A Look Back

Posted 10/12/22

30 years ago WASHINGTON COUNTY BULLETIN Sept. 24, 1992 Choosing to postpone a decision on West Draw until October , the Cottage Grove City Council had decided it needed more in-formation before …

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A Look Back

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30 years ago WASHINGTON COUNTY BULLETIN Sept. 24, 1992
Choosing to postpone a decision on West Draw until October , the Cottage Grove City Council had decided it needed more in-formation before making a decision, staff writer Doug Rock reported for the Bul-letin back in 1992.
Among the sticking points to the plan was the expansion of the Metropoli-tan Urban Service Adminis-tration (MUSA) to allow for residential development, with the city explaining that room for 225 homes was needed each year, and that the then rural neighborhood of West Draw, was the best place for them.
Opponents to the West Draw had formed a com-mittee they said represent-ed 101 out of 109 residents of the area to be rezoned, and brought up that many residents were elderly on fixed incomes, meaning that the extra assessments would be an issue. Differ-ent definitions of “devel-opment” were also at issue, with opponents comparing the chasm to the difference between Thompson Grove and Deer Run.
Down at Prescott, Wis-consin meanwhile, the an-nual festival called Prescott Daze was set to run from Sept. 24 through Sept. 27. An ad in the bulletin had daily bingo, paddle wheel and Krimer’s Amusement Show among the perks, with an Avenue of Flags and a fishing contest in the plan. Helicopter rides would be offered on Sat-urday and Sunday, while Sunday would see a Doll Buggy, Bike, and Pet Pa-rade, along with the Dakota Dirt Diggers Mud Bog and a “People Pull.”
Outside of Prescott Daze, the U. S. Army Golden Nights would parachute into the District Stadium at Park High on Monday, Sept. 28, the purpose of the event to publicize the mes-sage that students stay in school and off drugs.
A Cottage Grove Hallow-een Parade was set for Oct. 31, at noon.

40 years ago THE WASHINGTON COUNTY BULLETIN Oct. 7, 1982
Looking for a job in Spain over the summer, the news from Newport some 40 years back was that a local resident had almost perished in a plane crash on her way home. Related in a story by staff writer Larry Cortese, the crash survivor with a Spanish English de-gree from Saint Catherine’s had spent the summer look-ing for a job in Juan Carlo’s Spain.
According to the crash survivor, Spain’s culture had that Tuesday the 13th was unlucky, although nev-er being superstitious she hadn’t thought anything about it.
Seeing a good deal of lug-gage being loaded on the flight from Malaga on the south coast, she turned to a friend and remarked that the plane couldn’t take off with the luggage it was car-rying, as this was too much. It turned out to be a predic-tive statement Taking off the plane hit something hard, causing it to swerve right and then drop, the center ceiling pan-els coming down with tub-ing and wiring.
“All I could think was, I don’t want to die,” she re-lated to the Bulletin, telling people in Spanish to remain calm as she used skill taken from jumping off the roof of her childhood home in Newport to make it down and away from the burning plane, a McDonnell Doug-las DC-10-30-CF. An offi-cial translated crash report at nasa.gov from the Minis-try of Transportation Acci-dent Investigation Commis-sion, states that the aircraft went beyond the end of Runway 14 after takeoff was abandoned without sufficient runway space to slow down.
Some 50 of the 294 pas-sengers on board that day, would die.

50 years ago THE WASHINGTON COUNTY BULLETIN October 12, 1972
A Woodbury letter writer writes in to contest an earli-er letter related to abortion in which the author com-pared an embryo “as an oak to an acorn.” Expressing disappointment that abor-tion supporters in pre-Roe America “insist on defining human being-ness in terms of dependency,” whereas the writer states that the birth process is a transition from one form of dependen-cy to another, all humans ultimately dependent in one way or another. “Birth only involves a transition from one life support system to another,” he states. “The in-dividual remains while the environment changes.”
Writing in a separate let-ter on a different subject, meanwhile, a Woodbury mother asks that parents of children attending Wood-bury Elementary School check to see if their son or daughter didn’t have the wrong denim jacket, as fashion meant that “it could easily happen because they are all pretty similar and popular.” Stating that the son’s jacket had been lost the first week of school, the mother closed out her ap-peal by stating, “We would appreciate its return very much.”

80 years ago HASTINGS GAZETTE October 16, 1942
COTTAGE GROVE Lo-cals Woodbury Methodist church to have their annual chicken dinner at the Wood-bury Community Hall on October 22.
A bonfire out of control caused excitement in town until it was brought under control.
Some 50 relatives and a few friends surprise A. H. Bahe for his 80th birthday on Friday at the George McHattie home.

Upriver at Stillwater 135 years ago THE PRISION MIRROR Motto: “It is never too late to mend” October 12, 1887
For the Mirror. THE FACE OF NATURE Sweet is the face of na-ture When flowers deck the dales, When the air is filled with fragrance Wafted by the vernal gales.
Yet Zephyrs vainly fan me And flowers that groves invite— Without the smiles of na-ture They give me no delight.
Sweet are the shady bow-ers, The silent, still retreat— The sunshine after show-ers, And morning air are sweet, But vain are nature’s beauties And lost are their sweets to me— O’ why is it that naught can cheer me, Not even a smile from thee?
Though crystal streams meander And fertilize the plain, Though gentle zephyrs wander And waft each pleasing strain, Through vallies, groves, and fountains, Unto to charm the sight. Without the smile of na-ture, They cannot give delight.
—Willie Riley, Oct. 6, 1887

Territorial Dispatch Almost 170 years ago THE MINNESOTA PIONEER August 30, 1849
A Ride to Red Rock and Cottage Grove The best portion of the delta lying between the Mississippi and the St. Croix Rivers, is known un-der the name of Red Rock and Cottage Grove. In com-pany with a resident of the latter locality, who was well qualified to point out the many features of those sections which are most interesting to the stranger, we last week took a hasty tour around that way. From the limited time we had to spend abroad, we were un-able to take more than cur-sory glances at the many objects worthy of obser-vation, nor had we time to note the improvements only of a part of the settlers. We came home again reluctant-ly, but promising ourself the pleasure of revisiting that region on an early oc-casion.
On horseback, we de-scended the steep bluff in the rear of Pig’s Eye, and came nearly upon a level with the Mississippi bot-toms, probably in an air line some two or three miles from St. Paul. Here, on the first ascent from the bottoms, are wide fields of heavy and excellent grass-es, which we presume to be free to such as may desire to lay in their winter’s stock of hay. It would be an easy matter to draw the hay into the winter season, by way of the river to St. Paul. We continued along the grade for some five miles, passing by good mowing grounds, of which the people in the neighborhood have availed themselves considerably by already having put up many stacks of hay.
At a distance of some ten miles, in an air line from St. Paul, we emerge from the Oak openings which are principally on our left and the meadows upon our right, into a clear, dry prai-rie called Red Rock. In a pleasant little thicket of various kinds of trees, we arrive at the house of Mr. John Holton, who, after a residence of some five or ten years, has made himself and family almost as com-fortable as they could be in an older country. His lands extend back from his house among the oak openings, and in front reach the riv-er. Almost a mile beyond, upon the river’s bank, is the residence store, and wood-yard of Mr. J. A. Ford. He is an old settler. Within ten rods of his house and close by the river, is the rock from which the place derives its name. This rock is nearly round in shape, of about the size of a hogshead, and ly-ing upon the surface of the ground. It is red—having been painted by the Indi-ans, and made an object of worship. Within a quar-ter of a mile of Mr. Ford’s are two good blockhouses, which were formerly occu-pied as a mission school for the Indians. The Rev. gen-tleman who had charge of the school resides there still in the quiet pursuit of agri-culture. Farther along, the prairie becomes wider be-tween the timber upon the river and the bluffs which majestically sweep up on the left to a heigh of at least 100 feet. The prairie here is from one to two miles in width. Here is the im-provement of Mr. Charles Cavileer, of St. Paul. The location well commends his taste and judgement. Far-ther along is the field of M. W. R. Brown, comprising some 50 acres, in an ex-cellent state of cultivation. Upon the left, high up the ascent, amid a colonnade of large oaks, is his home; a cheerful scene. We pass on some two miles over a wide expanse of gently un-dulating prairies to the farm of Mr. Atkinson, who is said to have been very suc-cessful during the years he has lived here. Now bear-ing away to the left, over a prairie as wide, apparently, and as beautiful as we ever saw, we arrive in the course of some three miles to Mr. L. Hill’s, whose house shel-ters itself from the winds of the west and north, under the point of a tall oak for-est. His fields lie in front. Looking east, across a clear and swaying prairie, we see “Cottage Grove.”
Entering the west side of this grove, we pass down a gradual descent, in a southeasterly direction by a small pond, and through diversified scenes of knolls and dells, over an extent of some three miles, when we emerge upon another wide, and to our eye lim-itless prairie, until we ar-rive at the house of Mr. R. Kennedy. Our course has now bent around to this point, until we are brought within a mile and a half of the Mississippi. This is another of those beautiful spots which are invested with the charms of home. The house stands back in the edge of the timber, se-curely entrenched form the storm in every direction but the one which opens upon the fields. At noon in the interim of the hospitalities which we here received, and which to our taste were an earnest of there “being a few more left” for their guests, when Mr. and Mrs. K take the direction of the Central House of St. Paul, we walked easterly through a spur of the grove to the es-tate of Messrs’ Ferguson & Mosher. It is “carried on” by Mr. J. Bassett, with marked evidences of economy and thrift. We entered the field through a high slide-gate, of a commendable pattern, which, with several objects about the premises, evince the mechanical ingenuity of Mr. Mosher.
In their field of corn and oats, were left, upon the leafless stocks, the marks of the devastating progress of the worm which has made such havoc this season. Probably this is not the ar-my- worm, but the name has been applied for want of a true name. Not being able to extend our tour any fur-ther in this direction, which would conduct us to Point Douglas, at the confluence of the Mississippi and the St. Croix, four miles be-low, we return on the back track a mile or so, passing the field of Mr. J. S. Davis, which is laden with abun-dant crops. When Mr. D takes home his better half we shall probably be dis-posed to dwell longer upon his premises. We leave his place, and bearing to the right of the grove, we take the direction towards Still-water for about a mile and arrive at the hospitable res-idence of Mr. J. W. Furbur. Finding ourself in the midst of scenes that would make us content for a sojourn of months, instead of one night, we remained until the next morning. Nor was our pleasure limited to the material comforts which we are so well qualified to enjoy, but it was great-ly enlivened by the social and intellectual embellish-ments, which enliven many a bye-place in the West. Mr. F.’s fields are extensive, and abounding in crops. A mile farther up, on the road to St. Paul, we found Mr. J. S. Norris.* He was employed in getting his grains. His location is admirable. It commands a far extended view towards the St. Croix, and a distinct view in every part of his cultivated fields, which lie in a slope consid-erably below the level of his house. In Mr. Norris’ move-ments about his work we see evidences of the plea-sure and satisfaction that may be found in the pursuit of agriculture rather than in the perplexity and care de-volving upon a life in town. Our immediate return being now positively requisite, we reluctantly omitted calls upon several other gentle-men in that neighborhood, and struck over the high prairie towards St. Pau., by way of the Middletons and McHatties, all thrifty farm-ers.
The settlers of Red Rock, and Cottage Grove, are as intelligent, courteous, en-terprising and industrious a people as can be found any-where. Most of them came from the state of Maine. They combine the peculiar qualities of New England yankee, with that traveled acquaintance with men and things, that prepares them for almost any society where their lines may be cast.
We have viewed this sec-tion of Minnesota with sur-prise and delight. In respect to its beauty and fertility, it will vie with the best sec-tions of upper Illinois. And taking into account its un-qualified healthfulness, we pronounce it emphatically the best section of country in all the West.—Where else can the immigrant find the three essential qualities, fertility, health, and beauty combined?
This area of clear prairies, fringed with timber, must comprise, we think, an ex-tent of some thirty or forty miles by a breadth of from two to ten miles.
* James Sullivan Norris was a member of the Min-nesota Territorial Legisla-ture. Following time at Af-ton and Grey Cloud Island he made a claim in Section 1 of Township 27 of Wash-ington County, naming this farm “Cottage Grove.” He is buried in Old Cottage Grove Cemetery, to the back and east of the Sever-ances.