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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016-07-12 PACKET 08.A.Volume 42, Issue 2 HISTORICAL WHISPERINGS -� —Washington County Historical Society ' A ►Vr� Washington County, Minnesota July 2016 Become a Barn Detective (the basics) ... By Bill Schrankler Bill Schrankler is a Woodbury Historical Society board member and retired St. Paul Public Schools principal. He is the author of Shadows of Time... Minnesota's Surviving Railroad Depots, pub- lished in 2013. Bill has been instrumental in documenting and helping save Washington County historic structures, such as the Miller Barn (see page 9). He wrote this article to provide the reader with rudimentary tools to look at barns in a different light. The Washington County countryside is populated with large structures which we call barns. But few know the story be- hind these behemoth buildings that dominate the farmstead. The word "barn" is derived from two Old English words "here" for barley and "aern" for enclosure. The words merged to become "bereaern," then with the passage of time morphed into "beretun" and finally shorten to barn. Enough of the etymology—Wiry are they shaped as they are? and Why are they usually painted red? Many people think the Gambrel roof barn is the most picturesque style. The barn in this charming winter scene is on the Francis Oehlke farm on Manning Avenue South in Woodb ry.Photo courtesy of the author. As the country was settled from east to west the archi- tecture of barns reflected the culture of the European set- tlers. English threshing barns were familiar in New England and Dutch barns in the Mid -Atlantic States. Most of the barns in Washington County fall into one of four styles or combinations thereof. These are the Gable Barn, Gambrel Barn, Bank Barn, and Monitor Barn styles. B,mvs—Continued on page 6 In This Issue ... ... we learn how to understand barns and hear about efforts to save one in Woodbury. Plus ... what's going on at the museums and photos from our spring events. Executive Directors Report p. 2 Summer and Fall Museum Programs p. 3 Museum Events Report p. 4 WCHS Summer Interns p. 5 Saving the Miller Barn in Woodbury P. 9 Calendar of History Events P. 11 Board & Staff Washington County Historical Society Board David Lindsey President Scott Foss Vice President Joe Otte Recording Secretary Tom Simonet Treasurer Myron Anderson Director Ryan Collins Director Holly Fitzenberger Director SheilaHause Director Karlene McComb Director Angie Noyes Director Becky Pung Director Staff Brent Peterson Executive Director Sean Pallas Warden's House Manager Dustyn Dubuque Hay Lake Museum Manager Chairs Robert Goodman Endowment Fund Chair Nancy Goodman Newsletter Editor Historical Whisperings is published quarterly by the Washington County Historical Society, PO Box 167, Stillwater, AN 55082-0167. Website: www.wchsinn.org Phone: 651-439-5956: For information about stories and newsletter articles,• contact editor@wchsmn.org For information about events and collections, contact information@wchsmn.org To book a museum tour contact spallas.wchs@gmail.coin or phone 651-439-5956 2 HISTORICAL WHISPERINGS From the Executive Director Summer has come and the Historical Society has hit the road running with both feet!! We have already welcomed our three interns for the summer (see their stories on page 5), and we have had our 9th annual Hay Lake Beer Tasting Fundraiserl Please don't worry if you have missed something, we have a great calendar of events that will take us through the end of the season and beyond! The WCHS has taken over the programming for the Eder Schoolhouse at the Oakdale Discovery Center. We have it open on Sundays and so far it has been a grand success!! People are enjoying the regular schedule and that the history of the schoolhouse was so well preserved by the people of the Oakdale -Lake Elmo Historical Society. Our hats again go off to them. The Rev. Boutwell House project is going slow but steady. We are into phase 2 now; that entails making the house livable again, replacing the moldy sheetrock and weak boards on the interior as well as hooking it up to city water and sewer. We are looking for sponsors and grants to help pay for the construction and planning of the restoration. Visit our Go Fund Me page (www.GoFundMe.com/Boutwell) to support the project. Progress with the Heritage Center is still waiting for the Department of Transportation to move out, which now will be a bit longer. The WCHS Board of Directors agreed to a lease extension to the MNDOT through the end of June 2018. Lumberjack Days is back and the Washington County Historical Society will be out in full force. On Saturday July 16'h there will be six vintage base ball clubs participating in an exhibition of 1860 style base ball all day at the Old Athletic Field in Stillwater [corner of Orleans & Sixth Avenue]. The event is free so stop by, spread a blanket, and witness how base ball was meant to be played. Already looking ahead to a'major exhibit on World War One in Washington County, we are asking for stories, photographs and more from that time period to help tell the story of the "War to end all wars." Contact me or Sean at the Warden's House if you have anything to help with the exhibit. Thank you for being members of the Washington County Historical Society. Without your membership and interest, the history of this county could be lost forever. I hope to see you at some of our upcoming events; including at the Washington County Fair in early August!! Brent T. Peterson, WCHS Executive Director Sheila Hause Is Appointed to the WCHS Board Sheila Raths Hause has been appointed to the WCHS Board of Directors to fill out the term of Jeff Rankin. Sheila is currently serving on the Woodbury Heritage Society board. Her family heritage goes back to some of Woodbury's earliest settlers, and to Stillwater, where her great -great-grandparents operated the Northwestern Hotel. She says: "I enjoy learning the history and seeing some of the old houses. It's so nice when the old houses are maintained for what they are ... it's a shame when some of the old houses are torn down to `make way for progress."' Sheila, husband Chris, and two children now live in May Township. Don't Miss These Upcoming Events! Flying Trapeze Club at Hay Lake Museum June 26 Embrace Adrenaline High Flying Trapeze Club will describe their amazing acrobatic antics. Be ready to learn something completely new at this free event on on Sunday, June 26, at 2 PM at the Hay Lake School Museum. Minnesota Wrestling at Eder School July 10. Join George Schire, author of Min- nesota's Golden Age of Wrestling, to learn about the long relationship between Minnesota and Pro Wrestling. The free event takes place Sunday afternoon July 10, 2016, at 2 PM at the Eder School in Oakdale Nature Preserve. "Girl from Birch Creek" Screening July 21 The documentary about Justice Rosalie Wahl will be shown at 6 PM Thursday, July 21 at the Oakdale Nature Preserve Discovery Center. The afternoon begins with an Open House 5 to 6 PM at the Eder Schoolhouse across the parking lot. The program is free. "The Perilous St, Croix" with Ken Martens July 24 Local historian Ken Martens visits the Hay Lake School Museum to discuss the exciting and harrowing tales found in his book The Perilous St. Croix River Valley on Sunday, July 24, from 2 to 3 PM. Books will be available for signing. James -Younger Gang Northfield Raid July 31 Hayes Scriven, Executive Director of the Northfield Historical Society, visits the Warden's House to discuss the in- famous James—Younger raid and bank robbery of 1876. Join us Sunday, July 31, from 2 to 3 PM to hear this thrilling story. Free and open to the public. Wrestling Hall of Fame at Hay Lake School August 7 Carol Castle of the Minnesota Wrestling Hall of Fame discusses the on-going efforts to save and share Minnesota's rich Pro Wrestling history. Free program at Hay Lake School, 2 PM, Sunday, August 7. Egypt Archaeologists at Warden's House August 14 National Geographic TV hosts Dr. Maria Nilsson and John R. Ward present "Ancient Egypt Was Built from Here." Join us Sunday, August 14 at 2 PM for this free program covering their expeditions to ancient Egyptian sand- stone quarries. "One -Room School Houses" at Eder School August 20 Learn about Washington County's one - room school house legacy from Hay Lake (one -room) School Manager, Dustyn Dubuque. See what it would be like to go to school in a rural school- house. Free program Saturday August 20 at 2 PM at the Eder School in Oakdale Nature Preserve. Minnesota Flying Migrators at Hay Lake School Sept. 11 Meet alive raptor as Paul Saithson of the Lee & Rose Warner Nature Center explores the different species of animals who call Minnesota their temporary home. Free program Sunday, Sept. 11 at the Hay Lake School, 2 PM. Mark Your Calendar! — Fall Membership Meeting Will Be September 22! The WCHS fall membership meeting will be Thursday, Sept. 22, 2016, at the Water Street Inn in Stillwater. There will be a social hour at 5:30 pm, dinner served at 6:30, with an update on WCHS activities and speaker to follow (the speaker has not been confirmed at this time). Make reservations any time. A Swedish Immigrant Story at Warden's House Sept. 18 Lisa Doerr tells the story of a Swedish pioneer, farmer and entrepreneur known as "Wood John" Johnson. She will sign and sell copies of her novel Eureka Valley: Grandfathers' Grandfather about the ties between generations who settled in the St. Croix River Valley. Join us Sunday, Sept. 18 at 2 PM. Paranormal Investigations at Warden's House Oct. 29 The Johnsdale Paranormal Group re- turns for a fourth year to discuss their investigations of allegedly haunted lo- cales around Minnesota and the Mid- west... including the Warden's House itself! Free program Saturday, Oct. 29, 2016. Times to be announced. Find Out More.. . About any of these programs. Check the WCHS website at <www.wchsmn.org/ events> or call Sean at 651-349-5956. Matthew Bauman Receives WCHS Scholarship Matthew Bauman of Woodbury, a recent graduate of St. Croix Preparatory Academy, has been awarded the 2016-7 WCHS scholarship. The scholarship is made available by a grant from the DeLonas Foundation. Bauman intends to study at the University of Northwestern in St. Paul, and will major in History and Social Studies Education. His career goal is to be a high school history teacher. JULY 2016 3 Museum Events Report Warden's House -75 Years as a Museum! By Sean Pallas Warden's House Site Manager If you can even believe it, we're now a few months into the Warden's House Museum's 75th year as a museum. So far we've been having an absolutely fantastic year. But without a doubt, summer is by far the most excit- ing part of my year at the site manager here! Not only have we had plenty of walls -in visitors, we've also had about 300 local elementary students come through the museums on field trips this year! It's always an absolute treat to have a room full of excited fourth graders learning about Minnesota history. As far as programs, we've already had Rick Shefchik rock the museum with stories from Minnesota's 1960s Rock N' Roll history in May. And June saw Herb Reckinger dis- cuss the ongoing "Faces of the Vietnam War Memorial" project. Be sure to check out the rest of our 2016 calendar on page 3 to make sure you don't miss out on the rest of this season's fun! Of course, one of the best things about the summer is the fact that our staff doubles in size with the addition of our r®—_®_®®®®®®®®®®I 4 Don't Miss Outdoor Movie Night at Hay Lake School August 11 A great family event! A free showing of the 1939 animated 0 film "Gulliver's Travels" will take place at the Hay Lake School Museum on Thursday evening, August 11, 2016. "Gulliver's Travels" was the second animated feature film to be shot in Technicolor (the first being "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs"). The story follows M� rn� Lemuel Gulliver, the lone survivor of a UU�W 1! shipwreck, who lands on a beach in Lilliput where all of the inhabitants are much small- er than he is. I Free museum tours will begin at 7:30 A PM, with the movie shown at dusk. The movie has a run time of 75 minutes At- tendees are encouraged to bring a blanket or 0 chairs to relax on the grounds and watch the film projected on the side of the school! ;q t :EMS of F. Concessions will be available. three summer interns (next page). And let me tell you, the application process was particularly competitive this year. I am extremely excited to be working with these three young professional historians taking their first steps into the muse- um field and can't wait to see how their projects develop over the next couple of months! I guess I'll wrap up by saying, "If you haven't visited the Warden's House this year — what are you waiting for?!" Tours will be running through the end of October, Thurs- days through Sundays from 1 to 5 PM. s]MVELS 'JECHXIC9104 Posterfrom Paramount Pictures I 4 HISTORICAL WHISPERINGS Thanks for supporting WCHS and the Warden's House! Contact Sean at 651-439-5956 or email spallas.wchs@gmail.com Museum Hours The Warden's House Museum is open from 1 to 5 PM Thursday through Sunday through October 30. The Hay Lake Museum Complex—Johannes Erick- son Log House and Hay Lake School — hours are from 1 to 4 PM Friday, Saturday and Sunday in July and August, and 1 to 4 PM Saturday and Sunday in September and October. The Eder Schoolhouse is open free on Sundays through August 14 from noon to 4 pm and other days for special programs (see page 3). 1 Program Spotlight Warden's House August 14 "Ancient Egypt Was Built from E On Sunday, August 14, the Warden's House Museum will be hosting Dr. Maria Nilsson and John Ward, found- ers of the "Friends of Silsila" and hosts of "Egypt's Treasure Guardians" on National Geographic for a dis- cussion of an extraordinarily important ancient Egyptian site, the sandstone pits at Gebel el-Silsila. The program begins at 2 PM and is free and open to the public. Gebel e1-Silsila is situated along the Nile River in Egypt and was used as a major quarry from ca. 1500 BCE all the way to around 200 CE. Many of the most famous and powerful pharaohs ordered the construction of an- cient Egypt's most well known temples, such as Luxor and Karnak, from the sandstone harvested at Silsila. Dr. Nilsson and Ward have spent years heading the first ever -comprehensive archaeological survey of the site. Their team's latest discovery is pinpointing the location of a previously lost 3,400 -year-old, 18th dynasty necropolis. Meet the WCHS Interns An annual donation from the DeLonais Foundation allows WCHS to hire three college students to work internships at the Historical Society over a ten -week period in the summer. The three chosen this year tell about themselves. Jess Davis:, "I will be a junior at the College of Saint Benedict in St. Joseph, Minn. I chose to become a History major to pursue a lifelong love of the subject. I also have a Theater minor and enjoy in- corporating the presentation and public speaking skills that I gain into my Histo- WCHS interns, left to right, Jess Davis, Kelsie Close and Abigail Winston pose at the Warden's House. Stop in to meet these future historians this summer. ry classes and experiences. I hope to work in a museum as a curator someday, and plan on attending grad school after my undergrad education. I am very excited to work at the Hay Lake School this summer and better understand how a museum really functions. I will be studying abroad in Lon- don in the fall, and will greatly appreciate the experience that I will gain from this internship." Kelsie Close: "I am a recent graduate from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minn. As aHistory major, I developed a lifelong love of history. After my junior year of college I began an internship with the Scott County, Summer Events at the Hay Lake Museum! By Dustyn Dubuque Hay Lake Museum Site Manager We are heavily into the summer at the Hay Lake Museum with school tours and other I-.- M�,w events. More than 100 first graders entered the old Hay Lake one room school in May, learning what it was like to go to school a hundred years ago. They took part in activities such as making paper cups, reading old books, playing with whirly-gigs, and playing tag outside. Besides school tours, we were joined by Olivia Nieneber for the first installment of the 2016 Hay Lake Speaker Series. Olivia, 13, is the creator of the Washington County Barn Quilt Trail. It was of great interest to learn of what it takes for loyal volunteers to take part in putting this trail together. They are currently working on the second route of the Washington County Barn Quilt trail that will include installation of eight new barn quilts. The rest of the summer will be filled with more great speakers. On July 24, Afton resident Ken Martens will tell Historical Society and Stans Museum and fell in love with museums, foster- ing ambitions of museum work in the future. This summer, beginning my work at the Wardens House Museum, I am continuing to develop my love of mu- seums and of learning. While working, I am also studying for the GRE so that I can apply for grad schools in museum studies in the Fall." Abigail Winston: "I am entering my sophomore year as a History and Music double major at Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, Penn. I have known that I would major in His- tory ever since elementary school, where I would read bi- ographies of historical figures for fun. I am also a Public History minor, and am very passionate about the role that museums can play in promoting public interaction with history. I am so excited about the opportunity to learn more about the different aspects of working in a museum and I look forward to being able to share my love of history with visitors at the Warden's House Museum this summer." stories from his book The Perilous St. Croix River Valley Frontier. On August 7, Carol Castle of the Minnesota Wres- tling Hall of Fame will discuss the on-going efforts to save and share Minnesota's rich Pro Wrestling history. Lastly, on Sep- tember 11 Paul Smithson of the Lee and Rose Warner Nature Center will explore the lives of different species of flying ani- mals of Minnesota and may have some of his animal friends with him! We do have one new event at the Hay Lake School and that "Outdoor Movie Night at the Museum" on August 11 (Thursday evening) when we will have an outdoor showing of 1939's animated movie, "Gulliver's Travels." This event will be fun for the whole family, not only because of the animated movie but also because of the "dated" nature of a film from 1939. See more about the film on the preceding page. I look forward to seeing you at our museums this sum- mer! To schedule Hay Lake group tours, call 651-433-4014. We're Easier to Find on Facebook! Check us out on Facebook.comIWCHSMN JULY2016 5 Ninth Annual Beer Tasting Documented by Taproom Travelers!! By Dustyn Dubuque We were honored to be joined by the webshow Taproom Travelers, who spent much of the evening filming the events to On Saturday, June 18, the 9th Annual Hay Lake Beer Tasting be turned into a "bonus episode" of their show in the near fu - was upon us on a muggy 85 degree day. There was no rain in ture. Once the episode has been completed we will make sure sight, but beers were flowing. everyone has the opportunity to see it! Attendees were welcomed with glassware sponsored by Opinion Brewing Co. and pretzels from Dot's Homestyle Pret- zels. Upon entering the event, visitors were treated with brews from places such as Joseph Wolf Brew- h ing, Lift Bridge Brewing, Summit Brewing, Burning Brothers, and more! Marine Lions Club and music by the Capital City Wind Ensemble. Herb Reckinger tells the audience at the Warden's House ,, t about the ongoing efforts to find photo- graphs of casualties 4 listed on the Vietnam War Memorial in `' Washington, DC I . Vintage Base Ball Is a Winner! The St. Croix Base Ball Club, which plays by 1860s rules, has been out and about in the county and further afield this summer. In June they played in Mankato and Rochester, and then played an exhibition game in the field next to the Hay Lake Museum. At right, Chris "Rufus" Nelson waits for the pitch. Catch the exhibition games July 16 at Stillwater Lumberjack Days to see nine vintage teams in action! See the complete schedule at <www.wchsnm.org/events/vintage-base-ball/>. 6 HISTORICAL WHISPERINGS Each year this event seems to rise in popularity. We are thrilled the historical society ended up making over $4,000 Rom admissions and the silent auction. Keep an eye out for information regarding next year's event, as it will be the tenth year of the beer tasting and we at WCHS are planning a big extravaganza for the event! Left: Tod Fyten ofFytenburg Breiving and wife Madeleine poured their brews at the 2016 beer tasting. Far Left: WCHS Board members Myron Anderson and Joe Otte enjoyed the day at Hay Lake Musewn. U of Vogt mJssed these, check the museum sche&Ae on page 3 Speakers Series at the Museums Thanks to all who turned out to hear our speakers in May and June. On June 12 Herb Reckinger gave a presenta- tion at the Warden's House highlighting the lives of Washington County soldiers killed in the Vietnam War and now pictured on the Wall of Faces website. Check it out at: http://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/ BARNS—Continuedfrvrn page I The Gambrel Barn (Dutch Style Bain, shown on page 1), is defined by the double slope of each side of the roof, with the lower slope usually steeper than the upper roof. This type of barn has a maximum of attic space. The Gambrel Bain is the most numerous barn style in Washington County and, in the view of some, the utmost picturesque Right: Gable barn on the forvner Ted Oehlke farin in Woodbury. Below, Typical Bank barn with entrances on two levels, on the FronierHeintzfarm, BrookwvieivRoad, Woodbury: Photos courtesy ofauthor. The Bank Barn is a unique two story building in that it is accessible at ground level on each floor. This is 9ccom- plished by building the barn on the side of a hill or using a ramp, allowing one entrance area at the top of the hill and the other at the bottom. German and English settlers brought this design to the New World. Bank Barns cost 20 to 30 percent more to build than either the Gable or Gambrel style. Left. The octagon Round Barn that was in Afton on Neal Avenue South. Photo by Elroy Quenroe, 1972, courtesy of Minnesota Historical Society. The Gable Barn has a roof that is triangular in shape, like the letter "A." Most of the gable barns roofs are steeply pitched to accommodate the heavy snowfalls of orit• region. These barn are the most economical to construct. The Monitor Barn has araised central section with a pushed up roof supported by knee walls (short walls) on both sides. This configuration is trademarked by having three noncontiguous roofs. Its unique architecture can pro- vide for more windows and ventilation. The down side of this type is the loss of loft space Above: Monitor Barn style tom a catalog). Ifyou know ofa Washington County barn in this style, please contact the author, who would love a local example. The Round Barn. A fifth and rare style of barn is the "round" barn, which may be octagonal, polygonal, or circu- lar in plan. The first Round Barn in America was designed and built by George Washington. The plan was promoted by agricultural schools as being more efficient and cheaper to build as well as more resilient to Midwest thunderstorms. A tongue-in-cheek advantage is that mice couldn't survive in round barns because there were no corners in which to hide. The last remaining round barn in Washington County, located in Afton, fell victim to a fire set by vandals in the 1980s. Continued on next page JULY 2016 7 Dating Barns Is an Art It is difficult to date barns through the usual means of research. Barns built in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries usually were not required to have building permits or to file plans. Indeed, most of the barns in the county were constructed without formal drawings, relying instead on the memory and skills of a few farmers who became known "barn builders." Large barns often required more than a single summer to build. Teams of "barn -raising" neighbors would construct the barns during the brief time each year when work in the fields was at a minimum. The completion of a barn was celebrated with partying, including barn dances. Dating of a barn requires some forensic skills. Other than relying on the fading memories of senior citizens, a reliable dating method is examination of the nails used in the construction of the barn. Thomas D. Visser states that "Nails provide one of the best clues to help determine the age of historic buildings, especially those constructed dur- Why Barns Are Painted Red The earliest barns in New England were not painted at all. Paint was expensive and money was scarce. By the end of the War for Independence, the farmers realized the need to protect their barns from the elements. Using Yankee in- genuity, they devised a formula for an inexpensive paint. By mixing linseed oil, skimmed milk, lime, and red iron oxide, a rusty tinted pairit was created. The paint also has a serendipitous effect. Barns painted with this homegrown recipe kept the buildings warmer in the winter because of the darker color. The advantages of the red paint quickly spread throughout the country and have become the hallmark of American barns. The next time you catch sight of a barn, remember that barns may have different architectures, but each was built with purpose and common sense to protect the crops and allow the animals to survive. This in turn provided for the survival of the early farmers. ing the nineteenth century, when nail -making technology advanced rapidly." The following drawing from Visser's Mortise and tenon con - publication provides an excellent guide for this technique, struction with wood peg. Opp Type B and wire cut nails are found in Washington CountyU,; barns. _- d ��� Hand -wrought nail before circa 1800 TypeAcul nail, circa 1790s -1820s Type B cut nail, circa 1810s -1900s Wire nail, circa 1890s to present Special Joinery Joinery is the art of joining timbers with wood links. This is called precise mortise and tenon joinery. It is the strongest and most pleasing connection for post and beam barns. It is even The Miller barn is Woodbury, shown under constnfction �r below, is an excellent example ofmortise and tenonfram- ing. It was constructed without a single nail, although upon inspection the author found that spikes were used in later years to reinforce the joints. Photo of barn raising by Barbara dankovich, 1922, in author's collection. more aesthetically beautiful when secured with wooden pegs. Wooden pegs have the advantage of contracting and swelling at same rate of the wood beams and post. Wooden pegs are always tight and never rust. 8 HISTORICAL WHISPERINGS The quotation and joinery images are adapted from Thomas D. Visser, A Field Guide to New England Barns and Farm Buildings, University Press of New England, 1997. MORE ON THE STORY The Saga of a Barn Gem An Endangered Barn in Woodbury By Bill Schrankler The origin of the City of Woodbury can be traced to its early beginnings immediately before the Civil War. From that time until after World War II the area's economy and social life rested almost entirely on agriculture. Wood- bury never had a railroad, a bank, or even a grocery store during this period. It did have plenty of barns. The Woodbury Heritage Society (WHS) has the op- portunity to preserve and restore a barn that would serve as an exhibition space for early and large farm and city equipment from our past. The city -owned barn is located in Valley Creek Park near Valley Creek Road and Settler's Ridge Parkway. That barn is the August Miller Barn, built in 1921-22. It combines several of the styles discussed in the previous piece about being a barn detective. It has a well-defined gambrel roof, it is a bank style barn resting on a hill, and it was constructed using post and beam techniques. The gam- brel roof has three distinct slopes—fiom the top, 8:12, " 14:12 and 8:12. There was not a nail used in the fi-ame work, the joinery was secured with wooden pegs - although on closer inspection I found that spikes were added in later years to reinforce the joints. The Miller Barn is an excellent example of the early barns of Woodbury. The August Miller barn is in Valley Creek Park, near Valley Creek Road and Settler's Ridge Parkway in Woodbury. Photo from author's collection. For more information, contact Bill Shrankler at savenaillerbarn@gmail. coni Preserving the Miller Barn The WHS became aware of the barn six years ago and began a journey to preserve and restore it. The city government's enthusiasm for the project has waxed and waned over this time. There were suggestions made that the barn sho-Id be demolished. The barn is deteriorating and must be protected from further damage. The barn is strictly sound; the most immediate needs are for reroofing and residing. To this end the WHS has embarked on a project to raise funds to "Save Our Barn." Members testified at a meeting of the Parks ^ a NT, i no ^^..^^^^mmission on May 3, 2016; the ously to recommend to the VHS four years in which to the barn. The Council consid- and approved it on a 4 -to -1 i has embarked on a fund rais- iecessary monies. The project -it partnership with the City of Woodbury. It is envisioned that the August Miller Barn will become a historical icon celebrating Woodbury's heritage and those families and people who founded the community and a site to educate the young and old on Woodbury's history. JULY 2016 9 WASHINGTON COUNTY HISTORY Calendar of Events Please contact the sponsoring organization for updated information about events: South Washington Heritage Society (SM) 651-459-1082; Washington County Historical Society (WCHS) 651-439-5956; Denmark Townsh ip Historical Society (DTHS) 651-414-8308; Gammelgkrden 651-433-5053; Afton Historical Society 651-459-3500; Historic Courthouse 651- 275-7075. July Wednesdays & Thursdays—Afton Historical Society "Farm Exhibit" June to August, "Wedding Dresses" August to No- vember and "Military Display" ongoing. Open 1-6 PM, Afton Village. July–September second and fourth Sundays—Woodbury Histori- cal Society Heritage House open 1-4 PM (Marsh Creek Park, Woodbury). July 9 SaturdaySWHS program "History of the North Pole Res- taurant in the Newport Shopping Center," St. Paul Park City Hall, 10 AM. July 3–August 14 Sundays—WCHS Eder Schoolhouse open noon to 4 PM Oakdale Nature Preserve (4444 Hadley). July 10 Sunday—WCHS program "Minnesota Wrestling" with George Schire, Eder School, Oakdale Nature Preserve, 2 PM. July 14 Thursday—Ice Cream Social and Talent Show, Kick-off to Stillwater Lumberjack Days 5-9 PM, Historic Courthouse, Stillwater. July 16 Saturday—Demonstration Vintage Base Ball during Stillwater Lumberjack Days, St. Croixs host nips- ^tber vintage teams in all -day play at Old Athletic Field, Stillwater. 10 AM to 5 PM. Free. July 19 & 21 Tuesday & Thursday—Comin' to Amerika Day Camp for Children. One session only this year. Cost $15. Gammelg'ardenMuseum, Scandia. July 21 Thursday—WCHS documentary "Girl from Birch Creek" shown at Oakdale Nature Preserve Discovery Center 6 PM; open house at Eder School 5-6 PM. Free. July 24 Sunday & fourth Sunday each month Bluegrass and Lemonade in the Shade, 211 PM, Gam nclgarden, Scandia. July 24 Sunday—WCHS program "The Perilous St. Croix River Valley," presented by Ken Martens, 2 PM, Hay Lake School- house, Scandia. Free. July 31 Sunday—WCHS program "The James -Younger Gang Northfield Raid," by Hayes Scriven of the Northfield Histori- cal Society, 2-3 PM, Warden's House, Stillwater. You shop. Amazon donates. When you shop Amazon Smile, the foundation donates 0.5% of the price of your eligible purchases to the nonprofit of your choice. Simply visit smile.amazon.com, choose Washington County Historical Society Stillwater MN as your charity (be sure it's the Stillwater one), and begin shopping. There is no difference in price or goods, and no charge to you. Bookmark Amazon Smile so whenever you shop, you help support WCHS. 10 HISTORICAL WHISPERINGS Kids get ready to enjoy the Ferris wheel ride at the Washing- ton County Fair in 1974. When you go to the fair this year, check out what's new at the WCHS booth in Building C. August 3-7 Thursday-Sunday—Washington County Fair. See WCHS in Building C at the fair. August 7 Sunday—WCHS program "Minnesota Wrestling Hall of Fame," Carol Castle, Hay Lake School, Scandia 2 Piet. Free. August 11 Thursday—Free showing of 1939 animated film "Gul- liver's Travels" at Hay Lake School. Museum tours at 7:30 PM, film shown outdoors at dusk. Bring a blanket! August 14 Sunday—Archaeologists Dr. Maria Nilsson and John R. Ward present "Ancient Egypt Was Built from Here" at the Warden's House, Stillwater, 2 PM. Free. August 20 Saturday—Dustyn Dubuque talks about "One Room School Houses" at the Eder School, Oakdale, 2 PM. August 20 Saturday—Spelmansstamma, The Immigrant Fiddle Fest. Music, dancing, food! Gammelgarden Museum, Scandia. Sept. 10 Saturday- S WHS program "History of the Saint Paul Park refinery," St. Paul Park City Hall, 10 AM. Sept. 10 & Oct. 8 Saturdays–Annie's Swedish Coffee Party and tour of historic buildings. Gammelgarden Museum, Scandia Cost $15, reservations required. Sept. I 1 Sunday—"Minnesota's Flying Migrators" with Paul Smithson of Warner Nature Center, at Hay Lake School, Scandia, 2 PM. Free. Sept. 18 Sunday—Novelist Lisa Doerr discusses a Swedish pio- neer in the St Croix Valley; Warden's House, Stillwater, 2 PM. Free program. Sept. 22 Thursday—WCHS membership dinner and meeting at Water Street Inn, Stillwater. Program to be announced. Oct. 8 Saturday—S WHS program "Story of Northwest Airlines," by Wallace Weber, St. Paul Park City Hall, 10 AM. Oct. 15 Saturday—Girls and Dolls Tea Party, with stories, games and music. Gammelgarden Museum, Scandia. Cost $20, reser- vations required. Oct. 29. Saturday—Johnsdale Paranormal Society returns to the Warden's House for a free program. Three showings: at 11 AM, 3 and 7 PM. Warden's House, Stillwater. * Membership Report * The Washington County Historical Society welcomes new and renewing annual members listed here. Thanks to you all for your yearly support! And special thanks to the many of you who added a donation to your membership check. WCHS truly ap- preciates your support. If you have questions about your membership status call. 651-439-5956 or email <information@wchsmn.com>. New and Renewing Sustaining Members LeRoy & Sheryl Bendickson * Bob Hagstrom * Katie DeMarco Dennis Falaas * Priscilla Farnham * Bud & Gloria Hummel * Don Josephson * Steve Roll (Super 8) * Richard Smith * Aurora Staples Inn * Paul Wahlquist New and Renewing Patron Members Cub Davis * Mark & Gloria Desch * Ed & Kathy Fagerlund John & Julie Henricksson * Lee & Betty Sandager * David Smith * Roman Stepchuk * Tom Triplett New and Renewing Annual Members Richard Ahlstrom * Forrest Bailey * Duane Barthel * Gene . Bartkey * Margaret Behrends * Phyllis Berglund * Marge Betts * Richard Bielenberg * Edna Bjorkman * Allan & Karen Brennan * Ed & Nancy Brookman * Dan Cagley * Spike & Kat Carlsen Tim & Barb Casey * Neill Carter * Ray Catuia * David & Carol Cline * Elizabeth Collinge * Patrick Connors * James Cuff * Thomas V. Curtis * Thomas W. Curtis * Susan Dahlin * H. Mark DeWolf * Jean Dexheimer * Richard Dirnberger * Susan Dole * HISTORY MYSTERY! What Is This Thing? L I � J ­,,eV � Irl By Sean Pallas We are looking for your help! One of our board members found this artifact in their yard and we're just plain stumped. I can tell you that it's metallic—maybe lead. It's very, very heavy. Much heavier than you'd expect. There seems to be a circle cut into the top of it—but that's all the info I can offer. Take a look at both pictures and hopefully you can help satisfy our curiosity! If you think you know what this is, email me at spallas.wchs@gmail.com; tweet @WCHSMN; or call me at 651-439-5956. Cortzie Downs * James & Ila Drost * Jody Ebnet * Mary Ecker Duane Elliott * Thomas Elmquist * Brooke Ellman * Sarah Erenberg * Doug Ernst * Helen Fiebing * William & Susan Fletcher * Gerald Glaeve * Mary Glennon * Eileen & Edward Gordon * Beryl Halderson * Judy Hanson * Jo Harrison * Chris & Sheila Hause * Dave & Peggy Hayden * David Haynes * William & Michelle Honing * Kay Hempel * Kaline Hildebrandt * Craig & Jeannine Hoffbeck * Don Hoveland * Bruce Jenks Arnold & Carol Johnson * Dick Johnson * Lowell Johnson * Edwin Jones * Larry Kennedy * Suzy Kennedy * Richard King Peter Kostohryz * Brad Kruse & Kimberly Faurot * Patrick Kurtenback * Louis & Marilee Larkey * Sharon Lewandowski David Lindsey * Richard Lohmann * Phil Martin * Sterling & Doris McKusick * Barbara Medinger * Doug Menikheim * Edward & Patricia Meyer * Brian Mooney * LuAnn Mordick Lorraine Nelson * Michael Newquist * Angie Noyes * Bryan & Barbara Olson * Patty O'Gorman * Mel Peaslee * Jeff & Mary Peterson * Tim Peterson & Karen Hasselroth * Jeff & Diane Perkins * Louie Perron * Maria Mack Pugh * Herb Reckinger Neal & Barb Rose * Susan Rowe * Janet Rutherford * Ewa Rydaker * Sharon Sawyer * George & Lorraine Schire * Julia & Tim Schmulka * Elaine Schumacher * Mary Schmidt * Bill Scbrankler * Bruce Schwartzbaur * Lorraine Schwarzrock * Stanley Selin * Tom & Sue Simonet * Jerry Simpson * Mary & Jim Smith * Susan Sorenson * Robert Spangenberg * David & Mary Spencer * Barbara Squadrito * Stev Stegner * Nancy Stephenson * Robin Stoller * Lois Vietor * Stan & Pat Vogel Thomas Warth * Stephanie Wedekind * Barry & Kathleen Weeks * Mike White * Kathy Widen * Margaret Wolfer Wlliams * Margie Wilkinson * Wisconsin State Historical Society * Emily Woltcrstorq,– , St. Croix Nine 2016 Schedule Check the WCHS website for out-of-town dates and updates on timesandplaces: ivwiv.ivchsmn.org/events/vintage-base-ball/ Monday, July 4 – vs, Northfield Silver Stars at St. Olaf Field, Northfield, Minn. 1 PM. Sunday July 10 – Osceola, Wis, after the Braves'game. Saturday July 16 –Lumberjack Days Exhibition at Old Ath- letic Field, Stillwater, with nine vintage base ball teams. Starts at 10 AM, matches through 5 PM. Saturday, July 30 – vs. Blue Caps at Menomonie, Wis. Sunday Aug. 21 – at Barron County Historical Society, Cam- eron Wis. with Menomonie Blue Caps, Run River Rovers. Saturday, Aug 28 – vs. Becker Buzzards, Becker, MN, 2PM Saturday, Sept. 10 – Defeat of Jesse James Days, Exhibition at Sibley School, Northfield, Minn. Saturday, Sept. 17 – Event at Arlington, Minn. Sunday Sept. 25 – vs. Afton Red Socks at Pettit Park, Lake St. Croix Beach. Saturday, Oct. 15 – Old Frontenac Festival, Frontenac, Minn. with Rum River Rovers, La Crescent Apple Jacks, Red Wing Crescents. Want to play? Call651-439-5956for information JULY2016 11 DATED MATERIAL WAST wTON (OUNTV flunim SUaln 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 651-439-5956 or email information@wchsmn.org On the web.at www.wchsmn.org a=L:s43:6l5 Non -Profit Organization U. S. Postage PAID Permit No. 224 Stillwater, MN 55082 cottage Grove'ripc 12800 Ravine F,Cny Office Cottage Grovekwy , MIV 55016 11111P.,.lui:;i 1111�11itIll 11t111I'+. +tihhltlIt,l-lilit., ------------------------- 1 MEMBERSHIP APPPLICATION or RENEWAL t I I Our Mission - i Washington County Historical Society � The Washington County Historical Society collects, Name 1 Address City, State, Zip Telephone Indicate 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 Membership includes subscription to Historical Whisperings. I ------------------------- 12 HISTORICAL WHISPERINGS preserves, and disseminates the history of Washington County and the State of Minnesota. WCHS programs include book publication, speakers and workshops, historical reenactments, vintage base ball, school programs, exhibits, print and electronic newsletters, historical markers, and a history website (www.wchsmn.org) with links to other history organizations. Our goal is to provide an oppor- tunity for all county citizens to learn about and enjoy our area's history and to build a sense of community heritage. The Washington County Historical Society is uniquely situated to document early Minnesota history and to tell the story of immigrants from the eastern United States and Europe who settled the region in the mid -nineteenth century. The county's geographic connections to the Mississippi and St. Croix Rivers place the county at the forefront of settlement and the estab- lishment of the territory and state. For this reason we have chosen our motto, Gateway to Minnesota History