New London Historic Marker

New London

Louis Larson, a Swedish emigrant, found the falls on the Crow River in 1860.  In 1861 he built a cabin nearby and the following year started a dam and sawmill.

On August 17, 1862, the Dakota Indian War broke out.  Larson and all the settlers in the area were forced to flee for safety and did not return until 1865.

Larson and Samuel Stone, returned to find the dam washed out.  The rebuilt the dam and sawmill and added a gristmill.  Settlers came from miles around for lumber, flour and other needs.  Larson named the town New London after New London, Wisconsin.  By 1868 New London had grown to forty people, three stores and a blacksmith shop.  It was the county seat of Mononagalia County from 1866 to 1870 when it merged with Kandiyohi County.  The original court house still stands, identified on Main Street.

Sponsored by the Kandiyohi County Historical Society and erected in [can't see date].

The Dead Sea Scrolls exhibition opens today at the Science Museum of Minnesota.

Explore the greatest archaeological find of the 20th century—the Dead Sea Scrolls, which include the earliest known texts of the Bible. These 2,000 year-old, authentic text fragments are steeped in scientific, religious, and cultural significance. The Dead Sea Scrolls: Words That Changed the World, a special exhibition at the Science Museum of Minnesota from March 12 through October 24, 2010, offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness something truly remarkable. For more information, call (651) 221-9444 or visit www.smm.org/scrolls.

Tickets range from $22-$34, but museum members receive a substantial discount, so this might be a good time to consider a membership to the Science Museum.

I’m hoping to get to the exhibition at some point, but if you beat me to it, would you report back as to its appeal for kids?

Some of my favorite photos aren’t the ones I spent hours setting up, or even using my better camera.  Sometimes a photo is my favorite simply because I got the picture before it was too late.

When speeding down an interstate highway at 70 mph, I’m usually too slow to snap a photo of something interesting that I see out the car window, but once in a while I’m successful at capturing the shot.

It may not be the best in quality, due to the speed of the moving vehicle (my husband was driving) and the rain coming down, but because of my little GPS tracker, if I desire, I can go back to the exact spot someday and get a better picture.

And so, with all of that explanation, I present the pumpkin silo, as seen from Interstate 39/51 between Madison and Janesville, Wisconsin.

Pumpkin Silo in Wisconsin

To see more travel photos, visit Photo Fridays at DeliciousBaby.

We first visited Minnemishinona Falls last summer, when the falls were but a trickle, but a beautiful one.

We returned last weekend, when the temperature finally reached 40 degrees for the first time in 3 months and we left our jackets behind, to take a peek at the falls in winter.  This is what we found.

The falls are beautifully frozen, stopped in time.

Minnemishinona Falls in Winter

My husband could hear something, though, and when he quieted the kids, they could hear it as well.  Under all of the ice, the sound of running water, behind the falls.  The creek at the bottom of the falls presented a beautiful wintry scene.

We also pointed out to the kids a large crack in the ice, and wondered aloud what a magnificent sound it will make when the falls break in two.

It’s such an easy thing, to take a different route home and stop for a few minutes to see something familiar look so different because of a change in the seasons.  It’s something we need to remember to do more often.

The second post I wrote for this blog was called Adventures on a Budget.  The advice contained there really hasn’t changed.  We still use our museum memberships extensively; the reciprocal admission has let us see museums in Texas and Pennsylania, and everywhere in between, without a big expense for us.

We still try to travel quite frugally, often on a budget of $150-$200 a day including food and hotel.  Because of this budget, we find it hard to go to well-known places like Disney World because of the cost.  We find a lot of fun in lesser-known attractions that are less expensive.

How do you save money when you go to fun places?

Wanda Gag House in New Ulm, MN

Last year, my children and I had a delightful time at Wanda Gag’s birthday party, where author Jill Kalz read some of her books and we played old-fashioned party games and had a scavenger hunt through the classic author’s childhood home.

That time of year is coming again.  Wanda Gag’s birthday party will be held Saturday, March 13, from 2:00 to 4:00.  This year’s theme is Grimm’s Fairy Tales.  Children are encouraged to come in costume dressed as their favorite fairy tale character.  Snacks will be served.

The Wanda Gag House is located at 226 N. Washington in New Ulm, Minnesota.

Green Lake Village Historic Marker

Green Lake Village and Mill

Several families settled near Green Lake’s Crow River inlet in 1864.  This became a trading center known as Green Lake Village, with a post office established in 1867.  That same year the Green Lake lumber and grist mills were built.  Lumber milling was discontinued in 1868.  Grain milling continued here long after New London developed as a trading center.  The mill was purchased in 1902 by the Hillman family.  It was converted into a hydroelectric plant, furnishing much of the electric power for the area until 1920.  The Green Lake Mill became the Olde Mill Inn, a resort that was in operation through the rest of the 20th century.

Sponsored by Roberg Imlang Legion Post 507 of New London, The Federal Highway Administration, and Kandiyohi County, for the Glacial Ridge Scenic Byway Project.  Erected in 2002.

Located on N. Shore Drive, Spicer, MN.

The Wallachei Historic Marker

The Wallachei

This neighborhood dates back to the early days of New Ulm.  Oral history suggests the borders shown above.  The origin of the name “The Wallachei” is obscure.  The most likely translation is “low land horse pasture.”  Or, legend has it, Mr. Kraus had a horse named Walla.  Each morning he would send his son out to the barn with the instruction:  “Gibs” du Walla heu” (Give Walla hay).  There were a few large families, large gardens, numerous farm animals, flocks of chickens, and outdoor privies.  It was a tought, hard working neighborhood where outsiders were not always welcome.  There was a small grocery, mink ranch, and gravel pit, all anchored by the Hauenstein Brewery.  There was even a “Wallachei Clubhouse” to provide low-cost gemutlichkeit (fellowship).  German-Bohemian names predominated such as:  Hesse, Lamecker, Kagermeier, Prokosch, Wallner, and Wieland.  The character of the area began to change when it became built-up beginning in the 1950’s.  But its proud name endures.

Erected by:  Junior Pioneers of New Ulm and Vicinity; German-Bohemian Heritage Society; George L Glotzbach; and New Ulm Area Foundation.  2007

Located in South Park, New Ulm, Minnesota.

I had read about an old Walgreens sign when I was making plans for our Texas vacation, but I had forgotten to make it part of our itinerary.  I was pleasantly surprised, then, when we emerged from the parking garage on our way to the San Antonio Children’s Museum and saw this:

Classic Walgreens Sign, San Antonio, TX

It’s a treat for me to find traces of the old among modern things.

The Walgreens sign (and store) are located at the corner of Houston and Navarro in downtown San Antonio, across the street from the San Antonio Children’s Museum and just a few doors down from the Buckhorn Saloon and Museum.

To see more travel photos, visit Photo Fridays at DeliciousBaby.

Stave Church

Have you been inside a Stabbur or a Stave Church?  These traditional Scandinavian buildings are two of the things you can see at the Scandinavian Heritage Park in Minot, North Dakota.

The park showcases the Scandinavian roots of many people in the Minot area.  (Even the McDonald’s sports Scandinavian decor.)  Built with streams and waterfalls like the homelands, the Scandinavian Heritage Park also remembers important people of Scandinavian descent.  A walk through the park on a warm summer day can be restful, visiting the buildings when they are open seasonally is a history lesson, and seeing the workmanship will put you in awe of the craftsmen who designed and built these structures.

The Minot Visitor’s Center is also located at the Scandinavian Heritage Park.  The park is free to visit and there is a parking lot at the site.  If you’re traveling through North Dakota, take some time to pull off Highway 2 and see this beautiful heritage area.

To see another Stave Church and a Viking Ship, visit the Heritage Hjemkomst Center in Moorhead, Minnesota.