipestoneminnesota.com/museum

6 – Southwest Sailor, July 2017

Turtle meat instead of walleye? It’s delicious Welcome to snapping turtle country.

Well, actually, snapping turtles live all the way from Canada to the American Southwest, but we really do have our fair share of snapping turtles right here in Sailor country. People have harvested and enjoyed the great variety of meat flavors out here for years, and snapping turtles can provide a big surprise to people who fish.

I have had two snapping turtle experiences while fishing. The first was at the Talcott Lake Dam and the second was at Lime Lake near Avoca. The Talcott Lake encounter cost me all the netting of a brand new landing net, and the Lime Lake story included a turtle that was literally the size of a wash-tub. I know this because we used Felix Ackerman’s washtub to take the turtle back to Dillon’s Alignment shop in Slayton.

Both incidents involved casting spoons for northern pike. The Talcott turtle was just minding its own business swimming along underwater along the shore below the dam. As I reeled in my spoon, the treble hook pierced the

Hook, Line & Sinker Joe LeTendre tells his fishing tales to audiences statewide.

snapping turtle’s tough skin just below the front leg. It would swim out toward the Des Moines River, and I would reel it back never getting a look at it. Out and back we went along in our tug of war, and all the while I had dreams of it being a very big walleye, or maybe the biggest northern pike ever caught in the Des Moines River. I finally steered the turtle closer to shore and someone handed me my long handled landing net. I scooped the snapper into my brand new net, and before I could get the turtle up the river bank, his razor sharp claws had pretty much made spaghetti of my netting.

The turtle was not happy. His head moved like a cobra ready to strike. The turtle snapped until we finally gave him piece of tree limb to bite down on. Then we returned the turtle to the river.

The Lime Lake snapping turtle wasn’t quite as lucky. This turtle was really big. Washtub big! But this time, Felix Ackerman was fishing next to me and he was a snapping turtle expert. He knew how to land them, subdue them, dispatch them. And best of all, Felix knew how to prepare a feast of snapping turtle.

Just watching Felix cut up a snapping turtle was something to behold.

He used tin snips, a hand hatchet, a fish filet knife, and a really big butcher’s knife.

The meat from the big turtle came in light and dark, kind of like a chicken, but there were other types of meat, too. And each cut of turtle had a very special taste.

I never saw Felix do his special preparation of the turtle meat, so I don’t know what he used for spices and flavors, but I do know he put the whole batch of turtle meat together in a giant electric roaster and cooked it slowly for

Common Snapping Turtle (Photo courtesy Minnesota DNR)

an entire day.

After the Dillon Alignment bowling team rolled their league rounds, we would gather at the alignment shop and Felix would serve up his very special brand of slow cooked turtle. As the statement goes, “It was to die for!”

The pieces of turtle meat could not be identified, so we never knew where exactly on the turtle that the meat came from, but that didn’t matter because it was so tasty and tender.

At one time, there was a good dining place in Urbank, Minnesota, that regularly featured turtle on the menu, and it was wonderful.

Snapping turtles are not friendly, but they offer you some fine eating.

Zach Jones, Walnut Grove, son of Matt and Missy, had the hot seat in the boat and reeled a nice looking Lake Shetek walleye. He was fishing with his uncle, Jason Farber.

Tracy’s Trevor DeSchepper landed a feisty little walleye, fishing with his family over Memorial Weekend. He is the son of Joe and April DeSchepper.

Memorial Weekend Monster for Sawyer Grogan, son of Jody and Maria Grogan, who live on Lake Shetek. The walleye measured 26 inches in length.

Noah Leonard, fishing Memorial Weekend at his grandparents’ home on Lake Shetek, landed a really nice northern. Noah is the son of Andy and Stacie Leonard of Chaska. Gerry and Mary Leonard are his grandparents.

Lynn Peterson of Winemuke, NV caught a great Lake Sarah walleye. Photo courtesy of Carlson’s Corner, Lake Shetek.

Photos can be submitted by emailing them to: admanager@headlightherald .com

Southwest Sailor, July 2017 – 7

Ingalls connection revisited

Renovations planned for Masters Hotel

By Scott Thoma

Although she never wrote about it in any of her “Little House” books, Laura Ingalls Wilder referred to working at the Masters Hotel in Walnut Grove as a child in her 1930 autobiography “Pioneer Girl” that went unpublished until 2014.

The Masters Hotel, built in 1874 by William Masters, still stands today and was about to be demolished before getting a late reprieve when the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum purchased the property.

The Wilder Museum, using grants and donations, has begun minor renovations to the building with a goal of restoring it as much as possible to its original state.

“We want to fix the roof first,” said Joel McKinney, collections manager for the museum. “And then we will gut the inside, except some of the framework until we can determine what is original and what isn’t. We will also remove the front porch, which wasn’t on the original hotel.

“We plan to make three rooms on the first floor of the hotel. Some of the walls have been plastered and we will take all that out, as well as paneling and all the carpeting.”

The renovations will begin on the first floor, with hopes that visitors can begin

Laura Ingalls Wilder

The former Masters Hotel as it looks today. The front porch will eventually be removed as it is restored to its original state.

touring that portion of the building this summer. The entire project is expected to take two years, with the building opening to visitors in phases.

“The museum has been interested in purchasing the Masters Hotel building since we learned of its connection to Laura,” said McKinney. “The previous owner passed away last fall and we were able to purchase the building and land from his daughter.”

The hotel building, which is located directly across the street to the west of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum, has been a private residence for over 100 years after Masters sold it.

“It wasn’t by design that the museum was built here because it was across from the hotel,” said McKinney. “It’s strictly a coincidence. But it’s a nice coincidence to have.”

Laura worked at the hotel beginning at age 10 from 1877 to 1879. Her family lived in a modest home behind the hotel.

In her autobiography, Laura wrote about working at the Masters Hotel waiting tables, ironing, washing dishes and more.

“When vacation time came, Mrs. Masters wanted me to help at the hotel, washing dishes, waiting on tables, and helping take care of Nannie’s baby, Little Nan (the Masters’ granddaughter). She said she would give me 50 cents a week and not let me work too hard. I never liked to wait on the tables, but I did like to set it. I liked to put the wire screens, looking like round bee hives, over the food. The flys (sp) could come in the open doors and windows as they pleased, but could only crawl disappointedly over the round,

COME TO SLAYTON, MN FRI., SAT. & SUN., JULY 7-8-9 NEW! FRIDAY EVENING CLASSES: Fri., July 8: 7:30 p.m. Classic Series Cart, Jr. Driver Team & Jr. Driver Cart Gates open at 9 a.m. both Sat. & Sun.

Sat., July 9: Farm Team Demo, 10 a.m.; Draft Horse Show,2 p.m.

Sun., July 10: Draft Horse Show Begins at 12:30 p.m.

Murray County Fairgrounds, Slayton, MN Nearly 100 Horses on the Grounds!

In addition to the Team Judging, there will also be Farming Demonstrations, Children’s Barn, Hands On Demonstrations, Food Booths, Souvenirs and more!

Visit Our Web Site

Admission is only $7 per person (10 and under Free).

www.mcdrafthorseshow.com

This is how the former Masters Hotel looks today.

wire-screen caps that covered the food,” Wilder wrote in her autobiography.

The manuscript for her autobiography, which was written two years before her first book, “Little House in the Big Woods” was published, was sent to two publishers in New York by her daughter, Rose. Each publisher felt the story was compelling, but not marketable as a nonfiction story.

So Laura, who was contracted for one children’s book, began to write the first of her eventual series of books using the beginning of her autobiography and then fictionalizing her children’s stories.

That first book was so successful that she wrote six more about her life and one, “Farmer Boy,” about her husband, Almanzo. A ninth book was published after her death in 1957.

Pamela Smith-Hill, a historian from the University of Missouri, spent six years meticulously researching Wilder’s

autobiography and determined it to be non-fiction. The South Dakota Historical Society Press published the book three years ago In “On the Banks of Plum Creek,” Laura wrote that the family stayed in Walnut Grove from 1874 until 1879. In “Pioneer Girl,” she wrote the family only spent two years in Walnut Grove.

“It’s a wonderful book and really tells the true story of just how tough life was for Laura and her family,” said McKinney. “Pioneer Girl is the real story of Laura’s childhood.”

The book is on sale at the museum in Walnut Grove.

Historians have ascertained that Laura’s interest in writing likely started at the Masters Hotel when she would read the New York Ledger, a weekly story newspaper published in Manhattan, NY, during her breaks from work.

“When my work was done and Little Nan sleeping, I could curl up in a corner out of the way and read the stories in the New York Ledger. Great stories they were of beautiful women and brave, handsome men. I would lose myself in them,” she wrote in Pioneer Girl.

The museum is seeking donations to fund the hotel’s renovations, and would also welcome gifts of Victorian-period furniture, lamps, water pumps, and other artifacts that would help illustrate this time period. Visit the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum website at www. walnutgrove.org for more information.

Thinking of Selling?

Call the Leaders in Auction Services!

(507) 829-5280

DAVE BOSACKER, Lic. #51-37

•LAND •MACHINERY •PERSONAL PROPERTY

www.bosackerauctions.com

8 – Southwest Sailor, July 2017

New Ulm museum display highlights America’s WWI entry

A six-team hitch enters the show ring during a recent Murray County Classic Draft Horse Show.

Draft horse rigs coming to Slayton

The Murray County Classic Draft Horse Show returns to the Murray County Fairgrounds in Slayton, July 7-9.

The show offers spectators a chance to see beautiful draft horses pulling elaborate wagons and carts.

Three days of events are planned.

A Friday, July 8, 7:30 p.m. show offers Junior Driver Team and Junior Driver cart competitions.

Saturday events start with a 10 a.m.

farm team demonstration, followed by a 2 p.m. draft horse show. A 12:30 p.m.

Sunday show culminates with the sixteam hitch competition.

A variety of hands-on demonstrations, food booths, and a children’s barn are promised.

Admission is $7, with children 10 and under free. Gates open at 9 a.m. both Saturday and Sunday.

End-O-Line open house set July 4 End-O-Line Railroad Park and Museum in Currie, MN will have an open house Tuesday, July 4, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

All park buildings will be open for self-guided tours, on a donation basis. Donations are earmarked for

rehabilitating the railroad tracks underneath the museum’s Georgia Northern Engine #102.

Visitors will be able to watch a Model HO train layout in End-O-Line’s depot and ride on End-O-Line’s hand-operated turntable.

A portrait of Kaiser Wilhelm ll of Germany is a feature of a new exhibit titled “Loyalty and Dissent: Brown County and World War I” commemorating the centennial of that war at the Brown County Historical Society in New Ulm, The portrait depicts the man whose title was “German Emperor and King of Prussia,” who was born in 1859 in Berlin, crowned in 1888, abdicated in 1918 when the monarchy was abolished, and died in exile in Doorn in the Netherlands in 1941 at the age of 82. The image is a finely executed engraving measuring 26” high and 23” wide, and is boldly autographed “Wilhelm” followed by his imperial cypher and the date 1906. The portrait is surrounded by a gilt Florentine frame measuring 47” high and 35” wide. It is a magnificent work of art. The exhibit is expected to run for several years.

In 1906 Germany and America maintained friendly relations. The Imperial German Consul in Saint Paul, MN, Johannes Grunow, began preparations for a portrait of the Kaiser to be presented to the fraternal Order of the Sons of Hermann (Der Orden der Hermann’s Söhne or O.d.H.S.) who built America’s Hermann Monument in New Ulm in 1897. The monument is dedicated to Hermann the Cheruscan, who drove the Roman army out of northern Germany in 9 AD. It is said “He kept Germany German.”

The New Ulm Review reported on the presentation event: On Saturday, June 16, 1907, in the presence of more than 1,000 people gathered at Hermann Monument, Consul Grunow made formal tender of

From the Collection of the Brown County Historical Society, New Ulm. Photo by Rick Apitz.

the portrait to the Grand Lodge of the O.d.H.S. He told of his efforts to secure from the Emperor something in the way of recognition for those in the western world who had erected this impressive monument to German traditions. Grand Lodge President Fred Ziegler accepted the portrait and expressed hope that it will always serve as a reminder of the value of German traditions and customs. During the exercises the Second Regiment Band played “The Watch on the Rhine,” “America,” and other national airs, in all of which the assembled multitude joined. There were cheers for the Emperor, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt. Attendance at the celebration was augmented by delegations from Saint Paul, Minneapolis, and Mankato brought in by a train of twelve passenger cars bringing in over 600 passengers.

You could be having this much fun!

The Kind of Store You Want Us to Be.

West Morgan Street • Tracy, MN • 629-3434

WE ARE YOUR LOCAL GROCERY STORE!

A Store for all Seasons of Fun!

O’Brien Super Scream er $

Borch’s

169 99

Sporting goodS

•O’Brien Combo Waterskis

Sale $16999 •Life Jackets – 20% Off •Women’s TYR & Swimsuits – 15% Off Hours: M-F 8:30-8:00 Sat. 8:30-5:00 Sun. 11:00-4:00

•All tubes – 15% Off •O’Brien Wake Boards

10% Off

•Sandals – 15%

Off

507-532-4880 • 1-800-732-2919 1309 E. College Dr. • Marshall, Mn

www.borchs.com

• Storemade Deli Salads • Delicious Hot Broasted Chicken To Go!

• Home-Baked Buns, Bread & Rolls

• U.S. Choice Angus Pride Beef • Check our Weekend Milk Specials!

Open 7 Days A Week 7 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Southwest Sailor, July 2017 – 9

Launching & landing boats has certainly gotten easier My first boat was a 15-foot Sylvan and the boat came with a trailer that had no manufacturer’s name. The trailer was constructed of four-inch square tubing.

It had a winch with a cable along with some rollers and some pads. The first time I took it to the lake, I discovered it should have included hip boots or waders.

Remember this article is about the solution, and there just didn’t seem to be any solution to getting the boat hitched up to the winch without wading into the water.

My next boat was one of the early Ranger bass boats. It had the shape of a hot dog bun, and it came with a trailer that was meant for a bigger and wider boat, but hip boots were still required to get it back on to the trailer.

Published by Tracy Publishing Company 207 4th Street, Tracy, MN 56175 (507) 629-4300 • FAX (507) 629-4301 www.swmnsailor.com tracypublishing@headlightherald.com per@headlightherald.com Seth Schmidt – Publisher Per Peterson – Editor April DeSchepper – Ad Composition Julie Johnston – Office Manager Kris Knott – Advertising Sales Lisa Sell – Advertising Manager Carol Strand – Bookkeeper PUBLISHER’S LIABILITY FOR ERROR: The publisher shall not be liable for slight changes or typographical errors that do not lessen the value of an advertisement. The publisher’s liability for other errors or omissions in connection with an advertisement is strictly limited to publication in any subsequent issue or the refund of any monies paid for the advertisement.

Fishing Tips Joe LeTendre tells his fishing tales to audiences statewide.

Following those boats came a series of brand new Alumacraft boats, and each of them came with a new Shorelander trailer, and before I put it in the water I enlisted the great talents of Richard Meaden to build me a custom walkway for the tongue of the trailer. It worked great and was moved from one boat trailer to another when I traded boats. I didn’t get wet feet anymore, but hitching the winch cable to the boat was still a challenge. So this past spring my son and I looked for a piece of equipment that would automatically lock-up and release a boat by simply driving into it.

We ordered one and it was poorly designed of cheap materials, so we returned it. It was at this same time that Mike Sawatzky told me about a unit that Rick Parker had purchased at the boat show in Sioux Falls. Mike said: “This boat hook up is the slickest I have ever seen, and it really works.”

Rick told me to call Darin Dressen at 605-366-0542 in Colman, South Dakota.

After speaking with Darin I got the directions to his manufacturing facility and headed to Colman.

Every Drotto boat latch is welded and tested, one at a time, right there in Colman.

The latches are constructed of heavy

DeSmet

Custom Metals

gauge steel that has been zinc coated to prevent rust. The Drotto folks have lined the contact surface between the boat and the auto boat latch with an extremely hard, smooth plastic liner to prevent damage to your boats surface.

To load my boat, all I have to do is back the trailer into the water and slowly drive the boat forward until it makes contact with the latch, and the latch spring closes. To unload a boat all a person has to do is back into the water and then pull the release handle and your boat will float away from the trailer.

Guides on the Missouri River rave about how nicely these work when fishing clients are on board. Boaters with children like the Drotto because the youngsters are never in danger during loading and unloading. Many boat lauching sites have outlawed power

loading, well these latches don’t require any type of power loading We have them on all three of the boats that we take to Canada. There are ramps for loading and unloading, but there are not docks, but no dock is needed because we have Drotto boat latches on our boats.

These boat latches were invented by fishermen from South Dakota who tested them for 3 years before offering them on the market. These latches are not masse produced by machines. Each latch is hand welded, assembled, and finished at Colman, South Dakota. Every part of the Drotto boat latch is American made.

To check out what I am talking about, look for Drotto Catch-n-Release Boat Latch on You Tube, or enter crossroadsmetalworks.com on your computer. There you have it; the solution to wet feet and boat loading frustration.

Nobles County Historical Society and Prairie Reapers Power Reunion invite you to attend an

Old Fashioned

Highway 14 • Tracy, MN 56175 • (507) 629-4980

Customized & Personalized

Metal Art Work Bring Us Your Design & We Can Customize It To Your Specifications

•Fire Rings •Tool Boxes •Memorials •Mail Boxes •Lawn Art •Signs

…

30th Annual Melodrama

Schedule

9:45 a.m.

Klassen Family Singers in the Big Barn

10:00 a.m.

Antique Tractor Pull

Rollin’ in Dough in Mistletoe or...Don’t Crack Jingle Bell Rock

10:15 a.m.

St. John’s Lutheran Church Singers in the Small Church

11:00 a.m.

Melodrama in the Big Barn

12:00 p.m.

Tractor Parade

By Marietta Slater Directed by Shari Nelson

1:00 p.m.

Kiddie Pedal Pull

1:30 p.m.

Melodrama in the Big Barn

2:30 p.m.

Klassen Family Singers in the Big Barn

Performances at 11 a.m. & 1:30 p.m.

31st Annual Reunion’s Featured Tractor: Oliver

Watermelon Feed in the Tractor Pull Area

All Tractors Welcome

The Cleanest Toilets in the Area!

Daily - Weekly - Monthly Rates

•Sports Events •Parties •Construction Sites •Auctions •Hand Sanitizers •Portable Sinks •Handicapped Units DaRWin BaRtloW, toilet technician

Serving all of SW Minnesota!

Look us up at www.swsanitation.net 110 N. 11th St. • Marshall, MN

“Locally Owned and Operated”

By Dan & Scott Ritter

(877) SWTRASH

(507) 532-4500

e-mail: swsan@iw.net

Klassen Family Singers 9:45 a.m. & 2:30 p.m. in the Big Barn

Food e oN SiT t g Roo includin s! at Beer Flo

Various demonstrations & Vendors on Show Grounds All day

Tuesday, July 4

9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Pioneer Village, Worthington, Minnesota

10 – Southwest Sailor, July 2017

Toys 4 Tots gears up for 25th

By Per Peterson

There’s Hell’s Angels, and then there are just angels. If you ask Lee Seiler, the motorcycle enthusiasts who have helped make the annual Toys 4 Tots Motorcycle Fun Run an annual success are angels — teddy bears on two wheels who through their generosity and big hearts have proven that bikers are just good people.

“Yet, they’re still so stereotyped — movies and Hell’s Angels, stuff like that,” said Seiler, who would wear his heart on his sleeve if he had any sleeves left on his motorcycle shirts. “You need something? Find a biker. What other organization do you know would put something together like this that will last 25 years?”

It’s been that long since Seiler, along with Phil Myhrberg, started the run after coming to the conclusion that if other cities can do it, why can’t someone do something locally.

“Why go somewhere and support other areas — why doesn’t somebody do that down here?” Seiler recalled thinking all those years ago as he was mentally preparing the inaugural Fun Run, which will take place for the 25th time on July 29. “So I said, ‘Why don’t we start one down here? One thing led to another.”

Little did Seiler know that one conversation at the Lyndwood Bar would spark an event that would stand the test of time. And it has because, as he says, it has all the makings of a successful run: it’s a good road trip, it’s for a good cause and there is food after.

“What biker doesn’t like that?” Seiler asked rhetorically. “That was kind of our

The start of the annual Toys4Tots Motorcycle Fun Run is always a sight to behold, as cyclists ride together from Amiret to Marshall before splitting into two groups.

starting point. Next thing was, where would we go on our route, where are we gonna start from?”

The latter question had a quick answer: The Roaring Lyons Motorcycle Club in Amiret, where it has been since Day 1. Seiler said setting up the run wasn’t

too difficult. He said the first run ended up circling back to Amiret, and the day concluded with a meal consisting of hot dogs, beans and chips.

“Pretty good — simple and inexpensive,” he said. “Didn’t have any complaints.”

Bay

NEW Member Discount $50!*

2017 MeMbership ForM

Take an additional $50 off the already low membership fee if you have not been a member of Balaton Bay Golf Course (formerly Eastbay 9)!

Name: _________________________________________________________________ Address: _______________________________________________________________ City: _________________________________ State: _________ Zip: ____________ Phone: _________________________________________________________________ Email : ____________________________________________________________

See page 11

Formerly Eastbay 9

NEW MEMbEr DiscouNt!

$50 off

*

thE alrEaDy loW MEMbErship fEE!

Membership Options: (All Prices include Sales Tax) $423.23 $364.44 $364.44 $305.67 $246.85 $188.10 $88.18 $25.00

Toys 4 Tots:

Golf Course LLC

2017 MEMBERSHIP FORM

FAMILY WITH OWN CART: FAMILY NO CART: SINGLE WITH OWN CART: SINGLE NO CART: SENIOR (62)/COLLEGE STUDENT W/OWN CART SENIOR (62)/COLLEGE STUDENT NO CART ELEM/HS STUDENTS LEAGUE FEES (Starts week of May 15th!)

The original groups that served as the driving force behind the Fun Run initially were A.B.A.T.E. of Minnesota, Buffalo Ridge Chapter, the Roaring Lyons Motorcycle Club, The Brotherhood out of

*Must not have been a member of Balaton Bay Golf Course or formerly known Eastbay 9 Golf Course.

$________ $________ $________ $________ $________ $________ $________ $________

TOTAL FEE $________ Checks Payable to “Balaton Bay Golf Course” GREEN FEES:

CART FEES:

9 Holes 18 Holes Additional Rounds TRAIL FEES: 9 Holes Additional Rounds

$13.00 Cart for 9 Holes $20.00 Cart for 18 Holes $ 8.00/Round Pull Carts

$14.00 $20.00 $ 3.00

$5.00 $3.00/Round

COUPON BOOK OPTION! -- $115 for Ten (10) Rounds of Golf! Save $15! *Excluding Elem/HS Student memberships.

Mail Payments to: Balaton Bay Golf Course PO Box 206 Balaton, MN 56115 (Credit or Debit Card Payment options available. After club house open for season.)

1001 Lake Yankton Avenue PO Box 206 Balaton, MN (507) 734-GOLF (4653)

Southwest Sailor, July 2017 –11

Toys 4 Tots Continued from page 10

Garvin and the Blue Knights. More than 200 bikers helped make the initial run a success.

“And it grew every year from that,” said Seiler. “It grew from 200-some people, to 300, to 400, 500 — we thought, ‘How big can this really get?’ Eventually it got up to 700 — that was the most we ever had.”

Label those the good ol’ days. More recently, the run averages about 300 riders, said Tam Schons, who serves on the Fun Run board. That’s a number she would like to see increase.

“Now there’s a run somewhere every weekend, versus back then it was really a big deal,” she said.

“Nowadays, you can’t hold (the riders) there after because it gets to be such a long day,” Seiler said. “It’s hot, nobody wants to stick around. And they’re tired.”

“Some of them have been there since 7 o’clock in the morning and they’ve come from a long way,” Schons added. “Once the prizes and the money is handed out, they’re, like, gone.”

Over the years, there have been some tweaks to the event. For a couple years, the run concluded in Arco. After Brian Coudron took over, it finished up at Key Largo on Lake Shetek.

“They went with a pork barbecue,” Seiler said. “We even got the pork donated.”

Seiler said there are always volunteers who have stepped up to lend a hand or just an idea or two. Without those people, the Fun Run wouldn’t be what it is today.

“We’ve had several people who have stepped up to be chairman, and they’ve done a good job,” he said. “They’ve come up with some new ideas, kind of kept it fresh.”

Seiler and Schons said the Toys for Tots Fun Run is the biggest annual contributor to Heart to Heart, but it’s only as strong as the people behind the scenes. Schons said any volunteer help they can get is very appreciated.

“It takes a huge amount of people, because you can’t do it by yourself,” said Schons. “It’s all about the volunteers — and the people who donate.”

Registration for this year’s run begins at 9:30 a.m. at the Roaring Lyons Motorcycle Club in Amiret. The ride itself is at 11:30 a.m. sharp with Brau Brothers in Marshall the first destination for the toy drop-off and lunch. From there, the ride splits into two routes — one hitting cities such as Wabasso, Springfield, Comfrey, Westbrook, then to Key Largo and finally to Tracy, and the other going to Tyler, Hendricks, St. Leo, Ghent and Balaton, then back to Tracy. Each establishment that agrees to be a stop along the route is asked for a minimum of a $100 donation to the cause. There are usually about 10 total stops along the route.

The run was split into separate routes years ago when the event grew to include some 700 riders “That’s a lot in the same place at the same time — a lot of these places aren’t big enough to hold that many people,” Seiler said.

Schons, who took part in her first run when she moved to Tracy in 1994, has been on the Fun Run board for three years. She said the part she enjoys most is that initial stretch from Amiret to Marshall because that is the only time that all the bikers are together on the road at one time.

Quite a sight, she says. In fact, she tears up just thinking about it.

“When you look back and see all those bikes behind you and they all have a toy … that’s where you get the good, fuzzy feeling,” she said.

Local musician Kayla Daniels will be this year’s entertainment. She will play about 6 p.m. at The Caboose, which is where the meal will be served, staring at about 5:30 p.m. Daniels will sing throughout the closing part of the event, not just at one particular time at the end of the day. The meal will be a burger bar and ice cream bar. There will also be a silent auction, and cash and door prizes.

Schons said everyone is invited to The Caboose for the end-of-run festivities — they don’t have to take part in the ride.

“Everyone is very welcome to come out and enjoy the event, you don’t have to ride a motorcycle to give back,” she said.

Seiler isn’t as hands-on with the Fun

Lee Seiler and Tam Schons are proud of how far the Toys 4 Tots Fun Run has come over the years.

Run as he once was and isn’t looking for credit for getting it started all those years ago. He knows it’s been a team effort.

“The credit goes to the riders who show up and give all this money and these toys and donations to Heart to

Tracy 629-3042 South 4th Street ; a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Hours: Mon-Fri, 7 on No Sat, 8 a.m. to

PT FROM CONCE N...

TO COMtePouLrEprTofIO essionalism You’ll apprecia the highest and commitment to of the way. quality ever y step

Heart,” he said. “It’s not about me, it’s about the kids. I never really wanted to be in the spotlight.”

Seiler said over the years there has

Motorcycle run: See page 20

For home improvements that will last and last....insist on the finest building materials. See the crew at Tracy Ace

LUMBER – WINDOWS CABINETS – DECKS SHINGLES –DOORS SIDING – TOOLS HARDWARE–PAINT

12 – Southwest Sailor, July 2017

The opening scene from “Fragments of a Dream” shows the Ingalls family in a horse-drawn covered wagon, emerging in the distance, as they travel to their new home near Walnut Grove.

Laura’s legacy lives on

Wilder Pageant in Walnut Grove prepares for 40th season

By Scott Thoma

If a recipe is flavorful and delicious, it generally gets passed down from one generation to the next.

It’s the same thing with the Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant in Walnut Grove. Pour some veteran cast and crew members in with fresh faces every year, then blend them all together, add an interesting story and it becomes a recipe for success.

“I was in the pageant for many years and I was a cast member at the same time my three children were in it, and also the same time as my son’s three children were in it,” said Beth Kleven, who played ‘Old Laura’ for 17 years before retiring from the pageant in 2010. “It’s a lot of work to put on a pageant, and a lot

of work to be in the pageant. But we had a lot of fun.”

“Fragments of a Dream,” which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this summer, originated in 1978 as a play written by James Merchant. The first pageant was performed to a standingroom only crowd in the sultry confines of the Walnut Grove school gymnasium.

“The crowd was much bigger than anticipated that first year,” said Kleven, who was involved in the pageant as a cast member, stagehand or Pageant Singer for 30 years, and now sells t-shirts at the pageant. “I remember it being so hot and crowded in that school. It was almost unbearable.”

So it was decided by the pageant committee to hold an outdoor pageant.

With land available for rent just west of

minnesota cabinets, inc.

202 O’Connell Street • Marshall, MN Open Monday thru Friday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. or by appointment

(507) 532-4052

town along the “Banks of Plum Creek,” the pageant soon had a permanent home.

Outdoor beginnings An outdoor amphitheater was constructed that would allow special effects, improved lighting and sound, and more freedom for set designs.

Several buildings were constructed to represent a scaled-down version of 1870s Walnut Grove.

“The first year I was involved in the pageant (1979) was the first year they held it outdoors,” said Jesse James, a former Tracy High School English teacher who was cast as Reverend Alden that first season. “I remember helping to build the sets. We had a bunch of barn wood donated to us and I spent several mornings pulling nails out of the wood.”

James also remembers the crew and cast members wondering if they could pull off an outdoor pageant.

“We were rehearsing while they were still building the sets and we wondered if they would be done in time,” said James, who also played Mr. Oleson for one summer and Charles “Pa” Ingalls for nine seasons until stepping down in 1989. “We all wondered if we could pull this off and if anyone would even come to watch us. There were a lot of unknowns.

But we built such a strong camaraderie because of it.”

Errol Steffen is the only person who has been in all 40 pageants as a cast member. He has played Charles “Pa” Ingalls the past 27 years, while also

Wilder Pageant: See page 14

LocaL kit receives chen n grand pr ationaL ize design award!

This National Prize Winning Kitchen was designed and installed in a local lake home

by Minnesota Cabinets!

Southwest Sailor, July 2017 –13

summer boating. The prime season for summer boating has arrived in the region. These water enthusiasts enjoyed the waves of Lake Shetek.

Currie Welcome to

Laura Mae’s saLon

•Propane •Groceries •Pop •Beer •Ice •Pizza •Hot Dogs •24-Hour Pay at Pump Currie, MN

(507) 763-3377

•Full Service Salon •Spray Tanning •Men’s Day Tuesdays •Walk-ins Welcome

The Gateway to Lake Shetek

Schreier’S On Shetek Campground, Inc.

Bait & tackle

Check with u abou s latest t the fish gossip ing !

RuppeRt Oil CO. intersection Hwy 30 & Co. Rd. 38

507-763-3778 Cell (507) 760-1355

Open Monday thru Sunday 6 a.m. - 10 p.m.

35 Resort Road Currie, MN

Joe & Marcia Schreier, Owners

email us at schremks@frontiernet.net or call (507) 763-3817 • Dock System with seating, 62’ from shore • Enclosed picnic shelter (seats 90) • Handicapped accessible restrooms/showers with soft water • Handicap accessible Bathrooms/Shower House for our Tenting & Popup Sites on the Peninsula • Office/ministore with bait & ice • Fish Cleaning Facility • Private Swimming Area with Raft • 120 campsites from tents to full hook-ups Seasonal, Monthly, & Weekly, Nightly Rates Available

• Mini-Golf, Playground & Shuffleboard • Air Conditioned Recreation Hall • Cemented Basketball Court • Private Boat Access • Walking Trails • Soft Water throughout Campground

Free Wi-Fi

www.schreiersonshetek.com

INDepeNDeNT HOMe OwNeD

You Know Us…We Know You! Full Service Bank •Lending •ATM Machines •Savings •Internet Banking •CDs Member FDIC

•Mortgages •Checking •Mobile Banking •Mobile Deposit

Lake Shetek Community Church Located at End-O-Line Park, Currie, MN (507) 763-3862

Upstairs rental available Open tUesday thrU Friday 4 p.m. tO ClOse satUrday & sUnday 11 a.m. tO ClOse

117 S. Minnesota Ave. Okabena, MN (507) 853-4421

www.curriestatebank.com

Full Bar • On & OFF Sale BurgerS & BaSketS

52 Tepeeotah Rd., Lake Shetek (507) 763-3631

141 Mill Street Currie, MN (507) 763-3262

Worship service sunday 11:00 a.m.

You’ll find open doors, hands & hearts all through the year!

Rooster’s Currie, MN • (507) 395-1555

Off-Sale liquOr StOre 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

On-Sale SpOrtS Bar 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.

Happy Hour m-F 4-6 p.m.

Check out our Fantastic Selection of Wines!

14 – Southwest Sailor, July 2017

Wilder Pageant Continued from page 12

serving as Pageant Committee President the past 20 years.

“It does take a lot of my time, but I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t like it,” said Steffen, who has owned and operated Steffen Electric in downtown Walnut Grove since 1980. “I still get excited when pageant time rolls around, but I also still get nervous before the first performance.”

Steffen and a committee of eight meet monthly throughout the year to do the groundwork for each pageant season.

Pageant preparations include auditions, rehearsals, repairs, organization, and marketing. But it’s the unknown that can be the biggest worry.

“The only thing I ever worry about and is one of my biggest fears is the weather,” laughed Erin Richards, who is in her third year as director. “It’s so unpredictable.”

In Richards’ first year as director in 2015, one of the six productions had to be cancelled due to inclement weather. And again last summer, a severe thunderstorm forced one of the performances to be cancelled.

Richards, whose father Bill was a director for many years, has been involved with the pageant for a number of years as cast member, makeup, back stage, assistant director and now director.

“The pageant has been my life,” she exclaimed. “It does require a lot of work, but I get excited about it every summer.

We rehearse five days a week for two or three hours a day. And we rehearse for about five weeks.”

The pageant is held over three weekends with two performances each weekend (Friday and Saturday).

Originally, “Fragments of a Dream” was performed three times over three weekends, including Sundays.

Sixty-five people in the pageant cast are supported by an army of volunteers: musicians, publicists, animal handlers, choreographers, makeup and hair assistants, concession and souvenir workers, ticket takers, stagehands, set crews, parking attendants, lighting and sound technicians, and more.

“We don’t have too much trouble getting volunteers or performers,” Richards said. “People like to be involved with the pageant. The kids love to be in the pageant and we don’t turn anyone away. They might not have speaking parts, but they get to sing or dance.”

Part of town fabric The two-act pageant has become as

much a part of Walnut Grove as Laura Ingalls Wilder herself. Fans from every state and several countries have sat on the pageant site and watched as a dedicated ensemble work toward a common goal; to make the pageant as enjoyable and educational as possible for those in attendance.

“Being involved in the pageant takes most of your summer,” said Kleven.

“You rehearse for over a month, then you have three weeks of the pageant, and then it takes a long time to clean up and put everything away once the pageant is over for the year.”

But many of the same volunteers return year after year, even though they know there will be long hours in the summer heat.

“People have accused us of being dedicated or nuts. I think it’s one or the other, too … or both.”

Unscripted happenings Not everything always goes as planned. But that’s the beauty of good acting.

“If someone forgets a line, others will pick them up,” said James.

And it’s not just the actors who step out of line.

During the grasshopper scene, for instance, bits of crackers are spread on the ground and high-powered fans blow

Pageant 40th: See page 21

Raging prairie fires are among the 1870s challenges faced by the Charles and Caroline Ingalls family in the pageant.

Your Place for Fun on the Water In Stock

Tubes & Life jackeTs

20% off Wave Pads

Now In Stock. 6' x 12' or 6' x 18'

10% off

301 S. Hwy. 23 • Marshall, MN

507-532-9649 M-F 8-5:30; Th. 8-7; Sat. 9-3 www.yourwaytofun.com Prices good through July 10, 2017

Expert health care

FOR ALL AGES. Make a personal, lifelong connection with a primary care provider at Sanford Tracy. Our team specializes in preventive care as well as the diagnosis and management of chronic conditions.

Call (507) 629-8400 to schedule an appointment.

Errol Steffen 018026-00126 Rev. 11/16

Andrew Kopperud, MD, Pediatrics Kelly Hoffman, FNP, Family Medicine Joe Bretschneider, PA-C, Family Medicine Amanda Glanzer, FNP, Family Medicine

Happy (water) trails…

Southwest Sailor, July 2017 –15

Recreational use surges on Minnesota River

By Scott Thoma

As a young couple paddled along the Minnesota River recently, they enjoyed the sights and sounds of the wildlife, the various wild flowers and trees along the river banks, and an occasional fish jumping above the surface of the water and leaving rings that gradually expanded before dissipating.

“This is what we do when we need to get away and relax,” said Barry Markison whose canoe partner Connie Danielson echoed his statements while securing his canoe atop his SUV following a day of paddling in Granite Falls. “We paddled about 20 miles today and we feel rested more than tired.”

“It’s so peaceful to be on the river,” Danielson spoke. “We just love this.”

Both reside and work in Minneapolis, but Markison once had relatives living near Granite Falls and he used to fish or skip rocks with his cousins on the river banks. A few years ago, the couple was camping in the Upper Sioux State Park and brought their canoe along. And they’ve been hooked ever since.

Canoeists paddle along the Minnesota River (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources photos).

“We love this river,” Markison remarked. “We’re getting used to all the turns and resting spots. We needed to get away from the hustle and bustle of the Twin Cities, so we come here several times a summer now. We try to go a little further on the river each time we come

here.”

This is exactly what Clyde and Shirley Ryberg were dreaming of when they fought for and spearheaded the nation’s first and largest Water Trails system which is included in four main rivers – Minnesota, Big Fork, Little Fork and St.

Jump into some fun!

Croix – in 1963.

With the majority of Minnesotans traveling via highways and roads, Clyde and Shirley Ryberg of Burnsville set out to “arouse this sleeping recreational

Water trails: See page 16

RailRoad PaRk & MuseuM

Guided Tours and Visitor’s Center, Gifts and Tourist Information 440 North Mill Street, Currie, MN (507) 763-3708 e-mail: endoline@co.murray.mn.us

Open Memorial Weekend through Labor Day and by Special Arrangement.

Wednesday thru Sunday 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; Closed Monday & Tuesday

www.murraycountymn.com

www.endoline.com

Open f the Se or ason Memo r Week ial end!

16 – Southwest Sailor, July 2017

Water trails Continued from page 15

giant” in hopes of alerting others about the beauty of the waterway via some type of watercraft.

“They wanted to supplement the recreational economy,” said Erik Wrede, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Water Trails Coordinator. “They felt the rivers were being underused and wanted people to get out there and enjoy all the things there are to see and hear, while also learning about the history of the rivers. There is a ton of history along the Minnesota River” To help increase public awareness of the Minnesota River’s recreational potential, the Rybergs paddled from the beginning of the river from Big Stone Lake at Ortonville to its confluence with the Mississippi River near Fort Snelling in St. Paul in 1957. The vessel they used was a makeshift catamaran in which they fastened two canoes together with a small 8-horsepower motor affixed between them. Along the eight-day, 318-mile journey, the Rybergs captured footage with a 9mm camera, along with taking several still photographs.

What they learned during their excursion was the need for others to enjoy the same experience. But first, a lot of help would be needed in mapping the river.

River towns help “The Rybergs visited towns along the river, inspiring community leaders into a ‘Do it yourself action’,” said Wrede.

“They wanted communities to use their

own resources and not look to the state to do the work for them.”

Eventually, the Rybergs created a documentary entitled “The Forgotten River,” which was shown to enthusiasts in communities throughout the Minnesota River Valley. The educational film made a profound impact on the general public about the awareness of recreational opportunity on the river.

This awareness and enthusiasm also led to the Minnesota River Recreational Development Association (MRRDA) being founded.

With Clyde’s political ties and the Rybergs’ vast enthusiasm for water recreation, they were able to convince the Minnesota legislature to eventually create the Minnesota State Water Trails.

They eventually traveled the Big and Small Fork Rivers, as well as the St. Croix River, educating communities along the way there, too.

“They didn’t want the government offices to have to map everything out,” said Wrede. “They wanted each community to help in planning and recording the waterways for routes, depths, accesses, historical information and other things like that.”

However, accesses needed to be developed in the river, while fallen trees and other “snags” needed to be removed, as well as opening up narrow passageways, in order to allow for increased recreation. But funding would be needed to accomplish this huge undertaking and, with Ryberg’s influence, the state Legislature

Lake Benton Minnesota

audience paddled from Granite Falls to the Upper Sioux Agency State Park during the performance on the river.

That brought even more awareness to the river.”

The Paddling Theater performance was put on by PlaceBase Productions

Water trail: See page 22

A series of primitive campsites have been established along the Minnesota River.

104 e. benton street lake benton, MN (507) 368-4585

• Delivery AvAilAble •MeAts •ProDuce •bAkery

Lake Benton Gifts Lake Benton Hardware 101 N. Center • Lake Benton

• Lawn & Garden décor

• Giftware •BaLLoons • free Gift wrappinG (507) 368-4283 or (800) 252-9602

July 27, 28, 29, August 2, 3, 4 , 5 7:30 p.m.

July 30, August 5, 6 at 2:00 p.m.

Admission $13 Adults, $12 Students & Senior Citizens

Senior Citizen’s Day – Saturday, Aug. 5

See the 2:00 show for only $10. Senior Citizens 62 and older Tickets available online at www.lakebentonoperahouse.org Presented by

Lake Benton Opera House

Southwestern Minnesota’s Premiere Community Theatre!

It is also made possible in part by support from the Lake Benton Area foundation.

appropriated $20,000 for the project in 1961.

Four years ago, in celebration of the 50-year anniversary of the Minnesota River State Water Trails, a “Paddling Theater” live performance was held on the Minnesota River.

“There were 230 people on the river that day,” said Wrede. “The actors and

Lake Benton Grocery 25% Off Select Gift itemS

This activity is made possible in part by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the SW MN Arts Council, thanks to legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural fund.

An adventuresome kayaker maneuvers through Patterson’s Rapids near Renville County Park.

Lake Benton, MN • Call (507) 368-4620 for Reservations (9 a.m.-6 p.m.) lakebentonoperahouse@gmail.com

New! FlorAl DesigN & ArrANgeMeNts

Kjergaard Sports

Buy – Sell – Trade

13th Annual Buffalo Ridge Demo Shoot

Saturday, July 15, 2017 • 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Shoot factory demo guns at our range!

Try Shooting Guns • Portable Sporting Clays Thrower!

Many reps on hand for the day: APF, Browning, Winchester, Benelli, Franchi, Stoeger, Uberti, Black Rain, Glock, Beretta, Tikka, Sako, DPMS, Remington, Hornady, Henry, Savage, Smith & Wesson, Springfield Armory, Mossberg, STI, Swarovski, FMK, ATI, Mauser, Sauer, SIG, and more.

Huge s of Ammuopply stock! in ved on Lunch Sreorunds! g e th by Lincoln County Served Club g Sports 4H Shootin

1951 200th Avenue • Lake Benton, MN • (507) 368-4696 • Service (507) 368-4894 From Lake Benton, 4 miles North on Hwy. 75, 1 Mile East on Co. 13, 1/2 Mile North on 200th Ave. Hours: Monday-Saturday 9-8; Sunday 1-8 p.m. kjergaardguns@itctel.com • www.kjergaardsports.com

Southwest Sailor, July 2017 –17

Brush up your spear-throwing techniques Jeffers Petroglyphs program promises extra leverage

The atlatl—which allowed stone-age peoples to throw spears with greater force and more easily hunt game— takes aim at the Jeffers Petroglyphs this summer.

The Minnesota Historical Society site is planning a Saturday, July 1 program, that allows people to make their own “spearthrower” and try it out. The program runs from 1 to 4 p.m.

The atlatl, according to the historical society, is considered to be one of mankind’s greatest inventions. Those who make an atlatl will be able to use it to throw a spear at a life-size bison target.

A collection of atlatis from around the world will be on display.

Other July programs scheduled at the Petroglyphs are: • “A New Look at the Carvings,”

Saturday, July 8 & 22, 5 to 7 p.m. “Explore the rock face in bare feet in the evening to see petroglyphs off the regular path when the lighting is most favorable for viewing. Visitors can explore on their own, but an interpreter will be available to answer questions and direct visitors.

In recent years, an extensive conservation project identified an additional 3,000 petroglyphs, which until recently have been covered in lichen.

• “Prairie Animal Discovery Day,” Saturday, July 15, 1 to 4 p.m. “Discover the variety of animals that live on the prairie by examining the clues that they leave behind. Examine skulls and bones, touch animal furs and make your own plaster animal tracks to take home.”

• “American Indian Games,” Saturday, July 29, 1 to 4 p.m. “Play games popular among American Indians of the past, including the moccasin game, doubleball, bone and pin, and lacrosse. Learn how these games help children develop skills such as coordination, teamwork, and cooperation.

The Petroglyphs site in northeastern Cottonwood County preserves and displays rock carvings made by native peoples over thousands of years.

A special July 1 program offers the chance to make an atlatl, and then throw a spear at a bison target. (Minnesota Historical Society Photos).

“Prairie Animal Discovery Day” offers surprises for young and old.

Admission is charged.

Address for the Jeffers Petroglyphs is 27160 County

Road 2. Call 507-628-5591 for more information.

PAINTED PRAIRIE VINEYARD

Located on the rolling prairie of Southwest Minnesota, Painted Prairie Vineyard produces hand-crafted wines from locally grown grapes representing distinctive character.

SEA-DOO FUN STARTS AT $5,299 ®

†

GET 0% FINANCING

1 mile North of Dovray, MN • (507) 626-5203 www.paintedprairiewine.com

FOR 36 MONTHS

††

UP TO $500 REBATE ON SELECT 2017 MODELS ‡

The Bike Shop Cycling & Fitness

Downtown Marshall • (507) 532-3633

Sales & Service of Bicycles for the whole family!

Check out our Exercise Equipment!

•Mountain •Fat Bikes •Road •Fitness •Recreation •Kids 10% Off •BMX & Freestyle Bike Accessories with Purchase of •Bike Trailers

Reliable Products with Reliable Service!

a New Bike.

VISIT US TODAY 301 S. Hwy. 23 • Marshall, MN

507-532-9649 www.yourwaytofun.com

Open Monday-Friday 8-5:30; Thursday 8-7 • Saturday 9-3 ©2017 Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. (BRP). All rights reserved. ®, ™ and the BRP logo are trademarks of BRP or its affiliates. In the U.S.A., products are distributed by BRP US Inc. Offers valid in U.S.A. only from June 1, 2017 to July 6, 2017. The terms and conditions may vary depending on your state and these offers are subject to termination or change at any time without notice. See an authorized BRP dealer for details. † Starting at $5,299: 2017 Sea-Doo SPARK™ models start at $5,299. This Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) excludes taxes, delivery and registration fees. The price paid may vary depending on available rebates and promotions, as well as other fees and credit qualifications, if requested by the consumer. ‡ Rebate up to $500 on select 2017 models: Eligible units are select new and unused 2016 Sea-doo watercraft models. The buyer of an eligible 2016 model will receive up to $500 rebate. Rebate amount depends on the model purchased.

While quantities last. Offer may not be assigned, traded, sold or combined with any other offer unless expressly stated herein. Other conditions and some restrictions may apply. Offer void where prohibited by law. Follow all instructional and safety materials. BRP recommends a minimum operator age of 16 years old. Always observe applicable laws and regulations. Respect the rights of shoreline residents, and keep a safe distance from other recreationists. Always wear appropriate protective clothing, including a Coast Guard-approved life vest that is suitable for watercraft use. Not all riding conditions are appropriate for inexperienced or beginner riders. Always ride safely and responsibly. Remember that riding and alcohol/drugs don’t mix. †† Financing as low as 0% APR for 36 Months: Eligible units are new and unused 2017 and prior Sea-doo PWC purchased from a participating BRP dealer. For example, on a purchase of an eligible unit where the Amount Financed is $10,000, your Down Payment is $0 with 36 monthly payments of $277.78 each. ANNUAL PERCENTAGE RATE 0%. These financing programs are offered by Citibank N.A. Approval, and any rates and terms provided, are based on credit worthiness. Other financing offers are available. Other qualifications and restrictions may apply. Financing promotions void where prohibited. BRP is not responsible for any errors, changes or actions related to financing provided by Citibank N.A. See an authorized BRP dealer for details.

sea-doo.com

18 – Southwest Sailor, July 2017

Did Laura sit here?

Book describes Ingalls family’s train ride to Tracy

The Lyon County town of Tracy can’t claim that “George Washington slept here.” But it does have a historical basis to assert that Laura Ingalls and her siblings took a train to Tracy in 1879, and then waited for Pa to arrive by wagon to take them to their new home near DeSmet, S.D. Laura Ingalls Wilder’s book “By the Shores of Silver Lake,” describes the Ingalls family saying goodbye to Walnut Grove, and boarding a train for their trip west. Caroline Ingalls and each of the girls—Mary, Laura, Carrie, and Grace—are dressed in their Sunday best.

Two satchels contained all their worldly possessions.

The book tells of the family’s exhilarating first train ride to Tracy, where they disembark, and first wait in the depot, and then go to a nearby hotel for lunch.

The Wheels Across the Prairie Museum in Tracy has a old wooden bench from the Tracy depot. Did Laura and the rest of the Ingalls family sit on this very same bench 138 years ago?

Other attractions at the Wheels Across the Prairie Museum include: • A 1915 switch engine, coal tender, wooden boxcar, and caboose.

• Restored Chicago & Northwestern depot.

• 19th century log cabin that originally stood at the Great Oasis in Murray County.

• One-room country school house, • St. Mark’s Episcopal Church.

• Blacksmith shop.

• Norwegian rosemaling hut.

• Amiret Post Office.

• Summer kitchen.

• Antique farm machinery.

• Multitudes of artifacts, photos, and historical displays.

The museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, and 1 to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Fridays this summer.

“On the Shores of Silver Lake” tells the story about the Ingalls family taking the train to Tracy, where they awaited the arrival of Pa Ingalls by wagon. A Wheels Across the Prairie Museum exhibit depicts sitting on a Tracy depot bench.

150 candles for Laura

A two-story log cabin that originally stood at the Great Oasis in Murray County is an attraction at the Tracy “Wheels” museum.

Valhalla & Keeley Islands

on Beautiful Lake Shetek

The Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum in Walnut Grove is celebrating the 150th anniversary of Laura’s birth over three weekends this summer.

“We are celebrating Laura’s birthday with a birthday party the three Saturdays of the Family Festival,” explains Amy Ankrum, Wilder Museum director.

The Family Festival is planned at Walnut Grove’s City Park, July 15, 22 and 29.

For a $5 fee, visitors can enjoy party games, pioneer craft stations and birthday treats at the park’s shelter.

Wilder was born in Pepin, Wisconsin on Feb. 7, 1867.

She is best known for a series of “Little House” books about her early pioneer life, and the popular Little House on the Prairie television series on NBC. Wilder died in 1957 in Mansfield, Missouri.

PETE’S CORNER

Lake Sarah Baptist Church

FReSh, LIVe BAIT

Good SeLecTIon oF TAckLe FIShInG LIcenSe - LAke MAPS - InFo

1613 191st Street • Slayton, MN 507-763-3477 • Pastor John Lassen www.lakesarahbaptistchurch.org

Valhalla Island Campground Service

• Facilities, Dedicated Staff & Programs available Year ‘Round • High comfort Retreat Center for Adults & Families • Comfortable Modern Cabins for Youth Groups • Large Dining Room • Gymnasium & Fitness Center

Memorial Day to Labor Day 9:00 a.m.

Worship Service at the Church 10:30 a.m.

Beautiful setting for outdoor aCtivities from Cross-Country skiing to swimming & Boating.

Contact us for information and availability or check our website.

14 Keeley Island Drive, Slayton, MN • (507) 763-3567 e-mail: slbc@frontiernet.net • website: www.shetek.org

And There’s More…

Ice • Groceries Snacks • Pizza • Sandwiches Plus An Accurate Fish Weighing Scale

GoT ‘A nIce cATch

You earned your Bragging Rights!

We will take your picture and put it in our local paper!

Store Hours: 7:00 a.m. to 10 p.m., 7 days a week Except Mondays, 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

North Jct. Hwy. 59 & 30 Slayton, MN Phone 507-836-6279

Dianne’s Dockside Key Largo on

ke

he e

Valhalla Island, Lake Shetek (507) 763-3999

29 Valhalla DriVe Slayton, Mn

(507) 763-3400 keylargoevents@frontier.com www.keylargolakeshetek.com

Full-service Restaurant & Lounge with Fine Dining & Spectacular views

Banquet facilities available •Rehearsal Dinners, Bachelor/Bachelorette parties •Weddings •Family & Class Reunions •Birthdays • Anniversaries … the possibilities are endless!

• • • •

Tiki Bar with “Chill Chamber” Sand Volleyball Court Pool Tables New Off-Sale Room

Enjoy unique …

•Home Accents •Boutique Clothing •Exquisite Jewelry •Purses & Hand Bags •Shoes •Classic Evening Wear •Perfect for Gifts!

Closed Monday & Tuesday; Wednesday – Saturday 11-7; Sunday 12-5

Southwest Sailor, July 2017 –19

Garden & quilt tour to bloom What do colorful quilts and summer flower gardens in full bloom have in common?

Everything, as far as a July 12 garden tour sponsored by the Tracy Kiwanis Club and the St. Mary’s Council of Catholic Women Their annual garden and quilt tour this year features six gardens in the Balaton area, with quilts made by six local quilters.

A $15 per person ticket gains a map and admission to the six gardens, where dozens of quilts will also be displayed.

The ticket includes homemade pie and ice cream to top off the day.

Garden tour sites are: Cookie & Joe Cooreman, Mary & Fran Timmerman, Julie & Greg Erickson, Ruth & Dave

Old Time Fiddlers will take stage in Pipestone

Lehnhoff, Marcella & Don Beatty, Sue & Larry Mitzner.

Quilts made by Sue Mitzner, Gayle Kaup, Elvera Benson, Laureen Thooft, Lois Ahlschlager, Pat Rutz, and Rosemary Kuether will be featured.

Advance tickets are available at Greenwood Nursery, Tracy and Marshall. Tickets will also be available at each house on the day of the event.

A $2 quilt raffle coincides with the tour.

Prizes include a quilt wall hanging with a coordinating pillow by Lynn Holland Larson, a lap quilt by Bev Holland, a quilt from the Debbie Bowles Collection, flower planters by Jesse James, and two certificates for St. Mary’s pies.

Rain date for the tour is July 13.

Flowers and quilts blended beautifully during the 2016 garden tour.

The South Dakota Old Time Fiddlers are returning to the Pipestone Performing Arts Center. Sunday, July 9, at 3 p.m.

The program is billed as “performers playing fiddles, accordions, harmonicas, and genuine old-time singing for a jam session show.”

Admission is charged. Call 825-2020 or 877-722-2787 for ticket information.

Norwegian emigration will be in spotlight

Why did they come?

How did they adapt to America?

What challenges did they face?

A new exhibit at the Lyon County Historical Society Museum in Marshall offers insights into those questions and others.

“New Land, New Life: Norwegian Immigration in Minnesota, 1825-1925,” opens July 1, and continues through Sept. 30. The Lyon County Historical Society and the Canby Sons of Norway Vennskap Lodge are sponsoring the traveling exhibit, which is a collaboration by the Ramsey County Historical Society and St. Paul Sons of Norway SynnoveNordkap lodge.

Panels interpret primary materials, and present secondary research by professors Carlton Qualey and John Gjerde. Natives of Norway were one of the earliest and largest ethnic groups to settle the Minnesota frontier in the late 19th and early 20th Century. One in five Minnesotans today claim Norwegian ancestry.

An opening reception is planned Thursday, July 13, 6:30 p.m. Pastor Lyle Snyder will talk about the immigration story of his great, great- grandfather, Johanes Kjelson Westereng, from Ostfold County Norway, to Madison, MN. Refreshments and Norwegian goodies will be served.

There is no admission charge.

See what Tracy has to offer…

• Tracy Aquatic Center • Wheels Across the Prairie Museum • Six Miles of Bike Trails • Swift Lake Park Campground • Hospital & Clinic • Beautiful Flower Gardens

• • •

• •

Activity Room Rental Ten City parks Shopping, Food, Gas & Groceries Golf Course Liquor Store

City of traCy

336 Morgan Street • Tracy, MN • (507) 629-5528 www.tracymn.org

20 – Southwest Sailor, July 2017

‘Gumdrop’ baits can entice summer bite

Phil Myhrberg and Lee Seiler at either the first or one of the first Toys4Tots Motorcycle Fun Runs.

Motorcycle run Continued from page 11

always been someone ready to step up when the event needed a leader.

“We’ve been fortunate that we’ve had people who have stepped up and keep it moving forward,” he said.

• Financial donations as well as gifts are being accepted. If you would like to be a part of this year’s Fun Run in any way or donate from a distance, Schons can be reached at 507-626-0675. You can also email Toys4totsmn@gmailcom Donations this year go to Heart to Heart of Marshall, Murray County Christmas Project in Slayton, Share the Spirit of Redwood County Lincoln County

Christmas Baskets & Toys in Ivanhoe, Christmas Cheer Box of Ivanhoe, Santa’s Sleigh of Yellow Medicine County and Operation Christmas Joy in Springfield.

Route 1 Wabasso (Roadhouse), Springfield (Outlaws Bar), Comfrey Bar & Grill, Westbrook (Bonnie & Clyde’s II), Key Largo Route 2 Hendricks (Brewing Bank), Ghent (KB’s), St. Leo (Green Door), Tyler (Timber Tavern), Balaton (KirPatrick’s) • Both routes end at The Caboose in Tracy.

The easy bite is over, but the walleyes are still swimming in all the lakes where they were in May, and you can still catch them, Oh you can’t fish them the way you did a month ago, but you can finesse them by offering them a leech or just a little piece of night crawler presented on the end of a lure called a gumdrop.

A gumdrop, or Phelps Floater, is a soft, flexible, foam-body, floating bait with a hook in it. Weedy bottom, rocky bottom, sunken limbs, moss the gumdrop cruises right over them.

All you need is some type of bottom bouncer to find the bottom for you, and then just attach a gumdrop to monofilament line to determine how far off the bottom you want your bait to suspend. In our area, the walleyes of Lake Sarah prefer a small leech following the gum drop.

If you choose to use a night crawler behind your gumdrop, use only half of a night crawler and thread it on to the gumdrop hook.

Here is a gumdrop setup we use when fishing sunfish. We use bullet style sinkers with a pointed end and a hole through the middle. Then we attach a length of VANISH fishing line with a gumdrop tied to it. Sunfish like sunken weed areas, so the bullet sinker slides right through the weeds. We usually attach the gumdrop about 3 feet behind

Fishing …with Joe

by Joe LeTendre

the sinker. Sunfish really smash these lures when the lures travel by.

Summer walleyes often times prefer weeds too. A number of years ago we were drifting gumdrops through weeds when we found a spot in the weeds where the walleyes were hanging out. After we caught one walleye, we decided to make another drift through the same weed area. Sure enough, we caught another walleye, we didn’t take home a limit of sunfish, but we got enough walleyes to make up the difference.

Once when fishing Lake Thompson in South Dakota on a hot July day my son and I noticed guys fishing around trees that were sticking out of the water. So we found a set of trees the other folks weren’t fishing and we offered the Lake Thompson walleyes some night crawlers attached to gum drops.

Sometimes our bottom bouncers got tangled up in the trees, but the gumdrops never hooked a tree, and we caught a bunch of walleyes.

Tracy Country Club Highway 14 • 2-1/2 Miles East of Tracy

Call (507) 629-4666 for Tee Times • Look for Special Events throughout the Season • Cart Rental Available • Driving Range • Monday & Thursday All Day Golf Special • Food Available/Lunch Menu • New Membership Discounts

Contact the Club NOW to book your parties…up to 150 people

Boats to Fit Your Lifestyle!

Check out our lineup of 2017 Pontoons & Boats!

ceSts) i v r oa Se & Fishing B

ontoons s •Rentals (P Dock •Seasonal Slip n o es •Bait •Gas g •Marine Accessori ildin •Prop Rebu rizing •Storage S •Winte Day 7 Open week per

Wheels Across the Prairie Museum

SplaSh padS Towables, & Tubes

Located on West Highway 14 – Laura Ingalls Memorial Highway Tracy, Minnesota

OPEN JUNE 1 THRU OCTOBER 1 Wed., Thurs., Fri. 1 – 5 P.M MAY, SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER Sat. & Sun. 10 A.M. – 5 P.M

www.wheelsacrosstheprairie.org After-Hour Tours or Special Tours available.

Call for an appointment–Jon 507-626-1949 or Billie Jo 507-829-5145

SaleS - Service - inStallation - removal BoatS & motorS DockS & liftS Valhalla Island, Lake Shetek – 507-763-3171 – shetekmarine@yahoo.com “Selling & Servicing The Lakes Area Fun for Over 40 Years!”

Southwest Sailor, July 2017 –21

Pageant 40th Continued from page 14

them around the ground to give the appearance of the grasshopper jumping around. Several years ago, a raccoon emerged and began dining on the bits of food during the performance.

“If something goes wrong, we just keep going,” chuckled Steffen. “A lot of times the audience doesn’t notice. One time a pair of horses got spooked and took off behind the buildings and they were finally stopped two miles away.”

Steffen started out as Reverend Alden when he was just 21 years old. He also played Mr. Oleson and a couple of other roles before settling in as “Pa”.

“Bill Richards was the director and asked me if I wanted to be ‘Pa’ and I said I would give it a try,” Steffen recalls. “I had heard all the lines for so long anyway during other pageants. I’ve been doing it ever since.”

Former cast members will be introduced this summer as part of the 40th anniversary.

“We want to show our appreciation to everyone over the past 40 years,” said Steffen. “Unfortunately, a lot of them are no longer with us.”

Laura fans appreciate the town’s dedication and professionalism.

“People come from all over to come to the pageant,” said Kleven. “Not just all over the United States; they come from a lot of other countries, too.”

James will never forget an encounter he had after a performance.

“After a show, a lot of little kids wanted autographs,” he noted. “I was ‘Pa’ then and there was one shy little girl who had Down’s Syndrome who came up to me. I knelt down and talked to her and asked her if she liked Laura and a few other questions.

Motorcycle trip this suMMer?

2006 Time OuT DarT mOTOrcycle cargO Trailer

Used for 500 mile trips in 2007 & 2008 then garage-kept since. Like new. 18 cubic feet of carpeted storage, cooler and top luggage rack. Tracy, MN $1100

Charles Ingalls portrayed by Jeff James, tells Caroline (Debbie Kuehl) to be strong after the family learns they must live in a primitive dugout house.

Portraying the Ingalls family in the 1985 production are: Amy Foster as Mary; Lisa Pilaczynski as Laura; Jeff James as Charles; Debbie Kuehl as Caroline and Megan Alford as Carrie.

“She never spoke a word, but she would just nod her head. Then she started to leave and walked about five steps away and turned back and ran to me with open arms and hugged me and said ‘I love you Pa.’ I get teary-eyed even thinking about it now.”

Pageant dates this summer are Friday and Saturday, July 14-15, 21-22, and 2829.

Boys in the cast, Andy Leonard, Ronnie Keuhl, Jeff Brockmann and Andy Kleven relax in house seats prior to a practice. (1985)

Laura, Carrie and Mary Ingalls (portrayed

by Lisa Pilaczynski, Megan Alford and Amy Foster) take a dim view of their first look at the new prairie home.

call 904-536-5217

DON’S REPAIR South Fourth Street Tracy, MN (507) 629-3611 or Cell Phone 1-507-828-3362

DON JACOB

SPECIALIZING IN...

•Computerized Diagnostics •Transmissions •Radiators •Engine Repairs for cars and trucks

Charles Ingalls (Jeff James) plays the fiddle while country parson Doug Dahmes chimes in on “Rock of Ages.”

Spectators watch the pageant in 1979.

Serving All Your Insurance Needs Life • Health • MPCI • Commercial • Auto • Farm • Crop Hail • Home Owners Greg Carlson Agent Tracy (507) 629-3084

154 3rd Street Tracy, MN 56175 (507) 629-3084

690 Main Street Walnut Grove, MN 56180 (507) 859-2154

104 Sherman Street Garvin, MN 56132 (507) 746-4444

535 1st Avenue Westbrook, MN (507) 274-5962

306 America Street Storden, MN (507) 445-3900

Knakmuhs Real Estate Call (507) 629-4618 • 154 3rd Street • Tracy, MN

If you are interested in buying or selling Residential • lake shoRe AgriculturAl CommeRCial PRoPeRty

Kerry J. Knakmuhs Broker Associate Walnut Grove (507) 859-2154

Matt Knakmuhs Broker Tracy (507) 629-4618

www.knakmuhsagency.com

Justin Knakmuhs Salesperson Storden (507) 445-3900

Nate Knakmuhs Salesperson Westbrook (507) 274-5962

22 – Southwest Sailor, July 2017

Water trail Continued from page 16

and numerous local performers brought stories and history of the Minnesota River to life. Actors playing characters from throughout history emerged along the river banks, islands and watercraft to lead the audience on an interactive journey into the past and future of the Minnesota River Valley.

Rich heritage The Minnesota River in particular is rich in historical value. From Granite Falls to New Ulm is a meandering 105mile journey along a portion of the Minnesota River State Water Trail that had immense value to both the settlers and Dakota Indians.

In fact, at one point near Sacred Heart is an area where a designated Class I rapids dubbed “Patterson’s Rapids” was once the site of a short-lived gold rush in the 1890s. The gold vein was quickly depleted and the boom town of Springville became a ghost town shortly after.

River enthusiasts can also float past a stretch between Granite Falls to North Redwood Falls that takes them through an area where granite outcrops are prevalent. Some of these outcrops are among the oldest discovered rocks in North America, dating back more than three million years ago.

The Lower Sioux Agency near Morton is where the Dakota Conflict began and some valley settlers escaped the Dakota by means of the Redwood Ferry to reach Fort Ridgely near New Ulm. That ferry site and the escape route on the other side of the river bank can still be viewed today.

In the late 1800s, riverboats used to stop at the Harkin Store near Fort

Ridgely to pick up supplies. Today, the store is a historical site and still contains many original supplies and furnishings.

Camping & fishing The Minnesota River State Water Trail has also designated areas for primitive camping for those in water crafts who might want to rest, enjoy a meal, or stay overnight before continuing on their way along the river.

“There are a few primitive sites between Granite Falls and New Ulm,” said Wrede. “The primitive sites are just that; primitive. They include an ‘open’ toilet, designated campsites for tents, picnic table and fire pit. Some of the sites have one or two sites, and some have a few more.”

There are also county and state park sites along the way for those that aren’t the “primitive” type. And there are several accesses along the river. Two areas also require portaging; one in Granite Falls and another just southeast from there. All of these areas and other water trail information can be found by visiting mndnr.gov/watertrails.

The Minnesota River offers an abundance of bird life. There are numerous species of songbirds and shorebirds that use the area along the river valley for nesting, breeding and resting during migration. Others such as pheasants, partridge and wild turkeys utilize the thick cover in the river valley for nesting, as well as protection from predators and harsh winters. Eagles, hawks and owls are also commonly viewed.

It’s also not rare to see deer, raccoons, mink, beavers, chipmunks, and squirrels along the river valley.

Clyde and Shirley Ryberg float down the river on their homemade catamaran in 1957.

“It’s just such a beautiful area with so much to see, hear and do,” said Danielson. “There’s nothing quite like the peacefulness of floating down a river.

Every time we get on the river, we try to see how many different animals and birds we can see.”

Fishing is also excellent along the Minnesota River for many species. There are tour guides available that can be taken to point out the areas where fish are in abundance. These guides teach anglers the locations of various fish that

can be caught from a water craft, where large sand bars can be found that allow for fishing from shore or stopping for a fish fry. One of the favorites for anglers along the Minnesota River is catfishing, where some flathead catfish can reach up to 40 pounds, or channel catfish exceed 10 pounds.

The river is predominated by “rough” fish, although walleye, bass, northerns, sturgeon, bluegill and crappies can also be found.

start here!

• Fishing & Hunting Equipment • Camping Supplies • Everything for Farm & Home

• Carhartt Clothing • Red Wing Shoes & Boots • Lawn & Garden Supplies

MIDWEST SUPPLY CRAIG AVENUE, TRACY, MN • 507-629-3428

Open Mon. thru Fri. 8 – 5:30; Sat. 8 – 5; Sun. 11 – 3

MAPLE AVENUE, SLAYTON, MN • 507-836-8238 Open Mon. thru Fri. 8 – 5:30; Sat. 8 – 5

600 Union Street– Tracy, MN 56175 Call 626-0883

24 HOUR ACCESS FITNESS CENTER OPEN IN TRACY

Sealy’S New INtroductIoNS! •New Sealy Posturepedic Arriving & On Display!

•Memory Foam, Pillow Top & More!

$50-$500 OFF

Discontinued Sealy Posturepedic Sets.

Includes Latex & Memory Foam.

Feather Your Nest with a Little Down!

•Personal Trainer •Weight Training •State-of-the-Art Equipment

DAY PASSES AVAILABLE ANY TIME!

1202 E. College Dr. • Marshall, MN 507-532-6320 • 1-800-310-6320 342 S. Mill Street • Redwood Falls, MN 507-637-8346 • 1-800-585-8346 Open Mon-Fri 8:30-6; Thur. 8:30-8; Sat 9-4; Closed Sundays

www.larsonfurniture.com

Ivory Tower visions

Southwest Sailor, July 2017 –23

Tiny town of Wilder once had Breck School

By Shari Dalin Nelson

Along Highway 59 about five miles south of Windom, two green signs identify the town of Wilder, Minnesota, the former home of Breck College, which, according to the school’s 1903-1904 catalogue, was established to “solve the problem of inexpensive education under Christian influences.”

Information on that catalogue’s cover read “Breck School and Business College, Wilder, Minnesota, Preparatory Academic Music Commercial Mechanical Engineering.”

Additionally, the school provided a place where young men and women who were too old to attend regular school could enter at any time and find classes to suit them to advance as rapidly as they were able. They were not required to take classes they did not want to take.

Today, educators realize that students learn in different ways and at different speeds, and schools provide opportunities in alternative learning centers for those who do not succeed in the traditional school setting. There students can experience success while building their skills with instruction that is geared to their individual learning styles and interests. Although many may consider this innovative; in the late 1880s, in Wilder, Minnesota, population a bit more than 100 then and now sixty, an alternative school served as many as 500 students. $9 an acre land In November of 1871, Wilder was named for St. Paul and Sioux City Railroad Company’s Vice President Amherst Holcomb Wilder and was established as a railroad station. Then Rev. David Griffen Gunn, an Episcopalian minister, wanted to establish a farm school northeast of Windom, but the owner asked $25 per acre for the land, which was too much.

As he stood at the Wilder Station and waited for the train, Rev. Gunn saw a parcel which was owned by Wilder, a hard-headed business man who was not hard-hearted; John Merriam, his brotherin-law, and Mrs. Carrie Thompson; and Gunn learned that he could purchase that land for $9.00 per acre. When the St. Paul landowners learned of the proposed school, they offered it free of charge.

Two years later Episcopal Bishop of Minnesota Rev. Henry Whipple accepted the offer, but nothing could be done until he returned from Europe.

In July of 1885, workmen excavated the foundation for the main building, which overlooked Timber Lake. Later a boys’ dormitory, a girls’ dormitory, a chapel, and other buildings would also sit on that property. The school was incorporated in December of 1886 as the Breck Mission and Farm School after the Rev. James Lloyd Breck, who was an early Episcopalian missionary to the Indians in Minnesota during the 1850s and died before the school became a reality. Later, the school became known as the Wilder Farm College and Business Institute.

Nine boys and ten girls were the first students in 1888 before the school officially opened in 1889. The 1890 college catalogue listed costs as “$100 pays for board, tuition, fuel and furnished room (with 10 cents extra for

In 1906, because of a depressed local economy, the Breck school closed 17 years after its official opening. In 1916, it reopened in the St. Anthony Park neighborhood of St. Paul, where it remained until 1956 when it relocated to Minneapolis. In 1981, it moved to its present location in Golden Valley.

An 1892 photo shows students gathered in front of the main building at the Breck School.

carpet) for one school year of 44 weeks.”

Many of the early students attended Breck so they could learn English as do many of today’s alternative school students. In addition, the college offered classes in Latin and Greek; commercial classes including shorthand, math, and typewriting; science and language; music including piano, organ, voice, mandolin, guitar, and violin; and band and mechanical engineering. The school also offered lecturers, a nurse, and a janitor. In 1900, the school began offering domestic science classes for the young ladies who attended the school.

In April of 1900, according to the Cottonwood County Citizen, the school recorded its largest attendance since 1893 and added a high-power compound microscope to the science laboratory.

Earlier, in May of 1896, two of the students drank little water because they had seen animalcules as large as their thumbs in the water when they examined it with a

Stories live on The school may no longer reside in Wilder, but the stories and memories remain. The bell from Old Main went to Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Heron Lake. When the bell got away from the workers who were taking the bell down, it fell through two floors of Old Main.

Later the church members agreed to return the bell to the school, and it now is located on the Golden Valley campus.

Other artifacts from the Breck School are at the Cottonwood County and Jackson County Historical Society Museums and at Breck College in Golden Valley.

College pranks were a part of campus

microscope.

Breck School See page 25

RENT AN APARTMENT TODAY & ENJOY YOURSELF IN AFFORDABLE COMFORT. •Subsidized Housing •4 Handicapped Units •Sunroom •Activities for Residents •Rent our community room - Only $50 rental includes use of kitchen

facility. Showers, Birthdays, Anniversaries, Graduations, Holiday Gatherings.

Call to reserve your date! ($50 damage deposit required)

Housing and Redevelopment Authority of Tracy 760 West Morgan • Tracy, MN 56175 Office 629-3160

Ensuring a hot, relaxing shower…

EvEry timE!

Large Selection to Choose From!

Patzer’s

le a s n O nOw!

411 West Main • Beautiful Downtown Marshall Open Sundays Noon to 4 p.m. • 532-4401 www.patzersmarshall.com Yard EquipmEnt • paint • tools • HousEwarEs • appliancEs • FurniturE

24 – Southwest Sailor, July 2017

Duane’s Body Shop

• Auto Body Repair & Refinishing • Auto Glass – Insurance Claims Duane OuraDa, owner Westbrook, Mn

CONSTRUCTION

507-274-6655

BUILDING REMODELING HARDSCAPING 507- 829 -7171 MARSHALL, MN Contractor License #573151

Marilyn M. Carlson

Geise Design | Graphic Design for Business : Online or Off Tutt Construction - Sailor Ad - May 2012

Left Bank Roasterie & Café

Registered Representative

Licensed Insurance Agent MN Lic. #22229

Slayton MinneSota

2600 Broadway Ave. • Slayton, MN (507) 836-6008 www.leftbankcoffee.com

Fresh-Roasted Coffee by the cup or by the Pound!

Health Conscious Breakfast & Lunch

•24-Hour Pumps • Service Station • Tires • ATM • Convenience •Diesel • 20 lb. Propane Exchange

Soups, Salads & Sandwiches 2500 Maple Ave. • Slayton, MN

(507) 836-8814

(507) 836-6380 Fax marilyn@maplepathfinancial.com

Specialty Drinks – Lattes, Cappuccinos, Italian sodas & more!

Monday thru Friday 7 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Saturday 8 – 11 a.m.

Junction 59 & 30 • Slayton, MN

(507) 836-8585

Securities offered through ProEquities, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC. Maple Path Financial is independent of ProEquities.

Scott’s Appliance 2525 Broadway Ave., Slayton, MN (507) 836-1005

CArpet • ViNyl • Wood • lAMiNAte Professional Measuring & Installation

(507) 836-8629 • (507) 360-7266 Cell

Ca appoill for an ntmen t!

2121 Maple Avenue • Slayton, MN

“After the Sale…its the Service that Counts!”

•LG •Whirlpool •Oreck Vacuums •Holland Grills

New Floor CoveriNg!

V

IP Floral & Garden Centers •Garden Center •Landscaping •Full Service Florist 2539 Highway 30 • Slayton, MN (507) 836-8260 www.vipfloral.net

Southwest Minnesota’s

“Hub City” 2620 Broadway Ave. Slayton, MN • (507) 836-6800 Hours: Monday – Friday 9-5; Saturday 9-3 hutgiftshoppe.com

• • • •

Lake Shetek & Sarah Clothing & Decor Unique Home Decor & Gifts • Clothing Custom Floral Arrangements • Jewelry Kitchen Gadgets • Bridal Registry

Take a Dip at Slayton’s own Summertime ‘Beach”

SLAYTONA BEACH WEST 28TH STREET • SLAYTON, MN OPEN DAILY AT 1:00 P.M.

Southwest Sailor, July 2017 –25

Above: Hunniwell Hall, the girls’ dormitory, was run by a preceptress and matron, was heated by steam, and had a bathroom.

Below: Many of the boys who lived in the boys’ dormitory worked on the farm for wages of ten cents a day.

Waterfront Properties Ne Listinw g!

Beck School Continued from page 23

life. Some boys sneaked out of the dormitory one night, made enough noise that the chaplain who enforced the curfew would hear them, scattered carpet tacks on the steps, and then dashed into their beds. The barefoot chaplain followed them up those steps.

When a boy came home from a date, he may have entered his room only to be drenched by water from a pail, which had been placed precariously on the top of the door. One Halloween, pranksters led a cow to the top of a long flight of stairs. An on-going contest was to see who could walk the five miles to Windom in the shortest amount of time either on the road or along the railroad tracks.

Noted alumni Albert Woolson taught both band and mechanical engineering at the Breck School after he returned from serving as a drummer boy in the Union Army during the Civil War. He then served as superintendent of the Windom Waterworks and Electric Plant before moving to Duluth, where he died at the age of 106 or 109. The age discrepancy may have come from the fact that Woolson possibly said he was 17 when he enlisted in the Army but was really only 14. He was the last living member of the Grand Army of the Republic. A statue of him stands in front of the depot in downtown Duluth, another rises on the hallowed grounds of Gettysburg.

Frank Mars, who invented the Milky Way, Snickers, and Three Musketeers candy bars, was an alumnus of Breck College.

For 17 years, Breck School remained in the small town of Wilder, and provided an education to boys and girls who learned in a different manner from others in the classroom, became more proficient with the English language, and left the school searching for and finding success. As American author Henry David Thoreau wrote, “If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.” Breck School provided a place for those students to step to the beat of a different drummer.

Photos provided by Cottonwood County Historical Society. Information for the story came from Wilder, Minnesota by Bob Brodin, The Spirit of Breck…A Journey by Dan Cohen, Amherst H. Wilder and His Enduring Legacy to Saint Paul by Merrill E. Jarehow, Cottonwood County Citizen, Minnesota Historical Society, Worthington Daily Globe, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Cottonwood County Historical Society, and http://genealogytrails.com/minn/jackson/ schools_wild.html.

Call Real Estate Retrievers for all your lake home needs!

12 Cheryl Avenue, SlAyton, Mn lAke Shetek MLS 6026910 – 6 BR, 6 Bath, Attached Garage, 6300 Sq. Ft., Enclosed except windows, Sold “As Is”, You Finish! $259,000

Oak Shore

Estate

Jay Vee Lane located on the Lake lots North Shore of Lake Sarah starting at

$69,900

New Development on the Northwest side of the lake. $7000 down, possible CFD Call Steve for more information (507) 530-6272

Steve Struchen AssociAte Broker

2 PriMe Cottonwood lAke Shore lotS $59,900

Larry Pires Agent

Broker

(507) 530-6272 (605) 695-0309 (605) 201-0450

800 E. Main, Marshall, MN • Marshall Office (507) 537-4321

Senior Living at its finest!

• PAID UTILITIES

• ACTIVITIES PROGRAM

• LAUNDRY FACILITIES

• ATTACHED GARAGES

• 24 HOUR EMERGENCY • WEEKLY LIGHT HOUSEKEEPING RESPONSE SYSTEM

NOW AVAILABLE!

Convalescence Suite First-floor, fully furnished apartment Includes cable, 2 meals per day and housekeeping.

Great option following surgery or hospitalization.

Physical and occupational therapy within one block.

Connected to Sanford Tracy Hospital & Clinic.

AVAILABLE ON FIRST-COME BASIS

Your Lifestyle, Your Way! 410 State Street • Tracy, MN Contact Cindy at (507)629-8450

Albert Woolson

Matt Larson

Fishing Setting a drag on reel is personal preference …with Joe 26 – Southwest Sailor, July 2017

Can you believe that at one time we actually fished with reels that did not have built-in drags? Well I am here to tell you that fishing with a level wind reel with no drag was a real challenge, especially for an eight-year-old. I was eight when I experienced my first real knuckle busting delivered by a northern pike that was going one direction when it hit my Cisco Kid lure that our boat was pulling in the other direction.

I was day dreaming and the smell of mixed gas and oil and the clunk-clunkclink of our single cylinder Champion outboard had almost put me to sleep when my reel started to spin backwards and my knuckles began to burn. The reel did not have a built-in drag, so I was advised by all the guys in the boat to put my thumb on spool to slow it down. The northern finally paused to take a breath,

Mid-summer brings many town festivals

Town festivals in the region during July include: Currie Town & Country Days, July 2-4.

Fireworks at dusk July 4.

Jeffers Outlaw Days, July 6-9. Friday & Saturday night street dances. Saturday truck & tractor pull.

Balaton Fun Fest, July 6-9. Lighted boat parade & fireworks Lake Yankton Friday night.

Saturday afternoon parade.

Jackson Rhythm of the River Music Festival, July 7-8.

Murray County Classic Draft Horse Show, Slayton, July 7-9.

Luverne, July 14. Celebration History Walk.

Hutchinson, July 14-15, River Song Music Festival.

Edgerton Dutch Festival, July 14-15.

New Ulm July 14-16, Bavarian Blast.

Ortonville July 20-21, Downtown Festival.

Franklin July 21-22, Catfish Days.

Olivia Corn Capital Days, July 24-30.

Sleepy Eye Party in the Park, July 27.

and I started to reel the fish in. Then it happened again. Wham!! The northern pike sent my reel spinning backwards a second time, and I slammed my thumb down on the spinning spool to supply my own drag. We finally netted the two-pound northern, but I have never forgotten that experience.

Now we have all kinds of built-in reel drags that make all of us look like we are accomplished fisherman. The reels with line counters and star drags are the perfect reels for fishing with Shad Rap lures. A fisherman can fish at exactly the same depth each time a pass is made,

and the reel can be adjusted to allow the fish to hook itself and the rod to keep pressure on the hooked fish.

Every type of reel on the market today has a built in drag system. Open faced spinning reels, level wind spinningcasting reels, push button reels, and even the big game reels. All are easily adjusted to do the job you want done. Now comes the difficult part, answering the question of how tight should a reel’s drag be set?

How much onion should be added to potato salad? How strong should coffee be? How do you know when your French toast is done and ready to eat?

by Joe LeTendre All are a matter of taste, and so is setting the drag on a fishing reel. Not too much and not too little is the best answer. If the first fish that hits your line breaks it, your drag was set too tight, then you better back it off for the next fish. If you reel and reel and reel and the fish doesn’t get any closer to you than when you started, then you better tighten up your drag. Either way, you won’t get you your knuckles busted.

Balaton Area History Center PO BOx 213 • 161 2ND Street WeSt • BAlAtON, MN

balatonarea.histsoc@yahoo.com Open April – October Monday 1-4 p.m.; Wednesdays 9 a.m. – Noon; 3rd Saturday of every month 1-4 p.m. or by appointment

• Balaton Alumni Pictures

• Numerous Displays including: Balaton Creamery • Military • Banks Post Office • Churches • School Newspaper • Railroad & much more

• Open Fun Fest Weekend July 7, 8 & 9 Visit t

he Burch ard Countr y School

For more information contact:

Pam Johnson (507) 829-3095 Geneva Swan (507) 734-4851 Mary Ellen Mattson (507) 734-5322 or (507) 828-4938 Larry Sloan (507) 734-5361

WWW.HOEKOUTDOORS.COM EASY LEVELTM SYSTEM ON LIFTS

Tabor Hoek

BALATON, MN • 507-828-3304

EASY LEVELTM SYSTEM ON DOCKS

Southwest Sailor, July 2017 –27

There’s only one

Balaton Family Dentistry

Come Display Your Antique Tractor!

Glenn’s Service Center Antique Tractor Show

Saturday, July 8 Starting at 8 a.m.

at CM Transport, 2nd Street Balaton, MN

Bring your antique tractor or gas engine.

Contact Jordan at

(507) 829-0636 for more information.

Across from Lake Yankton (507) 734-5877

•Convenience Store •Live Bait & Tackle •Clark Gas •Café with Home-cooked meals •Broasted Chicken •Pizza •Subs & Wraps •Catering Available

CheCk out ou r daily SpeCia lS

Open 6 a.m. – 9 p.m. Monday thru Sunday

Stella House Bed & Breakfast

One of Balaton’s oldest existing buildings, Stella House is an Italianate style of the 1800s.

…Quality Care for Your Smile at Every Age!

Friendly & understanding staff

Taking good care of your oral From Left: Elaine Tholen, Charlotte Wilke, Lisa Landsman, health is important at any Peggy Tutt, Sophie Jenniges, Brenda Rolling, Dr. Richard Brown. age. We offer a full range of Not Pictured: Casey Jo Boerboom dental care services – from routine cleanings to fillings, root canals, and whitening Richard Brown DDS to help make sure your smile 123 3rd Street, Balaton, MN stays healthy and bright through the years.

Balaton Dental Clinic (507) 734-2251

w e i v d GranBeachAcres

Located on Lake Yankton in Balaton, MN

Sizeable Waterfront Lots For Sale

This 400 acre lake offers boating, fishing, swimming, kayaking, & fabulous sunsets.

Paved street • City Water & Sewer • Electricity Service.

New TwiN-HoMe CoMiNg sooN! Features 80 Ft. oF lake shore For this spacious aFFordable tWin-home – $274,900 1700 sq. ft of living space

!

Act NowsigNeD

me De New Ho lly for you! especoniAstruction Discfoour nats Pre-C atements & Tax Ab ed time. limit

2 Bedrooms • 2 Bath • Sunroom • Open Kitchen & Living Floor Plan Slab on grade with handicapped features • Double Car Garage

Unique Bungalow, Fully Furnished House.

Great get-away for couples!

Balaton, Minnesota

(507) 227-7813

Other Amenities: Nearby Parks • Golf Cart ride away from a Golf Course.

Contact Fran or Mary Timmerman at (507) 828-7123

We look forward to working with you to creating your dream home or getaway!

Balaton EastBay addition Spacious Lots Now Half Price!

Highway 14, Balaton, MN

$14,250 – $16,500

(507) 734-6828 Now accepting Assisted Living residents!

A 16 unit facility that overlooks beautiful Lake Yankton!

• Enjoy the privacy of your own apartment • Care available 24 hours a day, 7 days per week • Choose from Independent or Assisted Living • RN nursing services • Meals, Housekeeping, Laundry & More • Medication and oxygen management • Outpatient therapies

For more information contact Erin Hall, RN, Home Care Manager at

(507) 734-6828

Tax Abatement Incentives for All New Construction! Please inquire.

(507) 734-3511 A 33 bed facility with friendly staff on Lake Yankton!

• Excellent state quality ratings nhreportcard.dhs.mn.gov/ • Medicare and Medicaid certified • Single rooms available • On site physical, occupational, and speech therapies M-F • On site visiting dentist, ENT, optometrist, podiatry, audiology, psych services • Hospice • Smoking is available in certain areas P.O. BOx 219 E. Hwy. 14, BalatOn, Mn (507) 734-3511 • Fax (507) 734-2337

•Originally Priced $28,000 – $33,000 •Eastbay 9 Executive Golf Course •Panoramic Views & Paved Streets •Easy Access to the Scenic Fred Swanson Nature Trail •City Water, Sewer, & Electric Service.

Dan Williams

Associate Broker/GRI

(507) 337-6683

danwilliams@edinarealty.com

28 – Southwest Sailor, July 2017

Luann Hansen Realtor

Jody Lehnhoff

www.murraylandagencyinc.com •130 Third St. Tracy 212-6688 •141 Mill St. Currie 763-3599 •2500 Maple Ave. Slayton 836-6996

59 Lakeview Lake Shetek

NEW LISTING

2 Deerpath Lake Shetek

Realtor

56 Pommier Lake Shetek

Pam Schreier Realtor

A LEAD ER IN REAL E ST & INSU ATE RAN SERVIC CE ES IN SW MINNE SOTA

9 Bay Blvd. Lake Shetek

NEW LISTING

NEW LISTING

Double lot property on Lake View Drive with lake access. 5 BD/3BA home set in very private setting with backyard deck/hot tub and patio w/ firpit. Front 28 x 28 deck off of bedroom. 2nd lot adjoining home property has a seond dbl garage. $320,000 MLS#6027254

Amazing year round 5 Bd 3+ Ba lake property. Lake frontage on both Shetek and Bloody. 3 acre prime lot with over 200’ of shoreline .View of the water from every window in home. 3 car tuck under garage plus large workshop in 4th garage and 3 out buildings . 2 decks, balcony, 2 patios. This is a rare opportunity on Lake Shetek. A MUST SEE lot and home. $489,900 MLS#6027145

63 Keeley Island

46 Sandbar Rd Lake Shetek

Sale

Contingent

3BR, 2 bath rambler with large garage and deck ready for entertaining. Home has nice sized rooms, lots of space for addtional sleeping. Could be year round with new furance. Many new improvements inside and out. Nicely landscaped.

Must see this one!! 3BR, 2 bath, master suite. Located on Keeley Island on private road. One-sixth interest in lake front which has sandy beach and dock. Mature trees and well landscaped. Lots of love and attention has been given to this home.

4 North Shore Lake Sarah

11 Lime Lake Drive

2BR/2 bath rambler located on tar road. 100 ft. lakeshore.

Dock, boat and life can stay.

Gas fireplace. Finished basement. Rural water. Lakeside deck. $294,775 MLS 6010896

Beautiful, unique newly remodeled 2 BR, 1 BA, walkout, lake home with attached dbl garage. Additional 1/2 bath in garage. New roof, new windows, doors and siding. New flooring, trim, crown molding and paint. New paint colors warm and inviting. Property very private and offers peaceful lake views and beautiful sunsets. Great place to watch for wildlife. Beautiful night skies. Large lots with 316’ of lake shore.

Home designed where second level could be added on. Dock, refrigerator, dishwasher, stove, stackable washer/dryer included. $249,900 MLS 6022934

$169,900 MLS#6026863

$199,900 MLS 6022956

Sale Pending

Move in ready 2BR 1.25 baths with dbl. attached garage. Fireplace.

Some appliances included. Newer furnace, shingles and water heater.

Dock is also included. Additional land across road with lake view also. $325,000 MLS 6026521

110’ of low shoreline frontage is the view from this 2009 ‘year-round’ 3BR/2bath home. Lakeside master suite w/large bath, open floor plan, living room fireplace and large window to lake. Patio doors off dining to lakeside deck. Kitchen has center island and many cabinets. Att. garage. 1,345 sq. ft. of living space. Rural water. $315,000 MLS 6022884

For complete listings and photos, visit our website at www.murraylandagencyinc.com

BARE LOT

100x200 bare lot is located on Inlet Waters of Lake Shetek.

Deeded front lot lake access part of property.

$35,000

BARE LOTS

BREEZY BARN

1 POMMIER LANE

52 TEPEEOTAH RD

Popular SW MN establishment near Lake Shetek, sitting on 6.66 acres of land. Offers food, liquor, events (weddings, receptions, reunions, tournaments). Campground permit, outside bar, cement patio, large upper deck, outside stage. Sale includes business, facilities, equipment/fixtures, liquor licenses for on/off, Sunday liquor and Sunday off for (3.2). Barn remodeled with the best of engineering, total of 8,124 sq. ft. – main level includes dining, bar, bathrooms, dance floor and exit to outside bar/patio.

Upper level is a beautiful setting for wedding receptions with full bar, bathrooms and exit to large outside deck. Geo thermal heating/cooling. Equipment/fixtures list and additional information available. $550,000 MLS 6025816

MLS6024013

LIGHT HOUSE LANE

New development conveniently located off US Hwy. 59 & Valhalla Road offers choice lots with latest infrastructure & great views of Lake Shetek. Located next to marinas, public boat access, campgrounds, lodge & entertainment. Electricity: underground service in place for all properties. Phone-High Speed Internet - Underground phone service together with broadband, high speed internet access adds to desirability. Tar road with curb/gutters.

AREA PROPERTIES FOR SALE

CURRIE (507) 763-3700 – TRACY (507) 212-6688 – OKABENA (507) 853-4421 www.murraylandagencyinc.com

Aaron LarsonCurrie

Liz BartonCurrie

Laura PostOkabena

LIFE–HEALTH Insurance for SEE AARON, AUTO–FARM •LAKE PROPERTY •BOATS LIZ OR LAURA FOR YOUR CROP •PONTOONS •JET SKIS INSURANCE HOME OWNERS •CAMPERS NEEDS!

ACREAGE 2342 IRONWOOD SLAYTON

90 HWY. 14 WALNUT GROVE

1650 HWY. 30–SLAYTON

403 LORRAIN-MILROY

501 GREENWOOD AVENUE TRACY

Sale Pending 751 EASY STREET TRACY

756 ROWLAND STREET TRACY