Author Archives: Eric
“A Dream of Milk and Honey”
A collaboration between collaboration between Vesterheim and the Decorah Home School Assistance Program and Norwegian partners, A Dream of Milk and Honey is a stop-motion animated film about Norwegian immigration to the United States and it tells the story of … Continue reading
Waterloo Ridge Lutheran Church 100th Anniversary booklet
In 1967, Waterloo Ridge Lutheran Church published its centennial history , including a narrative of the church and its pastors and associations, photos, and a list of confirmands. It also includes an explanation for the early schism that led to … Continue reading
Caledonia Argus archive available online
Minnesota Historical Society’s Minnesota Digital Newspaper Hub has made available a free, searchable archive of several dozen papers from around Minnesota, including the Caledonia Argus. The Argus archive dates from Volume 9 in 1888 through 1922, with most years being … Continue reading
Winona Newspaper Archive online
Winona State University has published an online archive of four Winona newspapers. This archive includes available issues of the Winona Argus, the Winona Daily Republican, the Winona Republican Herald and the Winona Daily News from 1855 to 1976 and is an excellent resource … Continue reading
Help identify this farm near Caledonia
Zoom right in to a high-resolution view into a panorama of life on the family farm. This photo dates from around 1910 and was printed as a postcard, however there is no information to identify the exact farm pictured. Circumstantial … Continue reading
Log cabin simplicity: recrafting pioneer tiny homes in corn Iowa
Local preservationist Paul Cutting reviews his work on pioneer log cabins.
Panoramic photo of Spring Grove, 1908
The “Model T” went into production in 1908, but no trace of cars is yet evident in this view of Spring Grove, Minnesota, that year. [htmlembed name=”SpringGrovePanorama1908″]
Halloween special: Belle Gunness, Norwegian-American Serial Killer
Hell’s Belle, as she became known after her quiet hobby of murder was discovered, is reported to have murdered more than 40 people between 1884 and 1908 before disappearing without a trace. Belle was a lonely-hearts killer in pursuit of … Continue reading
Highlandville Farmer’s Telephone Company organized in 1902
In 1886, the Iowa and Minnesota Telephone Company ran telephone lines through Decorah, connecting the region to long lines to the east, and Decorah became the central station for Winneshiek county lines in 1895. Farmers were slower to connect their … Continue reading
Essential reference: Nybyggerhistorie fra Spring Grove og Omegn (Settler History of Spring Grove and Region)
When his chores were done, farmer Ole S. Johnson, who lived just east of Spring Grove, traveled around the region in his horse and buggy and talked with those early settlers who were still around in the 1910s. Their generation … Continue reading
