This page is named after one of WCHS’ current board members, Claudia Menzel. A long time volunteer and supporter of WCHS, she is also an avid writer who knows the value of sharing history and personal stories for future generations.

Keep checking every month for new stories. If you would like to be featured with your story on this page, please email a .WORD or .PDF file to: outreach@wrighthistory.org

Monthly Feature

THE CATHOLIC COOK BOOK | DECEMBER 2024

Recently, in trying to organize and purge some of my “stuff”, I ran across my grandmother’s old recipe book. So, instead of making progress in clearing out my stuff, I spent half the afternoon browsing the recipes.

My grandmother always called it “The Catholic Cookbook.” The ca.1920-1930 book has over 150 pages of vintage recipes, but it also includes much ‘people’ history of Wright County. Most of the recipes were contributed by persons living in Buffalo and the surrounding communities. Ads placed throughout the book document businesses that existed at the time of printing.

The recipes were compiled by members of St. Francis Catholic Church in Buffalo and St. Mary’s Catholic Church (once located south of Pelican Lake on what is now Edmonson Avenue). Because it was such an excellent compilation of recipes, table manners, and household hints, nearly every cook in the area owned a copy.

These are just a few recipes from the book (copied as printed, no editing):

Pieplant Pie: 2 cups pieplant chopped fine, 1 cup sugar, 1 tblsp. flour, 1 tsp. cinnamon, pinch of salt, 1 beaten egg. Mix together and bake in under crust. Anna Schuda

White Bread: At noon scald one cup sugar with potato water, add one medium sized potato mashed, and one cake of yeast. Let stand overnight, next morning add two cups warm water and salt, flour to make stiff dough. Let rise, knead, and let rise again, mould into loaves, let rise and bake. This makes 5 loaves. Martha E. Kelley

Christmas Bread: 1 pound prunes (stones removed) soak overnight, 1 pound dates (stones removed), 1 pound raisins, 2 cups sugar, 1 tblsp. cinnamon, 1 and one-half tsps. nutmeg, 2 and one-half cups sweet milk, 1 and one-half cups butter, 1 yeast cake soaked in 1 qt. of potato water. Make as you would white bread.  Mrs. O. M Risdahl

Santa Claus Cookies:  2 cups brown sugar, two-thirds cup fat, 3 eggs, one-fourth cup boiling water, 1 cup chopped raisins, 1 cup chopped nuts, 1 tsp. soda, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp. cloves, 1 tsp. allspice, 2 and one-half cups flour, mix and roll out to one-sixth inch in thickness. Bake in quick oven.  Mrs. Felix Kienlen

Bran Gems:  1 and on-half cups bran, 1 tblsp. butter, 1 tsp. soda, three fourths cup of sour cream or buttermilk, one-fourth cup sugar. Mix together and bake in a hot oven for 20 minutes. This makes 6 gems.  Mrs. Peter Schaefer

Nut Loaf Cake:  One cup sugar, butter size of an egg, one-half cup milk, 1 and one-half cups flour, 1 tsp. vanilla, 4 egg whites beaten stiff, and last one half pound nuts chopped fine.   Mrs. Joe Hance

Oatmeal Cookies:  1 cup sugar, 3 eggs, 1 cup boiling lard poured over 1 and one-half cups oatmeal. Add 1 tsp soda, dissolved in 4 tsps. sour milk, pinch of salt, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 cup raisins, 2 cups flour.  Mrs. P. Weldele

Caramels:  3 cups molasses, 1 cup cream, butter size of egg, 1 cup brown sugar, one-half pound chocolate. Beat all together. Boil until it thickens in water. Turn into large flat tins, well buttered. When nearly cold cut into squares.  Mrs. H. H. Sievers

 Just a few of the “household hints” that were indicative of the time:

·         A “silence” cloth should always be used under the table cloth to protect the surface of the table and to muffle the noise.

·         Wash your weathered oak woodwork and furniture with milk.

·         To remove fish scales, leave fish in cold water for 30 minutes. Then rub with a grater.

·         Equal parts of kerosene and vinegar cleans white painted surfaces.

·         Add a handful of salt to the last water on wash day and the clothes will not stick to the line in frosty weather.

·         To dip up a spoonful of soup and blow upon it in order to reduce the temperature is a habit that should be confined to

nursery days.

·         The water from macaroni or rice after they have been cooked should be saved for soups and gravies.

So much for purging my “stuff”. There’s always tomorrow!

I SCREAM! YOU SCREAM! WE ALL SCREAM FOR ICE CREAM! | NOVEMBER 2024

Who doesn’t love ice cream? In the last few years, we have been lucky to have had several ice cream stores established in some of our communities. Flavor choices are many with a number of serving options. A trip to one of those ice cream stores jogged my memory of ice cream delights from my childhood.

When I was about five, our family lived on a farm with no electricity, so we did not have a freezer. A special treat was homemade ice cream. But to make that, we required something cold like ice or snow. A summer hail storm was an opportunity to gather enough hail stones for a quick batch of ice cream.

Once in a while, on our weekly grocery run to Buffalo, we would stop at the corner dairy store (Highway 25 and Wide Street) to purchase a quart carton of ice cream. The clerk would wrap it in multiple layers of newspaper for the ride home. As soon as we arrived home, Grandma would slice the ice cream and we’d make sure it was all gone before it melted.

After electricity was installed on our farm, we had a refrigerator with a small freezer compartment where we delighted in making small batches of ice cream.

On our occasional trip to visit relatives in the Twin Cities, there was always an ice cream stop along the way. Our main route then was via Territorial Road (now Co. 18) through St. Michael and beyond. We made sure to stop at Berning’s Bridge where there was a saloon that sold the biggest ice cream cones around. I was designated the kid to get the cones for all…one scoop for 5 cents, two scoops for 10 cents. There were usually only 3 or 4 flavors---strawberry, chocolate, vanilla and maple nut. Those huge cones lasted us for the rest of the trip. 

As I grew older, my tastes expanded. One of my favorite memories was a Friday night stop with Mom at Rush’s Café in Monticello for a cherry ice cream soda. (yummy!)  

In the 1950’s, most drug stores had a couple booths and a soda fountain. If my dad had an errand in town, I often accompanied him. We would stop at the drug store, and he would order each of us a chocolate malt. 

Good ice cream memories!

HOMECOMING | OCTOBER 2024

It’s the time of the year when local high school students have been busy planning and preparing the annual fall celebration of “Homecoming.” Even though many things have changed significantly since the 1950’s when I was in school, many of the homecoming traditions remain the same.

The Homecoming Parade…In the early 1950’s, Monticello had only one school building. The high school took up the top floor, and the elementary students were housed in the lower levels. So on Friday afternoon of Homecoming week, ALL the students marched through downtown Monticello. Each high school class had designed a float with a theme to defeat the rival football team. The homecoming royalty was honored by riding in the largest float.

The Bonfire…It was a tradition to spend at least a week or two collecting large branches, wood, and a few old tires to make the biggest bonfire possible and locate it near the football field. There were usually a few “guards” whose job it was to make sure someone from a rival school did not burn the bonfire prior to homecoming. On Thursday night prior to the homecoming game, the cheerleaders organized a large pep fest, and then lit the woodpile for the bonfire.

The Game…Of course, the whole week was in preparation for the Friday night football game. It was always the most important game of the season to score a win. There was always a large crowd from the community to cheer the team on, and the cheerleaders were there rooting for the team. The high school band played and marched across the field at half time.

The Snake Dance…Immediately after the bonfire, the cheerleaders gathered together, holding hands, and encouraged others to join the line. As students joined the line, it became a long “snake”, and the cheerleaders began to move on. They led the long line through the streets of town, back and forth, in and out of parking lots, still all holding hands. The line moved quickly and sometimes the last section of the line “whipped.” (Injuries sometimes occurred.)

The Dance…After the game, there was a dance at the high school gym. The team had cleaned up, the spectators had changed into their fall outfits. Earlier in the week, high school students had voted on a homecoming king and queen, and they had been crowned at an evening ceremony. The dance began with a Grand March led by the homecoming royalty.  Phonograph records provided the music, and everyone joined the dance. The Friday dance was the culmination of homecoming for the year.

Addendum:

• In the early years, high school alumnae were encouraged to attend both the game and the dance. Over the years, they have often attended the game, but very seldom have they attended the homecoming dance.

• The homecoming bonfire has been banned locally for many years for safety reasons.

• The snake dance often resulted in injuries, so it, too has been banned locally. However, there are many high schools that continue the tradition, but include safety precautions.

THE BUFFALO HARVEST FESTIVAL | SEPTEMBER 2024

Buffalo as a community has been very active in planning and producing a number of activities and events with a variety of interests that bring residents and visitors to the city. Buffalo Days is traditionally held in June, the Kite Festival takes place on frozen Buffalo Lake, and there are a variety of other events during the year.

When I grew up in the 1950’s, I always looked forward to attending a traditional Buffalo community event---the Harvest Festival. With a rural farm theme, the celebration was held late in the summer season, most likely August or September. There were booths set up along Division Street and along 2nd Avenue. Each booth was operated by a local merchant, church, or club. Token gifts such as pencils or rulers were given out as freebies. People could register for prizes at some booths. There were guessing games, too. “How many jelly beans in the jar?”

One booth encouraged farmers to bring in their tallest stalk of corn. A prize would be given at the end of the Harvest Festival for the winner.

There was a variety of entertainment, also. Along Wide Street, there was an outdoor stage set up. I remember attending a Vaudeville style act by a song and dance man who also told jokes before a crowded audience.

One year, Albert Nelson’s One-Man Band was playing. My dad paid 50 cents for me to enter and watch Mr. Nelson play his instruments.

Of course, there was the traditional carnival with rides and games. As I remember, the carnival rides were set up in Soo Town and there was a small Ferris wheel across the tracks from the old depot. I had never been on a Ferris wheel, but my big brother, Ted, talked me into my first ride. I was a bit nervous, but got on with Ted by my side. That ride lasted longer than I wanted, and I was relieved to put my feet back on the ground. It was a long time before I was brave enough to try another Ferris wheel ride.

In 1952, the Harvest Festival was replaced by a three day celebration called ‘Buffalo Days.’ It was to be held in July and included 2 parades with bands, outdoor attractions, and Queen Contests. In later years, Buffalo Days has been celebrated in early June.

We like to remember the Harvest Festival, but today, we always look forward to the next Buffalo Days celebration.

SUNSET GROVE RESORTS | AUGUST 2024

Early in the 1900’s, Pulaski Lake was known for its pristine spring-fed water and excellent fishing. Several resorts were established, mostly on the south and west sides of the lake. The east side of the lake had very high banks, was wooded, and was bordered by rich farmland.

My grandfather, Harry Kopff, born in 1861, grew up in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin where he spent his youth hunting and fishing. Beaver Dam Lake was 20 miles long, and a few miles away was Horicon Marsh, well-known as a wildlife refuge and waterfowl sanctuary. Harry had learned that Minnesota was also good for hunting and fishing. So, at age 34, he borrowed his father’s team of horses and a wagon and made the trip to Minnesota. He stayed for a while in Monticello, then became acquainted with the fishing and hunting prospects around Pulaski Lake.

Soon, he met my grandmother, Grace Varner, who lived on a farm on the west side of Pulaski Lake. In 1899, Grace and Harry were married. She was 16… he was 38!  Harry bought a few acres just east of Buffalo on what is now County 35 and built a small home there. He and Grace raised raspberries for the local market. In the next five years, Grace gave birth to three girls. Then, in about 1904, Harry purchased a few acres on the east side of Pulaski Lake, built a small home and moved his family there. Soon, a fourth child was born, a son named Spencer.

Harry and Grace continued to grow raspberries, but Harry spent much time fishing on Pulaski Lake and also on Buffalo Lake. He would pack his catch in a big barrel with ice from the local ice house and cart the barrel to the Buffalo train depot. From there, it went by rail to Eisenminger’s Store in St. Paul where there was a good market for fresh fish. Customers in St. Paul would ask where those large crappies and sunfish came from, and soon there were people wanting to fish the Wright County lakes for themselves.

In 1912, Harry received word from Wisconsin that his father had died and left him a small inheritance. He used the money to build a small rental cottage for a family interested in spending the summer at the lake. Over the next few years, he built more cottages, and eventually he had six, each with a small acreage and a boat to use. Harry and Grace named their venture the “Sunset Grove Resort.” People familiar with the resort just called it ‘the Grove.’ Most families who rented a cottage would come back summer after summer. Some came by car; others came by train to Buffalo and were transported to the resort by local draymen.

None of the cottages had running water at first. There were outhouses available. A community pump was situated in the center of the resort. Eventually, electricity was installed in the cottages. Grace had grown up in a family known for their good pastries, and she often made pies and cakes…often requested by the summer residents.

Harry and Grace and five children lived in the main house at Sunset Grove. The home consisted of one long great room, a small bedroom, and a kitchen with a few cabinets and a small table. There was also a separate cupboard that stood against one wall where Grace kept supplies. In the center of the kitchen, there was a trap door in the floor. A ladder was in place to climb down into a small dirt cellar. There were a few shelves in the cellar where Grace kept her canned goods and vegetables from the garden. Harry had built a screen porch on the lake side of the house to catch the evening breeze. In the summer, Spencer slept on the porch, often waking up with a few sprinkles of rain in his face.

During the Prohibition era, there was an additional perk for the summer residents. Directly across the road to the east, there was an old farmhouse owned by a resident farmer---known as ‘Unk’ by the locals. He built a still in his upstairs bedroom. You read about him back in the June post (see below).

Harry and Grace raised their family at the lake, and soon each of the three girls left home to find work or go to school. Their son earned cash doing odd jobs for some of the local farmers. But Spencer and his dad often packed a lunch and walked several miles to explore new hunting or fishing grounds.

In February of 1932, Harry was out on the north east side of Pulaski Lake hoping to catch a few fish through the ice. It was cold and, nearby, there were two intersecting pressure cracks in the ice. Snow covered the cracks. Harry happened to walk over the spot where the cracks intersected. He fell   through the ice. Nearby fishermen were not able to pull him out, and he drowned.

Grace and her son, Spencer, maintained the resort for a few more years, but Grace became ill and died in 1946. The resort was divided into lots and sold.

The era of small summer cottages on Pulaski Lake was about over. Many of the residents who had spent their summers at Sunset Grove purchased the lots and enjoyed several more summers at the lake. Since then, each lot has been sold to families that have built beautiful year-round homes.   The high bank has been cut down for a better view with updated landscaping. The residents in that neighborhood have renamed Grace’s “Sunset Grove” as Sunset Cove.

WRIGHT COUNTY FAIR DISAPPOINTMENTS | JULY 2024

It’s Wright County Fair time! As a youngster, that always brought excitement to our family. My brother and I were members of a 4-H Club and my mother was one of the leaders. We spent many hours preparing for the fair…sewing, cooking, grooming animals…then loading everything into our car for the hour-long trek to Howard Lake. Even though I had many successful experiences at the fair, the mistakes and disappointments were the most memorable.

My first disappointment was during one summer in the early 1950’s. Our exhibits were ready, the car was loaded, and we were about to leave for Howard Lake. My mother received a phone call from a friend who said that there was polio diagnosed in a person near Howard Lake. Regrettably, we didn’t get to the fair that year.

Later, when I was nine years old, I worked for several weeks hand sewing a set of pot holders and hemming a dish towel. My stitches were perfectly spaced, tiny and even. I thought I would get a blue ribbon…I received a white ribbon (lowest prize)...very discouraging for me.

Another year, when I was about 10 years old, I decided to take a young sheep to the fair. That would have required me to spend lots of time with Wooly. I did work with her at times. We trimmed and blocked her wool, but when it was time to bring Wooly into the show ring, Wooly panicked and ran out of the ring and down the hallway. My big brother had to leave his own sheep to get Wooly back into his pen. That was the last animal that I brought to the fair.

In 4-H, there were many competitive events prior to the fair. One of them was a silent demonstration on how to make a pie. By the time I was 12, I had made many pies, so I knew the process very well. The event was held at the old Buffalo High School on one hot July day. I brought my bowl, rolling pin, bread board, and pie crust ingredients to the school. I began mixing and rolling the crust…and soon ended up with a sticky mess! Other participants knew enough to bring lots of ice on a hot July day. My lard had melted on that hot July day. It was a good learning experience for me.

One project that went pretty well for me was when I sewed a dress for myself, modeled it, and then entered it at the county fair. I received an honorable mention for modeling, a purple ribbon for the sewing, and it was taken to the MN State Fair for judging. However, it received a 4th place ribbon at the State because the zipper’s color did not match the exact color of the dress. Again, I was disappointed in that 4th place ribbon.

There were lots of other experiences in 4-H at the fair. I have good memories of working at the food stand, making new friends, and always learning from my successes and my failures.   

Addendum:  Polio Epidemics

In the 1940’s and 1950’s, there were several polio epidemics throughout the United States. In 1946, the Minnesota State Fair was cancelled because of polio. In 1952, there were 3,145 deaths from polio in the United States.

Polio was a fearful disease. The disease developed suddenly, usually during summer months, and struck children more often than adults. People were terrified that they or their children would die or be paralyzed for life.

Our family lived as many other families did. We stayed away from places where people gathered and kept abreast of any new polio outbreaks.

Then, a polio vaccine was developed by Jonas Salk and licensed in 1955. In 1957, mass immunizations were promoted by the March of Dimes. I remember standing in line at the Monticello High School to receive my sugar cube containing the Salk vaccine.

MOONSHINE HENRY | JUNE 2024

My grandparents had a small resort on the east side of Lake Pulaski that they named “Sunset Grove.”  They rented small cottages to families for a summer retreat. Each cottage included the use of a boat and access to the lake. There was another perk that a few of the summer residents learned to enjoy… regular social activities at the old farmhouse on the hill across the road.

This was in the early 1920s and on into the 1930s. The Prohibition Law had been passed in 1920, so liquor could not be sold legally.

So all across the country, folks took advantage of people’s thirst for liquor, and established illegal liquor production. In that little old farmhouse on the hill, Henry Ordorff constructed a ‘still’ in his upstairs bedroom. Friends and neighbors spread the word, and soon Henry had a booming business. Some customers hung out at the farm and soon it also became a “party house.”

Eventually, word spread that liquor was available at Henry’s, and he even attracted some cronies from the Chicago and St. Paul racketeers. They needed a place to hide out when the law was in pursuit.

My father was a teenager at the time, living across the road, but also working odd jobs in the area. He and his mother sometimes walked up the hill to Henry’s if there was music or a party was going on. So my dad had lots of stories to tell.

Customers of Henry’s sometimes had too much moonshine and needed a breather. They would walk down to the lake through Sunset Grove in order to cool off--- (occasionally making the trek in the nude).

One regular customer was a St. Paul policeman by the name of Jim. He and his wife were summer residents at Sunset Grove. Jim was one of those people that became incorrigible with too much to drink. One afternoon at Henry’s, he had been drinking too much and suddenly wanted to fist-punch everyone in sight. My grandmother quickly hid under the porch, and others scattered out into the woods. Jim began fist-punching the nearest tree until he passed out.

Another time, there was a group of men enjoying a glass or two of moonshine. One man slipped a “knock-out” drop into another man’s drink. The victim slowly became sleepy and eventually passed out. Whatever cash was in the victim’s pocket disappeared. The knock-out drop was a little too strong, and the victim later died. Authorities were notified, and Henry spent some time in the county jail. He was later released and returned to continue with his business.

There were many more tales about the events at the old house on the hill, but in 1933, the Prohibition law was repealed, and Henry’s moonshine days were over.     

Henry continued living in that old farmhouse. He had a large steam engine that he operated during threshing season at many of the local farms. In the mid-1950s, he became ill and spent time in a nursing home. He died in 1957.

Afterword:  That old house became available for purchase when Henry went to a nursing home. My dad’s oldest sister, Clara, lived on a neighboring farm and was married to Henry’s nephew. She purchased the house and a number of acres in 1956. My father, who was a carpenter, helped Clara clean the place up, renovated the home, modernized it with electricity and plumbing, and made it into a comfortable old farmhouse. The upstairs bedroom still had a few of the fixtures that Henry used to make his moonshine!

The old house is still on the hill (2022). Sometime in the 1980’s, that house and a few acres were sold to a young couple who resided there for several years. The rest of the farm has seen great changes. It is now the site of a residential development called GREENBRIAR Estates.

MAY TRADITIONS | MAY 2024

As a student in my little country school, I always looked forward to May 1…we called it May Day.

Prior to May Day, students in my country school spent all of our spare time cutting, folding, and pasting colored paper to form May baskets. Some of us were brave enough to actually fill the baskets, sneak up to a friend’s home, hang the basket, knock on the door, then run like a deer so we didn’t get caught. (A few of us actually wanted to get caught.) It was all in fun… a way to celebrate spring and the end of a long winter.

Historically, the origin of May Day goes back to early European pagan festivities. The first of May was the most important day of the year because it was the return of spring vegetation and the end of the dark, cold winter months. People in many European countries and some areas in the United States, still celebrate spring by dancing around the May Pole.

Back at our country school after our May Day excursions, we found many ways to enjoy spring. At recess, we played softball or organized other games like “Pump, Pump, Pull away” or “Red Rover.” Our teacher took us on educational hikes to Cedar Lake or Bertram Lake. We watched for bluebirds or meadow larks. We learned how to identify poison ivy and watched for early signs of trillium and jack-in-the pulpits.

In school, there was always a Mother’s Day project as a gift for our mothers. One year, we made and painted a small plaster statue of a bear to mount on the wall. At home, around Mother’s Day, our family scoured the woods for morels…the spring mushroom.

The end of May brought a burst of lilac blooms in every farmyard. But it also brought the last day of school. Students had worked hard cleaning out their desks, scrubbing the chalkboards, and tidying the classroom. Older students had raked the lawn. To celebrate the end of school, parents brought a pot luck lunch. After lunch, there was more fun…wheelbarrow races, three-legged races, tug-of-war...all with small prizes. The day ended with a softball game…sometimes with parents participating.

May was over. Summer was just beginning. We looked forward to days of fishing, swimming in the local lakes, and playing hide-and-seek in the corn fields. Life was good!

WHEN WILL THE FLIVVER SINK? | APRIL 2024

   One event that occurred each winter in Monticello was the breaking up of the ice on the Mississippi River. It usually happened about the middle of April, but varied greatly according to the weather.

   Each year, there was a guessing game played out in the community connected with the ‘ice out’ on the river. One of the local community organizations would place an old car on the river ice. To retrieve the car after sinking, a heavy chain would be attached to the car. Lottery tickets would be sold and each person buying a ticket would write down their guess as to the date and time that the old car would sink into the river. A nice prize was awarded to the ticket holder with the closest guess. As the weather warmed up, there was much speculation and conversation as to when that ‘flivver’ was going down.

   In connection with the spring melt, many people would walk across the bridge to watch the huge chunks of ice float downstream; some ice chunks had trees and other debris atop them. As those chunks would collide with the support piers below, the whole bridge would shake like it was going to collapse. It was always a thrill to take that walk across the old bridge.

   My husband, Karl, tells me that some of the brave local teenagers would climb out on the girders under the bridge to the third pier. That was the pier that would shake the most when a large hunk of ice would hit it. (I really don’t know how Karl knows those details.) What teenagers wouldn’t do for a thrill!!!

   Eventually, the flivver event was discontinued because of the environmental impact of a car sinking in the river. The opening of the power plant upstream resulted in an open river with very little ice forming along the city.

VARNERS IN THE CIVIL WAR | March 2024

I recently attended the Interesting presentation about the soldiers from Wright County who enlisted and formed Company E, serving in the Civil War. I began thinking about my own Varner ancestors who also served in the Civil War.

There were six Varner brothers who migrated from Pennsylvania to Wright County before and after the Civil War: John, Lafayette, David, Henry, Jacob, and Solomon. They were farmers and some had other skilled occupations, such as a cooper, carpenter, and potter. They all purchased farms north and west of Buffalo. They worked hard clearing the land and raised large families.

While still in Pennsylvania, three of the brothers, John, Lafayette and David, enlisted together in the Union Army. They were inducted into Company K, 4th Pennsylvania Cavalry in February of 1864.    

John Varner, my great grandfather, received a $200 bounty to volunteer. Before leaving, on February 28, 1864, he married Frances Hickman. Together, John, Lafayette, and David left Pennsylvania for Virginia where they took part in a number of battles including Stony Creek, Ream’s Station, and the Appomattox Campaign. All three brothers survived the Civil War. They served in the Cavalry for 1 ½ years and were mustered out on July 1, 1865.

In November of 1865, while he was serving under General Phillip Sheridan at the Battle of Stony Creek, John Varner became a father. Back home in Pennsylvania, Frances had given birth to a son…William Sheridan Varner. His middle name was chosen in honor of General Sheridan.

Addendum:  Shortly after returning to Pennsylvania, John and his young family joined several of his brothers who had settled in Buffalo, Minnesota. He purchased a farm on the west side of Pulaski Lake where 10 more children were born. As the oldest child, William Sheridan Varner did much of the clearing of the land. Later, he became well- known as a builder of homes and commercial buildings around Wright County. He was known as “Sherd Varner.”

(The Varner families were very prolific. There are hundreds of Varner descendants today in Wright County… and many more throughout the world. If you live in Wright County, you probably know a Varner descendant.) 

CREAMERY DAY | february 2024

A free meal and an afternoon of entertainment…an annual community event prior to 1960 in towns throughout Wright County. We called it Creamery Day.

Up until about 1960, Wright County had many small towns. Much of the commerce depended on farm communities. Many of the towns had creameries. Dairy farmers brought in their milk to be made into butter or processed into other dairy products. Downtown businesses stocked their stores with items essential to the needs of local residents.

As a member of a Monticello farm family, I grew up attending our local Creamery Day.

Each spring, local farm leaders organized a community get-together at the local high school gymnasium. Local businesses served a free lunch to all who attended. It was a way for them to say “thank you” for the local trade. It was also a way for the farmers and the “townies” to mingle.

On the food trays, there were sausages, cheese sandwiches, potato salad, cookies, Dixie cups of ice cream, milk, coffee, and more. While the meal was being served, the high school band played several numbers. (Band members also received a trip through the food line.)

By about 2 o’clock in the afternoon, the tables had been cleaned up, the stage was cleared, and people had taken their seats in anticipation of the rest of the afternoon. Sometimes there was a short business meeting by the local Co-operative Creamery Board. A speaker might be asked to present new ideas on farm topics. Then came the entertainment. There might be a musical group, a comedian, a juggler, or a magician. The day ended about 4 o’clock, except for a few stragglers who took the opportunity for a quick visit with friends and neighbors.

One of the attendees one year was Senator Hubert Humphrey who never passed the opportunity to speak to a crowd. After he was introduced, I remember him looking through the crowd and recognizing people by name who he had met at some prior gathering.

Creamery Days were discontinued sometime in the 1960’s. As communities have grown and changed, people have found other opportunities for public get-togethers, but thoughts of those Creamery Days evoke good memories of small town traditions.

FROST SHIELDS | JANUARY 2024

Some of you might remember riding in an automobile that had a poor (or no) heater or defroster. In the winter, the windows would have so much frost on them that it would be unsafe to drive.

Car owners could stop at their local service station and purchase “frost shields” for the windows. They were made of clear heavy plastic and the edges had heavy felt glued onto the plastic. The service station attendant would install the frost shield, but the car had to be warmed up first, and the windows had to be clean and dry. Once installed, the view was frost free.

The problem with the frost shield was that they sometimes sprung a leak and let in frosty air. Also, when summer came, they got in the way for opening the windows. So they only lasted for one season.

COLD WEATHER Memories | December 2023

Brrr!! The cold weather is on its way. But it brings back memories of the many ways we dealt with cold when I was a child on the farm.

The farmhouse did not have central heat. It was kept warm by a furnace in the basement and two heat registers…one in the kitchen and one in the central dining room. To save heat, the living room was closed up for the winter months. We had a wood cook stove that provided a warm cozy kitchen early in the morning. Each evening, my grandmother, who lived with us, would place a brick or a flat iron on the cook stove to heat up before bedtime. The brick would be wrapped in a towel and placed between flannel sheets at the foot of the bed. We would crawl in and cover up with two or three wool quilts. The brick could be unwrapped for more heat as it cooled down.

The fire in the basement furnace was nearly out by the time my dad got up in the morning, so he had to go down to stoke the fire. The house was still cold when it was time for me to get ready for school. My mother had my clothes warming near the kitchen wood range. I dressed in layers--- underclothes, then long brown stockings (held up with a garter belt), next, my brother’s old long johns, a cotton shirt and wool sweater, and an extra pair of socks and shoes. Before going to school, there were overshoes, snow pants, a warm coat, knit hat, mittens, and a long wool scarf that wrapped around my neck and mouth.

In the summer, we walked the 1½ miles to school, but in the winter, we usually had a ride. My dad or the neighbor would drive us in their car if the roads were plowed. If there was snow, the neighbor would hitch up his team of horses, hook up his sleigh, and pick us up, stop at the corner for the teacher, and continue on to school. To stay warm on the ride, my mother placed a hot brick near our feet and covered our laps with a wool blanket.

Arriving at school, the neighbor helped get the wood furnace going. We kept our coats on until the room warmed up, and sat near the front of the room where the big stove was located. The cloak room was frigid, so any water in the basin was frozen solid. When the older boys arrived at school, they used the hand pump in the entryway to obtain water for the day.

Those are happy memories, but I’m glad they are memories. I much prefer central heat, electric blankets, warm automobile seats, and heated steering wheels.

Pedal Pushers and Crazy pants | November 2023

I was a farm kid. In the summer, I wore whatever was available…bib overalls, hand-me-downs, cotton pants…to play and explore the farm. Girls at school could only wear dresses, and mine were mostly homemade by me or my grandmother and pretty conservative. Then came the teenage years…

I remember sewing my first pair of shorts…bright pink with a matching bra! While shopping in the local stores, I noticed other girls were wearing pants that stopped just below the knees…they called them pedal pushers. (Today, we would call them capris or chinos.) I talked my mother into letting me buy a brown plaid pair of pedal pushers.

For a short time around 1958, there was another fad that hit the market…crazy pants. Crazy pants were pedal pushers designed with a multi-colored diamond print all over. Of course, I wanted a pair. Eventually, I was able to purchase a pair…after they were nearly out-of-style. This is a photo of the men’s version of crazy pants. Teenage girls wore similar patterns in Capri length:

Soldiers and Socks | october 2023

One hundred years ago, in 1917, there were many articles in the local papers about the war waging in the European countries. The United States would not enter the “War to End All Wars” until April of 1917. There was much interest in anything pertaining to Germany. This one human interest article caught my eye…published in the Monticello News, January 3, 1917. "Soldiers and Socks" is reprinted below:

“The German soldier does not wear socks, but fuss-lappen. These are strips of cloth soaked in tallow and wound about the feet. They are supposed to be preferable to socks, in that they wear more evenly, are more easily cleaned and, when properly worn, are not so likely to wrinkle and cause blisters.

Military authorities disagree, however, as to the relative value of socks and tallow soaked strips. Either covering, though, is considered preferable to the custom of wearing no socks, which has prevailed in the French, Spanish and Italian armies.”

---Outlook