A Literary Snapshot of Santiago

I found the following letter in scanned images of the St. Paul Press.  The comments are interesting that they reveal the independence of the settlers of the area and still reflect the New England influence.  The author of the letter, "Mouse," is a mystery.  Yet, an interesting writer all the same.

Santiago, July 9, 1872

Editors St. Paul Press:

           

Not seeing any letters from this part of the state in your columns, I take the liberty of saying a few words in its behalf. …The settlement here is called by outsiders, “St. Francis,” being on the river of that name, and consists of the two towns of Santiago and Glenderado, the latter in Benton County; and it is indeed a very flourishing settlement, composed mainly of New England people.  We have a saw mill and store and school house, and consider the settlement as good as can be found. …we are emphatically a Grant and Wilson town, to say nothing of the county.  We know of but two persons who will vote for Greeley in the coming election. …

The crops in this vicinity are looking well and promise a rich harvest.  A considerable number of fruit trees have been set out here this spring and in nearly all cases are looking finely.  We think apples can be raised here, and we mean to try it anyway. …

Haying is not commenced here yet on account of high water.

The Fourth of July was not celebrated here this year on account of the sickness and death of one of our number, who in times past, has taken a prominent part in the entertainment.  His name was Hiram Gilman, one of the oldest men in here, and universally loved and respected.

More, anon, from a constant reader of your valuable paper.

Mouse

A New Funeral Practice

I found an interesting news report in The Becker Herald published on 30 August 1934.  The article adds some new light to the study of funeral practices and customs.

The Herald reports that “for the first time in Becker the loud speaker was used” in a funeral service.  The report goes on to say that the “microphone was placed in front of the pulpit and the amplifier in the corner” of the room.  “The voice was carried smoothly to all parts of the church,” it read.

It is interesting to contemplate the original use of a microphone in a church, or for a funeral.  Imagine the difficulty of trying to deliver a eulogy while having to shout every syllable to insure that everyone in a large crowd was able to hear.  What a challenge it must have been to make an attempt at solemnity while shouting at the top your lungs!

I think I have found a new respect for 19th century ministers.

More Snow in the Future?

            Today the local weather reports seem rather boring.  Each day the morning announcers lament the lack of snow in Minnesota.  Around town, however, friends are telling me to just sit back and wait.  When the snow comes, it is going to arrive with a great deal of fanfare.

            History has shown that the month of November is a time of unpredictable and often frightening weather.

Snow at SHC, November 2010

            Only twenty years ago, the Halloween blizzard of 1991 witnessed a snowstorm that delivered more 28 inches in a two day period.  The snow started to fall at noon on October 31 and continue for two days.  It was a heavy, wet snow that stayed.  Trick-or-treaters were forced to climb over snow drifts to reach houses for candy.  In the Twin Cities, children were advised not to travel through the neighborhoods.  “Visit the malls,” they were told.

            Other spectacular snow storms included the Armistice Day storm of 1940 when 27 inches of snow fell.  It surprised so many people in the upper Midwest that thousands were caught in the storm that hit the upper states.  Weather watchers reported snowdrifts as high as twenty feet.  In the end, more than 150 deaths were credited to the storm. 

            November of 1911, exactly 100 years ago, Sherburne County was hit with yet another blizzard.  The Sherburne County Times newspaper reported on November 16, that a blizzard hit the area and although no measurements of snowfall were taken, temperatures dropped to three degrees below zero. Some reports claimed the snow continued to fall for ten days.  Nearly two weeks after the storm, early in December,  the newspaper was still reporting of the efforts to dig out from the snow.

            The cold weather, dramatic changes, and the fierce snowstorms make the climate a major topic of discussion.  The diversity and quick changes in weather certainly make this the most interesting topic to approach.

This Week In Sherburne County History: 1891--Train Accident Kills Five

October 27, 1891—An accident occurred on the Minneapolis and Pacific Railroad when a train ran into the caboose of a leading train, killing five men.  Four of the fatalities were from a Monticello threshing crew.  The lead train was apparently stopped when the second locomotive came upon them.  The collision was so violent one man was thrown through the roof of the caboose and landed on top of an adjoining freight car.

            On November 1, the conductor of the moving train was arrested and charged with criminal negligence for the deaths of the men 

Elk River Preservation Needs Help

Okay, before we begin, let me acknowledge that my standing in the Elk River Preservation discussion is limited.  I do not live in Elk River.  However, as Executive Director of the Sherburne County Hsitorical Society, I do have some interest in this discussion.

The Housing and Redevelopment Authority of Elk River is committing an injustice against the people of Elk River.

Recent news reports in the Star News state the HRA has voted to evict the Elk River Arts Alliance from its building at 720 Main Street. This will begin the process to tear down 716 and 720 Main.  Their justification for this action is the fear the roof may collapse under a heavy snow in the coming winter.  I have been assured this chance is minor.

Well, the suggestion has been made that the HRA is not serving the people of Elk River in a completely unbiased manner.

What the HRA is not saying is that repairs to the building would cost a minimum $75,000.  Tearing down the building would cost a minimum of $95,000.  These numbers, by the way, come from a building consulting firm contracted to the HRA

The HRA is also ignoring the pleas of the Historic Preservation Commission.  The HPC for several months has been urging Housing and Redevelopment to save the buildings.  The HPC position is that the two buildings contribute to the historic character of downtown Elk River.

Furthermore, the HRA refuses to recognize the economic potential of restoring the building.  Leaders of the Historic Preservation movement in the United States estimate that for every dollar invested in preservation and restoration of a building, there is a potential return of more than $20.  In other words, the $75,000 used to save the building could possibly see a return for the city of  $1,650,000.

In defense of the HRA, a plan has been developed to tear down the two buildings to expand the existing parking lot on Main Street.  A number of individuals maintain the lot is full ten days out of the year.  In other words, the HRA wants to tear down two buildings, at a cost of $95,000 for a parking lot that will sit empty 355 days a year.

Suddenly I am thinking of the lyrics: "they paved paradise and put up a parking lot."

Unfortunately, a majority of the members of the HRA are appointed positions.  They answer to no one except the City Council.  Maybe the City Council needs to be made aware of the disservice being committed by their appointed members of the HRA.

My Weather Obsession

If you are following the Sherburne History Center facebook page over the last few weeks you will have noticed we are a bit obsessed about the weather.  In studying local historic newspapers, it appears the concern for weather is part of the character of Sherburne County residents.  And, it simply isn’t the record highs and lows, the impressively strong winds, or tornadoes that roll through the county.  Each day the weather is unique and becomes an interesting facet of coming events.  Even the smallest details are noted.

In August of 1894, the Sherburne County Star News reported not only was it hot (the daytime temperature hovered around 100 all week with a night time low of the high 80s), but also technology had taken a step forward for weather forecasters.  The newspaper reported, “Elk River is now furnished with weather reports by telephone.  The character of the weather is no better than it was before.”

Extremes in the weather were always noted in the newspapers.  On August 5, 1897, the Sherburne County Times noted the incredibly wet summer.  “According to official measurements over 11 inches of rain fell in this section of the state in the month of July.”    According to weather websites, the average July rainfall for Sherburne County is about 4.1 inches.  1897 must have been a very wet year.

Just three years earlier, drought had hit the county.  The newspapers were noting the lack of rain for crops and the low level of the Mississippi River.  “W. E. Corey says he never saw the Mississippi River so low,” the papers reported.  “”He says there is hardly water enough to float logs in the middle of the channel.”

Blizzards, extremes in snowfall, rainfall and tornadoes are all noted in the news.  The Veterans Days Blizzard that hit the entire state in 1940 will be forever remembered.  And the tornado of 1967 that tore through the county will also be noted in memory.  And that is what makes it interesting.  There is always something new in the weather reports of Sherburne County.  It inspires a slight obsession.

Hang the Canoe Thief!

Out west, tradition held that stealing a man’s horse was the most despicable and life threatening action imaginable.  A horse thief was usually hanged without the benefit of a jury trial. 

I recently came across the following article in the Sauk Rapids Frontierman on 7 June 1855: 

The meanest and most contemptible action we know of, is for a white man to steal a canoe.  It is a common occurrence, for some people who are going to the Falls or St. Paul, and who are either too stingy or mean to pay for a passage down by land or purchase a canoe, to steal the first one they chance to see.  The people residing upon the river have lost a large number during the past two years, and we have lately been made a victim by one of this class of detestable beings—canoe stealers.  It may seem cunning, and be a cheap way to go down stream, but if we ever find out the thief, he will learn to his satisfaction that “Jordan am a hard road to travel.”

I wonder if the editor considered hanging too good for any of these canoe thieves: