On November 16 at the Northfield Eagles Club from 3-6 p.m. NHS and the Prairie’s Edge Humane Society (PEHS) will be hosting a Cat memorabilia auction in honor of Maggie Lee.

Maggie was a founder of the NHS and a great lover of cats and all things purple.  That is why NHS and  PEHS are teaming up to raise funds in Maggie’s honor.  All of the items that are up for auction are from Maggie’s collection.

Come on out and support two great organizations.

When: 3-6 p.m. on Saturday (Nov. 16)

Where: Northfield Eagles Club

Cost: Free

Auctioneer: Ed Kuhlman

Items up for auction: Antiques and collectibles from Maggie Lee’s extensive collection of cat memorabilia

More than an auction: Attendees will be able to purchase lunch (pulled pork sandwiches from Estrem Farms). There also will be an open bar and chances to win various prizes.

Proceeds: Funds will be split between the Northfield Historical Society and Prairie’s Edge Humane Society

The Northfield Historical Society and the Northfield Public Library are pleased to announce that the 2^nd in the series of Minnesota History Players will be at the Northfield

Public Library on November 16 at 11:00 a.m.  Harriet Bishop, was the first school teacher in St. Paul and she will talk about the role of women in the American frontier and she will discuss the differences between a school from the 19^th and 21^st Century.

The event features Miss Bishop will be in full period clothing and comes with a full trunk of authentic artifacts that are used in a lively and engaging program.  People of all ages will enjoy and learn about Minnesota’s past.  There are also items on display from the Northfield Historical Society collection relating to early schools in Northfield.

The event is open and free to the public.  It is sponsored by the Northfield Historical Society, Friends of the Public Library and Healthy Community Imitative.  For more information call the Public Library at 507-645-6606 or check out the Northfield Public Library’s blog or the Northfield Historical Society website.

The Carleton College Department of History, along with the Northfield Historical Society, will present “Moment of Truth: The Battle of Gettysburg” on Thursday, Oct. 17 from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Weitz Center for Creativity Room 230. This compelling lecture will be presented by Jeff Appelquist, Carleton Class of 1980, author of three award-winning books including Sacred Ground: Leadership Lessons from Gettysburg & the Little Bighorn. This event is free and open to the public.

One of the many critical events in the American Civil War, the Battle of Gettysburg took place the first three days in July in 1863, fought in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle had the largest number of casualties in the war and is often described as the war’s turning point.

Appelquist is the recipient of dozens of literary awards including multiple first-place prizes in the Writer’s Digest International, National Indie Excellence, and Midwest Book Awards. In addition to Sacred Ground: Leadership Lessons from Gettysburg & the Little Bighorn (2010), Appelquist is the author ofWisdom Is Not Enough: Reflections on Leadership and Teams (2011) and The Great Wild West: An American Journey (2013). Appelquist is renowned as a “first-rate storyteller,” who makes history “come alive.”

In addition to being an award-winning author and expert in American military history, Jeff Appelquist is also the founder and president of Blue Knight Leadership, LLC. He is a former U.S. Marine Corps infantry officer, practicing attorney, and corporate executive. He has more than twenty years experience both as an entrepreneur and small business owner, and as a leader in Fortune 100 companies.

Appelquist draws from his many years of widely varied professional experiences to create a unique and powerful individual leadership and team development program. He is a nationally recognized consultant, speaker, and teacher whose expertise, energy, humor, and passion help organizations forge great leaders and teams. More information atwww.blueknightleadership.com.

Appelquist earned a BA in political science from Carleton College and a combined law degree and MA in public policy and administration from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

This event is sponsored by the Carleton College Department of History and the Northfield Historical Society. For more information, including disability accommodations, call (507) 222-4217. The Weitz Center for Creativity is located at Third and College Streets in Northfield.

Back in August, NHS Executive Director, Hayes Scriven presented a funding proposal to the Northfield City Council that would expand and formalize services NHS is providing to the City and the Northfield Community, in addition to funding future services.  The reasons for the ask were many, but revolved around a few key aspects.

• The City of Northfield transferred ownership of most of its historical books, video and audio tapes.  The reason for the transfer was that the City had laserfiched all of its motions and ordinances and satisfied their statutory requirement for records retention.

If NHS were to not take and examine them to decide their historic relevance they would have been destroyed.  When any organization digitizes records the next question is, do you destroy the original?  According to state statue, after the City digitizes the record, the permanent copy is considered the digital copy.  However, according to the National Archives:

You may want to digitize your photographs (documents) because it offers safe and easy access to the images in your collection. Once your photographs (documents) have been scanned, you can view them in electronic form and even make hard copies without risking damage to the originals. Do not throw away your original film and other print media after you digitize them. Digitized images are not considered a replacement for originals. Data (i.e. your images) can be lost when the storage media deteriorates; and software and hardware technology become rapidly obsolete, in some cases making retrieval of the images difficult if not impossible.

 At NHS we adopt this same practice of not destroying the original copies of artifacts after scanning them.  Even though we have digitized an artifact,  we do not destroy the

original.  Even if that means taking up more space in our storage facility. We have found even after digitizing and making the digital copy accessible, patrons still want to see the original file.

The other part of the City donation was hand written ledger books.  The majority of them were criminal court case documents dating from 1896-1971. There were other gems in the donation including a ledger book from the Northfield Light and Power Company (Northfield first power company), a Attendance Role call book for Company K, 4^th Infantry from 1898, and building plans for many of the historic buildings in town (including both colleges and the hospital).  If NHS did not take these other items on they would be lost forever as they were not digitized.

This major transfer from the City does not include the transfers we have received from the Public Library (over many years) or the pending transfer from the Northfield Fire Depart of their historical artifacts that date back to the late 1870s.

• NHS is willing to also lend assistance to the City of Northfield with the Heritage Preservation Commission and other City Departments.  Over the past few years, NHS has been contacted by many departments for assistance with historical research.  These requests over the past few years have increased in frequency.  NHS is willing to conduct the research as we have the resources to perform the task, but we are limited by our staffing.

The other intention of the ask was to start the conversation with the City of Northfield on formalizing an agreement of services and to take care of the collection at the highest professional standard possible.  NHS would like to become the official City Archive for its historical materials.  With this we know NHS would become the center for all research requests from community members, tourists and City staff.

Funding of the NHS at the level of OPTION A (39,656) in the attached document will provide all of these services at the highest professional standard in regards to document preservation and access.  NHS will be able to hire staff at a level that will get this done in the most timely and efficient manner.

Preserving history should be viewed as a forever.  If NHS can preserve Northfield history at the highest and efficient manner, it will be around forever. This funding request is a great step in that direction.

NHS Funding Proposal

Email a letter of support to all Northfield City Council Members here

Alex Beeby letter of support for NHS funding, Northfield News

Martha Davies letter of support for NHS, Northfield News

The Northfield Historical Society will present the 8th annual Cemetery Stories October 19. This year’s event takes place at the Northfield Cemetery. As part of the 150th observance of the Civil  War, this year’s event will highlight Northfield-area veterans of that war. Tours start at 3:40 p.m. and will be repeated every 20 minutes, with the last tour at 8 p.m. Admission is $4 for adults, $2 children and $1 for NHS members. Parking is available across the street at the Northfield High School. To reserve your spot now, call NHS at 507-645-9268.

In spring 1861, political solutions having failed, southern forces fired upon Fort Sumter and the American Civil War had commenced. Fearing that they would miss the war entirely, men across the country rushed to enlist for fear that they would miss the entire war. Minnesota Governor Alexander Ramsey was in Washington D.C. at the time of the Sumter assault and was the first state to volunteer troops to President Lincoln’s call for 75,000 men, which resulted in the birth of the famed 1st Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment.

Men throughout Minnesota and Northfield answered the call to arms. Men named Fingal Fingalson, Halvor Quie, and Andrew Lockrem — who were all good friends — joined on the same day and served in the far-off battles of Manassas, Seven Pines, Seven Days, and Antietam as members of Berdan’s Sharpshooters, who were assigned to the 1st Minnesota.

Many more answered the call to duty, among them George and Charles Scofield, who defied their parents and struck out in the middle of the night to join at Fort Snelling. Only one son would return home.

Two other soldiers named James DeGray and James Little would both be hit by bullets that went through their hats but failed to penetrate their skulls. DeGray’s hat is today in the Minnesota Historical Society and Little’s is currently under display at the Northfield Historical Society’s Civil War exhibit.

Although many of the men remembered during this year’s Cemetery Stories aren’t buried in the Northfield Cemetery, their service and their stories should never be forgotten.  As Oliver Wendell Holmes said at a military gathering after the war, “I think that, as life is action and passion, it is required of a man that he should share the passion and action of his time at peril of being judged not to have lived.”

Last week NHS published a new book called Our Story: A Guide to the History of Northfield, Minnesota. It was written by eighth graders at Northfield Middle School that engaged in innovative research and writing that had them searching back through Northfield’s history from the early geology of the area to the present day. The 42 chapter and richly illustrated history is written in the style of a textbook and will be used in the local schools. The book is also a great general read.

At the book release party we had students give a brief speech on what the project meant to them.  One of them Nicholas Gonnerman stood above the rest.  I wanted to share with you his speech.  This is why our youth programs at NHS are so special.

When we were writing this book, our job was to record and research the specifics of our chapter: What year did St. Olaf begin? How many businesses were in the Scriver building? What did Adelbert Ames do? We focused on the dates, the names, that kind thing. So when I was asked recently what I learned from this experience, that’s what originally jumped into my head.

 

But then I started thinking. Having been able to take a step back from the bustle of the writing and researching process, I can say — and I think I speak for all of us — that we learned much more than specific facts about this town. We also learned about its character. And that’s the most important aspect of this project, that we 10 students came away with a new and deeper understanding of what makes Northfield the unique place it is today.

 

I learned, first of all, that Northfielders respect and learn from their rich past. As a town, we look back at a colorful history with pride and excitement. As a community we’re willing to devote time to value and celebrate our past.

 

I learned that Northfielders are smart. That being entrepreneurial and sensible is in Northfielders’ nature. The colleges, the lyceum, and library, for example, are some of our oldest and most cherished institutions.

 

And I learned that this town is kooky. That we have a good sense of humor and, most importantly, we can and do poke fun at ourselves. “Cows, colleges, and contentment,” the sign that many visitors first see, is indicative of this town’s sense of humor. The ability for Northfielders to be self-deprecating about the past shows how much they care about the past.

 

These themes: a respect for history, intellect, and a healthy sense of humor, mean more to me than just historical facts. They show me that this city’s character means more and does more to strengthen us as a community than any date, name, or place. And that makes me hopeful about the future.

Well said Nicholas!

History is alive and well in southern Minnesota, so much so in fact that students in Northfield, Minn., are writing it. In a soon-to-be-released book, Our Story: A Guide to the History of Northfield, Minnesota , eighth graders at Northfield Middle School have engaged in an innovative research and writing project that had them searching back through Northfield’s history from the early geology of the area to the present day. The 42 chapter and richly illustrated history is written in the style of a textbook and will be used in the local schools. The book is a stunning example of how teens can learn and participate in scholarly endeavors while contributing to the historical landscape of the area.

The book was written as part of the SCOPE Program (Student Community Outreach Program Experience) that is coordinated by social studies teacher, Earl Weinmann. With the cooperation of Carleton College, The Northfield Historical Society and the Northfield School District, eighth grade students researched and wrote the textbook over a two year period. With extensive assistance from Carleton College interns, interviews with local experts and exhaustive research from local sources, the eight grade students created an easy-to-read book filled with interesting tidbits about the people, places, and nuances about how Northfield came to exist, grow, and prosper.

Weinmann said, “This is a one-of-a-kind project and we couldn’t be more pleased with the way that it has come together. The students who collaborated on this project have a lot of well-

deserved pride in the finished piece. They’ve learned a great deal about research and writing and have carved out a place in history – documenting a piece of Minnesota’s past in a comprehensive book.”

An innovative educational project, The SCOPE Program provides Northfield Middle School students with the unique opportunity to combine two core curriculums – English and history – and create a tangible piece of history of benefit to the community.

Weinmann concluded, “It’s hard to imagine how much time went into a project of this caliber. More than anything, the students want readers to know that although much of the writing was done by 13- and 14-year-olds, Our Story is by no means amateur work. They spent many hours writing and re-writing to see that the authors’ voice is consistent throughout and that it presents an accurate historical account of our illustrious history.”

Our Story is published by the Northfield Historical Society Press and will be available to the public on September 19th at the Northfield Historical Society museum store. Publication costs were underwritten by Carleton College, a grant from the Northfield Area Foundation, the Northfield School District and the Northfield Historical Society. Proceeds from the sale directly support the school district’s museum youth educational programs.

The public is welcome to a book release party for the Northfield Historical Society’s newest publication, “Our Story” on September 19, at 7:00 p.m. at the Northfield Historical Society. At the book release party we will hear from the student authors of the book as well as from those who assisted the students in their journey from initial research to completed project.

For more information about Our Story, please the Northfield Historical Society
(507-645-9268) or www.northfieldhistory.org.

Historian and author Mark Lee Gardner of Cascade, Colorado, will highlight some of the new findings in his recently released book Shot All To Hell: Jesse James, the Northfield Raid, and the Wild West’s Greatest Escape, at the Northfield Historical Society on September 5.  Gardner will discuss why the James-Younger gang came to Minnesota to the identity of the bandit who shot Joseph Lee Heywood, Gardner has uncovered never-before-seen evidence that adds substantially to what we know about America’s most famous bank robbery.  A book signing will follow Gardner’s presentation.

When: September 5th
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Where: Northfield Historical Society
Cost: Free and Open to the Public

“If war comes, I’m going!” exclaimed Halvor Quie after reading Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin. One-hundred-fifty years ago, young men from the Northfield area committed life and limb to a cause greater than themselves. The Civil War pitted Americans against each other in a war so brutal that the affects continue on to date – from our standing army and international rules of war to insidious regional stereotypes that continue to fester. The stories of the Union soldiers who came from and returned to the Northfield area provide a glimpse into the bravery and fortitude of those who fought.

These men served in wide-ranging capacities – from soldiers and officers to musicians and surgeons. They volunteered for service, many joining the First Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment – the first volunteers to commit to the cause. Our young men battled sickness, fatigue, and, yes, lead. From fighting on after disabling wounds to treating newly freed and escaped slaves, stories of individual distinction abound.

With the help of resident student of the Civil War Jim Stark, Northfield Historical Society staff, the Rice County Historical Society and volunteers have pulled together a few stories and artifacts about area residents who served, along with some unique and impressive artifacts. The Northfield Historical Society makes these stories and artifacts available to the public in their exhibit opening August 22 at 6:00 p.m., “If war comes, I’m going!”

Exhibit Title: If War Comes, I’m going! Northfield and the Civil War
When: August 22 @ 6:00 p.m.
Where: Northfield Historical Society, 408 Division Street.
Contact: 507-645-9268,

The Northfield Historical Society invites you to explore Southern Minnesota like the notorious James-Younger Gang did, but this time, we are riding steel horses on August 10.

On September 7, 1876, the Gang, led by Jesse and Frank James and the Younger brothers, attempted a bank raid on the First National Bank of Northfield. While the raid was in progress, the townspeople rounded up their firearms and fought back. When the fighting stopped, two Northfielders had been ruthlessly murdered by the Gang, and two of the outlaws lay dead in the streets. The largest manhunt in U.S. History (at that point) ensued. The Younger brothers were captured in a slew outside of Madelia, MN, while the Jesse and Frank escaped to meet their fate at a later day.

Saturday, August 10, riders will saddle up on their motorcycles and explore Southern Minnesota like the gang did before the attempted raid. The event begins with a recreation of the robbery. Then the riders will head out of town to New Trier. On the way back, we’ll water the horses at Red Wing, where we will stop for lunch. Finally we will case the town of Goodhue then return to Northfield for a post-rally party with prizes.

Everyone is welcome to come along. The cost is $20.00 per rider, and includes an Outlaw Run t-shirt plus a chance at prizes in our drawing. All of the funds raised benefit the Northfield Historical Society Youth Programs.

You can join us from 5-10 p.m. for the Outlaw Run After Party featuring Northfield’s own band, Why Not. The After Party is free for Outlaw Run participants, but if you want to join us for the fun and did not ride the run, you can get in for a donation of any size.

You can register for the Outlaw Run here.