The Worthington ALC Local History Project

What is Turkey Day all about? In the old days, Americans raised their own chickens and turkeys on their own farms. But by 1920s, Americans by the millions moved off of farms and into the growing towns and cities. Suddenly there was a huge market for store-bought poultry. Here in Worthington, two men named E.O. Olson and J.C. Boote began exploiting that market. Soon, turkey production was big business in Worthington. Local farmers raised the birds by the thousands, and hundreds of folks in town were employed by Olson and Boote to work in their poultry processing plants. A “turkey festival” was organized in 1939 after Olson told of a similar festival held in Cuero, Texas. The small festival was a gigantic hit, so in 1940 a huge parade was organized and “King Turkey Day” was proclaimed an annual event. Ever since, Worthington has celebrated a special autumn Saturday when “King Turkey rules for a day.” . In 1972, people in Worthington learned that Cuero, Texas, celebrated their Turkey Day by holding a live turkey race. A Worthington vs. (Continued à)

Animation by animationlibrary.com Cuero race was proposed and has been part of “King Turkey Day” since 1973. There has always been disagreement over whether the small 1939 Turkey Festival, or the 1940 “First Annual King Turkey Day” event was the very first Turkey Day. What is undisputed is that Turkey Day is a day everyone enjoys. The Insider has obtained vintage newsreel footage from the first 50 years of Turkey Day celebrations. You can view this footage on-line by clicking on the turkey below. The footage is streaming video, so you’ll need a good connection in order to view it. Click here to watch video

How Winter almost killed this town… By Natasha B. Folks in Worthington love winter, right? Everyone here loves drifts of snow and below zero temps, otherwise we wouldn’t even live here. But did you know that winter weather almost killed this town? In 1880, Nobles County had 4435 residents, 636 of them living in the town of Worthington. They were hearty pioneers, all of whom had arrived in the seven years since the county was first opened up to settlement in1872. The settlers thought they were prepared for Minnesota winters, until the winter of 1880-1881. The season began with a rainstorm that turned to ice on October 15. Numerous blizzards followed, and the snows never let up until mid-April. The snow got so deep that the railroad tracks (the only connection to the outside world) couldn’t be cleared. It was called a “snow blockade.” At one point, not one train made it to town for eleven straight weeks! (Continued à)

Few trees existed in Nobles County at that time. It had been a wide-open prairie where grass stretched as far as the eye could see. People relied on coal from the outside to heat their homes. When the coal ran out, people resorted to burning dried “cow chips” and “horse pies.” They eventually began burning hay stored for animal feed. Barns were dismantled and feed to the fires. Some settlers even began dismantling portions of their homes and burning the wood in their furnaces! When spring finally came, many settlers simply packed up and left! Trouble is, many of them owed money to the local bank known as The Bank of Worthington. When investors in the bank from Geneva, New York, learned that they might lose a lot of money, they sent one of their own to sort things out. The man they sent to Worthington was none other than George Dayton. Dayton arranged enough financing to keep the prairie settlement going. He straightened out the financial mess created by the hard winter, made himself a pile of money here in Worthington, and built the Dayton House for his family. He later moved to Minneapolis and started Dayton’s Department Store. Photos courtesy of Mn Historical Society

Historical Worthington Stephen Miller By Dez Briski Stephen Miller was one of the founders of Worthington. He was a Civil War General. He was also Governor of Minnesota. Miller Street is named after him. So who was Stephen Miller? When the Civil War began, Miller enlisted as a common private, but Minnesota Governor Alexander Ramsey gave him the appointment of Lt. Colonel in the newly formed Minnesota 1^st Infantry Regiment. His pay was $80 per month. He served until September 16, 1862. He resigned his position in the Minnesota 1^st Infantry to accept the appointment of Colonel with the 7^th Minnesota Infantry. Colonel Stephen Miller

Governor Stephen Miller He served until the day of the Battle of Antietam in 1862. He returned to Minnesota to protect the frontier during the Sioux Indian Uprising of 1862 and 1863. He was eventually promoted to Brigadier General on November 6, 1863. He was elected Governor of Minnesota the following year. Miller was later a field agent for the St. Paul & Sioux City Railway Company in Windom, Minnesota. He then moved to the Worthington area and helped found the town. He died in 1881 at the age of 65 after suffering from what was called “mortification” of the left foot. The condition spread and was fatal. If you go to the Worthington Cemetery, you will find that Miller has the biggest gravestone in the place.

Daniel Shell – Founding father of Worthington By Michael Dennison Worthington was founded by three people in the year 1871. These people were as follows: Peter Thompson, Stephen Miller, and Daniel Shell. Of the three Daniel Shell was one of the most involved in the organization of this beautiful town. Shell was originally born in Tonawanda, NY, on November 26, 1893. Little is known about his early years but he came to this community in the closing days of 1871 – just after this village came into existence. No man has ever played a more important part in the political activities of the Nobles County area, and the city of Worthington. Shell was a farmer and farmed a piece of land three miles east and one mile south of the place now called Worthington. After that he went into business in town, owning and operating a motel and stable. He also ran a stagecoach from Worthington to Sioux Falls, SD. This of course was before the railroad was built. When the location of the County seat was up for grabs, the decision was to have it in Worthington. Shell then took a train from Worthington to St. Paul. (Continued à)

Minnesota Historical Society He got hold of a stockholder and persuaded him to donate a block to place the courthouse on. He also promoted an area that we now call Chautauqua Park. Shell also influenced the establishment of free mail delivery out of Worthington. As a member of the board of commerce he also served on the school board and state senate and was a charter member of the fire department. Nobles County Court House

This Week in History -- Feb 2, 1959 The day the music died By Heather Mondloch One night, a plane took off from Clear Lake, Iowa headed to Fargo, N.D. There was an accident, and the plane never reached its destination. This famous plane crash occurred right here in our part of the country… When the plane crashed, it took the lives of three rock and roll legends, performers Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. "Big Bopper" Richardson. The pilot, Roger Peterson, also died. As Don McLean wrote in his classic music parable, American Pie, it was "the day the music died." J. P. Richardson, known as The Big Bopper to his fans, was a Texas D.J. who found recording success and fame in 1958 with the song Chantilly Lace. Ricardo Valenzuela was only 16 years old when he rearranged his name to Ritchie Valens, and in 1958 recorded Come On, Let's Go. He achieved greater fame with his hits Donna, and La Bamba, a Rock and Roll version of an old Mexican folksong. Charles "Buddy” Holly and his band, The Crickets, had a number one hit in.1957 with the tune That'll Be The Day. This success was followed by other hits such as Peggy Sue. (Continued à)

Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens Performing in concert was very profitable. The three performers were part of "The Winter Dance Party Tour". The tour planned to cover 24 cities in three short weeks (January 23 - February 15). Holly would be the biggest headliner. Waylon Jennings, Holly’s friend from Lubbock, Texas, and Tommy Allsup went along as Holly’s backup band. The tour bus had heat when they left, but later on it developed problems. It was so cold onboard that one of the drummers developed frostbite riding in it. When they arrived at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, they were tired and cold. (Continued on next page) J.P. “Big Bopper” Richardson

(Continued from previous page…) Buddy Holly decided to charter a plane for himself and his band. That night at the Surf Ballroom was a magical one. Teens came from as far as Des Moines, Iowa, Rochester, Minnesota, and Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to enjoy the show. Perhaps some even came from Worthington. After the performance, Waylon Jennings gave his plane seat up to Richardson, who was running a fever and had trouble fitting his stocky frame comfortably into the bus seats. When Holly found out that Jennings wasn't going to fly, he said, "Well, I hope your old bus freezes up." Jennings responded, "Well, I hope your plane crashes." This joke would haunt Jennings for the rest of his life. Allsup told Valens he would flip a coin for the remaining seat on the plane. Valens won the plane seat, and Allsup won his life. The plane took off a little after 1 A.M. from Clear Lake. It never got far from the airport before it crashed, killing all the passengers. Tommy Allsup would one day open a club named "The Head's Up Saloon," a tribute to the coin toss that saved his life. Waylon Jennings would become a huge popular Country singer. For Buddy Holly, J.P. Richardson and Ritchie Valens, it was “the day the music died.”

American Pie A long, long time ago I can still remember How that music used to make me smile. And I knew if I had my chance That I could make those people dance And maybe they'd be happy for a while But February made me shiver 　　with every paper I'd deliver Bad news on the doorstep I couldn't take one more step I can't remember if I cried When I read about his widowed bride But something touched me deep inside The day the music died So Bye-Bye Miss American Pie… -- Don McLean, author of the song, was a paperboy back in 1959 Click here for more…

The Minnesota state quarter is here! By Desiree Briski Minnesota became a state on May 11, 1858. It was the thirty-second state of the union. Because Minnesota was the thirty-second state, the Minnesota quarter is the thirty-second quarter released. On the backside of the quarter you can see a loon, a lake, pine trees and anglers. The Minnesota quarter also has an outline of the state with the words, "Land of 10,000 Lakes." Below the word “Minnesota” is the year “1858,” the year the state joined the union. The quarter was released on Tuesday April 19,2005. About $70,000 worth of the Minnesota state quarters were sold in $10 rolls. That’s 7,000 roles of quarters!

The Minnesota quarter makes its debut The coin was designed with help from the Minnesota Education Department, according to spokesman Bill Walsh. The state quarters program has become the most popular coin collecting program in the United States history. There are currently 140 million Americans collecting them. That amounts to one of every two people!

Art by Michael Dennison

ALC Mythbusters What’s the deal with Whiskey Ditch? The ALC sits next to a small stream known as “Whiskey Ditch.” What is the deal with this name, anyway? The Myth: The story goes like this: Whiskey Ditch was given its name back during prohibition (when booze was illegal). According to the legend, Worthington bootleggers (people who made illegal booze) operated in the area of the ditch and kept their illegal whiskey hidden there. Prohibition lasted from 1919 until 1933. The reality: In reality, the name “Whiskey Ditch” was given to the ditch when it was dug in the 1890's. It became known by this name because the project was financed by a "whiskey tax" or a tax on liquor sold in Worthington . Before the existence of the ditch, the rain runoff that ran towards Worthington from north of town would flow in the creek that now runs by the football field. This creek eventually flows into Heron Lake. (Continued à)

In the late 1800's, there was a drought, and the level of Lake Okabena was very low. People in Worthington wanted the water flowing into Heron Lake to go into Lake Okabena instead. The ditch digging project was accomplished by many men using hand shovels. They dug through a large hill where present-day Oxford Street crosses the present ditch. The new ditch allowed rain runoff from north of town to flow into Lake Okabena. Lake Okabena levels rose, and everyone in town was happy, although we have no idea how the people in Heron Lake felt. In any event, the myth of Whiskey Ditch and the bootleggers is busted….

ALC Myth Busters Ye Old Dayton House By Shanna Dehning The Dayton House is a historical landmark in the town of Worthington. Although it is beautiful, huge and attracts a lot of attention, not everyone knows just what went on with the owner George Dayton, and why the house was left as a relic in the town of Worthington. The myth for this house is that George Dayton, a man looking for new opportunity, came to Worthington and started a general store. The store was not so popular, and needless to say the revenue wasn’t very good. So Dayton picked up and left town penniless, leaving his large home vacant. He then went to Minneapolis and started the series of Dayton’s Department Stores there, becoming a rich man. Apparently, this wasn’t the case. George Dayton came to Worthington in 1890. He first owned a bank that was located where the Cow’s Outside is today. Through this bank he worked as a real estate agent, and thus made plenty of money to build the Dayton House. (Continued à) George Dayton Pictures courtesy of Minnesota Historical Society

Historic Dayton House in Worthington After this house had been built, he started to look into Twin Cities real estate. After becoming an extremely wealthy man in Worthington, Dayton decided to move his efforts to Minneapolis in 1902. George started a Dry Goods store (like the general store mentioned above—meaning it sold just about anything) on Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis. Eventually, this store grew and became Dayton’s Department Store, which is now known as Marshall Fields. So, as you see, not everything you hear is true. After our research on the Dayton House, we realized that this man’s life wasn’t as tragic as it sounds, and in real life he was quite the prominent business man, not only in Minneapolis, but in Worthington, as well. Dayton and family during Worthington period

What is Cinco de Mayo all about? Worthington has a large Hispanic population and as a result, many people here celebrate Cinco de Mayo. Special foods, traditional music and folkloric dances mark this special occasion. But what is Cinco de Mayo, anyway? Cinco de Mayo is Spanish for the Fifth of May. And what is that all about? The Fifth of May is not Mexican Independence Day as many people (including many Hispanics) think, and Cinco de Mayo is not an American holiday. So, why do people here and in Mexico celebrate Cinco de Mayo? 4,000 Mexican soldiers led by Benito Juarez smashed an invading French army of 8,000 at Puebla, Mexico, on the morning of May 5, 1862. What was the French Army doing in Mexico you might ask? They came to collect debts Mexico supposedly owed France. The French Army had not been defeated in 50 years, and it invaded Mexico with complete confidence. They were not afraid of anyone, especially the United States because we were busy fighting our own Civil War at the time. But on May 5, 1862, the Mexicans won a surprise victory. Although fighting between the Mexicans and the French continued for another five years, the May Fifth victory was the most important battle. It made Mexicans realize that France could eventually be driven out once and for all. (Continued à)

The May fifth victory against the French also kept France from carrying out its plan to re-supply the Confederate Army through Mexico during the U.S. Civil War. As a result, the South lost a crucial ally during the Civil War. When the Union forces defeated the South three years later, Union General Phil Sheridan repaid the debt by making sure Mexico got all the weapons and ammunition it needed to fight the remaining French. In fact, he encouraged newly discharged American soldiers to keep their uniforms and rifles, cross the border, and join the Mexican Army! Many did and they helped Mexico crush the French in 1867. So Mexico helped the Union forces win the U.S. Civil War – even though that was never their intention – and Americans helped the Mexicans kick out the French invaders. Cinco de Mayo is the day to remember all of this. And what the heck, it’s also a great day to enjoy some Mexican food and music. –From The Insider archives

What is Veteran’s Day all about? By Shanna Dehning Weapons and hearts ablaze, blood and sweat dripping down soldiers’ faces, shouts of pain and military orders permeate the air. Welcome to World War I. It is the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of the year (November) of 1918. The Great War, so they call it, is finalized in a temporary cease fire (Armistice), between the Allies and Kaiser Wilhelm’s Germany. Although this didn’t officially end the war, it did stop the fighting and dying. The formal completion to the war was after the Versailles Peace Conference in 1919. President Wilson was the first to initiate the idea of a celebration for this Armistice. The President’s request for this day was to take time off from work, school, business and the like, for exactly two minutes of silence at 11 A.M, November 11. The government later decided that we needed something more to help honor those who served us well in WWI. So in 1921 a Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was constructed in Arlington National Cemetery. Congress approved this institution, and as tradition, November 11 was to be the date of the ceremony. Congress also made November 11 a legal Federal Holiday to acknowledge and give our gratitude to those who served in WWI. (Continued à)

Armistice Day, now known as Veteran’s Day, commemorates the cease-fire endingWorld War I When the Second World War and the Korean War were over, it only added to the growing number of cherished war veterans in America. And on June 1, legislation was signed by President Eisenhower that amended the name of this very special holiday from “Armistice Day” to “Veteran’s Day”. This day is meant to honor those who served in our nation’s military and to remember that “Freedom isn’t Free”. In conclusion, I would like to say this: If you have a loved one or someone who served in the military or fought in any war, make sure you take the time to tell them just how much you appreciate their effort to keep your country free and alive. ******** The ALC Insider received photos of the very first Armistice Day celebration held in Nobles County. These photos were provided by Ray Crippen of the Worthington Daily Globe and can be viewed on the following pages…

These photos are of the first Armistice Day celebration held in Nobles County. The celebration, appropriately enough, took place on the 11^th day of the 11^th month of the year 1918.

Six months earlier, a military funeral was held in Brewster for Christian Hansen, a soldier from Brewster who died at Fort Riley, Kansas, shortly before he was to be shipped to battlefields in France.

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