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Northfield-Rice County Digital History Collection

Northfield-Rice County Digital History Collection

Category Archives: St. Olaf College

Entertainment history

04 Tuesday Jun 2019

Posted by Stephanie Hess in Arts and Culture, Carleton College, History Blog, KYMN Radio, People, Primary Source Sets, Recreation, Social Issues, St. Olaf College

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Education, Entertainment, History, Leisure, Movies, Music, Recreation, Theater

Have you ever wondered how people in the past spent their free time? In Northfield, they had plenty of options. There were theater performances and motion picture houses. Musical groups often performed in town, and the people of Northfield also participated in bands, choirs, and other groups. People listened to the radio and went to dances. And there were many more things to do, too, of course.

For an overview of the many kinds of entertainment from Northfield’s history, I’d check out this Primary Source Set – Entertainment in Northfield.

Northfield Community Band, c. 1920

As you look at these materials, imagine what it might have been like to be entertained the way these Northfielders in the past were. How has entertainment changed over time? How is it still the same?

If you’re an educator, this lesson plan may be another great place to start:

Bruce, Charlotte and Helen Stephan. Twentieth Century Entertainment: When Work is Done. Lesson plan developed for the Library of Congress.

Also, this set is only one of a group of 12 available on the DHC’s website. See the other Primary Source Sets here!

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The Armistice of 1918

09 Friday Nov 2018

Posted by Stephanie Hess in History Blog, Military, People, St. Olaf College, World War I

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One hundred years ago this month, people in Northfield waited with the rest of the world to hear that the devastating Great War was finally over. Rumors that Germany was going to agree to an Armistice—or cease-fire—ran rampant.

On November 8, 1918, the Northfield News ran a political cartoon showing American troops, and American resources, were forcing Germany’s Kaiser to end the war. It was more than wishful thinking, since at that very moment a German delegation was considering the terms of an armistice with the Allied countries.

Northfield News cartoon, published Nov. 8, 1918

Northfield News cartoon, published Nov. 8, 1918

Homer Mason, one of Northfield’s service men stationed in France, was the assistant N.C.O. in charge of a radio station. At his post, he frequently received press reports sent out by the Allied troops. It was here, he later wrote, that he heard Germany “send out her press at the critical period before the armistice was signed.” He sent copies of these press reports to his parents.

Press Report, delivery of Armistice terms, Nov. 10, 1918

Press Report, delivery of Armistice terms, Nov. 10, 1918

The very next day, November 11, 1918, Homer had just come into the station when he heard that the French Marshal Ferdinand Foch had just sent out his orders to all of the Allied troops to cease firing at 11 o’clock French time. The Germans had signed the Armistice terms, and the war was finally over.

Order from Marshal Foch, November 11, 1918

Order from Marshal Foch, November 11, 1918. Translation available on the Collaborative.

The world rejoiced, but none as much as people in France, whose country had been completely devastated by trench warfare and German occupation. Homer reported that “The French people are certainly a happy bunch of folks nowadays. They are celebrating everywhere.”

Letter from Homer Mason to his parents, Nov. 13, 1918

Letter from Homer Mason to his parents, Nov. 13, 1918

Northfield was celebrating, too. Homer’s parents both told of the jubilation they felt and provided details on just how Northfield celebrated the end of the war. On November 12, Homer’s mother Melinda wrote:

This is a day after we got the news that the war was over, but yesterday I could not write – so many came in and then there was so much merriment and noise that you could not hear yourself think. The bells commenced to ring at 3:30 in the night. We got up and lit up the whole house. We knew what it meant and how glad and thankful we [were]. And after it got light the soldiers came and the band and after that, all the school children, with old pails and dish pans and anything they could make noise on. All [are] so thankful it is over.

Homer’s father, George, later said all the church bells and whistles in town blew after they got the news at 3:30 a.m. and they “kept it up until 6 o’clock.” He said he “grabbed the Flag and whirled it around and posted it at the front door.”

Letter from George Mason to Homer Mason, November 27, 1918

Letter from George Mason to Homer Mason, November 27, 1918

“We are glad the armistice is signed,” wrote George, “and I hope that they will soon come to a peace that will be just and durable. We don’t want any more of this war business.”

What did the Armistice mean for the boys from Northfield stationed in places “over there” as well as “over here”? It did not mean they could come home immediately, especially since it only halted the military operation of the war. The official end to the war came with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles on June 28, 1919.

In the meantime, servicemen stationed in Europe changed their focus from military offensive to occupying force. Homer Mason, for one, hoped he would be home by the summer [he was]. Other servicemen, like Northfield’s Arthur Houston and his road crew, now focused on rebuilding blasted roads without the threat of German bombs overhead. Others were recovering in hospitals from injuries or the flu, serving as military escorts, and other duties as assigned by the American Expeditionary Force.

Some Northfield residents served the military at camps scattered throughout the United States. When the Armistice was signed, and a military force at peak strength was no longer necessary, many of them were given a few options. Fredrick Heiberg was at an officer’s training school at the time, and he reported on November 16 that he was offered three options:

  1. Remain here and finish his course – get a commission and be placed in the Reserve Corps.
  2. Get an immediate discharge from the Army.
  3. For men from S.A.T.C. units to return to them.

“Which should I choose?” he asked his mother. “After considering all points from all angles and points I think I’ll choose the second.” He was discharged on November 30, 1918, returned to Northfield shortly after that, and became a dentist.

With the Armistice came the end of fighting the “war to end all wars”. The Northfield men and women who served remained forever changed by their experiences. We honor their service and sacrifice every year on Veterans Day, but especially this year—the 100th Anniversary of the Armistice.

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What’s new on the DHC?

13 Friday Jul 2018

Posted by Stephanie Hess in Agriculture, Businesses, Carleton College, City of Northfield, History Blog, Malt-O-Meal, Northfield Historical Society, People, Politics and Government, Religion, Rice County Historical Society, Social Issues, St. Johns Lutheran Church, St. Olaf College

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Residence of Frederick Albers, c. 1900. Bridgewater Township collection.

We have been busy so far in 2018! Here is a list of some of the highlights that have been added to the Northfield-Rice County Digital History Collection since January:

Bridgewater Township collection:

  • Birth Register 1907-1915
  • Individual documents and photos

First United Church of Christ collection:

  • Looking Backward: A History of the Congregational Church in Northfield
  • Manual of the Congregational Church of Northfield, 1878

Three Links Care Center collection:

  • I.O.O.F. Home for Elderly and Children Scrapbook

St. John’s Lutheran Church collection:

  • Ladies Aid Past Presidents scrapbook

Rice County Historical Society collection:

  • Miscellaneous historical documents

Northfield Historical Society collection:

  • 1878 Newton S. Persons Diary
  • Northfield City Council meeting minutes book, 1893-1903
  • Malt-O-Meal photographs and documents
  • Sheldahl Co. photographs
  • Reminiscences of Elise K. Ytterboe
  • Minutes book of the Northfield Improvement Association, 1884-1937
  • Northfield High School commencement programs: added years 1929, 1930, 1937

Carleton College born digital collection:

  • World War II photographs and documents

More to come!

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Rebirth and Reflection: Glimpses of Spring in Northfield during the early Twentieth Century

20 Tuesday Mar 2018

Posted by Stephanie Hess in Arts and Culture, Carleton College, History Blog, Northfield Historical Society, Northfield News, People, Recreation, Religion, St. Johns Lutheran Church, St. Olaf College, World War I

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by guest columnist Robert Coleman

Spring is finally here! Well, at least according to the calendar. In Minnesota it can sometimes be a little difficult to tell. But before long, song birds will be returning, trees will be budding, and gardens will need tending. This year’s frigid winter will soon be only a distant memory as the last of the remaining snow melts away. Easter approaches, as do commencement celebrations and spring festivals such as May Day. Finally time to escape the homes we have been cooped up in all winter and pull out the barbeque or have a picnic. In my family, spring also means getting out the rain boots and coats so we can do some serious puddle splashing!

In the early years of the twentieth century, citizens of Northfield welcomed the germination of the new year in ways both analogous to and different from today. Perhaps a larger contingent of the population was occupied with planting the season’s crops, and masses of children probably did not descend on the city’s parks to search for candy-filled plastic eggs. Still, many parallels can be drawn, and it is certainly possible to imagine oneself sitting on a blanket having a picnic along the Cannon River on a fine April afternoon, whether in 2018 or in 1918. Exploring the wealth of documents digitized by the Northfield-Rice County Digital History Collection opens a window into these early years. These documents span many aspects of life, from histories of the city’s early schools and churches to letters sent home from sons at war, all giving us opportunities to study these spring days of long ago.

Early spring on the Lakes, Carleton College, undated. Harvey Stork, photographer. Carleton College Archives.

St. John's Lutheran Church Sunday School picnic at Heath Creek, May 1910.

St. John’s Lutheran Church Sunday School picnic at Heath Creek, May 1910. St. John’s Lutheran Church collection.

Spring is first and foremost a time of rebirth. It is a time for planting gardens and fields. As leaves return to the trees, so do the song birds that escaped to warmer climates for the winter. An early undated photo from the Carleton College archives shows a spring view of Lyman Lakes that could nearly have been taken today, minus the newer buildings and the highway. The lakes were created and given to the College in 1916-1917 by George and Marietta Lyman in memory of their son George Huntington Lyman.[1] A second photo, from May of 1910, shows a group of children from St. John’s Lutheran Church having a Sunday picnic. The trees overhead show relatively bare branches with few leaves yet still manage to shade this idyllic seen. At least one of the young girls has a hat covered with early spring flowers, which she deftly wears on what appears to be a blustery day.

Page 288 of The History of Carleton College

Excerpt from page 288 of The History of Carleton College, 1904. Carleton College Archives.

Of course, for many community members the spring holiday of Easter marks a pivotal rebirth. Apparently, those Carleton students not home for the holiday could look forward to a special morning. According to a 1904 history of the school, “Easter morning, in place of the rising bell, a carol is sung, and singing carols, all descend to breakfast with a butterfly or daffodil awaiting each one.” A story in the Northfield News of April 21, 1906 tells of a particularly packed house at All Saints Episcopal Church for that year’s Easter observances. “The church was crowded to its utmost capacity at each of the services, and all agreed that never before had the parish passed a more pleasant and impressive Easter […] A special train on the Great Western railroad brought about ninety from Faribault and adjacent towns.”[2]

Spring picnic near the Cannon River, 1909.

Spring picnic near the Cannon River, 1909. St. Olaf College Archives.

As the snows finally melt away after a lengthy Minnesota winter, people across the years have wanted to get outside and enjoy themselves. The parks have filled with families enjoying the sun and the Cannon River has provided ample opportunity for an afternoon river trip. The 1909 photo above shows a group of St. Olaf students having a picnic next to their canoe. What better way to spend a warm weekend afternoon after a long week of classes?

May Fete 1922

Four women dancing in the May Fete pageant of 1922. Carleton College Archives.

May Fete 1923

Frances Emge’s solo dance in the May Fete pageant of 1923. Harvey Stork photographer. Carleton College Archives.

Nothing epitomized this need to get out in the warming sun and celebrate more than Carleton’s elaborate Mai Fete pageants which were held each May on one of the islands in Lyman Lakes. As the two photos above show, Mai Fete was foremost a springtime dance festival. These extravagant events were produced by students and came to involve a majority of the women on campus. First celebrated in 1918, Mai Fete reached its peak popularity in the 1920s and 1930s, regularly drawing thousands of spectators.[3]

Tornado damage

Tornado damage behind a house on St. Olaf Avenue in 1922. Northfield Historical Society.

As we all know, spring weather can be fickle and the citizens Northfield had ample opportunity to witness nature’s unpredictability in the early years of the twentieth century. The city has known its fair share of floods along the Cannon River and late season snows, along with the early appearance of summer thunderstorms. A particularly dramatic spring storm occurred on May 3, 1922. The photo above shows some of the damage incurred by the tornado that hit the St. Olaf area that evening. The Northfield News noted that “Northfield had a visit from an early season tornado Wednesday evening that threw a scare into everybody in town, and wrought considerable havoc in the northwest portion of the city […] Those who had the opportunity to view it at close range admit that they are satisfied and have no desire for an introduction to another.”[4] Luckily, while considerable property damage was sustained, there were no injuries, not even among the occupants of a bus that was blown into a ditch along Lincoln Street.

The Northfield-Rice County Digital History Collection has been focused on commemorating the centennial of World War One over the past many months. What must the families at home have thought of a spring planting of the family farm or of attending an Easter service without their loved ones by their side? Capturing the contrast between spring’s joy and the darkness of war, one Carleton member of the student training corps recorded in his diary on March 1918: “Only one class. Ushering in Spring – Playing catch […] Good long sleep […] Drill until 4 P.M. Home at 10:01 – [..] Big day at home. Red Cross Auction. Worked in shop. Dance.” What a week! Went to class, played catch, and practiced for war.

Still, even during a time of war, spring brought with it some light-heartedness and apparently a desire to go out and buy a new suit. Two ads for tailors seem oddly out of place during such difficult times. A Chas Stern Square Dealing Clothier ad from March 1917 notes, “Easter 1917 Fashion Decrees Military Effects.” That certainly could have made for some interesting suits at Easter service. An ad for Olberg’s Tailory the next year, however, departed from military styles: “Don’t think that just because the country is at war you can do without your Easter Suit.” Instead, the country needs prosperity during such times and, after all, “you cannot feel prosperous unless you look prosperous.”

Northfield News, March 30, 1917

Northfield News, March 30, 1917

Northfield News, March 8, 1918

Spring is such a contrasting season, the first colorful songbirds bursting onto an otherwise wintertime scene, or bright warm days leading quickly to dangerous floods when the snows finally melt. Though seemly a disparate group of documents—from an advertisement for military style suits to a photo of a church picnic—all of these sources display this distinct contrast that so defines springtime. The pictures taken of Lyman Lakes or of St. Olaf students on a picnic, could easily have been taken in 2018, though perhaps without such formal attire. A diary entry about students drilling for war at Carleton College, or an ad telling us that it is our patriotic duty to purchase suits in war time, perhaps seem a little more out of place.

As the days lengthen again, let’s reflect on the different meanings of spring, and maybe contemplate what it may have been like to welcome the season here in Northfield a century ago. Most importantly, let’s all go grab our rain boots and splash in a puddle or two. I am sure that Northfield residents, young and old, were doing the same a century ago!

—

Robert Coleman is an independent historian and current stay-at-home dad. His background is in public history with an emphasis on Native American history, the environment and changing understandings of landscapes. He has enjoyed working on transcribing projects for the Northfield-Rice County Digital History Collection over the course of the past year and looks forward to continuing to research and write about the fascinating history of his newly adopted home.

—

Notes:

[1] Ben Weiss, Lyman Lakes, http://northfieldhistorical.org/items/show/67

[2] “Easter Services,” Northfield News, April 25, 1906.

[3] Carleton College Student Activities, “Mai Fete,” https://apps.carleton.edu/campus/campact/programs/maifete/

[4] “Tornado Visits Northfield Early Wednesday Evening,” Northfield News, May 5, 1922.

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500 Unique Items from World War I Era Digitized

02 Tuesday Jan 2018

Posted by Stephanie Hess in Carleton College, City of Dundas, History Blog, Military, Northfield Historical Society, Politics and Government, Rice County Historical Society, St. Olaf College, World War I

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We at the Northfield-Rice County Digital History Collection (DHC), a digital library of historical records from the Northfield area, are pleased to announce that we have completed a grant-funded project to digitize historical materials that document the World War I era in Northfield and Rice County, Minnesota.

The digitized materials come from many of the DHC’s 16 partner organizations and include text documents, photographs, illustrations, artifacts, and even sheet music. The new online collection shares the experiences of individuals from the Northfield and Rice County area who served during the war in various branches of the military, in the Red Cross and other humanitarian organizations, and on the home front.

Selection of items available in the World War I online collection.

“We have a remarkably deep collection of World War I records and are thrilled that we can now share a portion of those records online,” stated Susan Garwood, the Executive Director of the Rice County Historical Society, one of the DHC’s founding partners. “The records we have in our collection are the only remaining official record of Rice County’s participation in the war. They are invaluable to genealogical researchers and will provide a great cache of primary documents for schools.”

The Project Coordinator for the DHC, Stephanie Hess, added, “We are very excited that these materials can now be found and used widely, not just within our local organizations.”

To complete this digitization project, the DHC:

  • created 5,212 new digital images (scans and photographs);
  • transcribed 4,757 pages of typed and handwritten text; and
  • developed an extensive online collection guide, complete with links to the database.

In honor of the centennial of the United States’ involvement in the Great War, the DHC is pleased to provide the public this rich collection of primary resources. The online collection is open to all researchers: please follow the links to the materials through the collection guide at http://nrcdighistory.org/collection-guides/world-war-i-collection-guide/.

About the Northfield-Rice County Digital History Collection: The Northfield Historical Society and the Rice County Historical Society have partnered to provide a common site to preserve and make accessible digital versions of historical collections held in various locations across the Rice County, MN. Formerly this partnership was called the Northfield History Collaborative. In 2020, the name was changed to the Northfield-Rice County Digital History Collection and it remains a hub of historical resources related to the area.

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Friday the 13th during World War I

13 Friday Oct 2017

Posted by Stephanie Hess in History Blog, Military, People, Politics and Government, St. Olaf College, World War I

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If you think that Friday the 13th is an unlucky date, you are not alone. 99 years ago, Northfield resident Homer Mason agreed with you in principle, but his experiences during World War I made him begin to think that perhaps Friday the 13th was not such a bad thing, after all.

Homer Mason in uniform, 1918. See the full portrait on the Collaborative.

Homer served in the Signal Corps in Tours, France, south of Paris during the fall of 1918. As a radio operator, he was well aware of news from the front as well as from home. In two of his letters, he makes reference to the unluckiness of Friday the 13th, but considering what happened, he said, “I’ll never be skeptical about Friday 13ths after this.”

Excerpt of a letter from Homer Mason to his parents, September 15, 1918. See the full letter on the Collaborative.

In this letter, Homer discusses the Saint-Mihiel offensive of September 12-16, 1918. It was the first independent offensive led by the American Expeditionary Force under General John J. Pershing. In effect, the Americans regained control of a section of France that had been occupied by Germany since 1914. This success – and perhaps the luckiness of Friday the 13th – led to a great increase in confidence on the part of the Americans and their allies.

Excerpt of a letter from Homer Mason to his father, December 13, 1918. See the full letter on the Collaborative.

Later that year, after the Germans had signed the armistice but before the peace treaty was signed, Homer noted another occurrence on Friday the 13th of December. This time, he mentions the fact that President Wilson was willing to take the risk of landing in France to begin the peace negotiations on this traditionally unlucky date. While the treaty negotiations were more or less a success (at least for the winners of the war), Wilson’s other plan for a League of Nations – a multi-national organization devoted to peace in the world – failed. Perhaps he should have landed in France on another day?

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St. Olaf College and World War I

04 Friday Aug 2017

Posted by Stephanie Hess in History Blog, Military, St. Olaf College, World War I

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Highlights of the World War I digitization project, part 3

Today I am continuing to share with you some of the great resources I have been able to digitize as a part of this World War I project.

Another uniquely Northfield experience during World War I that I have been exploring was the Student Army Training Corps. The War Department created units of these corps at both St. Olaf and Carleton Colleges. The idea behind these units was to create a group of student-soldiers who continued in their academic pursuits but also received military training. Theoretically, men with this dual training would become better officers for the U.S. Army if the war continued.

However, the S.A.T.C. was only in operation from October 1 to December 10, 1918. The relatively late induction of men into the companies, the signing of the Armistice in November, and the influenza epidemic all limited the effectiveness of the Corps. Even so, 228 men served in two companies at St. Olaf and were proud of their service to the country in this way.

Student Army Training Corps on St. Olaf Avenue, 1918. St. Olaf College Archives. Note the lack of uniform hats and evidence of disorganization in their poses. See it on the DHC.

The women of St. Olaf College also were determined to prove they were patriotic and loyal Americans, as well. They developed a women’s war work pledge in the fall of 1917 vowing to volunteer their time, talents, and funds towards war-related activities. Most of them participated in Red Cross work at the college, attended first aid and food preservation courses, and even formed their own Red Cross Auxiliary.

St. Olaf College Women’s War Work Pledge, 1917. St. Olaf College Archives. See it on the DHC.

You can learn more about the St. Olaf College experience during the war in this special issue of the St. Olaf College Bulletin, published quarterly by the faculty of St. Olaf College. This issue includes a list of names of the St. Olaf men who participated in World War I. It also describes the St. Olaf response to the war in greater detail, including the formation of its Student Army Training Corps (S. A. T. C.) and its women’s War Work Institute. Plus, the St. Olaf College Archives also has some materials about the Corps on their website, too.

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Homer Mason in the Signal Corps

21 Friday Jul 2017

Posted by Stephanie Hess in History Blog, Military, People, St. Olaf College, World War I

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Highlights of the World War I digitization project, part 2

Today I am continuing to share with you some of the great resources I have been able to digitize as a part of this World War I project.

I have been able to scan and share more details of individual soldier experiences through the letters and photographs of Northfield resident Homer Mason. Through Homer’s letters, we can learn from his experiences at training camp, traveling to Europe, and serving in the Signal Corps of the U.S. Army.

Homer Mason in uniform, St. Olaf College Archives. See it on the Collaborative.

Homer Mason, a 1918 graduate of St. Olaf College, enlisted in the United States Army on May 23, 1918 and was assigned to the Signal Corps. He learned how to operate radio and telegraph (or “buzzer”) machines, as well as to communicate with visual signals – all strategies to send and receive messages for the Army. He was stationed at the 34th Aero Squadron Radio Division near Tours in France from August 1918 to January 1919.

Entrance to the flying field near Tours, France, where Homer Mason was stationed. St. Olaf College Archives. See it on the Collaborative.

As you might expect, Homer sent and received many letters to his family from his training camp at Fort Leavenworth as well as from France. St. Olaf College has a collection of his correspondence, and we have had the opportunity to share some of them with you all on the Collaborative. His letters eloquently describe life in the military, including the pride of serving one’s country, and the boredom that comes with waiting to come home. In a letter to his parents written shortly after he arrived at training camp, Homer wrote, “I miss both of you very much, but I am not home sick a bit because I think this is a great life + I am anxious to do my little bit for our country.”

Letter from Homer Mason to his parents, June 5, 1918. St. Olaf College Archives. See it on the Collaborative.

Part of his job as a corporal in the Signal Corps was receiving radio transmissions of news. On the eve of the signing of the Armistice on November 10, 1918, Homer was manning his radio station at Tours. He intercepted press reports telling of the delivery of the terms of the Armistice, and also received the notice for the cessation of hostilities from the French Commander-in-Chief Marshal Foch. It was such a momentous occasion that he sent copies of both of those communications to his family – luckily for us!

Excerpt from a press report received by Homer Mason in France on November 10, 1918. St. Olaf College Archives.

Communique in French from the Commander-in-Chief Marshal Foch ordering the cease-fire for November 11, 1918. St. Olaf College Archives.

In a letter from Homer’s mother, written shortly after the Armistice was signed, the Northfield reaction can be experienced in great detail. She wrote:

Dear Homer, this is a day after we got the news that the war was over, but yesterday I could not write, so many came in and then there was so much merriment and noise that you could not hear yourself think. The bells commenced to ring at 3:30 in the night we got up and lit up the whole house we knew what it meant and how glad and thankful we was. And after it got light the soldiers came and the band and after that all the school children with old pails and dish pans and anything they could make noise on.

Not all of Homer’s letters are uploaded yet, but the few that are offer an eloquent snapshot of what his life was like in the Signal Corps and how his family was impacted by the war, as well. You can see the first set of photos, letters, and postcards that are uploaded here. Check back soon to see more!

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The St. Olaf Victory Viking Yearbook

17 Wednesday May 2017

Posted by Stephanie Hess in History Blog, Military, Northfield Historical Society, People, St. Olaf College, World War I

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In the spring of 1919, St. Olaf College published an annual yearbook commemorating the classes of 1919, 1920, 1921, and the Freshmen. It was a special year for St. Olaf students, since many of them in these classes had participated in World War I service at home, on military bases, and in Europe. For this reason, the yearbook was dedicated to those who served in the cause of world freedom. They called it the Victory Viking.

Dedication page of the Victory Viking yearbook.

Hints of war service appear on many of the pages within this yearbook. Illustrations of tanks and ships appear below photographs of campus scenes.

Drawing of a tank under a photograph of St. Olaf campus.

Notice of war service appears with the biographies of faculty.

William Clarence Benson’s biography in the Faculty section.

The student sections are divided up into subsections of students in service and students who were not, including all the women and a few men, too. Details about the war service of each man appear with their college activities, and they are pictured in uniform. If they participated in battles and were wounded, that was listed, as well. Even the letters V-I-C-T-O-R-Y appear among the portraits of the students.

Examples of Juniors in Service.

Many of the students who served participated in Company A or B of the Student Army Training Corps based on campus. The S. A. T. C. units were mobilized from October 1 through December 10, 1918, a relatively brief period. The 228 enlisted men participated in military drills, learned the basics of military life, and gained specialized training that could be used for further war service. For more details on the S. A. T. C., see also this page from the St. Olaf Archives.

Company B of the Student Army Training Corps on the St. Olaf campus.

In addition to these historical details of the wartime experiences at St. Olaf, the yearbook includes many instances of artistic interpretation of that momentous time – including poems, songs, short stories, photographs, and more. An alumni names Bjorn Winger, class of 1914, contributed a number of poems inspired by his war service.

Poem by Bjorn Winger, ’14.

While the entire yearbook has not been digitized at this time, you can explore more of its war-related features online via the Northfield History Collaborative. To view it in its entirety, please set up an appointment with the staff at the Northfield Historical Society.

Snapshots of men and women in service.

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Fun Finds in the NHC: The Boys (and Girls!) of Summer

03 Friday Jun 2016

Posted by Stephanie Hess in Carleton College, History Blog, People, Recreation, St. Olaf College

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Tags

baseball

It’s that time of year again, when the Boys of Summer take the field. Since 1887, the people of Northfield have enjoyed playing and watching the game of baseball. And – luckily for us – taking photographs of baseball, too! The NHC has preserved a number of historical images of baseball games and players over the years. Here is a selection of the best ones from the collections of Carleton College, St. Olaf College, and the Northfield Historical Society.

Early baseball game in Northfield, 1887

The first baseball game between Carleton and St. Olaf colleges occurred May 14, 1887. Note the buggy and an actual hole dug out of the ground for spectators. View on the NHC

Northfield High School baseball team, 1902

The Northfield High School baseball team of 1902, seated on the school steps. View on the NHC

Baseball game at St. Olaf College, 1909

Baseball game played at St. Olaf College in 1909. View on the NHC

The All-PhD Baseball Team

Professors at Carleton formed a baseball team in the 1920s. They called themselves the all-PhD baseball team. Dr. Bird, Dr. Brooks, Dr. Woods, Dr. Wedel, Dr. Gingrich, Dr. Boodin, Dr. Cowling, Dr. Wilson, Dr. Robinson and Dr. Vestling made up the squad. View on the NHC

Indoor baseball, 1921

Carleton College also had an indoor baseball program. Teams played games inside the Sayles-Hill gymnasium, as shown in this photograph from 1921. Looks cramped! View on the NHC

Girls baseball team, Carleton College, 1920s

Don’t forget the ladies! In the 1920s, girls also formed indoor baseball teams at Carleton. Although it seems when the weather was nice, they played outside. View on the NHC You can also see the team posed here .

Herman Woock, 1924

The NHC has also preserved a number of baseball player portraits from Carleton. Here is an action shot of Herman Woock releasing the ball in 1924. View on the NHC

To see more early baseball photos, follow the links below! Or enter “baseball” into the search term field at http://nrcdighistory.org/ to get more results.

St. Olaf College baseball team, 1888

St. Olaf College team, 1909, with mascot

Carleton College women’s baseball team, 1922

Baseball game, St. Olaf at Carleton, 1926

If you want to see how baseball was played in the early years, come out to the Vintage Baseball Game: Northfield Silver Stars vs. St. Croix Base Ball Club on July 4, 1 p.m., at St. Olaf College (below Old Main Hill), part of the Northfield History Month celebration!

For more information on early baseball in Northfield, read Susan Hvistendahl’s article in the May 2016 Entertainment Guide, starting on page 37 of the actual magazine, and on page 41 of the online viewer. Play Ball!

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