Category Archives: Northfield Public Library

World War I book donations

27 Thursday Sep 2018

Posted by in Arts and Culture, History Blog, Military, Northfield Historical Society, Northfield News, Northfield Public Library, Recreation, Rice County Historical Society, World War I

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Did you know that books can help win wars?

At least, that is what Northfield citizens thought 100 years ago, when their country was deeply involved in World War I. The Northfield News urged its readers to “Let Your Idle Books Help Our Soldiers.”

There were book collection points at the Northfield Public Library and other libraries in Rice County.

Even the Boy Scouts helped the cause – they “did their bit” to collect books from the community by driving around Northfield in a car with a large banner on it. According to their scrapbook from the time, the boys collected almost 1,300 volumes on March 23, 1918. This scrapbook has many other great photographs of the Boy Scouts activities during this period, including Liberty Loan parades and more.

During wartime, there are many ways to contribute to the war effort. Books – and knowledge – may have been just what they needed to win.

Fun Finds in the NHC: New Additions to the Collaborative

26 Wednesday Oct 2016

Posted by in Businesses, Christdala, First National Bank, History Blog, James-Younger Bank Raid, Northfield Public Library, People, Religion

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The Collaborative has been busy transcribing, interpreting, and uploading a number of documents in the last few months. We’re excited to share some of these new additions with you!

First National Bank of Northfield collection:

  • Excerpts from the first minutes book of the First National Bank. This selection includes digitized records relating to the failed James-Younger Gang bank raid of 1876. You can see when the bank directors decided to get a burglar proof safe with a time lock, how much was left in the bank after the raid attempt, and various tributes to Joseph Lee Heywood, the fallen acting cashier/hero of the day. The book also includes cashier G. M. Phillips’s account of receiving the famous telegram, “Bank Robbed. Heywood Killed. Two Robbers Also Killed.”
Telegram to First National Bank cashier G. M. Phillips with news about the bank raid, Sept. 7, 1876.

Telegram to First National Bank cashier G. M. Phillips with news about the bank raid, Sept. 7, 1876.

 

Northfield Public Library collection:

  • Souvenir program for the city of Northfield’s centennial in 1955. The booklet includes a brief history of Northfield, information about Northfield’s “pioneer families,” and a program for “The Genesis And Rise Of Northfield,” a dramatic pageant presented by the Northfield Centennial Corporation. The program was presented with compliments of local businesses, whose advertisements also appear inside.
Cover of the Northfield Centennial souvenir program

Cover of the Northfield Centennial souvenir program

  • Views of Northfield book. This book features photographs of various houses of prominent citizens in Northfield, MN as well as photographs of the different churches in town. Houses are labeled according to their owners and churches are also labeled. The book is not dated, but we estimate it is from around 1899.
Page 5 from the Views of Northfield book, including the residences of C. A. Drew, C. W. Blodgett, J. F. Revier, as well as Miss Baker's Boarding School.

Page 5 from the Views of Northfield book, including the residences of C. A. Drew, C. W. Blodgett, J. F. Revier, as well as Miss Baker’s Boarding School.

 

Christdala Church Preservation and Cemetery Association collection:

  • Various records (mostly in Swedish) documenting the immigration of members of the Christdala Church, as well as some baptism certificates, confirmation certificates, and letters of dismission. The migration forms include information about the birth dates and places of the individuals named, as well as the date they left Sweden. The NHC has identified the names and dates on these documents, but has not translated the Swedish or transcribed them fully – so if you would like to volunteer your skills as a Swedish transcriber, please let us know!
Migration form for Carl Berndtsson and Stina Berndtsdotter, dated April 25, 1882. View on NHC http://contentdm.carleton.edu/cdm/compoundobject/collection/CCPCA/id/1124/rec/29

Migration form for Carl Berndtsson and Stina Berndtsdotter, dated April 25, 1882. View on NHC to zoom in.

Look for more uploads in the coming months, including a batch of newly-scanned documents from the history of the Congregational Church in our First United Church of Christ collection.