Betty White Slept Here…at the Archer House
After the devastating fire ravaged Northfield’s Archer House in Northfield last year on November 12-13, a television reporter asked me as a Northfield historian
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The History of The St. Olaf Band 1891-2018
From February 2007 to December 2016, I wrote 119 “Historic Happenings” columns for The Entertainment Guide. What have I been doing since my last column?
Catching Up with Celtic Music Wizard, Laura MacKenzie
When I last wrote about Laura MacKenzie for our annual music issue of June 2013, I said, “You cannot be much more of a
“Hey, Hey, We’re the _______!”
If you filled in the blank with the word “Monkees,” this story will resonate through the soundtrack of your mind for days to come.
Carleton College Celebrates Its Sesquicentennial
“We’ve already started three colleges and have the logs cut for four more.” An early 19th century letter from an Ohio settler to a
10,000 Greet Eisenhower at Laird Stadium in 1952
Since the 2016 election season is in full throttle, this seems like a good time to revisit a historic happening involving a presidential candidate
Myrna Johnson and Northfield Musical Theater
“The overture is about to start. You cross your fingers and hold your heart. It’s curtain time and away we go. Another opening of
Paul Niemisto: Never Retiring from Music
When I heard that Paul Niemisto was retiring this year, I have to admit I could not believe it. Would this month’s 10th anniversary
Mike Hildebrandt: He Fiddles When He Can
Mike (“Doc”) Hildebrandt has a motto, taken from John Denver’s song Thank God, I’m a Country Boy. It is, “I fiddle when I can and
Thwack! Nineteenth Century Base Ball
No, I wasn’t there, but I can imagine “Thwack!” was the sound of ball hitting bat in 19th century “base ball” (two words) which
It’s April. Time to Celebrate Walking!
Whan that April with his showres sooteThe droughte of March hath perced to the roote,And bathed every veine in swich licour,Of which vertu engendred
Early Photographers Ira Sumner and E.N. James
On March 24 the Northfield Historical Society will open an exhibit, “Through the Camera Lens: Early Northfield Photography.” The exhibit will feature enlarged photographs
The Early Years of the St. Olaf Band
The year 2016 marks the 125th anniversary of St. Olaf College’s first music organization, a group once led by F. Melius Christiansen. No, it
Winter Pastimes in Times Past
No one that I knew when I attended St. Olaf in the 1960s brought sleds with them to college. They found there was no
Dancing Duo: Sostek and McClellan
When Brian Sostek and Megan McClellan won the Ivey Award, which recognizes accomplishments of Twin Cities’ professional theaters and artists, on Sept. 21, 2015,
Historic Happenings at Carleton and St. Olaf Colleges
In the spring of 2015 the Northfield Historical Society and The Entertainment Guide teamed up to publish volumes 2 and 3 of selected Historic Happenings columns about St. Olaf and Carleton. (Volume
Riki Kölbl Nelson, Mastering Art
Riki Kölbl Nelson has been part of the local art scene since 1968 when she and her husband, Eric Nelson, moved to Northfield for
Henry Wheeler, Hero of the Failed 1876 Northfield Bank Raid
If you are a visitor to Northfield for this year’s Defeat of Jesse James Days, Sept. 9-13, you can perhaps be forgiven if you