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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016-05-10 PACKET 08.A.7.HISTORICAL -�r _► ��WHISPERINGS - ' ' ,r —Washington Con Y I I •.lt Historical Society I 14 Volume 42 Issue 4 Washington County, Minnesota YY January 2016 Minnesota Territory's Fust—and Only Supreme Court Case This 1865 photo of Main Street in Stillwater shows buildings built before 1854 (the St. Croix Lbuse, left, the Minesota House, right, and a saloon in the middle). ,The alignment reinforces the idea that there was no early consensus on where the public street might be. By Nancy Goodman In 1854, when Stillwater was incorporated as a city, it was a boisterous, growing river town about ten years old that had formed around John McKusick's sawmill, located between the waterfront and the main street. The street, which was only a block from the waterfront, was lined with mercantiles, saloons and hotels, many of which had re- placed earlier and more humble dwellings. Among those dwellings was a house built by William Holcombe in 1848. The controversy arose in October 1854 when Jonathan E. McKusick, who was Stillwater's city marshal, notified Holcombe that his dwelling house obstructed Main Street, and that it must be removed immediately. This, he said, was authorized by a new city ordinance, passed in August, barring nuisances. Holcombe refused to move the building. On November 4, Marshal J. E. McKusick, along with his brother John, then Stillwater Mayor, and several others William Holcombe vs. John McKusick, Jonathan E McKusick, Christopher Carle (sic), Horace K. McKinstry, Elias McKean, and Joseph C. York was brought during the December 1857 Court Term of the U.S. Supreme Court Some of the St. Croix Valley's earliest pioneers were involved in a lawsuit that erupted in 1854, shortly after Stillwater became a city. Many of these men had come to the Valley as employees of the St. Croix Falls Lumber Co. They and others moved to the Stillwater area when McKusick's Stillwater Mill began operations in 1844, drawing workers to the head of Lake St. Croix. including Christopher Carli and Joseph C. York, Stillwater Councilmen, descended on the house and removed it, or as they said, "abated the nuisance." Holcombe filed suit three weeks later. The case of Wil- liam Holcombe v. John McKusick, Jonathan E. McKusick, Christopher Carli, Horace L. McKinstry, Elias McKean and Joseph C. York was tried in the Territorial District LAWSUIT— Continued on page 6 In This Issue ... .. we explore a legal issue that arose inthe early days of Stillwater, tell the history of Forest Lake business, note an- other historic building saved, and learn about a project to picture soldiers who died in Vietnam— and other news. Executive Director's Report p. 2 - - j Museum Events Report p. 4 "Faces Never Forgotten" Project p. 8 Forest Lake Creamery P. 9 - - - Saving White Bear Town Hall - P. 10 Board & Staff Washington County Historical Society Board David findsey President Scott Foss - Vice President Toe Otte Recording Secretary Tom Simonet Treasurer Myron Anderson Director Ryan Collins Director HollyFitzenberger Director Aarlene McComb Director Angie Noyes Director Beclry Pung Director .jeffRaman Director Staff BrentPeterson Executive Director Sean Pallas Warden's House Manager Dust n Dubuque Hay Lake Museum Manager I Chairs Robert Goodman Endowment Fund Chair Nancy Goodman Newsletter Editor j- Historical Whisperings is published quarterly by the Washington County Historical Society, PO Box 167, - Stillwater, MN 55082-0167. Website: www,wchsmn.org Phone: 651-439-5956. For information about stories and newsletter articles, contact: editor@wchsmn. org For mformation.about events and collections, contact - information@wchsmn. org TObook.a museum tour contact spallas.wchs@gmail.coni or phone 651-439-5956 2 HISTORICAL WHISPERINGS From the Executive Director Another year has been completed and the next year is laid before us - with much ex- citement and anticipation. So much was done last year - so many great events, pro- grams, tours and so many friends made and new members that joined. Thank you all for being a part of preserving our great heritage! The Warden's House Museum and Hay Lake School and Johannes Erickson Log House Museum had some great moments in 2015. The annual beer tasting was a rous- ing success at the Scandia museums and the paranormal group again drew big crowds at the Warden's House. I hope all of you will look at the upcoming events for 2016 and come to some at each of the sites - higher quality cannot be found for history pro- grams in the region. The challenge that the WCHS Board of Directors took on in 2015 was the preser- vation of the Rev. Boutwell House. After the HGTV personality delayed the demoli- tion of the house, the Historical Society stepped in and secured its preservation. WCHS is now in the process of raising funds to make'renovation a reality: Please do- nate if you can!! The St. Croix Base Ball Club had a wonderful year in 2015. Playing before more than 2,000 fans during the summer, the St. Croixs were able to interpret the early days of Minnesota statehood, the beginnings of base ball in Minnesota and the start of the Civil War. Base ball got started at a pivotal time in our history and the club makes his- tory come alive for both young and old. Check out the St. Croixs' 2016 schedule at www.wchsmn.org/events/vintage-base-ball/. Better yet, become a member of the team - they are always looking for more players of any age. It should be noted that this coming year represents ten years without annual coun- ty assistance for the Washington County Historical Society. At that time the county commissioners considered the Historical Society a "non-core function" of government. Today, the Historical Society continues despite the attitudes of our county officials. WCHS is still the only Minnesota county historical society without annual assistance from their county. Sad, but hue. Memberships are due at the beginning of the year so if you haven't already re- newed your membership please do so. Our programs and publications are put together for you, the members. Thank you in advance for your membership and if you would like to help or volunteer please let us know. Brent T. Peterson, WCHS Executive Director Upcoming Events. Winter Ice Cream Social Returns January 16 Join the WCHS for winter fun at the Eighth Annual Ice Cream Social in Lowell Park on Saturday, January 16, from noon to 4 PM. Enjoy FREE ice cream and coffee, or buy a cup of chili for a nominal fee. This free event re- creates the winter Ice Cream Socials held in Stillwater back in the 1950s (see photo). Watch a vintage base ball game played in the snow! Warn up around a bonfire! Sponsors include Leo's Grill and Malt Shop, Pub 112, and the Stillwater Convention & Visitors' Bureau. All proceeds and donations benefit the Washington County Historical Society. Save These Dates! WCHS Annual Meeting March 31, 2016 The Washington County Historical Society annual meeting will be held at the Water Street Inn in Stillwater on Thursday, March 31.The event will start with a social hour at 5:30 PM fol- lowed by dinner at 6:30. The meeting will begin at 7:30 with election of board members and a program with former pro wrestler "Jumpin" Jim Branzell talking about his new book and the Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame. Cost of the dinner and program is $20 for WCHS members and $25 for non-members. The public is invited and welcome, but reservations must be made in advance. Call 612-439- 5956 or email brent.peterson@ wchsmn.org. Holiday Event Success! We hope you made it! The WCHS Annual Holiday Book Signing event at the War- den's House museum on December 12 featured some of the area's foremost local historians and authors. Great to have Bill Schrankler, Gloria VanDemmeltraadt, Fred Johnson and Bernie Anderson! Thanks to all who came to the event, as well as to Mary Allen's music students, who provided Christmas music. Warden's House Annual Open House April 24 Help the Washington County Histori- cal Society celebrate our 75th year operating the Warden's House as a museum during the Annual Open House on Sunday, April 24, 2016 from noon to 4 PM. This is a free event and a great chance for you, your family and friends to have a sneak peek at the museum's newest exhibits! The Warden's House touring sea- son runs May through October with tours held Thursdays through Sundays every hour from 1 to 5 PM. The muse- um will be open again for walk-ins and tours on Sunday, May 1. Please contact Sean Pallas at spallas.wchs@gmail.com or 651-439- 5956 with any questions regarding this event or to schedule a tour. Former teacher and principal in District #834, Bernie Anderson, talks with a guest about his book, The Magic That Was Stonebridge: Reflections from an Era of Teacher Empowerment. Membership Report The Washington County Historical Society welcomes new and renewing annual individual and family members listed at right. A special welcome to new Life Members Robert and Nan- cy Goodman. Thank you all for your support! Annual memberships are due January 1 each year. If you are uncertain as to whether you have paid, call 651-439-5956 or email us at <information@wchsmn.com>. Membership includes four issues of Historical Whisperings each year, free entrance to the museums and research center, and discounts on books and other gift items. More Information on i Scandia's True Decoy Company Since the last issue more infor- mation about the True Decoy Com- pany of Scandia, Minnesota, has come to light. The company was owned by Gordon True and operat- ed during the 1850s and 1960s. Gordon True's brother Ralph, who was from Hopkins; Minnesota, was a "giant in the water, fowling com- munity." The Scandia Decoy Company is featured in a book titled Minneso- ta Duck Decoys, published in 2009 and written by Doug Lodermeier. Gordon True died in Chisago Coun- ty on March 1, 1966. One of the things that is still missing is a photograph of Mr. True. If anyone has a photo or knows a person that does, please contact the Washington County Historical Society. i �5A New and Renewing Patron Members Bruce & Arline Beutel * Marlyce & Don Lee * Robert & Mary Molenda New and Renewing Annual Members Allen County Public Library * Keith & Patricia Beyer Joann Buse * David & Mary Carlson * Kevin Charlson Rod & Mary DeReu * Paul Dornfeld & Dede Potter * Sharon Emert * Scott & Diana Foss * Bev & Lawrence Gross * Edith Hopham * John Kaul * Marcia A. Kremer John Lammers * Ivy LeTourneau * Gayle Lobitz * Clarence Malick * Evangeline Nolde * -Orville & Nadine Pang * Renee Valois * Lynn Wilson * Steven & Karen Wolgamot * David & Diane Wright JANUARY2016 3 Museum Events Report Coming Up - 75th Year at the Warden's House By Sean Pallas Warden's House Site Manager First off, I want to send a huge thank you to everyone who helped make 2015 such a magnificent success here at the Warden's House! From our wonderful volunteers to everyone who stopped in the museum to say "hello"— we couldn't do this without youl Waaay back in 2012, when I first became the Site Man- ager of the museum, WCHS had 1,066 people visit the War- den's House that year. That number includes everything from school field trips to folks attending our book signings to Stillwater tourists wandering in off the street. I can very proud- ly say that since then we've been able to more than double our attendance number; ending 2015 with just under 2,300 total museum visitors. So in short, thank you for coming to the Warden's House this past year! As much as I absolutely love this place, I love sharing it with you even more. This year marks the 75th year the Warden's House has opened its doors to the public to as a museum. In our efforts to continue this impressive legacy we've got a great line uolof programs, events, and exhibits in the works for 20161 Our planned programs this year range all the way from chatting with a passionate historian who spends his time Get WCHS News and History All Year! Yes, both our museums are closed through May 1, but that doesn't mean you have to suffer! The Washing- ton County Historical Society website is available year- round at www.wchsmn.org Check out the WCHS e -newsletter archive at www.wchsmn.org/aboutthistorical-messenger for once -every -other -week updates on the goings-on here at WCHS along with photographs of historic artifacts and articles covering Washington County topics. Click through our virtual exhibits at www.wchsmn. orglonline-exhibits for historical information on the communities of Washington County, former rural school districts, and even youth rock n' roll groups of the coun- ty! Search "Washington County Historical Society" on Facebook and see us on twitter.com/WCHSMN 4 HISTORICAL WHISPERINGS tracking down photographs of Vietnam War casualties (see page 8) to a break -down of the infamous James -Younger Gang's raid on the Northfield Bank— and, of course, another "ghost hunting" with the ever popular Johnsdale Paranormal Group. Keep an eye on our website (see below) and social me- dia for dates and more events! New Exhibits and Programs And as we do every year, we'll be refreshing our exhibits here at the museum to allow return guests an opportunity to discover a new piece of their local history. Join us as we cele- brate the Stillwater High School Yearbook's 100th year with a special commemorative exhibition of our extensive Kahekonian collection! We'll also be sharing the stories and journeys of some of Washington County's earliest immigrant residents. And we are adding a few unique artifacts from a World War I veteran's childhood that truly have to be seen to be believed! If you want to get a sneak peels at our 2016 museum ex- hibits, be sure to read all about our Annual Warden's House Open House on page 3. If you'd like to get behind -the -scenes on all the great things we've got going on here at the Warden's House and WCHS, we'll be hosting an informational volunteer meeting for new volunteers on Saturday, March 19. See next page for more information. Whether you come out to the Open House, take a tour of the museum, or attend one of our programs — I look forward to seeing you in 20161 Contact Sean at 651-439-5956 or email spallas.wchs@gmail.com Volunteers! Left, volunteer Bob Goodman portrays a "trustee" convict at the Warden's House Open House in April. Below, Lynn Wilson explains logging artifacts during a tour of the Warden's House. Great Season at the Hay Lake Museum! By Dustyn Dubuque Hay Lake Museum Site Manager With the winter months comes the closure of the Hay Lake School and Johannes Er- ickson Log House, but we still need to update you on events from this past Octo- ber. Among all 2015 events, speakers, school groups, and gen- eral tours, the attendance rose almost 200 percent from last year! I can't thank everyone enough for the success and atten- tion the Hay Lake School Museum has received over the past twelve months. Our first fall event — the 2nd Annual Apple Away 5K — had runners/walkers from the area traversing a gorgeous scenic trail from the Hay Lake School to the Gammelg$rden Muse- um. Finishers received a T-shirt, apple treats, and apple cider. Ages of participants ranged from 18 to 80 years old. The day was also gorgeous! Marilyn Rau, who along with others took photos of the Hay Lake grounds in May, gave a presentation on their photo techniques. Pictures of their final products were also shown to attendees. Marilyn was gracious enough to donate some of her prints to the Washington County Historical Society for all to see upon entrance into the Hay Lake Museum. We hope she and her group will do the same photo -taking and program at the Warden's House Museum. The last major event was a collaboration between WCHS, Gammelgarden Museum, and Elim Lutheran Church — the first-ever Living Cemetery event, held at the cemetery across Become a WCHS Volunteer! Volunteer information Day Is March 9 Anyone who is passionate about preserving and sharing our local history is invited to attend an informal informational meeting at the Warden's House on Saturday, March 19, 2016 at 1 Pm to learn about volunteer opportunities through the Wash- ington County Historical Society. WCHS relies on our volunteers for everything from guid- ing visitors through our museums to collecting data for our tens of thousands of artifacts, to serving tea at our Annual Holiday Event! Volunteers work behind the scenes with cataloguing and artifact preservation. Others are involved with the museums, the research facility, membership, outreach and our publications and newsletters. Wherever your interest in history lies, we can tailor your volunteer experience to suit you! Check out the volunteers fea- tured on these two pages. For more information call 651-439- 5956 or email Sean Pallas at spallas.wchs@gmail.com. the street from the Elim Church. Here, visitors listened to sto- ries of "saints" who have been buried there. On a beautiful 70 degree Sunday in the middle of October, this event was attend- ed by over 250 people! These attendees were treated to stories about a grave digger, a church fire, a reverend, and many more. Check the next Whisperings for a follow up on the pos- sibility of an event similar to this in 2016. Preview of Things to Come Looking ahead to the 2,016 season, plans have already been made for upcoming speakers, events and, of course, the annual Beer Tasting. The first of five Speakers Series Events has been set for May 22 — it will be about the Barn Quilt trail that goes from Marine to Scandia. We are pleased to be on the trail with a barn quilt located on the Johannes Erickson Log House. Mark your calendars now! The ninth installment of the WCHS Beer Tasting will be on June 18, 2016. One an- nouncement can already be made for this event. That day will also be the shooting of a bonus episode for the webshow, Tap- room Travelers. The phrase "Tapping the Midwest" is one the- se gentlemen live by as they go around to different breweries in the Midwest to meet the people behind the beer. We are pleased that Taproom Travelers has chosen to be one of our main sponsors for this event. In 2016, if you come to the beer tasting you too could be on an episode of their programming! Curious about the show? Go to 6 , <taproomtravelers.com> for fall episodes A and more. Contact Dustyn at 651-433-4014 or + dustyn. dubuque@hotmail. com. Players ofall ages are welcome { _ to join the WCHS volunteer vin- tage base ball team, the St. Croixs. Right, Jason Robinson with sons Justin, left, and Jeffrey. ^. Below: WCHS volunteer Gloria Halverson portrays an early Scandia settler in the 2015 Living Cemetery tour at Scandia. I V JANUARY 2016 5 LAWSUIT —Continued frompage I THE PROTAGONISTS William Holcombe William Holcombe, born in New Jersey, was hired by the St. Croix Falls Company as bookkeeper in 1838. His previous occupations had been those of wheelwright and carriage maker in New York and Ohio. During the 1830s he moved his family to Gale- na, Illinois, and St. Louis, becoming owner and cap- tain of a Mississippi steamboat. In 1838 he signed on with the St. Croix Falls Lumber Com- pany and was its first agent. William Holcombe was active in politics. He was elected treasurer and register of deeds for St. Croix County, Wisconsin Territory, in 1840 and in 1843 became county clerk. Court under Chief Justice William Welch. Holcombe alleged that the defendants had not only wrongfully entered his dwelling -house and done great injury to the building, removing it from its foundations, but also had "seized, took and removed" carpeting, three chairs, two sofas, four bedsteads, two sets of crockery, four looking glasses, and "other chattels." He sought damages of $5,000. In trial the defendants referred to the March 1854 Act of the Min- William Holcombe He moved to Stillwater about 1845, where he later opened a livery stable. - Holcombe became prominent in local politics when he represented St. Croix Valley interests at the first Wisconsin State Constitutional Conven- tion in Madison in 1846. He worked side-by-side with Henry Sibley and Joseph R. Brown to get the Territory of Minnesota established in 1848, and was secretary of the Stillwater Convention that sent Sibley to Washington as delegate. He became receiver of the U.S. land office in Stillwater in 1853 and was active in land specula- tion in the St. Croix Valley and in St. Paul, plat- ting Middletown Village in Baytown (now part of Bayport) and Holcombe's addition to St. Paul c.1857. He completed "one of the finest residenc- es" in Stillwater in 1856, a $1,500 home on South Greeley Street, and brought in the surrounding estate as Holcombe's Addition to the City of Stillwater. He was also builder of a business block downtown. William Holcombe was a prominent Dem- ocraticpolitician. He took part in the state Consti- tutional Convention, and was elected the first lieu- tenant governor of the state of Minnesota (1858- 1860). He later became mayor of Stillwater (1869) and died in office in 1870, aged 66. 6 HISTORICAL WHISPERINGS nesma Territorial Legislature that incorporated the city of Stillwater and which conferred upon the municipal authori- ties power to govern the inhabitants, quoting all sixteen sec- tions of the act of incorporating the city. They also pointed out that J. E. McKusick had been elected marshal and noted that an ordinance passed by the city council provided for the removal of obstructions in the public streets and landing places and gave the marshal authority to remove such ob- structions (and here McKusick quoted all seven sections of the "nuisance" ordinance). Since the plaintiff's dwelling was obstructing the free use of Main Street and had become a public nuisance, the marshal had removed it with the aid of the other defendants, who had been called in to assist him in the performance of his duty. Because "new matter" was contained in the defendants' answer, Holcombe (represented by Stillwater's first lawyer, E Morton S. Wilkinson) made a reply which denied every allegation in C the answer. He denied the existence of the charter of the city of Stillwa- ter, because no act of incorporation had been published as prescribed by the laws of the Territory. He denied any election had taken place according to law and denied the election of the defendant Jonathan E. McKusick, his qualification in the office, or that he had ever entered upon his duties. And, oh yes, Holcombe also denied that his house had been erected on Main Street because it was built before there was a Main Street or a City of Stillwater, and he denied that it obstructed the street or was maintained as a public nuisance. More to the point, he claimed, the defendants had not used proper care and caution to prevent unnecessary damage to the building. The District Court sustained the objection of the defendants to much of the above and passed judgment against Holcombe, with $35.39 costs. The suit was appealed to the Minnesota Territorial Su- preme Court as William Holcombe vs. John McKusick et al. On July 15, %N';//[� i✓,'f.y.�,i'�.--.w1'f``'M``.. 1!!xA¢yGd��Gww//Ib./�/rvl• //YurRmu N`er�iTrk% i�Oa�•,w lufi/n� 7/[ 7Z�'stskFPi!`s✓, _ &.lmifi a,a�F The territorial judges found no error in the lower court decision. Copy from Minne- sota Legal History Project, MNHS. 1856, the Minnesota Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the low- er court, with costs, but no opinion was filed. The appeal from this judgment to the U.S. Supreme Court took almost two years. Holcombe v. McKusick was argued before the federal court under Chief Justice Roger Taney on May 7, 1858, by writ of error from the Minnesota Supreme Court. St. Paul lawyers Joseph Bradley, John Brisbin and Hiram Ste- vens argued for Holcombe; the defendants trotted out former U.S. Attorney General (and former owner of the St. Croix mills) Caleb Cushing and a Mr. Gillett. It was not a diffi- cult case: eleven days later it was decided by being dismissed for want of jurisdiction. The decision came after the Territory of Minnesota had ceased to exist: Minnesota was admitted to the union on May 11, 1858. On May 18, the U. S. Supreme Court remanded Holcombe. Associate Justice Samuel Nelson wrote Jonathan Estes McKusick Jonathan Estes McKusick followed his lumberman brother John McKusick west from Maine in the winter of 1845-46. Other brothers, William, Noah, Royal and Ivory McKusick, emigrated to Stillwater in 1847 and 1848. the unanimous decision, and ended by scold- Captain Jonathan McKusick ing the Minnesota bar: "We have rarely in our experience examined a case, which in its principles is common and readily understood, so complicated and confused by the mode of pleading which has been pursued and which it is understood is in conformity with the system adopted in this Territory. The pleadings raise many immaterial and even trivial questions of fact and law which have nothing to do with the substantial merits of the case and seem in practical operation, whatever may be the system in theory; to turn the attention of courts and counsel to small matters as of se- rious import, which are undeserving a moment's consideration, overlooking or disregarding the most material and controlling ques- tions involved." "The system ... involves the absurd and impracticable exper- iment of attempting to administer common-law remedies under civ- il -law modes of pleading," finished Justice Nelson. "The case must be dismissed for want of jurisdiction, there being no final judgment in the court below." The justices apparently felt the frontier courts tolerated sloven- ly pleading habits, allowing overly cautious lawyers to draft detailed complaints and answers. Holcombe v. McKusick is considered one of the cases that led to a national movement to have all courts pro- ceed by civil actions conducted to a final judgment instead of by mismatched state codes. I' Information included in this article is from Holcombe v. McKusick, 61 i. -U.S. 20 How.. 552 (1857) which is available in the Minnesota Territorial papers and in the Minnesota Legal History Project papers, held by the Minnesota. Historical Society. J. E. "Cap" McKusick was active in politics. He was grand jury foreman of the first District Court held in Stillwater in 1847 and presided at the first political meeting in what is now Minnesota, in Au- gust of 1848, to call a convention to secure territorial organization. In 1849 he was appointed deputy U.S. marshal as well as State Auditor, serving through 1852. Although he styled himself a lum- berman on the 1850 census he apparently made his living as a builder and land spec- ulator. Ramsey County records show that J. E. McKusick and William W. Sweeney of Stillwater made the first recorded claim to property on Manitou Island in White Bear Lake in 1852. In 1851, J. E. McKusick, along with Jesse Taylor, F. R. Delano, Martin Mower and Jacob Fisher, under the firm name of Jesse Taylor & Co., were commissioned to build the territorial prison building in Stillwater. McKusick afterward went into business with former Warden F. R. Delano, sawing and selling lumber and was elected by the 1851 Minnesota Territorial Legislature a commis- sioner for the first capitol building in St. Paul. In 1860 McKusick contracted with Warden John S. Proctor to build a stable for the Warden's House. McKusick was active in civic life. In 1851 he served as Judge of Probate Court for Washington County and did a one-year stint as receiver of the Stillwater Land Office. He was elected Stillwater's first town marshal in the first city election in 1854. On Feb. 19, 1863 Jonathan E. McKusick en- listed for the Civil War. He was appointed to the Minnesota volunteer staff with the rank of captain with duties of assistant quartermaster. He was on duty at Mankato from July 1863 to July 1864, then assisted the 3rd Minnesota Artillery in the North- western Indian Expedition to the Dakotas led by Col. Minor T. Thomas. In late summer 1864 he was stationed at the newly built Fort Wadsworth (now Fort Sisseton) Dakota Territory, transferring in July 1865, to Fort Abercrombie, ND. He was mustered out in 1866 and returned to Stillwater. JANUARY2016 7 Faces Never Forgotten ... A Project to Put Faces to the Soldiers' Names on the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington DC By Herb Reckinger Herb Reckinger lives in Cottage Grove and grew up in South Saint Paul. He became involved in the "Faces Never Forgotten" Project in March of 2014 as a volunteer picture gatherer. The Faces Never Forgotten Project is an effort to put a face and story with the name of each and every soldier on the Vietnam Me- morial Wall in Washington, D.C. Today, there are 58,307 names on The Wall. More than a thousand of them were Minnesotans and at least 21 of those who lost their lives in Vietnam were from Wash- ington County. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (V VMF) — the group that raised funds for the memorial in the early 1980s — is the group behind this picture project. The photos are on dis- play on the website and will be in the new Education Center C This led me to locate soldiers from South Saint Paul to be built on the Mall in Washington, D where there were still four without pictures. From there I In 2014, a Vietnam veteran named Bob Ahles sent a let- ter to Saint Paul Park City Hall. It included the names of three Saint Paul Park soldiers who were killed in Vietnam. In about two weeks Lhad their pictures. One soldier:s.pic-z ture, Raymond Hunt, came from his classmates. Another picture, of Gary Wayne Peterson, who only lived in Saint Paul Park a few months, came from a Mora librarian. I was able to locate two sisters of Mark Steeley, the third soldier, living in Colorado and they sent me his picture. Faces from Washington County Saint Paul Park Arnold Ades, Marlyn. Anderson, William Christenson,. Raymond Huot, Gary Peterson, Mark Steeley. Cottage Grove: William Crockett. Mahtomedi: Douglas Ott, John Stuart. Stillwater. Brian Brown, Gary Graber, James Hicks, Mike Koller, Lloyd Kuehn, William Mackey, Jeremiah McGarry, Harold Smith. - Marine on Saint. Croix:: Melvin Krech. - - Scandia: Barton Johnson. Forest Lake: Michael Sampson, Raymond Whitman Visit the website: at vvmf.org.To search for a soldier, clic_ k on "Wall of Faces" and enter a name. Use advanced search to look up soldiers by city, county, or state The website provides information for donations to the program. 8 HISTORICAL WHISPERINGS attempted to locate the rest of the unpictured soldiers of our state. My searches took me all over the state. The help came from public and school librarians, local and the state histori- cal societies, funeral homes, cemetery associations, friends, classmates, and most important, the families. Most of the people had never heard of this project and every one of them could not wait to help. There were about 290 Minnesota soldiers left at that time and with the help of hundreds of people all over our state, I found most of that number. On June 3 of this year the last Minnesota soldier was pictured on the website. Since then I have gone on to try to locate pictures for sol- diers of other states. Only six states beside Minnesota have the pictures for all of their Vietnam casualties. Today this project is just a website, but in a few years the Education Center will be the newest memorial on the Capitol Mall. The VVMF lists twenty Washington County soldiers who were killed in Vietnam, but with Arnold Ades (a Saint Paul Park native) there are twenty-one. Their names and home towns are listed at left. The V VMF website has a header bar where you see "Wall of Faces" and also "Learn About the Vietnam Era." Click it to find educational re- sources for teachers and materials that can be downloaded. If you have information or pictures for any of the Vietnam men and women on the memorial, please contact Herb Reckinger, 8533 Imperial Ave., Cottage Grove MN 55016 or via phone or email: 651-459-7950, nreckinger@msn.com COmmuNITY HISTORY The Forest Lake Cooperative Creamery By Brent Peterson Information for this article came from Elsie Vogel's Reflections of Forest Lake and the Forest Lake Times of Sept. 15, 1949. Butter was originally made on the farm and sold or bartered by the farmer's wife to friends and neighbors. But as more and larger dairy farms were started, it became im- portant to the producers to have a creamery nearby'that would enable them to process their product efficiently and market it further. In small rural towns a creamery was of crucial im- portance to nearby producers. Farmers often banded togeth- er to establish a cooperative creamery to serve all the mem- bers. Any profits (in the form of patronage refunds) or loss- es were divided among the member/owners of the co-op. In the growing community of Forest Lake, the coopera- tive creamery was established in the late 1880s. Among the farmers invested in the Forest Lake Co-operative Creamery Association were John Houle and A. H. Anderson. A. W. Johnson was the first manager of the creamery, which,was located on Northwest Second Avenue near the corner of Northwest Fourth Street. In 1920 the creamery plant was purchased for $6,500 by the Twin City Milk Producers Association [TCMP], a coop- erative milk marketing association organized in 1915 to standardize practices in the marketing, pricing, and grading of dairy products among producers and dairies in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area. Ten years later, on February 16, 1930, one week after a new $1,000 chum had been in - Farmers with their wagons laden with milk cans wait to be un- loaded at the Forest Lake Co-operative Creamery, which was built in the late 1880s. stalled, the building burned and the Association collected $4,000 in insurance money. The new creamery was built on the north end of the downtown business district, between Highway 61 (Lake Street North) and the railroad. The Association purchased the property of the Mary Davis Sunshine Lodge (which had moved in 1926 to the south shore of the lake), erected a new brick building and dedicated it on August 21, 1930. At that time there were 200 member patrons of the creamery and well over 800 people turned out for the opening of the creamery. The first TCMP manager was E. W. Redman. In 1922 he was moved to the Anoka plant and was followed in Forest Lake by a Mr. Larson who later left to ran the Lakeview Dairy in Forest Lake. Other managers of the plant included Henry Twetten, Les Johnson and Joe Schmidt, who came from the Albertville plant to oversee the creamery in Forest Lake (Schmidt also became Forest Lake's fire chief). When Les Johnson was manager, 492 lockers were added. Hunters would purchase freezer lockers at the creamery to fill with wild game, deer, and bear meat. In 1950 butter -making came to an end at the creamery. The building was used as a meat market and later on as a used fire store. Eventually the building was torn down and a parking lot to service the old Forest Lake Library and City Hall was put in its place. ' Lake Street in Forest Lake looking north c. 1908. The Twin Cities Milk Producers' new plant was builtjust north of this view in 1930. .JANUARY 2016 9 PRESERVING THE PAST Another Historic Structure Saved: White Bear Town Hall By Sara Markoe Hanson White Bear Township, Minnesota, has committed to pre- serving its history and sharing its stories with present and future generations through the preservation of one of the area's oldest structures. The historic White Bear Town Hall was commissioned in 1885 and designed by a young Cass Gilbert. The building served as the designated meeting place for the three member White Bear Town Board for more than 125 years. Recently the building has been in jeopardy of demolition. Since 2007 the White Bear Lake Area Historical Society (WBLAHS) has worked with the Township to develop a plan for reuse. Just after the stroke of midnight on the morn- ing of November 21, 2015, the plan became reality when the White Bear Town Hall was pulled out of its longtime home on its way to its fourth, and hopefully final, site. Crews worked throughout the chilly November night to get the structure safely to Polar Lakes Park, near the townships' administrative offices, just after 7 AM. The building was originally built on the isthmus between White Bear and Goose Lakes in 1885 as the Town's first designated meeting place. From there it was moved'in 1909, as part of a land swap, to the edge of present day Highway 61 near the northeast corner of the intersection with White Bear Avenue. There it sat for more than forty years until it was moved once again in 1951 when the highway was rea- The White Bear Town Hall traveling north along Highway 61. Moving the building on November 21, 2015, took most of the night. The building is now in Polar Lakes Park near the township Public Works. Photo courtesy of Matt Todd. White Bear Town Hall in 1956, in its former location on Hoffman Drive. The building has always been thefocalpointfor township meetings and community events. ligned to its most recent site along Hoffman Road. At each of these locations residents were encouraged to participate in the grassroots form of government townships are built upon and to bring their issues and concerns before the Town Board. This building is the primary connection each resi- dent has had with the Township for more than 125 years. The ultimate goal is to save the building from demolition and restore it to a functional, aesthetically appealing land- mark in the community. Programming initiatives; led by the WBLAHS in partnership with local schools and youth pro- grams, include a K-12 Social Studies multi -disciplinary cur- riculum for area schools as well as an interpretive trail to spark the interest of those utilizing the park for recreational purposes. 10 HISTORICAL WHISPERINGS In addition to the historical and interpretive value, this structure provides a focal point for community events, such as the annual Township Day festival, and as an opportunity to brand the present day Town of White Bear with a tangible symbol of its past and its identity as a modern-day township. Project partners include the White Bear Lake Area ISD #624, Frassati Catholic Academy, the White Bear Area YMCA, and the Rotary Club of White Bear Lake. WASHINGTON COUNTY HISTORY Calendar of Events Please contact the sponsoring organization for updated information about events: South Washington Heritage Society (SWHS) 651-459-7950; Washington County Historical Society (WCHS) 651-439-5956; Denmark Township Historical Society (DTHS) 651-436-7639; Gammelg&rden 651-433-5053; Afton Historical Society 651-459-3500; Historic Courthouse 651- 275-7075. January 9 Saturday — SWHS program: Russ Lunak returns to talk about the 1930s gangster era in St. Paul. St. Paul Park City Hall, 10 AM. January 16 Saturday — WCHS Ice. Cream Social, Mulberry Point Park, Stillwater, noon -4 PM. Free coffee and ice cream. Baseball, bonfires and fan for all! G— washh1gloh Hislorical soclelyy.- rnlcw„i' m cllnncnn�n'�ilsmrry. AUGUST Interns Lauren Anderson and Alicia Tipke get a chance to talk history and sell books at the WCHS booth at the Wash- ing County Fair. DECEMBER Bill Schrankler (lefi) and Fred John- son and wife signed their books at the WCHS HolidayEvent in the War- den's Hoarse. February 13 Saturday — SWHS program: Join the group at St. Paul Park City Hall before 10 AM for a carpool trip to Obb's Bar & Grill in St. Paul; brunch and a bit of history. March 12 Saturday — SWHS program: Jack Hemlick of Superamerica will present a talk about Supennom's and the storied history of Superamerica. St. Paul Park City Hall, 10 AM. April 24 Sunday — WCHS Open House at the Warden's House Museum, Stillwater, noon -4 PM. Refreshments, opening of new exhibits. May 1 Sunday —Warden's House and Hay Lake Museums open for the season. May 14 Saturday — WCHS Vintage Base Ball opening, at Quicksteps with Rum River Rovers & Afton Red Socks. Event -Full Year for WCHS SEPTEMBER The crew from Northern Bed- rock begins cleanup on the historic Boutwell Hoyse, pur- chased by the Society m May. OCTOBER Left, Dustyn Dubuque orients a group for the Living Cemetery Tour at Elim Church in Scandia. Right, an overflow crowd in the Warden's House parlor listens to the Johnsdale Para- normal Group discuss possible ghostly nresences. JUNE Above: Volunteers Sarah Peterson (left) and Mike Frain with WCHS intern Maya Proescholdt helped at the Hay Lake Beer Tasting. JULY Left: Brent Peterson reads the Stillwater Log Jam Hid- den Treasure clues at the Warden's House. JANUARY 2016 11 DATED MATERIAL ,'WiNan (Cum .lISTnim Soauv Box 167 Stillwater. MN 55082 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Contact Us To receive this newsletter by U.S. Mail or Email, or for information about the Washington County Historical Society, contact us at 1 651-439-5956 or email information@wchsmn.org On the web at www.wchsmn.org Cottage Grove HPC City Office 12800 Ravine Pkwy Cottage Grove, MN 55016 Non -Profit Organization U. S. Postage PAID Permit No. 224 Stillwater, MN 55082 i�il��31n11))ili�llj��lji%it.��lnilllrlll��jlll(irtli�llillll�'l I MEMBERSHIP APPPLICATION or RENEWAL i Our Mission Washington County Historical Society 1 The Washington County Historical Society collects, I I I I I 1 1 I I - Name Address City, State, zip Telephone _ hrdwate.preferred type of membership Annual Individual ($25) —Annual Senior Citizen/Student ($15) _Annual Family ($35) _Annual Patron ($75) Annual Sustaining ($125) Life ($1,000) Additional donations are welcome and needed. Volunteer help is also needed (check here—or call). Detach and mail to: WCHS Memberships PO Box 167, Stillwater MN 55082 preserves, and disseminates the history of Washington County and the State of Minnesota. t WCHS programs include book publication, speakers and work- shops, historical reenactments, vintage base ball, school pro- grams, exhibits, print and electronic newsletters, historical t t markers, and a history website (www.wchsmn.org) with links 1 to other history organizations. Our goal is to provide an oppor- tunity for all county citizens to learn about and enjoy our area's I history and to build a sense of community heritage. t The Washington County Historical Society is uniquely situated to document early Minnesota history and to tell the story of t immigrants from the eastern United States and Europe who I settled the region in the mid -nineteenth century. The county's geographic connections to the Mississippi and St. Croix Rivers t place the county at the forefront of settlement and the estab- lishment of the territory and state. Membership includes subscription to Historical Whisperings. I L - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -I 12 HISTORICAL WHISPERINGS --- For this reason we have chosen our motto, Gateway to Minnesota History