EDITORIAL: Celebrating 150 years of statehood

After five years of planning, Minnesota began celebrating its 150 years of statehood on Sunday. A wagon train re-enacting the trek made by many early settlers visited the State Capitol, where 75 American Indians and supporters protested oppression against the state’s native tribes. The event featured remarks by Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Sens. Norm Coleman and Amy Klobuchar, who acknowledged that our state’s history is filled with great successes as well as tragic failures.

Minnesota’s sesquicentennial organizers say their celebration is not a whitewash of history. It’s about telling the truth, blemishes and all. All Minnesotans won’t agree on what that truth is, which is part of the beauty of being a Minnesotan. This year’s research and discussions surrounding the state’s history should provide a thoughtful platform from which state residents can learn.

What’s happening in McLeod County
Close to home, the McLeod County Historical Society will celebrate the sesquicentennial with its annual pork chop fundraiser from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday, May 18. The McLeod County Museum has spent four months researching how the county has made significant contributions to the state, and in many cases, to the nation.

Based on that study, four booklets have been published covering the areas of Medicine and Doctors, Education, Art and Culture and Government. Displays featuring these themes can be found at the museum. In the coming months, new booklets will cover Industry and Business, Athletics, Agriculture, People, Military, and Music and Entertainment.

Speakers and other special programs will also highlight these topics. These should be fascinating talks. Just imagine our county’s economy without influence of the Millerbernd Design and Fabrication, Hutchinson Technology, 3M and Seneca Foods. Consider the influence on art and culture brought on by the singing Hutchinson Brothers, artist Les Kouba and French filmmaker Louis Malle, who directed “God’s Country,” the 1985 documentary film about everyday life in Glencoe.

If you have never attended the museum’s pork chop fundraiser, please try to make it this Sunday. A dinner is just $7, and $2 for an extra pork chop.

Regional events also planned
If you want to travel a bit, consider spending an afternoon at one of several state historic sites within a 90-minute drive of the Hutchinson area. These sites demonstrate that learning about the state’s history doesn’t require a trip to Fort Snelling or the History Center in St. Paul. Some are planning events to celebrate the state’s 150th. Below are just a few:

• Fort Ridgely, near Fairfax. Built in 1853 as settlers moved into the area, this fort saw combat during the Dakota-U.S. War of 1862, and was a training ground of Civil War recruits. Sesquicentennial events include a program about the Civilian Conservation Corps at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 24.

• Lower Sioux Agency, near Morton. Scene of the first attack in the Dakota-U.S. War of 1862, this site was a U.S. government administrative center for the Mdewakanton and Wahpekute Bands of the Dakota. Sesquicentennial events include “Through the Eyes of a Child: Life at the Lower Sioux Agency,” from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 16.

• Harkin Store, near New Ulm. A piece of the 19th century was preserved when the railroad bypassed West Newton and its general store closed, leaving merchandise still on the shelves. Sesquicentennial events include “Independence Day Program,” with the New Ulm Battery firing an artillery salute every hour on Sunday, June 29.

• Jeffers Petroglyphs, near Comfrey. More than 2,000 ancient carvings on exposed rocks can be found on this prairie site. Sesquicentennial events include “Before There Was a Minnesota,” demonstrations and hands-on activities from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 28, and “Minnesota Prairies at the Time of Statehood,” 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 23.

• Charles A. Lindbergh Historic Site in Little Falls. Visit the boyhood home of the aviator who made the first non-stop solo flight across the Atlantic. Sesquicentennial events include “The Natural Environment of Charles A. Lindbergh,” guided tours of nearby trails, native wildflowers at their peak and a special film, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 17; and “The WPA Brought to Life, 1936,” honoring the Depression-era program with stories, living history characters and a chance to share memories, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, July 12.