McIntosh, Minnesota

1,616 miles

Feb 29 – The town of McIntosh was named for a Scotsman from French Canada who lived for years on the White Earth Indian Reservation.  It sounds like he acted as a trader among the Métis, and here he started a general store.  It seems that Canada was overflowing with enterprising Scotsmen!  

rough blazing star flowers

The surrounding area is a mesic prairie.  I thought I was familiar with prairie land, most recently in Saskatchewan, but the term “mesic” was new to me.  It means simply “moderate” or “middling”, neither very wet nor dry.

Mesic prairies can be very luxuriant habitats, with a profusion of flowering plants and grasses of different heights, so the overall effect is that of a layered environment like an English country garden.  Along with grasses, wildflowers bloom here, such as purple prairie clover, prairie phlox, rough blazing star, and stiff sunflower.

wildfire in prairie grass

Mesic prairies are considered fire-dependent communities, meaning that they depend on frequent fire for their continued existence. In the absence of frequent fire, mesic prairies are invaded by trees and shrubs, and in time will become forests.

Mesic prairies were once the dominant vegetation type in southern and western Minnesota, but since the time of European settlement they have been largely replaced by agriculture.

In the winter, McIntosh offers several ways to enjoy the outdoors.  Chicog Wildlife Management Area is open to exploration by snowshoe and cross country skiing.   The Polar Beach Snowmobile Club sponsors and maintains the trails around McIntosh and the route snowmobiles need to take traveling through the city.

Spring and fall bring migrating cranes.  The town sponsors an Easter egg hunt in March, and the City Wide Garage Sale in June.  

The sitting area in front of McIntosh Hardware looks like a good place to discuss town events.

prairie info:  http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/restoreyourshore/pg/mesicprairie.html

Chicog Wildlife Management Area:  www.dnr.state.mn.us/wmas/index.html

 info:  http://www.ci.mcintosh.mn.us/

hardware store image:  http://www.lakesnwoods.com/McIntosh.htm

Uncle Jacob ?

Rutland  Oct 4^th, 67

 “We called at Uncle Jacobs one evening this week.”  

Jacob Blakely gravestone

Who was Uncle Jacob?  I know the names of all of Hattie’s parents’ brothers & sisters.  The only Uncle Jacob was Walton’s brother Jacob Blakely who died in 1855.  And here she refers to someone living in Rutland in 1867.  They couldn’t have gone together to his grave one evening, since he was buried in Pawlet.

Could this have been Uncle Marshall’s wife’s uncle?  I’ve researched both of her parents, but found no Jacobs.

Was Uncle Jacob a dear family friend who had earned the position to be called “Uncle”?  I’m not aware of anyone in our family who was ever referred to this way.  Was this a former servant, being called by the Southern custom for close family slaves?  That’s an even more far-fetched idea in this family.   Was there a man associated with the school who would have been called “Uncle”?  Where else can I look?

Hattie said nothing else about this evening visit, except, “The fire at Centre Rutland could be seen here very plain.”  And that might be from Uncle Marshall’s house, not even related to the sentence about the visit to Uncle Jacob. 

Erskine, Minnesota

1,602 miles

Feb 27 - In a small park near the reedy shore of Cameron Lake, just down the street from downtown, is The Erskine Fish.  The town's main tourist attraction is the world’s largest statue of a Northern Pike.  Tourists amuse themselves by posing for photos with their heads – or their small children – inside the big fish's mouth.

Cameron Lake

In the past, Erskine's sewage was dumped into Cameron Lake, and its shores were littered with dead fish.  The Clean Water Act of 1970 forced the town to redirect its sewage to a sewer plant near Badger Lake.  Today, the lake is much cleaner, and lakeshore property has been built up with pricy mansions. 

Old Believers cross

In the late 1990s, Erskine became the center of a community of Russian Old Believers, estimated at between 50 and 100 families.  Around 1666, the Old Believers, or Old Ritualists, separated from the official Russian Orthodox Church as a protest against church “reforms” to the old rituals.  A period of persecutions began, including both torture and executions. Many Old Believers fled Russia, and scattered around eastern Europe, Canada, and the US.  Estimates place the total number of Old Believers remaining today at from 1 to 2 million, some living in extremely isolated communities in places to which they fled centuries ago to avoid persecution.

old ritual blessing

In 1974, the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia issued an ukase revoking the old “reforms” and asked forgiveness from the Old Believers for the wrongs done to them.  Nevertheless, most Old Believer communities have not returned to Communion with the majority of Orthodox Christianity worldwide.

The Old Believers began moving to Erskine around 1998 in order to escape a farming crisis and suburban sprawl which threatened their community near Woodburn, Oregon (about half-way between Portland and Salem).  Few pictures of their communal life are available online.

car racing on frozen lake

A highlight of winter recreation in Erskine is ice car racing.  Most of the pictures I’ve seen online look more like a demolition derby on ice!  This is one version of fun that I could only enjoy vicariously.  No, not even virtually, from 1,602 miles away.

 

fish image & info: http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/2823#sthash.5rAT0PrN.dpuf

lake image:  http://www.ci.erskine.mn.us/

info: Wikipedia.com

cross image:  http://www.polyvore.com/

ice racing image:  http://musicadict.xyz

Plummer, Minnesota & hotdish

Plummer Municipal Auditorium (& Senior Center)

1,588 miles

Feb 26 - This town of 282 people has its own post office, elementary school, veterinary clinic, grocery store, a bar, an appliance repair service, this Municipal Auditorium (& Senior Center), and 2 Lutheran churches.

This seems to be a good opportunity to focus on the local food tradition, Lutheran hotdish, a specialty at church potluck suppers and large family gatherings.  Hotdish is a kind of casserole that typically contains a starch such as noodles, a meat, and a vegetable, mixed with canned soup.  The most common meat is ground beef, and cream of mushroom is the favorite canned soup.  This is real comfort food that fills many bellies and provides a satisfying communal experience.  Preparation is quick and easy; flavors are familiar.

I grew up on many casserole dinners, and this was the first kind of meal that I learned to prepare.  I’ll make a true Minnesota Lutheran hotdish soon.  Online I find many recipes, but many are newer varieties, using tater tot toppings (easier than pre-cooking noodles & making breadcrumb topping) or lower-fat lower-salt more-vegetable casseroles (healthier, of course).  I want to try a real traditional recipe, if there is such a thing for something so basic.

town info:  http://www.lakesnwoods.com/Plummer.htm

hotdish info:  Wikipedia.com

images & recipes:  http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/tag/third-annual-minnesota-delegation-hotdish-competition/

http://www.minnesota-visitor.com/minnesota-hot-dish-recipes.html

A Tin Wedding in Rutland 1867

Hattie Blakely

Feb 25 – Hattie Blakely, attending Rutland High School, wrote home to her parents:

[Rutland  Sep 21st 1867]

“Dear Parents,

               I hope you are all well.  I am quite so, and interested very much in the school.  Monday evening I went to a tin wedding.”  

tin lantern

This mention of a “tin wedding” raises so many questions!  First, it seems that this was a new experience for her.  She used the term, showing off her new knowledge, but did not explain it.  This may mean that she knew that her parents would understand what she meant.  I had never heard of this, so I did a little research.  A tin wedding is a 10^th wedding anniversary.  These celebrations had become popular in this time period.  But Hattie was living with her Uncle Marshall who was a tinsmith.  Could there have been a special significance to this kind of celebration for tinsmiths?

pierced tin pie safe

If this tin wedding was a new and interesting experience, why did she not describe any of it?  Who were the participants and how was Hattie included in the invitation?  Were the celebrants some friends of Marshall and Mary?  Business acquaintances of theirs in the tin trade?  Did she meet any interesting people at this party?  How was the couple’s anniversary celebrated?  Did anyone make a speech?  Did anyone play any music?  Hattie would surely be interested in that.  How was tin included?  Gifts of tin lanterns, candlesticks, a pierced tin pie safe, & such?  The girl doesn’t even mention the party food or any fancy clothing!  She is trying very hard to be a serious & studious young lady, but surely a conscientious letter-writer would share more details of her experiences. 

Thief River Falls, Minnesota

1,574 miles

Thief River Falls, 1907

I approached Thief River Falls hoping to see a beautiful waterfall and hear a colorful tale of thieves along the riverside.  The story is that a band of Dakota Indians occupied a secret encampment along the river, hence "stealing" the land, before being discovered and routed by the neighboring Ojibwe.  The Ojibwe commemorated the event by calling the river "Stolen-land River".

On the Red Lake River, near its confluence with the Thief River, there used to be a modest waterfall.  

Thief River Falls Dam

About a hundred years ago, a dam was built to control the river and provide water for the city that was growing there.  Many other “low-head” dams were built on the rivers in the region.  While they did provide benefits for growing cities, they also created serious problems.  The low-head dams were widely referred to as "drowning machines" because of the dangerous roller currents they created.  And they prevented fish from spawning upstream.  "Dams, I think, are the worst thing we've done to our rivers when you really look at it in terms of species extinctions globally," said Luther Aadland, dam modification specialist for the Department of Natural Resources in Fergus Falls, Minn., in 2012.

Seven Clans Waterpark & Casino

Now, instead of a natural river with a waterfall, the town of Thief River Falls has a dam and a commercial water park resort.

a rock-riffle rapids

Aadland has designed and installed rock-riffle structures along the Red River and elsewhere that hold back the river water without creating roller currents or harming fish.   The rock-riffle structures have replaced seven of the eight low-head dams on the Red River in recent years.  They hold back water to create deeper upstream pools, and the water descends on a gradual slope over boulders placed in strategic rows downstream, creating more pools and eddies for the fish.

waterfall image: http://www.lakesnwoods.com/ThiefRiverFallsGallery.htm

dam image: http://www.flickriver.com/photos/60007383@N05/popular-interesting/

waterpark image:  http://www.sevenclanscasino.com/thief-river-falls/thief-river-falls-waterpark-rates

rock-riffle image & info by Brad Dokken of the Grand Forks Herald: http://www.grandforksherald.com/content/dam-conversion-projects-win-win-red-river

Newfolden, Minnesota

1,560 miles

Feb 23 - This area is known for its long, cold and snowy winters. In sharp contrast, the summers are hot & often quite humid, with frequent thunderstorms. Unsurprisingly, spring & autumn are short and highly variable seasons.  Newfolden has about 368 residents.

This town was settled by Norwegians, and was named after a village named Folden in Norway.  Over the years, school sports teams have been named the Nordics, the Vikings, & the Northern Freeze.

The schoolchildren of a three-county area are parceled out to different towns.  Preschool-grade 2 students attend school in the nearby community of Viking.  Students in grades 3-6 attend Newfolden Elementary.  Marshall County Central High School educates the 7-12 grade students of the Tri-County Schools. 

water tower image by Tourismguy:   http://www.flickriver.com/places/United+States/Minnesota/Newfolden/

house image by  Kojo_46:  http://www.viewphotos.org/united-states/images-of-NEWFOLDEN-8736.html

Feb 22 – Jenny & the Bull

With many doubts & misgivings, I decided to change my plan.  I found that I am physically able to continue increasing my daily mileage, but that it doesn’t appear to be getting me any closer to my real goals.  I hope that my new plan will allow me to continue my virtual travel eastward, and explore interesting places along the way, while freeing more of my time & energy for a variety of exercises and writing topics.

My grown-up bull daring me to pick him up today. I choose to walk away.

My new plan is to continue cycling 14 miles each day for 2 days and write about each day’s destination.  On the third day, I will exercise in a different way and write about a different topic, presumably historical research & exercise insights.

bull image:  www.marketwatch.com

Strandquist, Minnesota

pretty house

1,546 miles

Feb 21 - This shrinking hamlet of 69 people (2010) still has a post office and a building which used to be the school.  

This pretty building looks like it could have been a church.  It’s probably a private home now. 

image: Google Street Views

Halma, Minnesota

1,532 miles

Feb 20 - Here we have another Midwestern ghost town, with an official 78 residents.

On the left side of this picture is the community center.  It's one of those pointed-arch quonset hut buildings with a wooden addition.

Halma Community Center

These pointed-arch metal buildings always remind me of World War II military bases and barns.  It could even be a church.  Very practical & pleasing.

The old Halma School has been boarded up, a new roof was added, and it's now used for storage.  A sad re-purposing.

images: 

http://kittsonhistorian.ning.com/group/halmatown56729

Feb 19 - The Rancher & the Calf

Feb 19 – My exercise regimen has been based on a folktale I heard years ago about an American rancher who was strong enough to lift a full-grown bull!  He explained that he had begun lifting the calf when it was born, then lifted it every day so he could be strong enough to lift it as it grew.  (I suppose that the calf grew accustomed to being lifted every day, too.  At what point would it fight him off?)  Of course, the problem with this plan is that the calf is eating & growing faster than the rancher’s muscles can possibly do.  Still, this story was the inspiration for my own strengthening program.  I never had to measure my strength or fitness against some ideal standard, but only against my own progress.  And my progress could be miniscule, as long as I kept it up.

As I began to write this post, I searched for the source of the folktale and found that it was originally about an ancient Greek strongman, Milo of Croton.  And, naturally, many people have modeled their own fitness plans on his idea.  And many people have pointed out that the calf’s ability to grow will inevitably outpace Milo’s weightlifting ability.

My plan has succeeded very well in some ways.  In 4 months, I’ve increased my daily session from 10 miles a day (in 15^th gear, at about 40 rpm) to 14 miles a day (also in 15^th gear, at 42 rpm).  My heart & lungs are stronger and my posture has improved.  My attitude about exercise is better: more confident & willing to persist when the going gets strenuous.  But I can’t believe how MUCH exercise is required to make a noticeable improvement.

One important goal for me was to be able to walk farther, more steadily, & even gracefully.  In that, I haven’t made any progress at all.  I realize that I’m walking like a pro cyclist after a full day of riding: a little bow-legged, awkwardly trying to stand upright, & needing to be half-carried to the winner’s podium.  Some days I use a can to get myself across a parking lot.  I can’t believe that I’m actually that muscle-bound, but my walking muscles are certainly not developed in proportion to my cycling muscles. 

Increased cycling will speed me (virtually) on my way to Vermont, but it won’t help me walk anywhere.  I need to exercise other muscles, doing something different for a different result.

Planning & anticipating my virtual journey has kept me going when plain cycling was awfully tedious.  Exploring the small towns along my way has been fascinating!  But I know that I’m spending too much of my day exploring, collecting images, and writing descriptions for my blog.  Too much time sitting at my computer & thinking, but not about my main family history project.  Not even thinking about daily life, much less getting up & doing chores & household projects.

How can I change my exercise routine but still make virtual progress to Vermont?  How can I continue exploring my virtual journey, but still have time for historical writing?

calf image:  http://windowontheprairie.com/

Milo of Croton:  http://miloandthecalf.com/about/

Lancaster, Minnesota

bluebird

1,518 miles

Feb 18 – Lancaster is a town of about 360 people near the borders of North Dakota & Manitoba.  Folk say “It’s as far as a body can go and still speak Minnesotan.”

elk herd

Outside of town is a remarkable privately-created bird & wildlife sanctuary.  Many years ago, Larry Wilebski started buying land and planting trees and shrubs.  It has been his life’s work to create Wilebski Bird Sanctuary & Evergreen Acres, where guests can see many different species of prairie birds & critters.  

wild turkey

As James P. Lenfestey, a writer for the Star Tribune, said, “I felt like we were on safari. I have never seen such varied wildlife in such a brief period of time in a setting that wasn't an African plain or the Minnesota Zoo.”

northern harrier

info:  http://www.startribune.com/minnesota-safari-kittson-county/17269254/

images:  http://www.wiktel.net/birdsanctuary/

gray partridge

Tolstoi, MB & Canadian-US border

415 US miles + 1,682 Canadian km = 1,504 miles

Tolstoi Holy Ghost Ukrainian Orthodox Church

Tolstoi is a hamlet near the Canada–United States border.  It was founded by Ukrainian immigrants in the 1890s, one of the earliest Ukrainian settlements in western Canada.  Tolstoi's population has declined dramatically in recent decades, as most young people leave for jobs in Winnipeg.  The former two-room schoolhouse has become the Tolstoi Seniors Centre.  The community includes a grocery store, Ukrainian Catholic and Ukrainian Orthodox churches, and the Ukrainian National Community Hall which is rented out for social events.

Tolstoi is the transfer point for microwave (S-band) television signals between Winnipeg and North Dakota.  The hamlet is located between cellphone tower services areas and cellphone service is unreliable.  Being near the international border offers enhanced TV reception but inferior cellphone service.

The Tolstoi border crossing is one of the busiest in Manitoba.  More than 72,000 people cross the border here each year.   It is a Class A U.S. port, which means it is a designated port for all aliens.  Foreign nationals entering the U.S. are advised to use Class A Ports of Entry.  On the Canadian side, the Tolstoi border crossing is designated to be fully bilingual while some smaller ones are not, as this one serves many French-speaking communities like Saint-Malo, St. Pierre, and Ile des Chênes.

On the American side, no images are available.  No photos of the approach or lines of cars waiting or informative signs, as can be found at other busy ports of entry.  I tried to capture a pic myself using Google Street Views, but hit a dead end.  No view is possible, coming from either direction.  So I don’t know what I would see as I approach the re-entry point to my own country.  But if I passed by the Canadian border station and turned around before I reached the US station, I would see this welcoming view back into Canada.

info: Wikipedia.com

Tolstoi Holy Ghost Ukrainian Orthodox Church:  www.mhs.mb.ca

Canadian border station info & image:  www.steinbachonline.com

Roseau River, Manitoba

1,491 miles

At my stopping point for today, the highway crosses over the Roseau River.  This is a 214-mile-long (344 km) tributary of the Red River of the North, which flows through northwestern Minnesota and southern Manitoba.  After the Roseau River joins the Red River, they flow together into Lake Winnipeg, down the Nelson River, and into Hudson Bay.

This river flows through the Roseau River Anishinabe First Nation.  I found this description of the tribe’s location interesting in the way it uses a traditional perspective and also clarifies for outsiders with the use of modern national terminology.  “ Roseau River is an Anishinabe-Nation community located in Anishinabe territory, also known as Treaty 1 territory.  This area is also now known as southern Manitoba, just north of the United States-Canada border.”

river image:  Google Street Views
First Peoples Development, Inc.: http://www.fpdinc.ca/ROSEAURIVERFIRSTNATION#/ROSEAURIVERFIRSTNATION/

Saint-Malo, Manitoba

1,478 miles

Feb 15 - Most of the residents of Saint-Malo are people of Métis and French-Canadian heritage.  In 1895, while a new priest was exploring the parish, a remote wooded spot caught his attention.   Its proximity to a small river reminded him of the Grotto of Lourdes in France, where the Blessed Virgin had appeared in 1858.  He decided to erect a grotto here in her honor.  In 1896, some volunteers from the parish helped the priest begin work on the project.  Brush was cleared, hollows were filled, and a small chapel was built near the river.  By 1902, an actual grotto was built with fieldstones from the area.  Stone walls and a niche for the Madonna statue were completed.   The Grotto still draws pilgrims to Saint-Malo every year.

École Saint-Malo School is the community's elementary and middle school.  The school offers both French Immersion and English programs.  Saint-Malo is a shopping and services center for the farmers in the surrounding rural area.  Saint-Malo Provincial Park and a privately-owned campground are also located nearby.   

moonrise by David Cure-Hryciuk

In the winter months, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, and hockey are popular, as well as ice-fishing and car races on the lake.  

aurora borealis by Ryan Bergen

This spectacular sighting of the aurora borealis at Saint-Malo was captured by Ryan Bergen.

info:  http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/sites/stmalogrotto.shtml

moonrise image:  http://www.panoramio.com/photo/49963504

aurora borealis image:  http://www.ryanbergen.com/blog/stmalo

Tourond, Manitoba

1,465 miles

viewing tower at Tourond Creek Discovery Centre

Feb 14 - When a waste disposal site here was decommissioned, local nature enthusiasts and Manitoba Conservation developed the Tourond Creek Discovery Center as an outdoor classroom that would serve schools in surrounding areas.  

The Discovery Centre displays biodiversity throughout the five micro-ecosystems found in the region: aspen forest, grassland, Tourond Creek, wetland, and woodland.  A wind- and solar-powered weather station relays information to Environment Canada.  Trails connect the various micro-ecosystems together, at one point passing by this lookout tower overlooking a shallow pond.  A dock in the shallow pond facilitates activities such as “critter dipping” where students participate in hands-on learning.  Near the school bus parking loop is a picnic shelter with picnic tables for about 60 people.

image & info:  http://tourondcreekdiscovery.ca/

Ile des Chênes, Manitoba

1,452 miles

Wildlife Haven Rehabilitation Centre cares for injured and orphaned wildlife from all over Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario.  In 1984, a group of environmentally-concerned volunteers started the organization out of their backyards.

Wildlife Haven is dedicated to

-         -  the rehabilitation and successful release of injured and orphaned wildlife back to their natural environment,

-         -  providing valuable outreach and education services to the community, and

-          - engaging volunteers in a rewarding experience. 

Over the years, more than 35,000 injured and orphaned wildlife have been cared for.  

Wildlife Haven is building a new wildlife hospital and education center.   There will be a variety of enclosures for the rehabilitation of injured and orphaned wildlife, including a flyway that allows for birds to exercise and practice flying prior to release, and a waterfowl enclosure with ponds for them to swim about.

I’ve encountered a small issue of spelling.  Obviously, the official name of this place is “centre”, but when I write my American comments about it, do I continue to refer to it as a” centre” or switch to “center”?  Hmm.

info & images:  http://wildlifehaven.ca/pages/about-us

bird image:  http://prairie-rose-memories.blogspot.com/

Winnipeg, Manitoba -- halfway!

1,439 miles -- halfway to Vermont!

Winnipeg was established at the confluence of two rivers, the Assiniboine and the Red River of the North, at a crossroads of canoe routes travelled by First Nations people.   The downtown area is now known as "The Forks".  

During the winter, these rivers are frozen over, and the area becomes a place for civic celebrations of ice & snow.  Glacier Winter Park includes a skating rink, skating trails, a Snowboard Fun Park with a variety of rails, table tops, jumps and fun-boxes, areas for pick-up hockey games, a toboggan hill, & resting couches made entirely of snow.  Plenty of fun for Winnipeggers!

The official title for Winnipeg is "Gateway to the West", but locals have come up with more playful nicknames of "Winterpeg" or "The Peg".

Metis symbol with Bison
 by Bouvette

Many French and British fur trappers married First Nations women, and their mixed-race children hunted, traded, and lived in this area. They gradually developed into a distinct ethnic group known as the Métis because of their mingled culture.  It always seemed to me that this is the ideal way that two peoples should be able to encounter each other and share the best of each culture: European & American, Earthling & Extraterrestrial, etc.

When Canada was granted independence from the United Kingdom, Eastern Anglo-Canadians prepared to govern the whole country, but the Métis people in this region set up their own provisional government in what was called Red River Rebellion.  The resolution of the conflict resulted in The Manitoba Act of 1870, which made Manitoba the fifth province of the Canadian Confederation and gave it provincial self-rule.

Winnipeg today has a significant and increasing Aboriginal population, with both the highest percentage of Aboriginal peoples (11.7%) for any major Canadian city, and the highest total number of Aboriginals (76,055) for any single non-reserve municipality.  Winnipeg also has the highest Métis population in both percentage (6.3%) and numbers (41,005).  I’d like to learn more about this intriguing culture.

Canadian Museum for Human Rights

I was pleased to learn that Winnipeg has built a Museum for Human Rights.  It is a strange modern building, but it looked to me like comforting arms wrapping around a child.   The architect’s description, though, is full of roots in the earth, ice, clouds, stone, sweet grass, sky, as “the abstract ephemeral wings of a white dove embrace a mythic stone mountain.”  Too ephemeral for my taste, so I’m just left with a weird building for a great cause.  The museum was created to memorialize “key milestones in human rights achievements, both in Canada and throughout the world; current debates about human rights; and events where Canada showed a betrayal of or a commitment to human rights.”  Unfortunately,  the history  of the museum seems to be full of inter-ethnic rivalries and competition over whose group has suffered more than others.   I’d be interested to see this museum for myself. But its creation may be causing more strife for people who have suffered too much already.

Métis Symbol with Bison by Métis artist Bouvette: http://www.deviantart.com/browse/all/?section=&global=1&q=bouvette

Arctic Glacier Winter Park info:  http://www.theforks.com/winterpark

skating image & commentary:  http://travelbrigade.com/2015/02/15/the-best-of-winter-at-festival-du-voyageur-in-winnipeg/

winter sundown image:  http://blog.independentjewellers.com/tag/winter/