Minnesota Prairie Roots

Writing and photography by Audrey Kletscher Helbling

Reflecting on Alexander Faribault upon his June 22 birthday June 17, 2026

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The Alexander Faribault house, a historic site owned by the Rice County Historical Society. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

MANY YEARS HAVE PASSED since I toured the nondescript wood-frame house built by Alexander Faribault in 1853. Multiple times a week I pass by this house which sits along busy Minnesota State Highway 60 in downtown Faribault. It’s become so much a part of the local landscape that I don’t even notice the building which was briefly home to Faribault and his family. But it’s an important part of local history given Alexander Faribault founded the town in 1855.

A promo for the upcoming birthday celebration features a photo of Alexander Faribault. (Promo credit: Rice County Historical Society)

On Monday, June 22, Alexander Faribault will be celebrated at a free birthday open house from 5-6:30 p.m. in his former home at 12 First Avenue Northeast. Born 220 years ago in 1806, Faribault died at age 76 in November 1882.

Attendees at the upcoming birthday celebration can learn a whole lot more about Faribault, the town and the house from staff and volunteers with the Rice County Historical Society. I’m always up to learning more about the city I’ve called home since 1984.

This sculpture of Alexander Faribault with a Dakota trading partner stands in Faribault’s Heritage Park near the Straight River and site of Faribault’s trading post. It sits atop the Bea Duncan Memorial Fountain. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

I know the basics about Alexander Faribault, a licensed fur trader who first established a trading post along the Cannon River in 1826 or 1827, depending on your information source. He was only twenty years old. He grew his business throughout the region, eventually trading with the Wahpekute and moving his trading post to the confluence of the Cannon and Straight Rivers, current-day Faribault.

A mural on the former Erickson Furniture business features Alexander Faribault against the backdrop of the city’s historic viaduct. The “bridging” theme fits Faribault the man and Faribault the city. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

I imagine for Faribault, who was half Indigenous, developing trading partnerships with the Dakota proved easy given his understanding of the people, their language and culture. But later that same relationship proved challenging for him. Locals, after the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862, no longer appreciated his friendship with the Dakota and his willingness to shelter some of them on his farm.

This scene in downtown Faribault reflects our community’s diversity. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

Back then, just like today, this community has not always been accepting of others. In the 1860s, the Dakota were targeted. Today it is the Somali community. It’s disheartening when history repeats itself, when differences in skin color, food, culture and language separate us. Alexander Faribault, as a mixed blood who embraced the Dakota, surely witnessed and felt the challenges of injustices and discrimination.

Children gather around a pinata at an international festival in Faribault. It is one of my favorite award-winning photos. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

My community has certainly made progress in welcoming all to our city. Yet, we could do better. I still hear derogatory comments about our Somali neighbors, worsened by the current political climate. I still hear derogatory comments about our Hispanic neighbors, made worse by current immigration policies. We are all, unless Indigenous or descendants of slaves, of immigrant roots, something people often forget.

An overview of Alexander Faribault’s gravesite in Calvary Cemetery on the west edge of Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

Alexander Faribault wasn’t “from” here. He was born in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. But he came here, established a fur trading business and eventually founded the city of Faribault. By all accounts, he was kind, generous and compassionate and served in many capacities from interpreter to territorial legislator to school board member to postmaster. I’m sure he had his flaws. We all do. But it seems Alexander Faribault did his best to build a strong and inclusive community that has grown into the diverse city of today. I think he’d appreciate a legacy of diversity.

A snippet of the words written about Alexander Faribault on a memorial marker at Calvary Cemetery, Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

On a 1958 marker at the entrance to Calvary Cemetery where Alexander Faribault is buried, these words are written about him: Race or creed did not color his judgments. He saw in every man the image of God and thereby the possibility of making this a better place in which to live.

Those seem necessary and profound words for all of us to read. Especially today.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

On the protest line, twice on June 14 June 16, 2026

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This banner honors Melissa and Mark Hortman just months after they were shot and killed. My photo also shows the Minnesota state flag and a campaign sign for Jake Johnson, DFLer running against Republican Congressman Brad Finstad in the First Congressional District. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo September 2025)

IF NOT FOR THE DATE, June 14, Sunday would have been like most Sundays for me. Off to early church, then bible study and back home for brunch.

But June 14, 2026, was not just another Sunday. This date marked the one-year anniversary of the politically-motivated assassinations of Minnesota Speaker of the House Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, and the shootings of State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette.

June 14 also marked Flag Day.

And June 14 marked another No Kings Day event, nationally a concert and locally several protests.

A quote from scripture on a sign once posted in downtown Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

I began my Sunday in church, where the pastor’s sermon focused on love. That seemed a fitting topic given the day. I jotted notes, taking away the key point that true love is “the willingness to do good.” The pastor applied that to both the love between and among people and the love God has for us as sinners unworthy of his love. Of course, the sermon got much more in-depth. I left church and bible study feeling loved and more determined than ever to show love in my actions. And words.

A quick change into jeans, a tee, denim jacket and tennis shoes and hair pulled into a pony tail and baseball cap placed atop my head, I was ready to join the weekly protest along Minnesota State Highway 60 in Faribault. The organizer changed the usual 11 a.m.-noon Saturday protest to Sunday because of the national No Kings Day event.

Me holding my newest sign. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo by Randy Helbling)

Randy and I were ready with new signs, mine themed to the national event wording: Rise up. Sing out. I added “Resist.” I’ve been publicly resisting the actions of the current administration for more than a year now. I cannot imagine remaining silent and therefore complicit.

Forty of us stood strong outside the Rice County government services building on Sunday, holding our protest signs, conversing, listening to Vietnam era protest music strummed on a guitar and sung by several protesters. It felt empowering to be there among like-minded individuals, raising our voices, trying to make a difference, creating awareness and, yes, showing love.

Little hands grasp the sign created by a little girl with an important message for adults. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

Love came in a heartbreaking sign carried by a little girl whose friend was deported to Mexico with her family. “Protect our friends,” her message read. She’d drawn, with the help of her mom, two girls holding hands. One brown, the other white. Two pink hearts filled out the poster.

This is love, when a little girl creates a love-filled message that calls upon adults to “Protect our friends.” Urging us “to do good.”

My sign opposing a proposed ICE detention center, aka prison, in Appleton, MN. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

I carried a similar two-sided sign, NO ICE PRISON IN APPLETON stenciled on one side, RISE UP, SING OUT, RESIST on the other. Plans are underway to open an ICE detention center in an abandoned private prison owned by CoreCivic in Appleton in far western Minnesota. The little girl who carried the sign asking us to “Protect our friends” is likely unaware of this planned prison. She knows only that someone took her friend, whom she misses.

I always bring extra signs to protests. My friend Barb held this one that I created. I have a stash of signs in my basement. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo 2026)

This little girl is among the reasons we protest. We care about our children, about the country they will inherit, about our democracy.

Twelve of us protest on a bridge over I-35 near the Medford Outlet Center between Faribault and Owatonna for an hour on Sunday. (Photo courtesy of fellow protester, Cathy)

Five hours after the Faribault protest ended, Randy and I stood with 10 others on a bridge over Interstate 35 by Medford, each of us holding a single letter to spell out two messages: NO WAR and NO KINGS. As 25-30 southbound vehicles per minute zoomed by below, we stood strong with our letters plastered against the fence, small American flags in between, large American flag flying in the brisk wind at the beginning of our line. Down the road in Owatonna, a similar group faced northbound traffic on the Bridge Street overpass with the same messages.

Protesting above I-35 at Medford late Sunday afternoon. (Photo courtesy of fellow protester, Cathy)

It felt good to be here, to make new friends, to commiserate, to uplift, to wave, to show travelers on the interstate below that we love this country enough to protest threats to democracy, injustices, war,…the abundance of words and actions that are anything but loving.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Music, food & conversation on the prairie June 15, 2026

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The Rev. Penny Bonsell of Little Prairie United Methodist Church, in the background, welcomes the crowd and introduces the Old Country Boys at a June 10 concert. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

HEAT AND HUMIDITY gave way to a lovely evening on the prairie. Here, on a grassy space edged by trees, a cornfield, county road and gravel parking lot south of Dundas, folks gathered for “Music on the Prairie.”

Waiting to buy a $5 meal deal. The meat portion of the menu varies at each concert. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

And, oh, what an event, the first in a three-part summer concert series hosted, fittingly, by Little Prairie United Methodist Church. As I took in the scene, I thought, life doesn’t get much better than this—great food, music and conversation in the outdoors on a perfect summer evening in southern Minnesota.

Volunteers grill burgers crafted from locally-raised beef. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)
Waiting in line for food. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)
A volunteer hands out delicious homemade cookies. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

Even waiting in line for a fresh local beef patty, a cup of specialty beans (the special ingredient being sauerkraut) and the most delicious homemade chocolate chip cookie sprinkled with sea salt didn’t phase typically-impatient me. Conversation flowed. And the down-home music of the Old Country Boys thrummed a beat across the land as they performed atop a flatbed trailer.

Dancing to the music of the Old Country Boys. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

This was an evening meant for pulling out the lawn chairs, for coming here to eat a meal served up by church members, to chat with friends old and new, and to listen to songs like “Ring of Fire,” “King of the Road,” “Sweet Caroline,” “Country Roads” and more. Music that got some in the crowd waving their arms, singing along and others on their feet dancing across the lawn.

The Rev. Penny Bonsell, accompanied by the Old Country Boys, sings to her husband, Tom. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

The Rev. Penny Bonsell and her husband, Tom Hollenhorst, dressed all in black, briefly took the stage to entertain the crowd as June Carter and Johnny Cash singing “Jackson,” the duo’s 1967 billboard country chart hit. The performance was a hit with the audience as was a song Bonsell sang for her husband in honor of their third wedding anniversary.

Cowboy hats fit the music. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

Another couple in the crowd was celebrating their 70-something anniversary (I didn’t catch the exact year). They were married at Little Prairie, a picturesque white country church located on a country crossroads corner just to the east of the concert site.

The band performs as smoke from the grill drifts and a large crowd listens. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

Both anniversaries were recognized with rounds of applause. A band member also led the crowd in welcoming a woman home from a lengthy hospital stay while he videotaped the message for Deb. Such care and compassion builds community, connects us.

Afton hangs out by coolers filled with pop and water available for purchase. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

All ages came to “Music on the Prairie”—babies in strollers, toddler Afton in her floral skirt and soft pink Princess tee celebrating her first birthday the next day, a four-year-old girl who had just finished preschool, young people, parents and grandparents. All generations.

Creating big bubbles on the spacious green space next to a cornfield. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)
Daughter and dad string beads into a bracelet. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)
Kids run around the grounds and play on the fenced in playground built next to a mini Little Prairie church replica facade. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

I watched as a little girl dipped an over-sized wand in a bucket, then drew bubbles across the air. I watched as a dad helped his two-year-old daughter thread beads onto a string, making a bracelet for her mom. I watched as kids climbed ladders inside the Little Prairie Playground, a mini replica of the church.

I stepped into the cornfield to take this photo of concert goers. This is a definitively rural location in the middle of farm fields. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

I listened as a train whistle blew, the train rumbling past on a track through a tree line next to the cornfield next to the lawn where we sat enjoying the music of the Old Country Boys.

Kids pull on the rope to ring the bell inside the steeple of the playground church. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

I listened to the clang of a church bell inside the playground, the hum of a generator powering the band’s amplifiers and electric guitars.

The Old Country Boys drummer. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

I hugged my friend Lee whom I haven’t seen in a while. I talked to other friends I haven’t seen in a while. And I made new friends here at Little Prairie where great food, music and conversation connected all of us on a beautiful early June evening in the countryside.

The crowd gathers and settles in for the Old Country Boys concert. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

FYI: The next “Music on the Prairie” on Wednesday, July 22, features the Over and Back Band playing funky rock n roll and gypsy bluegrass. The third and final summer concert happens on Wednesday August 19, with The Rockin’ Hep Cats performing roots rock n roll. Attendees can purchase a meal beginning at 5:30 p.m. Music is from 6-8 p.m. The concert is free with donations accepted to support Little Prairie ministries.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Adin Castle, a “bright spot” in the lives of many June 11, 2026

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Adin Castle (Photo source: Parker-Kohl Funeral Home, Adin’s obituary)

PHOTO BY PHOTO, I scrolled, stopping halfway through the collection of 265 images. I’d seen plenty, enough to understand that Adin Nathaniel Castle, 19, of Faribault was much loved.

Today Adin’s family and friends will memorialize him, then bury him at Maple Lawn Cemetery. He died on May 24 from injuries sustained in a head-on collision on Minnesota State Highway 3 in Castle Rock Township. The other vehicle reportedly crossed the center line, hitting the car driven by Adin’s girlfriend, Arianna Hess, 18, according to the state accident report. Adin died at the scene. The crash remains under investigation. The couple was on their way out of town on a date.

I didn’t know Adin in life. But I certainly feel like I know him in death based on his online obituary and the accompanying photos and guestbook comments.

Oh, those photos. Frame after frame I see Adin grow from newborn to child to teen, surrounded always by family and friends. At the apple orchard. Fishing. Celebrating birthdays. On the playground. In a canoe. Getting his hair cut. Playing ball. In a Halloween costume. Working on cars. A baby become boy become man. Smiling. Happy. Embraced by so much love.

KIND WORDS

“You raised a good son,” Kathy writes in an online guestbook. Adin is survived by his parents, two siblings and other family.

By all accounts, Adin was a light in the life of many, including customers at Glenn’s Service, an auto repair and tire shop, towing service and gas station in Faribault. He worked there the past three years as an attendant.

Imagine being so appreciated and so valued that you are remembered as bright, smart, polite, respectful, hardworking, helpful, smiling, funny, chatty, caring, humble and positive. Those attributes, among others, are tagged to Adin. To be remembered in such a way speaks to his character.

“A bright spot at the (gas) pump,” notes Kathy.

SO LUCKY…

Adin loved working on vehicles, especially Ford vehicles, his obit reads. He also enjoyed fishing, camping, drawing, star gazing and date nights with his true love, Arianna. She writes: “Adin was always a great man who took pride in his community and his family and I was so lucky to get to love him. I’ll miss you, my love.”

“…so lucky to get to love him.” I love those words typed by Arianna. She shows incredible strength in personal grief, a deep understanding of what it meant to love Adin.

PASSIONATE ABOUT VEHICLES

He was passionate about cars and trucks. His family is taking that love and running with it, inviting mourners to drive their classic cars, trucks or favorite rides in the procession to the cemetery. I expect Adin would have liked that.

The community has rallied in the face of this unspeakable tragedy with kind and loving words and via contributions to a GoFundMe account to help cover funeral and medical expenses. Donors have gifted $11,767 toward a $13,000 goal.

Adin lived only a short while on this earth. But the positive impact he made on others is evident. That much I understand about the young man I never knew, but now know.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Inside Energy Park during the golden hour of sunset June 10, 2026

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Oh, how lovely the light on the pond. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

IN THE ETHEREAL LIGHT of the setting sun, Randy and I loop around the ponds at Faribault Energy Park, our shoes crunching on gravel.

There’s an abundance of wildflowers in the park. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

If not for the steady roar of traffic on adjacent Interstate 35, this parcel of parkland would prove especially peaceful.

Trails lead to and around the wind turbine, unmoving on this evening. A portion of the power plant is visible in the distance. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

Despite the drone of vehicles, I still appreciate this 35-acre park that takes visitors past three ponds, a wind turbine and solar panels. Often we are alone here, which makes this park even more appealing. Occasionally, though, a dog runs free, despite rules requiring leashing.

Wild roses along the trail. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

On this visit, I focus on the wildflowers and grasses that flourish here as late spring transitions toward summer. Only steps into our walk, Randy discovers a wild rose bush along the trail. We both step off the path to dip our noses into a five-petaled pink rose, to smell the delicate scent of nature’s perfume. I recall youthful days of biking along country roads, the ditches populated with fragrant wild roses.

More wildflowers. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

I’m no plant expert, thus can’t identify most of the other flowers I see here. But I do know enough to stay away from the invasive wild parsnip. The toxic yellow plant, if touched, burns the skin.

Brome grass catches the beautiful light and sways in the wind. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

Brome, pond-side and other grasses draw my eye as they stretch toward the sky. Or, on this evening, bend in the wind as if dancing a farewell recital to daylight.

Looking through the trees, I see clouds building. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

Clouds build to the west and north, sometimes blocking the sun.

An egret takes flight from a pond, its wings lifting, flapping, long black legs trailing in a straight line. The bird rises high out of camera range.

A red-winged blackbird perches near the power plant pond. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

A chorus of birds, mostly unseen, sing as we walk along the trails, around the ponds. I can only distinguish the unique voice of a red-winged blackbird.

One of several bluebird houses in the park. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

Randy weaves through the tall grass to check a bluebird house, finding only a few feathers and dried grass inside.

Sunlight dapples the landscape. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

Sunlight glints on water, shadows through trees. This time of day—the golden hour before sunset—holds a light-beauty matched only by the hour after sunrise. This is the time I want to be out with my camera composing images, but also simply in the moment. As trite as the word may seem, “beautiful” defines the light.

A trail circles a pond, wind turbine in the distance, a warehouse on the other side of the interstate. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

To hike and take photos at Faribault Energy Park in this hour settles my spirit in a way that only nature can. Wildflowers. Tall grasses. Bird song. Sunlight on water. Clouds rising. The wind touching my face. The scent of a wild rose.

Gravel roadways wind through the park. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

All of this I find here on this parcel of parkland, this place beside the busy interstate where motorists rush by while I walk, shoes crunching on gravel.

The pond next to the power plant is also a fishing spot. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

FYI: Minnesota Municipal Power Agency owns Faribault Energy Park, which includes parkland and a power plant. The park is located at 4100 Park Avenue North on Faribault’s north side and is open from sunrise to sunset. Here visitors can hike, enjoy a picnic and fish in the pond next to the power plant.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

The gifts of flower power & a hug June 9, 2026

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A beautiful floral-themed LOVE mural in Northfield. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

WHEN WE CONNECT, when we give of ourselves, beautiful things happen.

Several months ago, I was the recipient of an unexpected gift. Hours later, I was the giver.

Such moments make life joyful and meaningful, causing us to pause and consider how much our words and our actions matter. For we are, if anything, all alike in our basic humanity. We need each other. We hold the power within ourselves to make a positive difference in the lives of others.

Ann did exactly that for me. I was out protesting, as I am nearly every Saturday morning in Faribault, when Ann showed up with a brown paper gift bag. A little background: Ann lived up the hill from me many decades ago and we’ve since bumped into each other occasionally about town. This winter we reconnected on the protest line.

My friend Ann, center, in her flower power sweater at the March No Kings Day protest in Faribault. Another No Kings Day protest is set for 11 a.m.-noon on Sunday, June 14, outside the Rice County government services building in Faribault. It’s part of a nationwide event on June 14. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo March 2026)

At the third No Kings Day protest in March, Ann arrived in a vivid 1960s/1970s vintage vibe sweater she’d crocheted. I loved her flower power sweater so much that I blurted, “I need one!” Of course, I really didn’t expect Ann to craft a sweater for me. But she suggested I talk to her again in the fall, when she had more time for crocheting.

The flower power tote Ann crocheted for me. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo April 2026)

Fast forward a month and there was Ann holding that gift bag toward me on the protest line. “I made something for you,” she said. Inside I found not a flower power sweater, but a handcrafted flower power tote bag. Ann’s unexpected gift brought me nearly to tears as I considered the hours she spent crocheting, crafting something she knew I would appreciate and love. And I do.

Ann apologized that it wasn’t a sweater, explaining that she’d made several already and couldn’t tackle another. That didn’t matter to me. I never expected a sweater. So to receive this surprise from Ann, who is an incredibly strong, kind, compassionate and caring woman, meant a great deal to me. I felt enveloped in the warmth of her kindness and love.

Faribault area farm-fresh strawberries. Photo used for illustration only. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

Hours later, I extended kindness to a shopper in the produce section of a local grocery store. When I commented on the price of strawberries, Pam (not her real name) and I commiserated over the high cost of groceries and everything in general. That led to a political discussion and venting from both of us about the current administration, the war in Iran and more. I invited my new friend to protest with me on Saturday mornings.

But Pam can’t. She’s a caregiver for her disabled husband. It’s hard for her to leave him, even to shop for groceries. Pam shared more, which I will keep confidential. But it was enough for me to offer her encouragement and to acknowledge the challenges she faces as a caregiver. Her husband was having an especially difficult day, which weighed heavy on Pam. I could see that she needed affirmation, acknowledgment of her feelings, and support.

Encouragement I received from a friend in a mini card sent years ago. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

I could offer all of that to Pam as I, too, have been a short-term caregiver. I didn’t tell her that. This was Pam’s story, not mine. But I tried to uplift her. “Can I hug you?” I eventually asked. Pam accepted my offer. And then we embraced, not in a superficial pat-pat on the back way, but in a tight hug that held the emotional depth of two women who understand the importance of human connections.

Tears brimmed her eyes and mine when Pam told me we were meant to meet that afternoon in the produce department of a local grocery store. I agreed. The cost of strawberries jump-started our conversation. But humanity and my genuine concern for Pam took us beyond casual conversation to a memorable moment. To a hug. Warm and genuine and real. A gift to both of us.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Churches connect community at summertime concerts June 5, 2026

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Little Prairie United Methodist Church, rural Dundas. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

SET AMONG THE FARM FIELDS of Rice County south of Dundas, Little Prairie United Methodist Church joins several area congregations hosting free family-oriented mid-week summertime concerts aimed at connecting community.

Gathering on the prairie for a 2025 summer concert at Little Prairie with music by The Old Country Boys. (Photo courtesy of Little Prairie UMC)

Little Prairie kicks off its second summer of “Music on the Prairie” concert series from 6-8 p.m. on Wednesday, June 10, with The Old Country Boys performing old country and rock songs. Subsequent concerts also happen on Wednesday evenings with the Over and Back Band on July 22. Minnesota Music Hall of Fame fiddler Dr. Mike Hildebrandt plays with the band, presenting a unique blend of funky rock n roll and gypsy bluegrass. At the season’s final concert on August 19, The Rockin’ Hep Cats will perform roots rock n roll.

The food service area at a 2025 “Music on the Prairie“ concert. Serving starts at 5:30 p.m. (Photo courtesy of Little Prairie UMC)

Besides listening to music, attendees can purchase affordable $5 meals prepared by Little Prairie church members. Up first on June 10 are grilled burgers crafted from locally-raised beef, Jim’s famous German beans (originally created for Oktoberfest in Dundas), chips, dessert and pop or water. July’s main menu item is locally-made hotdogs from Greg’s Meat Shop. And on August 19, Sloppy Joe’s will be served. Serving begins at 5:30 p.m.

Kids can play with bubbles at Little Prairie, just like they did in this photo from “Holy Smoke” at Christ Lutheran Church in Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

“Music on the Prairie” also includes activities for kids featuring yard games, big bubbles and several small crafts.

Enjoying the music of The Old Country Boys at “Music on the Prairie” on a beautiful summer evening in 2025. (Photo courtesy of Little Prairie UMC)

While the concerts are free, free will donations are welcome to benefit Little Prairie’s ministries. This is a wonderful opportunity to connect with community and enjoy a variety of music, plus a meal, in a quiet countryside setting.

The “Holy Smoke” pizza baking crew at Christ Lutheran Church, Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

The same can be said for the Wednesday evening summer concert series at Zwingli United Church of Christ in Berne, located in the country south of Wanamingo or a half hour northeast of Owatonna. This summer marks the 15th year Berne has served up music and its handcrafted wood-fired pizzas. The church grounds open at 5 p.m. every Wednesday, June-August, for the themed events benefiting Zwingli UCC, other churches and area non-profits.

It was Berne’s long-running, successful concert series which inspired the Rev. Penny Bonsell to try a summer mid-week music series at Little Prairie. After a pilot run in 2024, the event really took off in 2025, she said, with a goal of growing community.

Wood-fired brisket pizza crafted at Christ Lutheran’s “Holy Smoke.” (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

Wood-fired pizza is also on the menu at Christ Lutheran Church, high atop a hill on Faribault’s east side. The second Wednesday of the month, June-August, “Holy Smoke” pizza and music event runs from 5:30-8 p.m. Proceeds benefit local nonprofits, this summer the Paradise Center for the Arts, Habitat for Humanity and St. Vincent de Paul.

Connecting over music and pizza at “Holy Smoke.” (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

I’ve only ever been to “Holy Smoke,” multiple times, but intend to check out the newest of these summer concert series at Little Prairie. Perhaps eventually I’ll make it to the more distant, larger and busier gathering at Berne.

If you opt to attend any of these, remember your lawn chair. Also bring your appetite, your appreciation of music and your enthusiasm for connecting with others. These three concert series build community with music and food, giving us just one more reason to get outside on a summer evening in southern Minnesota.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

An unexpected prairie place: “Little Yellowstone of Minnesota” June 4, 2026

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Ramsey Falls in Redwood Falls. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)

WATER RUSHES OVER the aged granite rock, roaring into the gorge below. It is a scene so beautiful, so unexpected, that this 256-acre city park has been dubbed the “Little Yellowstone of Minnesota.”

Park signage along the river in the zoo area. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)

Recently I revisited Ramsey Park, also known as Cansa’yapi, translated to “where they paint the trees red” from the Dakota language. A Mdewakanton Band of the Dakota live near neighboring Morton and refer to their traditional Minnesota River Valley homeland as Cansa’yapi.

On this day, I come to see Ramsey Falls along Ramsey Creek, which feeds into the Redwood River inside the park. The Redwood then flows into the Minnesota River.

If the creek level is high, water spills over two areas of the rock. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)

Ramsey Falls, with its 30-foot drop, is the star attraction in this park founded in 1911 as a state park with ownership transferred to the city of Redwood Falls in 1957. This is a gem in a county marked by farm fields, farm sites, small towns and mostly flat topography.

A side view of the swayback bridge from a previous park visit. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

Here, within this park, narrow roads twist and turn through woods, descending to the river bottom. Creek and river waters flow. Three and a half miles of cemented hiking trails (new since I left the area 50 years ago), run throughout the park. A swayback bridge built in 1938 by workers with the Works Progress Administration Project along the Redwood River adds an historic architectural element to the park.

Zooming in on a buffalo through a fence. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)

For anyone who loves the outdoors—fishing, hiking, camping, picnicking—this park offers it all. The park is also of interest to geologists and history buffs. A small zoo with its resident buffalo and other animals has always been an attraction, too.

The Redwood River photographed from the swayback bridge. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)

But it is really the land and the water that brings visitors like me here. Hills and gorges. Waterways. Trees thickening into dense woods, vastly different than the shelterbelts protecting farm sites from prairie winds.

Crossing the WPA swayback bridge over the Redwood River. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)

I remember coming here as a child and feeling like I’d entered a different world. Yet, I was still in Redwood County, only 20 miles from the flat farm fields of home to the west. I recall the terror I felt when Dad maneuvered the Chevy around a tight hairpin curve in the park, the steep hillside falling below us. I remember standing in awe of Ramsey Falls, and being more than a little afraid of stepping too close to the fence at the falls overlook. I remember the car dipping across the swayback bridge.

Teenage years took me along a steep, narrow dirt path down to the massive rocks beside the falls for a picnic lunch with friends.

A bird sings in a riverside tree. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)

On this afternoon, I lean into the sturdy overlook fence, focus my camera on the rushing waterfalls, notice the surrounding greenery, appreciate this Little Yellowstone of Minnesota. I’ve never been to the Wyoming national park, thus have no comparison to make. That really doesn’t matter; this place holds its own Yellowstone beauty.

The small zoo is home to several playful goats, other animals and birds. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)

At the Ramsey Park Zoo, I focus on the buffalo, who seem considerably more docile than I remember. Still, I respect them and understand their importance to the Dakota, original inhabitants of this land. Long gone are the caged monkeys that once entertained me with their antics.

Close up with a buffalo in the Ramsey Park Zoo. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)

Ramsey/Cansa’yapi Park lies 110 miles to the north and west of my current home in Faribault. Decades removed from Redwood County, I still feel connected to this oasis in the prairie where the water falls and they paint the trees red.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Noteworthy finds while on the road in southern Minnesota June 2, 2026

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Driving into Redwood County near Morgan. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo May 2026)

WHILE ON THE ROAD from Faribault to my hometown of Vesta and back recently, I noticed interesting roadside details. These may not necessarily catch the attention of other motorists. But they caught my eye.

Unleaded gas was priced substantially lower than other places at Morgan Convenience on May 26. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)

“BARGAIN” GAS

Let’s start with the price of unleaded gas at Morgan Convenience, Food & Fuel. It was priced at $4.18 (rounded up a tenth) on May 26. Elsewhere along the route, the cost was $4.49 (rounded up a tenth). I don’t understand how the gas price in Morgan, a small rural Minnesota town of some 900, can be so much lower than in neighboring New Ulm, population around 14,000, for example. Or in Faribault with about 25,000 residents. This makes no sense to me and is not the first time gas prices in more rural outstate Minnesota have been priced considerably lower.

Signage at a restaurant and bar in Morgan. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)

MORE THAN JUST BURGERS

Also in Morgan, I spotted this sign: THE SPOTT. And, yes, the period is part of the abbreviated name. Clever. Upon returning home, I researched this business, full name The Spotted Bear Ale House. It’s a restaurant and full service bar.

The Facebook page features lots of food I’d enjoy: loaded pulled pork baked potato; pulled beef Gouda sliders with Parmesan fries; caramel, strawberry lemon, raspberry and/or banana rolls with peanut butter frosting; General Tso chicken and rice with crab salad; and more. Yum. The offerings impress me as vastly different from your typical small town burgers and other bar food. As a side note, this business is for sale.

An old threshing machine is the backdrop for Gilfillan Estate signage. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)

AN ESTATE IN THE MIDDLE OF FARM FIELDS

Just down the highway, another sign grabbed my attention. That was signage on an old threshing machine marking the Redwood County Historical Society’s Gilfillan Estate. It’s not the sign so much as this property west of Morgan along Minnesota State Highway 67 that is noteworthy. Here you’ll find both the estate and the site of Minnesota Farmfest.

The estate, with its long, tree-lined driveway leading to a stately house, has been here for as long as I can remember. The original owner, Charles Duncan Gilfillan (1831-1902), bought 10,000 acres of Redwood County farmland. He built a house, offices, a grain elevator, stockyard and tenet homes here and raised purebred livestock exported to Great Britain. Eventually his son, Charles Oswin Gilfillan, took over the estate. The younger Gilfillan was an active philanthropist in Redwood County. I must make an effort sometime to tour the estate and learn more about the Gilfillans and their generosity.

An A.C.O. silo still stands between New Ulm and Courtland. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)

A NOD TO FARMING OF YESTERYEAR

More history is written onto a silo that hugs U.S. Highway 14 east of New Ulm. The A.C.O. on the brick silo stands for AC Ochs of the AC Ochs Brick and Tile Company in Springfield, several towns down the road to the west 30 miles distant. These silos, made from curved bricks, were built across the Midwest between 1910-1945. I love their historic, signature look and their unique construction. They are landmarks of a bygone era of diversified small family farms.

The Colonial Inn, with a 73-year history in New Ulm. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)

AN OLD SCHOOL MOTEL

In New Ulm, the Colonial Inn along North Broadway/Highway 14 appears old school motel. And it is. Built in 1953, rooms in the U-shaped building open to the paved parking lot. While I’ve only seen the motel from the exterior and a few photos on the no-frills website, this motel seems exactly as I would expect. Basic. Simple. And a throwback to yesteryear with the exception of WiFi.

A billboard with an unusual question. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)

FIRE & BRIMSTONE

Finally, in the Smiths Mill area along Highway 14 east of Mankato, a thought-provoking sign asks whether you will go to heaven or to hell when you die. I have no idea who paid for this billboard with the John 3:36 notation at the bottom. But it’s certainly an oddity in highway signage. Fire or no fire?

You never know what you’ll discover while on the road.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Author tracks the James-Younger Gang’s escape from Northfield May 29, 2026

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An overview of a presentation given by Russ Swanson at the Rice County Historical Society on May 28. The coat lying on the podium is a replica of the inverness capes worn by the James-Younger Gang. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)

THEY WERE, HE SAID, masters of deception. And after listening to a well-researched and entertaining presentation about the James-Younger Gang at the Rice County Historical Society in Faribault recently, I agree.

This assessment of the outlaws who attempted to rob the First National Bank of Northfield on September 7, 1876, comes from Russ Swanson of Canton, South Dakota. The ag teacher, farmer, author and researcher shared a wealth of information on the gang, focusing on the outlaws’ efforts to escape capture after the failed robbery.

(Book cover sourced online)

But Swanson, author of A Chase to the Death: The Detailed Pursuit of the James-Younger Gang Following the Northfield Raid, also provided plenty of pre-robbery history that I found especially interesting. The eight-member gang arrived in St. Paul in late August 1876 after a 13-hour train ride from Sioux City, Iowa. I always thought they rode into Minnesota on their horses and headed for Northfield. Not so.

Instead of robbing the bank in Mankato, the gang attempted to rob the Northfield bank, pictured here. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

PLANS TO ROB MANKATO BANK

The gang split upon their arrival in St. Paul with some going to Red Wing, where they stayed at the St. James (National) Hotel. Others went to St. Peter, then to Madelia. By this time, they’d purchased horses. Eventually the eight met in Mankato, intending to rob the First National Bank of Mankato, their original Minnesota target. But they were recognized and ditched the plan.

Swanson threw out a lot of information as he led the audience on the gang’s journey through Minnesota, then back west to Dakota Territory and Iowa. En route to Northfield, they stayed in LeSueur Center (current-day Le Center), Janesville and then Millersburg, imbibing in whiskey purchased there. Swanson spun a detail-rich storyline.

He didn’t spend much time on the actual seven-minute Northfield bank robbery, a point Swanson acknowledged at the beginning of his presentation. The short crime left a bank cashier, a bystander and two of the outlaws dead and others wounded.

This slide created by Russ Swanson shows the eight outlaws with information in red about them and also their horses. To the left are the locals wounded and killed during the attempted robbery.

PURSUIT & ESCAPE

The gang’s efforts to escape capture prompted the largest manhunt in U.S. history with 1,000 men searching for the outlaws. Swanson used maps to show the routes taken by the gang, which eventually split. Frank and Jesse James traveled together while the three Younger brothers and Charlie Pitts stuck together.

The saga is one of stolen horses, the first taken near Dundas. Of gunfights, including south of Shieldsville. Of taking men captive to guide them through the Big Woods near Kilkenny and elsewhere. Of awakening to church bells by Marysburg. Of abandoning horses near German Lake. Of crossing the Cannon, the Blue Earth and other rivers. Of hiding in cornfields.

Russ Swanson points to information specific to Northfield in another slide. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)

MASTERS OF DECEPTION & HORSE THIEVES

To hear so many familiar place names took me along the escape route—riding into woods, crossing an unguarded railroad bridge, traversing rivers, stopping at farm sites. Desperate to evade capture, the savvy outlaws pretended to be members of the posse pursuing them. They stayed with farm families under those false pretenses.

That their true identities remained mostly hidden speaks to that “masters of deception” label Swanson tags to the gang. The outlaws stood out in their mannerisms, their talk and even their dress—draping, sleeveless inverness capes concealing their firearms—yet still fooled many.

They stole Percheron draft horses in Garden City. The James brothers stopped for breakfast in Luverne and then were pursued into Dakota Territory, stealing more horses. Blind and partially-blind horses. Eventually, the pair stole a horse at gunpoint north of Canton, South Dakota. Turns out that horse owner, Peter Wahl, homesteaded on land that Russ Swanson now owns. That prompted his 10 years of researching the James-Younger Gang, authoring a book and today presenting on the topic.

“This area is a hotbed of their territory,” Swanson told the audience in Faribault. He backs up that statement with extensive research, tapping into maps, newspaper articles, census records and more from Minnesota into South Dakota and Iowa. He noted the abundance of eyewitness accounts.

The First National Bank is now a museum with tours available. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

DETAIL-RICH STORIES

I found the entire presentation intensely fascinating, rich in details. A lost hat. Nights of impenetrable darkness. Stolen chickens. Too much whiskey. Eleven bullet holes in Cole Younger, whose toenails fell off when he removed his boots after days of riding. A bullet that wounded a pursuer’s horse still in possession of his family generations later.

As Swanson concluded his talk, he shared a quote from Cole Younger, captured in a September 21 shoot-out in Hanska Slough near Madelia that took the life of outlaw Charlie Pitts. “Be true to your friends if the Heavens fall,” Younger said, refusing to give up any information to authorities. The Younger brothers went to prison while the James brothers escaped to Missouri.

Swanson shared more, much more, in his lengthy talk and Q & A. In the all of it, I was surprised to learn of so many locations in this region connected to the failed Northfield bank raid. Had the eight gang members remained incognito while in Mankato, this story would have followed a different plot line, a different path into history.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling