Author: Linda Fransen

Cottonwood
Cu

County Historical Society

Monday—Friday 8 am— 4 pm and Saturday 10 am—4 pm

SPRING 2019

Join us in celebrating 20 years of showcasing local artists in the Remick Gallery on Saturday, July 7 from 2-4 p.m. On exhibit will be “Works by Remick”, the artist in which the gallery is named. Robert Remick enjoyed a long life coming to Windom with his wife Helen (Hebbel), whose family farmed on the south edge of Windom. The Great Depression made work scarce for most, especially for young artists. Robert Remick found himself farming in Windom for 25 years retiring in 1961.
His most productive years as an artist occurred in the next 20 years from 1961-1981. While Helen was taking graduate level classes at Colorado State University, Robert was studying under artists, Clifford Still and Kenzo Okada, who both taught summer school at CSU. It was here that his love of the ‘collage’ took shape.
An exciting aspect of this show is the release of a book entitled “Robert Remick: His Life, His Art, His Legacy”. Janelle Kaye, the book author, spent hours reading through his family file at the museum and interviewing the people who knew him best. Ramona Leverenz took photographs of every Remick painting/collage/print in the museum with the best 50 chosen for the book. We are grateful to the Robert & Helen Remick Charitable Foundation Trust for supporting this endeavor and granting us $6,919 to write and publish this book. Join us as we celebrate this special man and his legacy in the community. This exhibit will run through September 14, 2019.

Remick Gallery Celebrates
20 Years!
Saturday, July 7
2:00—4:00 pm

In the Remick Gallery:
“Tales of a Ghost Town” by Joanne Alberda
The current exhibit in the Remick Gallery features 20 works of art by Joanne Alberda of Sioux Center, Iowa. Using hand dyed fabric she captures the “tales” of a gold mining camp in Montana that boomed in the 19th century but has since become a ghost town. Her art work begins with documented photographs and is brought to life through fabric.
This exhibit runs through Saturday, June 29, 2019.
I am an artist living in the northwestern part of Iowa. I work with fabric in most of my art, but much of that is influenced by what I am doing with my camera…. Joanne Alberda, 2019
If you are planning a visit to the gallery, our hours are Monday – Fridays from 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Winners Announced from Give It Your Best Shot

The Cottonwood County Historical Society congratulates the top three individuals whose photographs were chosen by the public in the last show entitled “Give It Your Best Shot: Focus on Cottonwood County’s Doors & Windows.” For the first time, we had a tie for first place. The two top photographs by popular vote were “Sunrise through the Courthouse” by Rodney Nickel and “Autumn in Mt. Lake” by Rebecca Epp. The photograph with the next highest votes was “The Stone House” by Leann Johnson. Thank you to the 35 photographers who submitted photographs and to those who stopped by the museum and voted for their favorite! The photographs from this show will be featured in a book coming out this summer. Stay tuned….

Tour Through County History

Once again the 3rd grade annual “Tour Through County History” took place May 8th and 9th despite the rainy and cold weather. Students from throughout the county visited the museum to see the Archaeologist, the Pioneer Lady, the Victorian Lady, the Rural School Teacher, the Fireman and the Fur Trapper. They then toured the Cottonwood County Courthouse and Law Enforcement Center. Thank you to the volunteers for making this a great experience for our Cottonwood County 3rd graders.

Cottonwood County Student Art Show Recap:

Since 2006, we have featured the Cottonwood County Student Art Show in April. Teachers from throughout the county bring in the best work from their senior high art students. Many different mediums were displayed including photography, acrylic painting, stained glass, pencil drawing, sculpture and mixed media. Something for everyone! The talent of the local young people is amazing.
The “Best of Show” and “People’s Choice Award” went to Summer Janzen with her painting entitled Evening Camp. The “First Place” award went to Chloe Klassen with her pencil drawing entitled My Mountain Man. She attends Mountain Lake Public School. Those receiving honorable mention included Osmar Roman Prada of Windom Area Public School; Joel Byers of Westbrook Walnut Grove High School; Chloe Klassen of Mountain Lake Public High School; Charlize Mathis of Red Rock Ridge Alternative Learning Center; and Carley Baumann, Haley Simonson, Alexis Weber of Red Rock Central High School.

Temporary Exhibit
“The Windom Whammer:
Larry Buhler (1917- 1990)”
The temporary case in our Exhibit Hall showcases Larry Buhler from his years as a Golden Gopher and to his time as a Green Bay Packer. We have an assortment of artifacts including his yearbook, the uniform he wore in the 1939 All Star Game, his Green Bay Packer alumni ring and more…. This will be our summer show, so stop by and check out the life and times of local sports hero Larry Buhler.

Explore Cottonwood County’s History by Janelle Kaye

Where is one of the oldest places of human habitation in Minnesota? If you answered, “Cottonwood County”, you answered correctly! If you answered the Mountain Lake County Park in Cottonwood County, you would be considered a Minnesota genius historian.
Not all of us know very much about the history of the county we live in. I certainly didn’t before I started working at the Cottonwood County Historical Society and embarking on a historical journey of discovery. That journey has taught me about people, places, events, and things that have resulted in pride that I grew up in a place where there has been so much perseverance and steadfastness in realizing ideals. The creation of beauty and utility in a land of hard work, hardships of all kinds, and distance from major population areas, is admirable.
In 2016, three women who are published authors living in Cottonwood County, Elaine Kroecker, Carolyn Van Loh, and Janelle Kaye, received a grant from the Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) to write 27 articles about the history of Cottonwood County. Each of the women had their own particular interests involving Cottonwood County. Kroecker, a native and current resident of the Delft area, was interested in writing about the Mennonite and Hutterite immigration and settling of the Mt. Lake area. Van Loh, living in the Westbrook area, was interested in writing about the early settlement of Westbrook and the surrounding area. Kaye, a native and current resident of Windom, wanted to focus on that area.
Their articles were submitted to MNopedia, an “online encyclopedia about Minnesota developed by MNHS and its partners. It is a free, curated, and authoritative resource” about our state. All of their articles are “prepared by historians, consulting experts, professional writers, and others who have been vetted by MNHS.” The intent of MNopedia is to offer a resource for teachers, scholars, students, and any interested person to find factual information about Minnesota.

All of their articles have been published and are available for viewing.
To find their articles go to http://www.mnopedia.org/. In the search box, type in the name of the author, Cottonwood County, or the name of the article. Tom Sanders has also written an article on Jeffers Petroglyphs that you also might like to check out.
Happy History Hunting!

Elaine Kroecker’s articles:
Carson Mennonite Brethren Church Cemetery
Voth, Heinrich (1851-1918)
Dorcas Circle, Carson Mennonite Brethren Church
Mennonite Migration to Cottonwood County
Carson Male Chorus
Hutterite Brethren in Cottonwood County

Carolyn Van Loh’s articles:
Westbrook Hospital Days
Henry Schmidt (1882-1918)
Dr. Henry Schmidt Memorial Hopsital
Old Westbrook Lutheran Church
Zierke, Carl “Dutch Charley” (1828-1865)
Currie Line Railroad
Immanuel Baptist Church, Westbrook,
Bean Lake Resort
Clara Barton Club
Schmidt Memorial Hospital Auxiliary

Janelle Kaye’s articles:
Mountain County Park and Historic Site (co-author, Samuel Meshbesher)
Influenza Epidemic in Cottonwood County 1918
Cottonwood County Courthouse
Remick, Robert (1904-1998)
Flax Day
Riverfest
Talcot Lake County Park
Cottonwood County Bizzard 1936
Sons of Norway in Cottonwood County
Windom Concert Series
Brown, John A. (1841-1925)

General Fund Donations:
Donations made between February 1 through May 24, 2019 :
Dean Janzen in memory of Janet Janzen; Sharon Diemer; Clarlyn Green in memory of Owen Green; Richard C. Olson; Leann Johnson in memory of Harm & Mary Johnson’s 80th Wedding Anniversary; Anthony & M. Heather Smith; Ruby Gustafson; Anthony & M. Heather Smith in memory of Ilene Stevens Sharkey; Richard & Wendy Meyer in memory of Eugene Fast; Richard & Wendy Meyer in memory of Lois Oeltjenbruns; Tom & Karen Wickie in memory of LeRoy Garms; Duane & Barb Pingeon in memory Winifred Hoppert; Kelli Koob in memory of Nydeen Koob
On-Line Newspaper Project:
Lisa & Adam Brownell
Choice Dollars through Thrivent Financial:
Harry R. Schuur; Duane & Barb Pingeon; Jeffrey R. Schuur
GAR Memorial Fund:
Anthony & M. Heather Smith

CCHS Membership
CCHS Thanks Member Upgraded to Lifetime:
Doris Schneider
CCHS Welcomes New Annual Members:
Lisa & Adam Brownell; Loring & Marjorie Paschke; Mary Klosterbuer; Lynne Kessler; Avis Fett; Wallace Droegemueller
CCHS Thanks Our Annual Renewals:
Shawn & Jessica Colbert; Joan Kaye; Joanne Kaiser; Linda Fransen & Thomas Sanders; Kathryn Tewes; Maxine Duncan; Fritzie Stemm; Harvey & Esther Buller; Jon Ross
CCHS Thanks Our Annual Patron Renewals:
David Hendricks; Peggy Eichner; Kristi Pasek
CCHS Thanks Our Annual Sponsor Renewal:
Richard C. Olson; Lance Ludvigson
CCHS Thanks Our Annual Business Renewals:
Windom Convention & Visitors Bureau

Cottonwood County
Historical Society
812 4th Avenue
Windom, MN 56101
cchs@windomnet.com
www.cchsmn1901.org
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www.facebook.com/cotttonwoodcountyhs
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NON PROFIT ORGANIZATION
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
WINDOM, MN
PERMIT NO. 6

Board of Trustees:
THOMAS WICKIE: PRESIDENT
DAMON WEINANDT: 1ST VICE PRESIDENT
SHARON DIEMER: 2ND VICE PRESIDENT
MARGARET MCDONALD: TREASURER
ROSALEE DAVIS: SECRETARY
SHAWN COLBERT: 1ST COM. DISTRICT
DOUG JACOBSON: 2ND COM. DISTRICT
MARILYN WAHL: 3RD COM. DISTRICT
DALLAS GIESE: 4TH COM. DISTRICT
ESTHER BULLER: 5TH COM. DISTRICT
KEVIN STEVENS: COM. LIAISON
STAFF
LINDA FRANSEN: DIRECTOR
SANDY PETERSON: MUSEUM ASSISTANT
ANNA HOCHSTEIN: HOUSEKEEPER
MARGET FLOYD: INTERPRETER/GREETER
JANELLE KAYE: RESEARCHER/GRANT WRITER
JESSICA BAK: SOCIAL MEDIA SPECIALIST

.2019 Exhibits
in the Remick Gallery: