The Blue Earth County HISTORIAN The Vikings Are Coming This summer marks the 50th consecutive Minnesota Vikings Training Camp in Mankato. This is the longest continuous relationship between an NFL team and a host city. Read more about a special History Center exhibit opening on July 17 and 18 on page 6. Photo courtesy of Mankato Free Press. See you at the Fair! Mapping Minnesota In this issue: Director’s Notes 3 Gift Shop & Art Gallery 4 Hubbard House 5 Collections & Exhibits 6 The Naming and Spelling of Mankato, Minnesota 9 Every Object Has a Story 12 Research Center 13 Volunteer Opportunities 14 Volunteers needed to help BECHS Around Blue Earth County 18 at the Blue Earth County Fair, Discover Mankato and “Minnesota on Calendar of Events 19 July 30-Aug. 1, see page 14. the Map,” see pages 9 and 11. BECHS Mission: To lead in the collecting and promoting of Blue Earth County’s history to ensure its preservation for the enrichment and benefit of present and future generations. Volume XXII No 3 A BLUE EARTH COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY PUBLICATION Summer 2015 The Blue Earth County Board of Trustees Historian Randy Zellmer President, Board of Trustees Board of Trustees President, Randy Zellmer, North Mankato With the arrival of summer our gardening volunteers have Vice President, Shirley Piepho, Skyline been busy weeding, pruning and sprucing up the landscape Secretary, Jessica Beyer, Mankato around the History Center. You may have noticed the new Treasurer, Tom Solseth, Mankato signage and canopy identifying our building. We are working to Patrick Baker, Mankato Dale Benefield, Lake Crystal make the History Center a more visible and beautiful part of the Preston Doyle, Mankato community. Joe Farnham, Mankato The Vikings are coming! BECHS, in partnership with the Sandi Garlow, Mapleton Wendy Greiner, Mankato Minnesota Vikings, will be hosting a new exhibit, Celebrating Jim Gullickson, North Mankato 50 Years of Vikings Training Camp: A Mankato Tradition. Elizabeth Harstad, North Mankato BECHS Staff and volunteers have been busy collecting Julie Lux, Mapleton William Steil, Mankato memorabilia from the 50 seasons the Vikings have held training Dana Truebenbach, Good Thunder camp in Mankato. For many Vikings fans, summer in Mankato Marnie Werner, Mankato meant spending time on the MSU campus watching the Vikings practice. I'm sure many of you have a special story to tell or a Staff fond memory of visiting training camp. Jessica Potter, Executive Director [email protected] On Friday, July 17 from 4-7 p.m. BECHS will host the Danelle Erickson, Museum Manager opening night of the Vikings Training Camp exhibit. Please [email protected] consider purchasing a ticket to this exclusive event. (See page 7- Heather Harren, Education & Outreach Mgr. [email protected] 8) You will be the first to view the exhibit and have the Shelley Harrison, Archives & Collections Mgr. opportunity to meet Minnesota Vikings Alumni, with a special [email protected] appearance by Viktor and the Vikings Cheerleaders. This is not only an opportunity for BECHS to showcase the History Center, History Center & Museum but all proceeds from the event will remain with BECHS. The 424 Warren Street, Mankato, MN exhibit opens to the general public on Saturday, July 18. There (New Main Entrance) 507-345-5566 will be door prizes and food available from Prairie Pride Farm www.BlueEarthCountyHistory.com catering. A perfect event for the whole family. Tuesday - Friday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Last, I would like to thank our dedicated staff and many Saturday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. volunteers. BECHS would not be what it is today without you. R.D. Hubbard House 606 South Broad Street, Mankato 507-345-4154 Hours BECHS Member Appreciation June-August: Friday & Saturday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Friday, August 28 Sunday 1 - 4 p.m. September: Saturday & Sunday 1-4 p.m. 5-7 p.m. The Blue Earth County Historian History Center Summer 2015 The Blue Earth County Historian is published Join Us for: quarterly for the members of Blue Earth County Appreciation meal Historical Society. Member’s receive 15% off most items in Gift Shop Copyright: Historian copyright 2015 by the Blue Door prize drawings Earth County Historical Society. All rights Guided behind-the-scenes building tours reserved. Reproduction of any material from this issue is expressly forbidden without permission of BLUE EARTH COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY the publisher. Visit www.BlueEarthCountyHistory.com or call 507-345-5566. 2 rich history of our county. You will have such pride Director’s Notes showing your guests around a place you support. Jessica Potter, Executive Director And volunteer. We need a lot of extra volunteers this summer at the Blue Earth County Fair July 30- On the first of this month, I had the great August 1 and for our special Vikings Training Camp privilege of speaking to a group about the past, exhibit July 25-August 13. The Fair schedule is present and future of the Historical Society. It’s a broken into four 3-hour shifts with three people per program I have done before, but this time was shift per day. That’s 36 volunteer shifts that need to different. This time, I stood there talking about our be filled. For the Training Camp exhibit we need 12 present and realized that one year ago that day, a people daily to cover four hour shift over 13 days. A major milestone for the organization took it’s first lot of numbers, I know, but the bottom line is we step—History Center expansion. It was one year need YOU. You do not need to have previous ago this month that we started the process of buying volunteer experience. You can come alone or as a out Vine’s ownership interest in the building. And couple or in a group. There’s an opportunity for what a year it has been. everyone! Please consider donating your time and There has been a lot of new paint on the walls, a being a part of this really exciting experience. For lot of furniture and boxes have been moved and a lot more information about volunteering, please contact of weeds have been pulled from the gardens. We Danelle. have hosted four traveling exhibits, 600 6th graders Thank you to all of the people who have made for field trips and countless others for tours, this last year possible: our Board of Trustees, programs and meetings. members, donors, volunteers, visitors, and our I am a list person and enjoy crossing things off dedicated, hard-working staff. Wow, what a year— my list, but I must say I also rewrite my list on clean imagine the possibilities another year will bring! paper. I wish I would have kept some of those crossed off lists to remind myself how much we really have accomplished in one short year. This SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR entire building is now our home. It is still taking COMMUNITY PARTNERS people a little bit of time to realize we have moved our main entrance down to Warren Street under the Crystal Valley blue awning, but we are here and loving the Co-operative’s additional space. Courtney Hennis That is our past, present and future all wrapped presented BECHS into one; how exciting is that! I can’t wait to see with $2,000 from what our future holds. More facility improvements? Crystal Valley Co-op Additional staff? A growing base of supporters? and Land O’Lakes to New state-of-the-art exhibits? Can you imagine? aid in the purchase The future is ours. We just have to work hard and of new meeting room share our passion for ensuring that our past is chairs. preserved for our future. Are you with me? How can you help? One of the easiest ways to Darlyne and Mary support BECHS is through membership. If you are Deopere, not already a member, please join. Invite your representatives family, friends and colleagues to join. Consider from the Cambria making a financial contribution beyond your 4th of July membership dues and see how quickly we can grow. Committee, Visit the new History Center and Hubbard House, presented BECHS especially if it’s been a while. If you have out-of- with a check for town guests visiting, bring them here to explore the $2,000. 3 Gift Shop & Art Gallery News Danelle Erickson, Museum Manager Summer is in full swing and the History Center make sure you visit the and Gift Shop are excited to welcome visitors from Minnesota on the Map traveling near and far! exhibit while you are here. One of the newest books in the Gift Shop is The Have you taken the time to Essential Handbook of Victorian Etiquette. ($8.95) really look at Marian Anderson’s Taken from etiquette advice written over 100 years nostalgia prints? The details are ago, this book includes the “dos and don’ts” of simply amazing. Take North social calls, how to Mankato’s Yesteryear, for behave at a ball, and example. Over a dozen businesses tips on whom to along Belgrade Avenue can be marry. Whether you picked out by name in the picture. put the tips into And the next time you see Partners in Progress, be practice is up to you! sure to take a close look. Do you see the ghostly You can also impress images waiting for the train at the Mankato Union your friends at your Depot? next dinner party by The Marian Anderson Art Gallery has similar setting a proper table according to Victorian historic prints for other towns in the area as well, standards, thanks to The Essential Handbook of including Chatfield, Madelia, New Ulm, Nicollet, Victorian Entertaining.