July sailor complete

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July 2018

Your Summer Guide to Southwest Minnesota!

Following in Laura’s footsteps

The magic of Laura Ingalls Wilder is alive and well in Walnut Grove. Laura fans like Lillian Olson, who visited the prairie flower patch at the Wilder Museum, again have many Laura-related attrractions to see in Walnut Grove. See story page 12. Published by Tracy Publishing Company, Inc. • 207 4th Street • Tracy, MN 56175 • (507) 629-4300 • www.swmnsailor.com

2 – Southwest Sailor, July 2018

Balaton

Across from Lake Yankton (507) 734-5877

minnesota

•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

Family Dentistry

(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 call

(507) 734-6828

(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

Stella House Bed & Breakfast

…Quality Care for Your Smile at Every Age!

Taking good care of your oral health is important at any age. We offer a full range of dental care services – from routine cleanings to fillings, root canals, and whitening to help make sure your smile stays healthy and bright through the years.

Friendly & understanding staff Front from Left: Lisa Landsman, Sophie Jenniges Back: Jodi Thooft, Brenda Rolling, Peggy Tutt, Elaine Tholen, Dr. Richard Brown

Balaton Dental Clinic Richard Brown DDS 123 3rd Street, Balaton, MN

(507) 734-2251

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

Make this your next hoMe or weekend get away – or –

Build your own hoMe on one of our availaBle lake lots!

Unique Bungalow, Fully Furnished House.

Great get-away for couples!

B

alaton

A unique AirBNB just blocks off the Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Highway 14.

Balaton, Minnesota

(507) 227-7813

H

ouse AirBNB

w e i v d n Gra BeachAcres

Brand New Picturesque Twin Home on Lake Yankton in Balaton, MN

Call Mary Timmerman (507) 828-7123 for details.

Balaton EastBay addition Highway 14, Balaton, MN

SpaciouS affordable lotS Many with Golf courSe & water viewS! $14,250 – $16,500

Tax Abatement Incentives for All New Construction! Please inquire.

•Originally Priced $28,000 – $33,000 •Balaton Bay Golf Course •Panoramic Views & Paved Streets •Natural Gas and Broadband Internet •City Water, Sewer, & Electric Service

Five cozy Bedrooms nestled inside this 1910 Victorian-era Home. Restoration includes nine-foot beamed ceilings and narrow oak floors and unique porches. In the yard, there is an original fish pond, perennial gardens and interesting rock structures.

231 Third Street • Balaton, MN

(507) 227-7813

Dan Williams

Associate Broker/GRI

(507) 337-6683

danwilliams@edinarealty.com

Southwest Sailor, July 2018 – 3

Camping: More than setting up RV or tent It’s fishing, wildlife & bird watching, learning about history & tromping around For the first few years of what was to become an annual fishing trip, the guys and I camped. It was the honest, true form of camping: on an island, in canvas tents, with no electricity. We slept in sleeping bags directly on the tent floor. We cooked on a propane-fueled camp stove. The fish we filleted were cleansed in the dark waters of Lake of the Woods, which surrounded our little island. Each night, our designated fire-starter helped create the best campfire Ontario had ever known. It was pure heaven. But then, after a few years of sore backs each morning, we opted for a resort with actual beds, outlets, and kitchens with sinks and refrigerators. That’s cool, but we often find ourselves longing for those magical evenings on the island. To me, that was camping. But camping – for better or worse – has changed. Tents still exist, but they’ve largely been replaced by campers towed behind trucks, that mount on truck beds, and, even more so these days, RVs – recreational vehicles. As I exited Lake Shetek State Park on a recent Friday afternoon, big RVs were lined up down the road from the park’s

Tim Spielman

Outdoors check-in office. A sign of the times. “There’s quite a bit of that (RV camping),” says Laine Sletta, who, among other job titles is Brown County’s parks coordinator. “Tent camping has gotten less and less over the years.” Whether for outdoor adventures – some campgrounds offer just a few more comforts than the others. In southern Minnesota, as it is in other places in the state, one thing hasn’t changed: Campgrounds, with few exceptions, are located near water. And water provides the vast majority of recreation for most.. It might be fishing or canoeing or riding a personal watercraft – doesn’t matter. It’s a Minnesota thing. There’s a wealth of places to camp in southwestern Minnesota, from state

Hiking is a popular activity at most every southern Minnesota campground. In an area known mostly for its farmland, parks and campgrounds offer the opportunity to see wildlife that prefer woods and grasslands.

Looking for some unique wildlife during your camping adventure? Look no further than Blue Mounds State Park and its resident bison herd. Photo courtesy of Minnesota DNR

parks to county parks to little city parks, and in some cases, private campgrounds. You just have to know what you’d like your camping experience to provide, which typically is some form of relaxation. RVs aside, camping in Minnesota typically is an economical endeavor, too. For a nominal fee in most cases, you’ve got a place to stay any given weekend – or longer. Some park campsites include water and electricity, while others remain rustic – for those old-school campers like me. There’s usually a picnic table or grill at the site, and in many places a building with showers and bathrooms. Some have basketball courts, fish-cleaning facilities, and horseshoes. You’ll likely find the hub of activity, however, near or, more precisely, in the water. If the campground is located on a lake or river, there will be a beach area – trust me. Care to dig into local history? Turns out many of the parks are where they are for a reason – besides their proximity to water. Your campground research might lead you to one or another simply because of an area’s local lore. Throughout the southwest, there’s a park/campground for everyone. With an ounce of internet savvy, you’ll be able to locate it. For example, Google a county name followed by “parks.” See

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; or by appointment

Lake Shetek State Park What to do there: camp, fish, bicycle, check out neat historical stuff. Where it’s located: The west side of Lake Shetek, north of Currie in Murray County. For more information, call (507) 763-3256. Blue Mounds State Park When Blue Mounds is mentioned, one’s first thought is of the bison herd. And it should be. There aren’t too many places you can go these days and see those magnificent creatures that used to graze their way across the Upper Midwest. Don’t forget your camera! What to do there: camp, hike, climb rocks, view bison and other wildlife, take a tour of wild prairie flowers and grasses. Where it’s located: North of Luverne in Rock County. For more information, call (507) 283-6050. Split Rock Creek State Park Split Rock Creek doesn’t get the attention of some of the other area state parks, but it has an appeal of its own, including excellent fishing for a variety of species at the Split Rock Creek dam. What to do there: Besides fishing, there’s swimming, wildlife and waterfowl observation, hiking, crosscountry skiing, horse-riding trails, and more. And, pets are allowed at the

Camping:

See page four

• Balaton Alumni Pictures & Dedicated School Area • Numerous Other Displays including: Creamery, Military, Bank, Churches, Dental, Roller Dome, Balaton’s Oldest Business (Western Mutual), New Lobby Area and Gift Area. • Open Fun Fest Weekend July 6, 7 & 8, 2018

8,800 Free Circulation 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

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

which ones have campgrounds. Plan a weekend. Area state parks that also offer camping are indeed the “crown jewel” when it comes to a camping “experience.” Here’s a look at those, and a few select others, in camping’s great southwestern Minnesota.

Visit the Burchard School

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.

4 – Southwest Sailor, July 2018

Camping Continued from page three

campsites. Count me in! Where it’s located: Southwest of Pipestone, near the town of Jasper. For more information, call (507) 348-7908. Camden State Park What I recall from my visit to Camden State Park is that there was plenty of “nature” around us and the fish would attack the bread crust we dropped into the Redwood River. But that was in fifth grade, and it’s really all I remember. What to do there: Whether or not those bread-eating fish were trout, I do not know. However, I do know the DNR stocks trout in that location, and they’re available to anglers. You can camp there, bird-watch, hike, and check out restored and native prairies. Where it’s located: Southwest of Marshall, near Lynd. For more information, call (507) 865-4530.

Here’s a glance at just a few of them that cater to the camper– and why I find them appealing. (Keep in mind, there are many, many others, as well as private campgrounds. Do some research on your own to find your match.)

Kilen Woods State Park Its website describes it as a peaceful/ quiet park. That’s my kind of place to camp. What to do? Besides enjoying the peace while camping, you can bird-watch, hike, and see some wildflowers. Where it’s located: Near Lakefield. For more information, call (507) 8312900, ext. 222. During my youth, state parks generally were reserved for class field trips. (My parents didn’t camp, anyway.) But for my friends and me, county parks were where it was at. We camped, fished, swam, and did all manner of other activities the parks had to offer.

Camping at county parks Jackson County Jackson County is home to Robertson Park, which has on its 46 acres several campsites, along with a host of things to do, including a lengthy bike trail. I like it because it appeals to my historical side. Dig this: During a 1975 park survey by the Minnesota Historical Society, it was found that the area was inhabited dating way back to 200 B.C. Following that finding, it became known as one of the most important archaeological sites in the county, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Oh, it’s also on Loon/Pearl lakes, so

Camping these days can be done in tents. More and more often, it seems, base camp has become an RV, like this one stationed in Garvin Park in Lyon County. Photo courtesy Lyon County

Thinking of Selling? We have buyerS!

Let us get you the best price for your property! Contact Stacy or Taylor today! SaLe g! e P NDiN 26 South Shore Dr., Slayton

41 Lakeview Dr., Lake Shetek

51 Lakeview Dr., Slayton, MN

Stunning, upgraded year ‘round home close to Lake Shetek on Lakeview Drive with a 1/12th ownership in a waterfront lot. Stamped Concrete Patios, 18x24 man cave featuring a gas fireplace, private backyard, 3 BR, 2 Bath, Open Floor Plan, Vaulted Ceiling, Master BR with master bath & walk-in closet, 36” vanities in both baths, new landscaping, stamped concrete driveway, CA, upgraded window and new shingles in 2016. $309,000

Relax in this impeccable cabin that is Oh-So-Close to Lake Shetek lcoated on desirable Lakeview Drive with a 1/12th ownership in a waterfront lot. Offers updates galore with new flooring, windows, steel roof, fresh paint, tile surround shower, new fixtures and a granite counter top in the bathroom.11x36 covered deck and 12x16 rear deck. Includes a 10x12 shed. $194,000

Lighthouse Lane, Lake Shetek

9 Rosemary Lane, Lake Shetek See for yourself...this breathtaking and rare find on Lake Shetek. Build your dream home or lakeside retreat on 1.5 acres with 487’ of low bank lakeshore (160’ not in a wetland and apx. 327’ of wetland shoreline) plus you have your own private, secluded island! Exceptional lake views, gorgeous sunsets on one of the few remaining lots left on Lake Shetek. The lot has a private well. Priced $30,000 below the appraised value! $229,000

SOLD!

SOLD! 42 Owanka Lane – $399,000

reative

We’ve had 30 properties go sold or sale pending in 2018…

20 Pleasant View Rd. – $399,900

We get results!

three, inc.

Brown County Easily the most popular camping destination here is Lake Hanska County Park, located about 17 miles southwest of New Ulm, along the shores of long,

County Parks: See page 10

Kjergaard Sports

Buy – Sell – Trade

14th Annual Buffalo Ridge Demo Shoot

Shoot factory demo guns at our range! Try Shooting Guns • Portable Sporting Clays Thrower! Many reps on hand for the day:

Browning, Winchester, Cooper, Vortex, Benelli, H&K, Stoeger, Uberti, Franchi, Alex Pro Firearms, Coonan, Smith & Wesson, Glock, Henry, Beretta, Tikka, Sako, Kimber, Atlas Target Works, Ruger, Fab Arms, Siren Shotguns, Caesar Gurinni, PTR, SDS Imports, Savage, Federal, Vista Outdoors, Leupold, Weatherby, Springfield, Trijicon, Hornady, Nosler, Mossberg, Browning Ammunition and More!

Huge supply of Ammo in stock! ved on Lunch Sreorunds! g the Lincoln County Served by Sports Club g 4H Shootin

WE pAy tH E S A on any purcLES tAx… ha

Now that isse during this day on ly! what instant savinyou can call gs!

1951 200th Avenue • Lake Benton, MN • (507) 368-4696 • Service (507) 368-4894

507-836-8503 or 507-920-7630

Stacy Like Broker/Owner (507) 920-7630

July 26, 27, 28, August 2, 3, 4 7:30 p.m. July 29, August 4, 5 at 2:00 p.m.

Admission $15 Adults, $13 Students & Senior Citizens

Presented by

Lake Benton Opera House

Tickets available online at www.lakebentonoperahouse.org

Southwestern Minnesota’s Premiere Community Theatre!

2520 Broadway Ave. • Slayton, MN

creativethree@iw.net • www.creative-three.com

Lincoln County Lincoln County has some great park camping, too, including at Norwegian Creek County Park. Since I’m part Norwegian, this is the place I’d check out, if for no other reason. But, throw in the fact that the campsites are located on Lake Benton and that there’s a fish-cleaning facility and other amenities, and it’s a solid choice. (507) 368-9350

Lyon County This county has a couple of fine camping options – at Garvin Park and Twin Lakes Park. Plenty of campsites are available at both locations, and both cater to the camper looking for some general relaxation. Play some disc golf at Garvin park, or fish or paddle on non-motorized West Twin Lake during your stay at Twin Lakes. (507) 532-8214

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

Beautiful lake community steps away from Lake Shetek. This quiet, elevated development is located on a paved road with curb and gutters, wetland habitat, creek and just minutes away from a marina, public boat landing and entertainment. 4 spacious lots are available in this development with each lot size over 20,000 sq. ft. Each lot is priced at $18,500.

7 & 9 Lake Shetek Dr., Lake Shetek

enjoy the water. (Belmont Park is another interesting option. There’s history there, too, regarding conflicts with Native Americans during European settlement …) (507) 841-2525

Saturday, July 21, 2018 • 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Fantastic Lake Views, Great Swimming, Sandy Beach – start relaxing with this Lake Shetek Gem! Amazing Lot offering 150’ of low bank lakeshore, breathtaking sunsets, 12x15 lakeside deck, built-in fire pit, 2 BR, 1 Bath cabin with an open floor plan. 24x22 detached garage and 9x9 storage shed. Turn-key property with furniture, dock and appliances included. $299,000

Excellent Opportunity to own lake lots with a great Lake Shetek Drive Location! 2Buildable Bare lots with deeded ownership in a waterfront lot located across the road. Enjoy spectacular Lake Shetek views from the lots. The lots are located on a tar road on the west side of Lake Shetek in a development with many quality homes. The asking price is $26,000 per lot or you have the option to purchase both lots at a reduced price of $45,000.

Think southern Minnesota isn’t rich in amazing landscapes? Think again. This is just one of the views available to campers and others at Blue Mounds State Park. Photo courtesy of Minnesota DNR

Taylor Onken Realtor (507) 820-0570

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

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

Slayton

Southwest Sailor, July 2018 – 5

Minnesota

Marilyn M. Carlson Registered Representative

Licensed Insurance Agent MN Lic. #22229

2500 Maple Ave. • Slayton, MN Securities offered through ProEquities, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC. Maple Path Financial is independent of ProEquities.

(507) 836-8814

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

Left Bank Roasterie & Café 2600 Broadway Ave. • Slayton, MN (507) 836-6008 www.leftbankcoffee.com

Thinking big wiTh you in mind

• Fixed-Rate Conventional • Adjustable-Rate Conventional • FHA Mortgage • VA Mortgage

• Jumbo Mortgage • USDA Loans • MHFA Financing • HomeReady Program Marilyn M. Carlson (507) 836-6552

cell (507) 360-9721

Marilyn.Carlson@cambriamortgage.com

Mortgage Consultant NMLS# 368053 Licensed in MN, SD & IA

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 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

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

V

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

Hut

The

Southwest Minnesota’s

“Hub City”

GIFT SHOPPE

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.

6 – Southwest Sailor, July 2018

Halcyon Days on Valhalla Island Omaha connection sparked lively new era on Shetek By Janet Timmerman Second in a series

In the fall and winter of 1906, Omaha grain merchant and millionaire, Rudolph Beal, purchased Valhalla Island from John Hobert. It would turn out to be a longterm commitment to Murray County’s economic development. Through the first years of the 20th Century, Beal added to Hobert’s resort. Hobert resisted having dances except on special occasions and did not sell alcohol on the island (unless new research shows up). In one news article, Hobert denounced a rumor that he was constructing a dance floor saying that “He has proposed a nice orderly place for people who desire quiet.” He did host baseball games and parties, but dances were saved for special occasions like the Fourth of July. Let’s dance Beal, however, had no reservations about dancing or alcohol. By 1915 he had added a saloon and dancing area with plans to build a large pavilion. In the fall of 1916, Beal purchased a building from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, called Redick Hall. It was an 1870s Queen Anne built by one of Omaha’s wealthy lawyers, John Redick. The University bought it in 1909 to turn into classroom

Original building Redick Hall on the University of Nebraska at Omaha campus, circa 1910. (Photo from MCHS collection.)

space. In 1916, Rudolph Beal bought the structure. He hired a crew of workers to come from Slayton to tear it down and re-used the lumber to build his great Valhalla Pavilion. It took them three weeks to prepare the lumber for shipment to Slayton. Once reconstructed, it looked nothing like the original structure. The building was constructed at a cost of $30,000, which in today’s dollars would be $718,000. Beal advertised that the building would be open by June of 1917 but it took another year for it to be completed. This may have been because America entered WWI in April of that year and labor may have been short. The new pavilion’s design followed the popular Adirondack style of the day, with an open soffit and log railings and support posts. It was 50-feet wide by

RENT AN APARTMENT TODAY & ENJOY YOURSELF IN AFFORDABLE COMFORT.

Valhalla Dance Pavilion, circa 1920s, offered open views of Lake Shetek. (Photo from MCHS collection.)

120-feet long with a hard maple floor and evenly set windows three feet apart on both floors. Upstairs was an open dance floor with wide outdoor verandas for the dancers

Showers, Birthdays, Anniversaries, Graduations, Holiday Gatherings. Call to reserve your date! ($50 damage deposit required)

COME TO SLAYTON, MN FRI., SAT. & SUN., JULY 13-14-15 FRIDAY EVENING CLASSES:

Fri., July 13: 7:30 p.m. Classic Series Cart, Jr. Driver Team & Jr. Driver Cart; Champion Team. Gates open at 9 a.m. both Sat. & Sun. Sat., July 14: Farm Team Demo, 10 a.m.; Draft Horse Show,2 p.m. Sun., July 15: 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, Hands On Demonstrations, Food Booths, Souvenirs and more! Admission is only $7 per person (10 and under Free).

Visit Our Web Site

www.mcdrafthorseshow.com

Valhalla:

See page seven

First floor of Pavilion, circa 1920’s. (Photo from MCHS collection.)

y r T n u o C & n w o T e i Curr

July 3 & 4, 2018

Housing and Redevelopment Authority of Tracy 760 West Morgan • Tracy, MN 56175 Office 629-3160 •Subsidized Housing •4 Handicapped Units •Activities for Residents •Sunroom •Rent our community room - Only $50 rental includes use of kitchen facility.

to step out for a breath of air. Downstairs was a saloon, pool room, restaurant, and café.

IV Play

Street D Tuesday, ance 9 p.m. t July 3 o 1 a.m.

4th of July Picnic & Membership Drive wednesday, July 4 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

S4 k r o w e r i F ednesday, July w

at Dusk

untry wn & Co urrie To partment C y b d e Sponsore ie Fire D and Curr

Volleyball TournamenT July 4 at City Park. Contact Katie Furth (507) 227-3290.

bean bag TournamenT

July 4 at City Park. Contact Sam Carlson, 605-690-4371

Duck races

July 4, 2 p.m. at Des Moines Bridge. Big Cash Prizes

InflaTable bounce Houses for kIDs Further details will be available… Check posters in town! Sponsored by Currie Town & Country Booster Club Sober rideS cover currie & 15-mile radiuS

For more information contact Ed Sweetman (507) 763-3659, Mary Leonard (320) 267-3447 or Shari Thomas (507) 829-4039

Southwest Sailor, July 2018 – 7

Valhalla Continued from page six

Omaha saloon detailing Nebraska was on its way to becoming one of the first dry states in the Union before Prohibition went into effect. The interior details of the structure were purchased from the best saloons in Omaha that went out of business when Nebraska went dry. It boasted tin ceilings, mahogany pillars and bar, and an open staircase to the dance hall above. The dance hall was decorated with lodge style decorations of elk, big horn sheep, and even a full deer mount placed at the end of the dance floor in front of American Flag bunting. Part of the walls were covered with mirrors that multiplied light. Pontoon bridge A dance hall business depended on reliable transportation to and from the island. A ferry or a boat could no longer bring the required crowds that would make this venture profitable. Beal took advantage of the entering prohibition laws and purchased used whiskey barrels from Nebraska distillers who were being pushed out of business. He shipped them to Shetek by train.

His idea was to create a floating bridge between the western shore of the lake and the island. The new automobile made it a necessity to reach the island by road. The “pontoon bridge” was 12 feet wide and made up of 20 wooden platforms that were linked together by metal hooks. Under each floating section bobbed 32, 50-gallon whiskey kegs. A large pagoda style entry festooned with flags halted traffic for the toll to cross. An elevated walking path along each side accommodated foot, bicycle, and auto or buggy traffic. The bridge swooned and swayed when a horse and buggy or automobile traveled across. When the bridge opened in May of 1917, it was estimated that 200 cars and buggies crossed that day alone. The bridge was the main line for transportation from 1916 to 1934 when the county, aided by the Work Progress Administration, built a road and dike system between the islands and the western shore. The barrels and platform were sunk and used in the ballast for the road.

Young ladies donned summer hats while crossing the pontoon bridge leading to Valhalla. The center lane was used for vehicles. (Photo from MCHS collection.)

Hot spot on lake Rudolph Beal put his money and his energy into making the Valhalla Project a success. Beal brought his son, Oscar, into the business early on to take over management of the island. Though they began this business at the very beginning of Prohibition, they made the island a success by offering a wide variety of recreational possibilities. Oscar Beal was considered a master at promotion. The heydays of the resort

were the 1920s and 1930s ,when Oscar Beal pulled out all the stops to bring people to the island. Since the season ran from spring to fall he had to make as much money as possible during the season. Everything and anything could be had for a price on the island. Boat rental, bathing suits, passage on the bridge, dances, lunches and dinners, cottage rental, special shows, circuses and

Valhalla Project: See page eight

A dance floor on Valhalla’s second floor once echoed with live bands and swinging couples. (Photo from MCHS collection.)

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

Wheels Across the Prairie Museum Located on West Highway 14 – Laura Ingalls Memorial Highway Tracy, Minnesota • www.wheelsacrosstheprairie.org

OPEN JUNE – SEPT. • WED.-FRI. 1-5 P.M; SAT. 10 A.M.-5 P.M.; SUN. 1-5 P.M. MAY, OCT. & NOV. • SAT. 10 A.M.-5 P.M. & SUN. 1- 5 P.M

After-Hour Tours or Special Tours available. Call for an appointment Jon 507-626-1949 or Billie Jo 507-829-5145

Boats to Fit Your Lifestyle! Check out our lineup of 2018 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

SplaSh padS Towables, & Tubes

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!”

8 – Southwest Sailor, July 2018

Valhalla dreams Continued from page seven

rodeos. It was said that Oscar turned a blind eye to the fancy cars and highly dressed guests that showed up at the door. Very few sources have been found that discuss the effect Prohibition had on the island, but with ties to Omaha and sitting half way between Omaha and Minneapolis, there must be some interesting stories to go along with that! New investors join By 1919 it became apparent that the venture would need more capital than Beal could afford. He brought partners from Omaha into the company and called it the Valhalla Park Company. They wrote up articles of incorporation, limited stock to $100,000 and sold 1,000 shares at $100 each. They had the ability to buy and sell real estate, build cottages, hotels and amusement devices and operate and rent boats. It was hoped, that with the new company funding, he could make over $40,000 dollars in investments. Some of the investors included Henry Beal, an Omaha attorney, Howard Hite,

and J.E. Haarman, who worked with the Alfalfa-Maise Milling Company, both Nebraska millionaires. The Royal Restaurant located on the first floor of the Pavilion, featured Chef John Tilse, who came to the island from the Fontenelle Hotel, one of Omaha’s largest. A new Sellner Slide was built in 1926. It rose to a great height and used rollers on the slide to shoot sleds full of bathers out onto the water. It cost $1,200 to build and was placed at the edge of the water in front of the Pavilion. Car races were held in the 1920s and early ‘30s in the natural bowl area where the parking lot for Key Largo is. They were popular, loud and dusty affairs with an occasional wreck. Disastrous fire A fire in the spring of 1928 brought Beal’s project to a halt just before the opening of the season’s dances. Though Beal thought his pavilion was insured, that fact was disputed by the insurer, the Slayton Township Farmer’s Mutual

Picnickers near the Pavilion, 1920. (Photo courtesy Minnesota State Historical Society).

Fire Insurance Company. The company claimed the policy had been cancelled with notice because an assessment had not been paid on time. Beal claimed no such assessment had ever been charged or notice given and he had no idea the policy was not viable. Judge Gislason sat in on the case for the Ninth Court because Judge L.S. Nelson had recused

himself. He was a stockholder in the Valhalla Company. In the end, Gislasen decided for the defendant and Beal received a $6,000 settlement. Not much of a payout considering the pavilion had cost $30,000 to build.

Fire:

See page nine

Car races in the “bowl” circa 1930. Photo Minnesota State Historical Society).

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Southwest Sailor, July 2018 – 9

Fire

Continued from page eight

Beal was not deterred. He began the construction of a new dance hall. It was a no frills, open-air hall. Two train carloads of stringers and maple flooring were brought into Garvin on the rail for the reconstruction. The loss of the Pavilion did not hold Oscar down. In 1930-31 he constructed a large professional style baseball diamond, complete with covered grandstand and outfield fencing. One of the largest draws to the island were baseball exhibition games between local and traveling teams. The Tennessee Rats, All Nations, and Sioux City Ghosts played here.

Huge crowds turned out for baseball games at Valhalla that pitted local teams against traveling squads. A big grandstand accommodated fans. The photo likely was taken during the 1930s. (Photo courtesy Minnesota State Historical Society).

In the 1926 opener Beal contracted with the Lone Rock, an Iowa “colored” baseball team to play against Westbrook. Westbrook had hired a black pitcher nicknamed “the Black Wax” because he could slide a ball right past the batter. In 1948-49 the grandstand was sold and

moved to Iona for their entry into the First Night League. By 1967, Oscar had run the island for almost fifty years. He was looking forward to selling and retiring to his home on the south end of the island. The sale to the Valhalla Development

Currie

Corporation began a new era of island amusements for another generation to enjoy. To be continued next month. Timmerman is Murray County Museums coordinator.

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10 – Southwest Sailor, July 2018

County Parks Continued from page four

narrow, and shallow Lake Hanska. Again, soak up some history during your camping stay. There’s an 1850s-era log cabin and old fort site, and interpretive signage. Or fish, hike, and check out the array of local wildlife. (507) 439-6411 Renville County Renville County has a few great parks where the adventurous may camp. Among them is Skalbekken County Park, the first in the county when it came to be in 1967. The land once belonged to Ole Skalbeck, and his log home, built in 1868, remains a park fixture. History abounds, too, at other Renville parks and campgrounds. What’s great about this park and others in the county is that it’s located along the Minnesota River, not far from Sacred Heart. There are lots of different fish species in the mighty Minnesota. On the other bank opposite Skalbekken is Upper Sioux Agency State Park. I might also check out Lake Allie County Park, mostly because Allie is one of the best names ever. I see its use in the future naming of a pet. (507) 523-3768 Cottonwood County Now we’re talking. Some of my fondest memories of camping and water were made at Talcot Park Campground, just down the road from Dundee, home at the time to a summer celebration

At nearly every place you’ll camp, water will not be far away. This is the view from Timm Park in Yellow Medicine County. Wood Lake shimmers in the summer sunlight. Photo courtesy of Yellow Medicine County

known as “Nothing Days.” That was second only, in my mind, to Dovray’s “Uff-Da Days.” They just don’t name ‘em like they used to. Talcot Park Campground offers 65 campsites, along with fishing, swimming, and much more. Redwood County Near the town of Walnut Grove is Plum Creek Park. Those who live in southern Minnesota don’t need a history lesson regarding the town and the name of the park. Those things are just a little bit famous. The park is pretty cool, too. It’s on Lake Laura (wonder where they got that name?) and has 70 campsites. Swim, play disc golf, or check out the vast array of birds and wildlife that frequent the area. Murray County Murray County has four parks where camping is available – Lime Lake, Seven Mile Lake, Swenson, and Sundquist Park

ETIMES SOM IT’S NICE TO KNOW

at Lake Sarah. Water, again, is a central theme at these parks. Campsites have various options to meet your camping desires. (507) 836-1195 Nobles County Maka-Oicu County Park. This park makes my list because the name is so awesome, and because it’s where I honed my water-skiing skills (Graham lakes) when I was young – skills that have since vanished from my repertoire. Here’s what the Nobles County website says about it: “Maka-Oicu County Park provides for camping, lake access, natural areas, swimming beach, picnic areas, historic site and general park activities. The park has onsite showers, a large picnic shelter for reunions and gatherings. Maka-Oicu Park also has a one room cabin with four padded bunks, a table inside and a small refrigerator. Campers have access to electricity and a water supply. (507) 468-2224

Yellow Medicine County Where else in Yellow Medicine County would I camp than Timm Park? The name is simply too appealing, although the extra “m” in Timm is a bit of a distraction. Timm, located on the north shore of Wood Lake, has a recently developed campground and offers fishing for everything from bullheads to walleyes to crappies. (320) 313-3013 Speaking of wood, always make sure to follow the rules regarding the movement of wood to and from campsites. Too many scary tree diseases out there. Here’s another slick option. New is the Minnesota Great Outdoors website (mn. gov/greatoutdoors/) where you can find all sorts of information on camping throughout the state. Please follow all campground rules. These are special places, and the people who use them deserve the respect of their fellow campers. Most of all, enjoy those things natural – the lakes, the wildlife, the fish – that make camping a great experience for those of all ages.

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Southwest Sailor, July 2018 – 11

Free watermelon returning to Sanborn

Sluuuurp! Watermelon Days are returning to Sanborn. And yes, the festival will again offer its trademark free slices of watermelon following a Tuesday, July 31 parade. The festival begins Monday, July 30, with a 3 p.m. kiddie tractor pull, a 6 p.m. kiddie parade, and fire department “water fights.” The Living World Praise Band will present a 6:30 concert on the front lawn of the Methodist Church. Then it’s the Watermelon Queen Pageant at the Sanborn ballroom beginning at 8 p.m. A 9 p.m. drawing will be held for a 24” girls’ bike, The Sanborn Watermelon Days royalty are goodwill ambassadors for their and a 24” boys’ bicycle. Registration for the drawing will be taken at the kiddie community throughout the summer.

Valhalla & Keeley Islands on Beautiful lake Shetek

tractor-pull for children 12 and younger. Youngsters must be present at the drawing to win. Tuesday festivities begin with a “Sanborn Get Together” at the Sanborn American Legion, beginning at 2 p.m. “Sugar Loom” will provide pre-parade music at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, with the parade set for 6:30 p.m. The Wendinger Band performs after the parade next to the free watermelon stand. Midwest Rides will operate carnival rides both days. A host of local food concessions will also be offered. Watermelon Days, in its 87th year, is one of Minnesota’s oldest community festivals.

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12 – Southwest Sailor, July 2018

Pageant returning to Walnut Grove Walnut Grove has become a yeararound destination for fans of Laura Ingalls Wilder and the popular NBC series Little House on the Prairie. But Laura interest peaks in July, when Walnut Grove hosts its popular outdoor Wilder Pageant for three weekends. A host of other family-friendly events are also scheduled. Walnut Grove activities for July include: Wilder Pageant Fridays & Saturdays, July 6-7, 13-14, 2021. “Fragments of a Dream” is a drama presented at an outdoor amphitheater near Walnut Grove and Plum Creek. Performances are at 9 p.m. Selected to Minnesota Top Annual Festivals & Events. Tickets 888-859-3102. ASL Interpreter available on July 13. The saga of the Charles and Caroline Ingalls family in the 1870s takes center stage. Elaborate sets, professional lighting and sound equipment, and live animals in the production enhance performances. The pageant is based on Wilder’s book, “On the Banks of Plum Creek.” Family Festival Saturdays July 7, 14 & 21, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Walnut Grove City Park. 
 For all ages. Demonstrations, activities, food and craft vendors, music performances, and much more. Free admission, although some activities may have a small charge. For more information call 507-859-2358. Plum Creek Rendezvous Friday & Saturday, July 6-7. Black Powder Shoot starts at 1 p.m. on Saturday, two miles south, one mile west

The story of the Charles and Caroline Ingalls family, settling in Walnut Grove in the 1870s, is told through the eyes of a mature Laura, looking back on her life. Here Laura, played by Heidi Morgan, recalls her family’s life in Walnut Grove.

of Walnut Grove. For more information call Leonard McLaughlin at 507-8592479. Laura & Nellie Look Alike Contest Saturdays, July 7, 14, and 21. Registration from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Contest starts at 3 p.m. $5 registration fee. For girls ages 8-12. Girls must be present at registration. One contest for Laura and one for Nellie. Prizes based on authentic looks and knowledge of Laura & Nellie from the

books of Laura Ingalls Wilder. Fishing Derby Saturday, July 14 Ages 12 & under, 10 a.m. at Lake Laura. Bring your own pole! Bus Tours Pageant weekends. Tours leave from Walnut Grove City Park at 4 p.m. on Fridays and 1:30, 3:30 and 5 p.m. on Saturdays. Fee charged. Pageant Suppers Fridays & Saturdays, July 6-7, 13-14, 2021. Served at Walnut Grove Community

Center from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Open to the public. Sponsored by local churches and community groups. Farmer’s Market Late afternoons on Fridays on Hwy. 14 near the Community Center and Hoyt Oil & Convenience Store. 2019 Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant Dates: July 5-6, 12-13, 19-20

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Southwest Sailor, July 2018 – 13

St. Paul’s Lutheran plans 125th celebration By Shari Dalin Nelson

St. Paul’s Lutheran School celebrates its 125th anniversary on July 14 and 15 in Fulda with fun, food, and fellowship. The celebration is based around the Bible passage, “Train a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not turn from it.” Proverbs 22:6. Plans for Saturday include root beer floats from 1 to 3 p.m. at St. Paul’s Lutheran School, where tours will also be offered. A program in the Fulda City Park starts at 3 p.m., followed by a meal of grilled burgers and chips at 5 p.m. Mass Choir practices are set for 6:30 p.m. on Saturday and 8:30 a.m. on Sunday at the church. Worship service with Holy Communion is scheduled for 9:00 on Sunday with Pastor Shawn Ethridge. Former St. Paul’s School student Rev. Kirk Clayton will be guest preacher,

former St. Paul’s teacher Luke Dahl will be organist, and former principal and teacher Loretta Gehl will direct the choir. Former student Tiffany Gehl will accompany the choir, and the brass choir director will be former student Joanne Jorgensen. At 11:30 people may gather in the lower level of the church for a carved pit ham and/or turkey with trimmings meal. Impact on Fulda The event also commemorates the school’s history and its impact on the Fulda community. Even before the congregation of St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church erected their first church building in 1888 near the current school, pioneer families began making plans for educating their children. Plans came to fruition in 1893 when Rev. Theodore Schleuter accepted a call

St. Paul’s Lutheran School.

St. Paul Lutheran Church.

to Fulda and took on the additional duties of headmaster of a school, which met two days a week in the church with about two dozen students. Classes were held in German until Rev. O. A. Soeldner, who was bilingual, began to incorporate English into the curriculum and church services in 1920. Parents purchased the textbooks and made wooden benches for students. A brick school building was built in 1926, and teachers were added. Another building project in 1950 nearly doubled the size of the building. By 1960, 84 students attended the school, which was supported entirely by the congregation and was open to students throughout the area. The 1980 autumn winds plagued farmers as they harvested their corn. Those tangled cornstalks provided the

school’s students an opportunity to pick ear corn so they could earn money to purchase the school’s first computer. In its early years, the school mostly offered classes from first to the eighth grade. In 1976 it offered a four-year-old preschool class and in 1977 instituted an all-year kindergarten program. Now it also provides a three-year-old preschool class. Next year the four-year-old program will expand to an all-year fiveday-a-week basis. At one time, Fulda had three schools— St. Paul’s Lutheran School, St. Gabriel’s Catholic School, and Fulda Public School. When St. Gabriel’s closed, some of its students transferred to St. Paul’s and others transferred to the public school. Extra-curricular activities at St. Paul’s

St. Paul’s Lutheran: See page 17

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30 Valhalla road, SlayToN, MN MLS 6030791: Location!! Comes with lake access! See it and love it! 2 BR, Totally renovated inside, with new country cabinets, Kitchen vanities, and wood work. (Luverne Minnesota) Top to bottom you will love it. Large two car heated garage, spacious lot. This property is zoned commercial at this time, so visit with zoning on your intended use. 2,200 sq ft. on main level and 600 sq. ft. upstairs with room to expand, possible bedroom etc. 2 New 3/4 bathrooms on the Main floor. $350,000

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14 – Southwest Sailor, July 2018

Quilts join blooms for garden tour The annual Tracy Area Garden & Quilt Tour blooms again Wednesday, July 11, from 2:30 to 8 p.m. Six home gardens—plus Wheels Across the Prairie and Greenwood Nursery of Tracy—will be featured. Scores of home-crafted quilts will be displayed amidst the flowerbeds, patios, and porches. A slab of homemade pie and a scoop of ice cream to top off the day are included in the $15 ticket. Garden tour sites include: Jeanine & Jim Vandendriessche, Virginia & Steve Hansen, Lavern & Alfred Jessen, Karen & Art Peterson, Jan & Steve LaVoy, Rose & Lynn Goltz. Wheels Across the Prairie has numerous gardens and flowerbeds amidst its 17 different buildings. Some quilts will be displayed on the wraparound front porch of the Mev and Bob Jackson home. Also planned is a long-arm machine quilting demonstration by Fabric’s Plus, and hand-quilting demonstrations by Lois Ahlschlager. Both demonstrations will be offered in the St. Mary’s Church social hall, where the pie and ice cream will be served. Tours will be offered at Greenwood Nursery. A $2 quilt raffle adds to the day’s fun. An 82x90” quilt made by Lynn Verlinde (machine quilting donated by Cindy Baker & Quality Quilting) is one of four raffle prizes. The Tracy Kiwanis and Tracy Catholic Women groups are event sponsors. Tickets, which include a tour booklet and directions, can be purchased on the day of the event at any tour site or at St. Mary’s Church. Rain date is Thursday, July 12.

Bavarian Blast brews ethnic fun A sauerkraut-eating contest? Jawohl! The chance to eat large quantities of fermented cabbage is just one of the charms of New Ulm’s annual Bavarian Blast, Thursday through Sunday, July 19-22, at the Brown County Fairgrounds in New Ulm. Four days of music, food, and fun are planned in this annual salute to New Ulm’s German heritage. Multiple German-themed bands will perform, including homegrown acts like the Concord Singers and Schell’s Hobo Band. But American pop music will take the stage too, with shows like “I Am, He Said, A Celebration of Neil Diamond.” Food vendors will offer both German & American cuisine. Schell’s Beer is the festival’s official brew. The Bavarian Blast Parade is set Sunday from 12:30 to 2 p.m. And yes, there really is a sauerkrauteating contest. It begins at 5 p.m. Saturday, July 21, in the Schell’s Tent. Advance passes can be purchased on-line at bavarianblast.com or at the New Ulm Chamber office. For more information, call 888-463-98-56 or check online at info@bavarianblast.com.

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Southwest Sailor, July 2018 – 15

It’s 100th summer for Marshall band Robert Meffert has been directing group since 1983

By Seth Schmidt

In an era of YouTube, Twitter, and online streaming, a live concert performance still commands center stage for Robert Meffert. “There is nothing like live. To have a performer right in front of you. The performer performs…The audience responds.…a relationship is formed. There’s nothing like it,” says the longtime director of the Marshall Municipal Band. Indeed. The Marshall band has been presenting outdoor summer concerts since at least 1919, when Woodrow Wilson was in the White House and Irving Berlin was cranking out hits in Tin Pan Alley. “It’s our Centennial season,” observes Meffert. “Our concerts have been a part of summers in Marshall for a long time.” The 50-piece band presents a free concert every Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in the Liberty Park bandshell through July 18. The one exception to the Liberty Park venue is the band’s Fourth of July concert, slated at Marshall’s Independence Park. The ensemble plays a mix of marches, pop tunes, Broadway classics, bigband swing, patriotic favorites, Sacred standards and even an occasional classical number. Except for the National Anthem, listeners won’t hear the same song twice in the same summer. “We have an extensive library of music that we rotate over four to five years,” Meffert explains. On occasion, timing is a factor in what’s performed. A medley from Chicago is on the concert docket this summer because of an upcoming Marshall production of the musical. Typically, music is rehearsed Tuesday night, then performed at the next night’s concert. “We read it one night and then play it the next. Every section in the band reads like crazy. That’s unbelievable,” Meffert says. The ability to sight-read music, and rehearse it only briefly before performing, Meffert says, is a tribute to the musicianship of band members. Performers include Wayne Ivers, Marshall High School band director, Wes Myers, MHS orchestra director; and John Ginocchio, Southwest Minnesota State band director. Other SMSU faculty

Wednesday evening concerts in Liberty Park by the Marshall Municipal Band are a summer tradition in Marshall.

in the band include Vaughn Gehle, Susan Jones, and Sharon Kabes. “I don’t take everyone,” Meffert explains. “It’s not for someone’s son or daughter who just started out. I start out each year be calling last year’s band members, and then if I find holes, then I go looking. My goal is to have a balanced band.” Most band members have post-high school experience. High school players are the exception, rather than the rule. “We once had an eighth-grade bass clarinet player who was unbelievable. She played four years. That is rare,” Meffert says. Meffert credits audiences for the band’s longevity. “This is a wonderful place to be. People

have been very good at supporting us. The number of people coming to our concerts over the years has been pretty constant.” The Hollywood Bowl-type parabola where the band performs, he adds, has outstanding acoustic, so much so that musicians have to be careful about smalltalk. Even relatively muted sounds from the band shell are projected out into the audience. “It’s a marvelous place to play,” Meffert says of the bandshell that was built in 1951, and refurbished in 2004. Prior to 1951, the band was without a concert home. Band members donated their stipend from the city in 1950-51, to help get the bandshell built. A music major from Augsburg College,

Marshall Band: See page 16

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Robert Meffert began playing the trombone in the Marshall Municipal Band in 1967. He’s been its director since 1983.

Meffert taught in Edgerton, Boyce, WI. and Milroy before becoming the Marshall Middle School band director in 1967. He taught intonation and rhythms, to Marshall kids through the 2000 school year before retiring. His hope is that all his students, regardless of talent, gained something from their experience. Meffort succeeded Leo Yorde as Marshall Municipal Band director in 1983. The “children’s march,” one of the Marshall band’s most popular traditions, was started during Yorde’s tenure, which began in 1949. • • • Today, Meffert’s life continues to be an up-tempo musical rhapsody.

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16 – Southwest Sailor, July 2018

Marshall band Continued from page 15

Fireworks are a Fourth of July tradition in Currie.

Besides directing the city band, Meffert plays trombone in the Route 68 Big Band based in Minneota, and sings in the Southwest Area Men’s Chorus. Music, Meffert maintains, not only is fun and uplifting, but it “helps your brain keep working.” As long as the mind is sharp, he adds, there’s no physical reason most older people can’t continue to play a musical instrument. Meffert cited Irv Peterson, who was first-chair trumpet in the Marshall band for 67 years, as an extraordinary musician who was unrestricted by age. Peterson died in 2012 at age 91. The Garvin native continued to play the trumpet until the last few days of his life. Meffert, who will turn 81 this August, has no plans to step down as director. “I’ll continue as long as they’ll have me,” he said. “This was a wonderful band before I came, and it still is today. I’m just thankful I haven’t messed it up!” He and his wife, Mary, raised two sons, Mark and Jim, who are also musicians and Marshall High School grads.

Currie to shoot off 4th of July fireworks The celebration of Independence Day begins a day early in Currie. The “Gateway to Lake Shetek” will host a street dance Tuesday, July 3, from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., featuring the sounds of “IV Play.” Wednesday, July 4, activities will include the Currie Town & Country club’s annual picnic and membership drive. Grilled burgers and hot dogs will be served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Duck races at the Des Moines River Bridge begin at 2 p.m. Volleyball and beanbag tournaments will take place most of the day. Inflatable bounce houses will be set up for the kids in the city park. The Fourth of July fun culminates with fireworks at dusk near the city park.

Jocelyn Klein of Tyler and Nick Dunn run lines from the upcoming Lake Benton Opera House show, “Footloose: The Musical.”

Everybody urged to get Footloose Put on your dancing shoes. The musical Footloose is coming to the Lake Benton Opera House. Two weekends of shows are planned. Evening, 7:30 p.m. performances will be held on July 26, 27, 28, and August 1, 2, 3, & 4. Matinee afternoon shows at 2 p.m. are set July 29, 30, and August 4, 5. “Senior Citizen’s Day” has been designated for the Saturday, August 4, 2 p.m. performance. The cast includes: Luke Bielfeldt, Brookings, SD., as Ren McCormack; Jocelyn Klein, Tyler, as Ariel Moore; Tom Schmitt, Porter, as Rev. Shaw Moore; - Aubree Cheadle of Ivanhoe as Ethel McCormack; Katie Roberts of Tyler as Vi Moore; Crystal Enga as Rusty; Ian Lundgren, Brookings, as Chuck Cranston.

A children’s march is a popular tradition of Marshall Municipal Band concerts.

Little Mr. and Miss Balaton preside over Balaton Fun Fest.

Balaton fest plans lake & town fun

The highlights of Balaton Fun Fest— Thursday through Sunday, July 5-8—are many. Friday will have the traditional lit boat parade on Lake Yankton at dusk, followed by fireworks. The outdoor concerts: “Mobile Heart Beats,” from 6 to 8 p.m.; and “Starfire,” from 8 to 9 p.m.; precede the lake events. The big Fun Fest parade is at 2 p.m. Saturday, July 7. Other Saturday highlights include a “Mobile Heart Beats” performance from 4 to 6 p.m. in Lions Park, and the Firemen’s Street Dance at 9 p.m. A complete schedule can be seen online at balatonfunfest.com.

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Southwest Sailor, July 2018 – 17

Tracy to host car & cycle show The Tracy Chamber of Commerce will be hosting its 12th annual car & cycle show Saturday, July 14, at Central Park. Registration is from 9 to 11 a.m., with judging from 11 to 3 p.m. An awards program is planned at 2:30 p.m. Vintage vehicles and cycles will be parked south of the Central Park bandshell. For more information, call Mike Mumm at 507-626-4158.

Jasper school benefit set

Reclaim Community, a non-profit organization dedicated to renovating the historic Jasper High School has planned two fund-raisers during Jasper Quartzsiter Days, July 27-29. A Classic Car Cruise In and pork supper is planned Friday, July 27, from 5 to 10 p.m. A tongue-in-cheek “Quartzsiter 0.5K All Fun-No Run” is planned Saturday, July 28, at 3 p.m. A costume contest, donut stop and raffle are among the activities.

Theresa Carlson of Slayton showing off her nice Lake Sarah walleye. Photo courtesy of Carlson’s Corner, Lake Shetek.

Logan Ven Wyck of Inwood, IA caught a great Lake Sarah walleye. Photo courtesy of Carlson’s Corner, Lake Shetek.

Lois Warner of Lake Shetek proudly displays a nice sized Lake Shetek walleye.

St. Paul’s Continued from page 13

have included basketball, football, volleyball, track, softball and music. School technology includes classroom smartboards and computers.

This Lake Shetek northern measured 35 inches and was caught by Dean Warner, who lives on Shetek.

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

A lunker of a walleye was caught on Lake Sarah by Skeeter. The fish was released back into the lake. Photo courtesy of Carlson’s Corner, Lake Shetek.

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18 – Southwest Sailor, July 2018

Fishing and kids – not a bad combination It’s puzzling how two There Ya Go something worth eating. potentially frustrating Maybe it’s the adrenaline activities, when rush of feeling a little tug Per Peterson combined, can lead to a on the line that keeps me wonderful experience. coming back. Whatever For all of you parents the reason, I keep going out there, you know how back to the shoreline vexing parenting can be. to test my talents. And They say it’s the toughest doing it with little kids, job in the world, and I makes it all the better. believe them. Whoever they are. A few weeks ago, I hit the shoreline For anyone who has tried to fish before of Shetek with my girlfriend and her — novice anglers, not you fine folks children. They each had their own with sonar and boats and expensive fishing poles, so we had a contest over rods and reels who actually know what who would catch the most fish. you’re doing — you can relate as to how Tara’s oldest caught the first bullhead frustrating wetting a line can be. and I believe the second. Finally, after But when you combine kids and the about an hour of sitting around, I caught occasional bullhead, well, it doesn’t get my first fish of the summer of 2018. much better than that. Of course, it was a bullhead. Catching The cool thing about fishing is you a bullhead compared to a sought-after don’t have to be good at it to have a good walleye is like catching a foul ball from time. I spent years learning how to golf a bench player as opposed to a home run from my dad. I can remember not being very good at golf when I started and how I’d rather have been playing baseball than trying to knock a little white ball around for three hours. But fishing is different. Fishing, you can stink at it and still have fun. • PAID UTILITIES Believe me, I know. If I had to fish to survive I would starve • ACTIVITIES PROGRAM to death. If I had to fish to make money, • LAUNDRY FACILITIES I’d go broke. I’m not good. I don’t know when to use worms and when to use leeches. I don’t know what a spinner is or what it does. Yet, for some reason, the sport of angling is addictive to me. Perhaps it’s the tease of maybe catching

from a future Hall of Famer. It’s cool and everything, but it lacks thrill — the depth of unfettered excitement that is what we all look for and keeps us coming back. I admit, for me, catching anything is a bonus. In my life I’ve caught exactly three fish: that bullhead, a tiny walleye a couple summers ago that I killed trying to get unhooked (really sorry about that by the way) and a massive carp in Lake Mariah before the lake was drained a few years ago. Landing a carp for a novice is pretty fun. We battled for about five minutes before I got him. Only I didn’t really have him. My line ended up breaking and he swam away with a hook in his mouth. But it was a blast while it lasted. Back to the family fishing contest. I think I ended up losing to Brady, my girlfriend’s oldest boy, two bullheads to one. But the cool thing is, everyone had fun. No one got a trophy, no one got their

picture in the paper, but everyone had fun. And that should be what fishing is all about: fun. Kids these days don’t seem to have time to have fun. Summer for today’s teens is about participating in as many sports as you can. Sports is a yearround affair; if you don’t take part, you fall behind and no parent wants their child to fall behind. Between volleyball, basketball and softball and work, kids rarely have time to sit on the shore with their dad for a couple hours. And as far as catching a fish goes, well, let’s just say fishing doesn’t bring with it the instant gratification that teens today crave … nay, expect. However, as a parent, I will continue to try to combine that part of my life with fishing, because somehow, the two really do go hand-in-hand.

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Southwest Sailor, July 2018 – 19

How was your town named? You might be surprised… Second in a series. A story begun in the June Sailor explored how towns in Southwest Minnesota were named at the time of 19th century settlement.

John P. Steen and Ole P. Steen, who were early Norwegian settlers … Dawson was named in honor of William Dawson, a banker and mayor of St. Paul, who was one of three partners in the Dawson Townsite Company … Porter took its name from L.C. Porter, a mill owner and early settler … The city of Chandler is named for railroad official John Alonzo Chandler … Truman was named after Truman Clark, the son of a railroad

By Scott Thoma

LaSalle took the name from French explorer Rene-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle … Lafayette is named for Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, an American Revolutionary War general … Morgan chose to name its town after Lewis H. Morgan, an American politician and anthropologist … Canby is derived from Edward R.S. Canby, a U.S. Army general who was killed by Modoc Indians in 1873 … Windom was named by Gen. Judson W. Bishop of St. Paul, chief engineer for construction of the railway, in honor of the distinguished statesman, William Windom of Winona, a Congressman from 1859-69 and a U.S. senator from 1871-83. Windom was also a member of President James Garfield’s cabinet, and was Secretary of the Treasury during President William Henry Harrison’s term. Lake Benton bears the name given to the lake on Joseph N. Nicollet’s map. In his journey to the lake in 1838, Nicollet was accompanied by John C. Frémont, who later became the presidential candidate of the newly-organized Republican Party in 1856. Lake Benton was named by Frémont and Nicollet for longtime Missouri Senator Thomas Hart Benton, whose daughter Jessie was married to Frémont in 1841 … St. Leo was named for Pope Saint Leo, also known as Saint Leo the Great. He was Pope from 440 to his death in 461 … Vesta is named for Vesta, the Roman Goddess of hearth and home. The town of Winthrop honors Governor John Winthrop of Massachusetts Bay Colony… Gibbon is named after Civil War General John Gibbon. The Gibbon River and Gibbon Falls in Yellowstone National Park also bear his name … Bingham Lake was named for Senator K.S. Bingham of Michigan. Edgerton bears the name of Alonzo J. Edgerton, who was a state senator, a U.S. senator, a U.S. federal judge, and an officer in the Union Army during the Civil War … Dunnell chose to name its town after Mark H. Dunnell, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1871 to 1883 and from 1889 to 1891. The home he built and lived in is part of a museum in Owatonna. Lots of RR names Often, cities took their name from an early settler, a prominent citizen or someone associated with the railroad that usually preceded the town. These include: Tracy, named after John F.

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Early pioneers Ellsworth was named after Eugene Ellsworth of Cedar Falls, Iowa, an official with the Burlington Railroad … Rushmore was not named after Mount Rushmore; rather an early settler by the name of S.M. Rushmore received the honor … Hills was named for railroad official Frederick C. Hills … Steen was chosen the town’s name after brothers

Town names: See page 20

You could be having this much fun!

John Winthrop, Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Tracy, a former president of the Chicago and Northwestern Railway…Slayton was named for Charles W. Slayton, a real estate developer who was the town’s founder and chief proprietor … Lamberton was named for Henry Wilson Lamberton, a railroad official … Sanborn is named in honor of Sherburn Sanborn, who for many years was an officer of the Chicago and Northwestern railway company … Garvin was named after railroad official. H.C. Garvin. After Neil and Archibald Currie constructed a grist mill, a town was laid out around it and later named Currie in their honor … Ortonville was platted by Cornelius Knute Orton, for whom the village and township were named … Although it’s generally assumed that Wilder is named after Laura Ingalls Wilder and/or her family, it was actually named for Amherst Holcomb Wilder, who came to Minnesota from New York and began a mercantile business. Wilder was also known for his stage and steamboat transportation. The St. Paul & Sioux City Railway’s board decided to name Bigelow after one of their directors, Charles H. Bigelow

official Hardwick is named after J. L. Hardwick, a railroad official … The city of Magnolia was named for the township and village of Magnolia in Rock County, WI … Kenneth Kennicott, the son of an early settler, had the town of Kenneth named after him … Lake Wilson was named by J.E. Wilson, a landowner in

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20 – Southwest Sailor, July 2018

Town names

the area, who also named the nearby lake after himself … Carl Ihlen, the original owner of the townsite, had the town of Ihlen named after him … Clements was named for early settler Peter O. Clements … The Minnesota State Legislature named Jackson County after the first merchant of St. Paul and the town of Jackson also took on the same name. When the Southern Minnesota Railroad came through in 1878, the name Sherburne was accepted in honor of Sherburne S. Merrill, General Manager of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad … The city of Welcome honors Alfred W. Welcome, who owned a farm on what became the city’s southwest side … Butterfield was chosen the name of its town after William Butterfield, the original owner of the town site … Jeffers was named in honor of George Jeffers, who was a wealthy land owner who sold the railroad a portion of his homestead … Storden bears the name of the area’s first settler, Nels Storden, an immigrant from Norway … Maynard was named after the brother-in-law of a railroad official … Dr. D.A. Stewart is the name sake of Stewart, which was platted in 1888 … The directors of the St. Paul and Sioux City Railroads chose the future townsite of St. James as the midpoint for a new railroad linking the two cities. They named the town for James Purington, an early settler. Ormsby was named after E.S. Ormsby, who owned the first bank in town … Prinsburg was platted by Martin Prins, a partner in the Dutch real estate firm Prins and Zwanenburg, a derivation of the town’s name … Lewisville was named in honor of Richard, James and Nelson Lewis, local farmers whose father, Thomas Lewis, emigrated from Ireland … Hanley Falls took its name from John A. Hanley, a general freight agent for the Minneapolis and St. Louis Railroad. The railroad purchased the land and platted the townsite in 1884 in a design based upon the plat of Washington, D.C. … Roc-solid names Geographical features, birds, hills and even a novel are other name sources. Ivanhoe, was named by officers of the Chicago and Northwestern Railway for the hero of the novel by the same name written by Sir Walter Scott. Many streets in Ivanhoe were named for characters in the novel … Cosmos was a name proposed by Daniel Hoyt, one of its early settlers. Hoyt was a surveyor and was elected the first clerk of the township. “Cosmos” is an ancient Greek word meaning “order and harmony”… Morton is named after the rare morton gneiss rock found throughout the town … Jasper, which was named for deposits of jasper mined nearby … Springfield was named in 1881 for the large, flowing spring on the site. Westbrook is located near the west branch of Highwater Creek, and so the name Westbrook was born … Bird Island’s name derived from a grove of large trees a mile west of the town and on the south side of the railway, surrounded by sloughs, like an island, whereby it was protected from prairie fires and was known for plentiful wild birds … Lakefield was named for its location near the border of Heron Lake … And Heron Lake was named in 1870 after a local lake where great blue herons were often seen … Round Lake was named for the adjoining Round Lake in Jackson

Continued from page 19

County on the request of O.H. Roche, who owned a ranch of nearly 2,000 acres surrounding the lake … Cottonwood received its name from the adjacent lake, which has cottonwood trees on its shore …Just north of Pipestone lies a pipestone quarry, described by Native American legends as a square-cut jewel lying upon folds of shimmering green velvet. This is an accurate depiction of the red quartzite almost hidden by the vast prairie grasses … Redwood Falls took its name from the falls of the Redwood River, which descends approximately 140 feet. The Dakota name of the Redwood River alludes to the red cedar trees on its bluffs at Redwood Falls or to trees there marked by spots of red paint for guidance of a war party at some time during the ancient warfare between the Ojibwe and the Dakota for ownership of this region ... Hazel Run bears the name of its creek, a tributary to the Minnesota River … Beaver Creek took its name from the nearby creek of the same name … Cedar Mills was named for nearby Cedar Lake, which has many red cedars on its shores and island … Mountain Lake was named by early settlers for its former large lake in which a mountainlike island rose with steep shores and nearly flat top about 40 feet above the lake. The upper part of the island was covered with trees and could be seen for many miles. Early settlers used this spot as a landmark and guide. This lake has long since been drained and grasses now grow in its old bed … Buffalo Lake was named after a nearby lake … Fairmont was initially referred to as Fair Mount based on its situation beside and above the Central Chain of Lakes, which allowed it to look across the lakes and the adjoining county. Unique twists Some cities got their names from other languages, such as: Okabena, which sits near Heron Lake and Lakefield, is a Dakota term meaning “the nesting place of herons” … Minneota is derived from the Dakota language meaning “much water”, said to be named by an early settler on account of an abundance of water flowing into his well … Belview is a name derived from French words,

meaning “a beautiful “bouncing back and view” … Wanda got its forth like an name from the Ojibwe echo.” language, meaning Tr i m o n t “forgetfulness” … resulted Hanska bears its name, from an early like the township, from consolidation the common Dakota involving word meaning “long” two different or “tall”, which these towns platted Indians gave to the by competing remarkably long and railroads: narrow lake in this Triumph to township … the east and Some town names Ivanhoe was Monterey to the evolved. Wilmont was Walter Scott’s named for the hero in Si “Ivanhoe”. r west. The towns originally named after eventually joined Willmont (two “l’s”) Township. Some early townspeople wanted the into one, using the first letters in each spelling of “Willumet,” while others town to form what today is known as favored Lamont. On Nov. 22, 1878, the Trimont. The early competition gives two sides reached an agreement and the Trimont the unique characteristic of having two separate business districts township was named Willmont. Echo is a community that has been on the same street placed one-half mile known by several names. First settled in apart. An early post office and stage-coach 1869 and organized in 1874, the township was originally named Empire which was stop in Renville County was once called changed a month later to Rose. That name Plainville. That was changed to Hector, didn’t sit well with founders, who put because many area settlers came from Echo Township on the map. Historians Hector Township in New York. debate the origin of the name. Some suggest the echo of a train whistle, with some saying Echo is the result of names

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Southwest Sailor, July 2018 – 21

Old-fashioned Fourth?

Pioneer Village offers glimpse of great-grandma’s life By Shari Dalin Nelson

Nobles County Historical Society and Prairie Reapers Power Reunion will once again host Fourth of July festivities at Pioneer Village in Worthington including a melodrama, tractor pull, tractor parade, performance of German Immigrant Letters, kiddie pedal pull, Klassen Family Singers, and a watermelon feed from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Besides enjoying the activities at Pioneer Village, visitors may tour the buildings and view artifacts which reflect the lifestyle of the area which has ties to the late 1800s through the 1900s. Each building has a story to tell and memories to invoke. The first building at Pioneer Village was the School House, which the Society purchased in 1957 and placed on the fairgrounds until 1968 when it came to its present location in what became Pioneer Village. This building was built in 1899 and was used as a school house until 1944. Also, in 1968, Forrest and Arlene Jennings donated a second building which came to Pioneer Village and was named the Ahhh! The backyard outhouse Farm House because it is still remembered by many.

This rural house at the Pioneer Village looks ready for someone to appear on the porch.

looked like typical homes on the farm, even though it was never actually located in a rural setting. Civil War veteran too The Atrium now stands where Civil War veteran James Braddock Green built his home in 1888 when he and his wife moved from the farm in Elk Township in Nobles County to the city of Worthington. Three years after their move, his wife Julia Ann died and was buried in Worthington City Cemetery, where twenty years later he joined her and other Civil War veterans. The Greens were married in 1851 and lived in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin before they traveled by wagon and on foot with their eleven children from Misha Mokwa, Wisconsin, east of Lake Pepin to Nobles County in 1878. Two years later they homesteaded six miles west of Worthington. During Green’s Civil War military service, he

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served under Union General William Tecumseh Sherman, participated in Sherman’s March to the Sea, was wounded in the Battle Above the Clouds, and was a long-time prisoner at Andersonville. Green’s descendants still own the musket he carried during the war. This rather eccentric man never let anyone say John Wilkes Booth’s name, was always very stern, and did not smile or laugh. The Greens’ house now sits in the northwest corner of Pioneer Village and is currently getting a new roof after which volunteers plan to redecorate the inside of the residence as funds become available. Along the fence behind the Farm House are a storage shed, a dog house, and the recently restored outhouse. Further south are a windmill with a pump, the Poultry House, and the Red Barn all of which are reminiscent of farmsteads of

Pioneer Village: See page 22

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22 – Southwest Sailor, July 2018

Draft horse classic returns to Slayton It’s time to hitch up some highpowered equestrian fun. The Murray County Classic Draft Horse Show returns to the Murray County Fairgrounds in Slayton Friday through Sunday, July 13-15. Nearly 100 horses are expected for a host of classes.

Action gets underway at 7:30 p.m. Friday with cart classes, with gates opening Saturday and Sunday at 9 a.m. A 10 a.m. farm team demonstration and a 2 p.m. draft horse show are planned Saturday, with a draft horse show to begin at 12:30 p.m. Sunday.

Dolls are ready to be loved in a little girl’s bedroom at the Pioneer Village.

Pioneer Village Continued from page 21

bygone days. To the southeast of the Farm House are two apple trees which represent the rural orchards that farm families tended on their homesteads. Pioneer roots Trapper G. J. Hoffman was the first man to winter on his homestead along Lake Okabena (Okabena means home of the heron.) and planted the original Okabena apple tree from seed he had gotten from Peter M. Gideon of Excelsior, Minnesota, in 1871. Three years later Gideon sold his farm to H. J. Ludlow, who saw the promise of one of the trees, took apples from it to horticulture shows

where it earned prizes, and marketed the trees. Root grafts from the original tree and its descendants were shipped to other parts of the United States and Canada. Throughout Pioneer Village are other buildings and artifacts with notable histories that bring back memories to those who can say, “I have something just like this in my house, garage, or storage shed; and I remember using it.” Visiting these old buildings gives grandparents a chance to tell their grandchildren about life before cell phones, video games, and other modern conveniences.

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Southwest Sailor, July 2018 – 23

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24 – Southwest Sailor, July 2018

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