THIS WEEK ONE OF MY FAVORITE area writers comes to downtown Faribault. He’s Owatonnan Chris Norbury, award-winning author of three books in the Matt Lanier mystery-thriller series and a stand alone middle school novel, Little Mountain, Big Trouble.
Books on Central, a used bookshop of the Rice County Area United Way, is hosting Norbury beginning at 6 p.m. Thursday, October 23, as part of its author series. Norbury will read and talk about his books and the craft of writing.
I’m excited to see Norbury again. We’ve chatted briefly several times when he was selling his books at events in Faribault. He is a genuinely nice guy whose writing I happen to love. As a writer, I recognize Norbury’s devotion to craft—the time, energy, inspiration and hard work it takes to write a book. I expect to learn more during his upcoming talk and the Q & A that follows.
My first introduction to Norbury came via his mysteries, all set in Minnesota with recognizable place titles like Castle Danger, Straight River and Dangerous Straits. Main character Matt Lanier is a southern Minnesota farm kid turned professional musician. I’m especially drawn to books set in Minnesota and with strong home-grown characters like Lanier.
(Book cover sourced online)
But it is Norbury’s novel for middle schoolers (and older, including adults), Little Mountain, Big Trouble, which really resonates with me. I encourage you to read my review of this book (click here) about 12-year-old Eduardo, who is bullied and eventually paired with a Big Brother, Russ. Like Russ, Norbury was a Big Brother for 20 years and today donates a portion of his book sales to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Minnesota. I appreciate Norbury’s generous ongoing support of an organization which helps young people.
(Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
Books on Central also gives back to community through its umbrella organization Rice County Area United Way. Book sale proceeds go to the United Way which in turn provides financial support to select nonprofits in the county. All book inventory is donated by community members and all staff at the used bookshop are volunteers. There’s so much to love about this Minnesota bookstore and Minnesota writers like Chris Norbury. Kindness, compassion and community center both as they embrace books and the craft of writing.
FYI: Books on Central, 227 Central Avenue North, Faribault, is open from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Friday and from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays and other times for special literary and other events.
I took this photo of a young boy with a dinosaur painted on his face and imitating a dinosaur at the Virtues Trail Family Night in Faribault six years ago. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo 2019)
“THE KIDS KNOW more about dinosaurs than me,” said my friend Larry Richie, retired Faribault area farmer, amateur archaeologist, historian, volunteer at Nerstrand Charter School and much more. He’s one of those guys who’s a wealth of knowledge accrued through years of living and caring about people, animals, the land and history. And he’s always willing to share his discoveries.
Larry Richie leads his donkey, Orville, around the Rice County Steam & Gas Engines grounds in 2024. He brought Orville to the fall show again this year along with a collection of fossils. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo August 2024)
I ran into Larry recently at the Rice County Steam & Gas Engines Fall Show where he had set up tables with fossils uncovered during digs on property south of Faribault. I didn’t take notes, so I don’t recall everything my friend told me. But I left feeling pretty certain I’d just touched, picked up and photographed dinosaur bones.
Larry knows a heckuva lot more than I do about these plant and meat-eaters that roamed the earth long ago. But not as much as the kids, he laughed. I concur. My grandchildren certainly know more about dinosaurs, and Pokemon, than I do.
One of many fossils Larry brought to the Gas & Steam Engines Fall Show. Those would be toes on a dinosaur, according to Larry. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo August 2025)
As I listened to Larry, I thought, here’s a man with passion and determination. Although he’s, as yet, been unable to find anyone who will verify the authenticity of his dinosaur bones, I walked away a believer.
The battery-operated dinosaur roars, moves its head and arms, and flashes its eyes. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
Dinosaurs are decidedly amazing creatures that fascinate all of us, no matter our age. I remember playing with plastic dinosaurs as a young child. If I was to dig around in an upstairs storage space, I’d likely find those vintage toys. And if I headed to the basement and opened a tote, I’d find several dinosaurs, including battery-operated ones, belonging to my now grown children. Those roaring dinos with flashing red eyes scared my grandkids as preschoolers.
A tribute to Sinclair Oil and its dinosaur in a residential yard in Owatonna. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2025)
One dinosaur that never scares is DINO, the Apatosaurus of Sinclair Oil fame. I happened upon three multi-sized versions of DINO along a residential street near Morehouse Park in Owatonna recently. The trio was strategically placed on either side of Sinclair gas pumps, the scene like a work of art, a snapshot of marketing history.
The largest of the three DINOs in the Sinclair Oil Company display in Owatonna. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2025)
Elvern and Arlene Kletscher with children, Audrey, Lanae, Brian and Monica, at Dinosaur Park in the summer of 1966. I’m the oldest sibling in this photo taken by my brother Doug.
There’s something about dinosaurs that is timeless, that appeals to generations. I hold fond memories of visiting Dinosaur Park in Rapid City, S.D. in 1966 on the only vacation our family ever took. It’s documented in a black-and-white photo pasted in my photo album. Those mammoth sculptures atop the hill made an impression.
Today I remain in awe of dinosaurs. Just like my friend Larry, my grandkids and countless other kids and adults. I expect we’d all feel a bit differently, though, if dinosaurs, especially meat-eaters, still roamed the earth.
The prairie at River Bend Nature Center, Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2025)
IN THE IN-BETWEEN SEASON of not exactly winter, but not quite spring here in Minnesota (although the calendar says otherwise), I feel like I’m waiting. Waiting for snowfalls to end. Waiting for the landscape to transition from drab browns and grays. Waiting for vibrant colors to appear.
My neighbor’s spring flowers. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo 2023)
There’s a sense of anticipation and wonder when buds form, when the first tender shoots of spring bulbs emerge from the soil, then flower. Purple crocuses. Sunny yellow daffodils. Followed by tulips and other flowers in a rainbow of hues.
Spring wildflowers at Kaplan’s Woods Park, Owatonna. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
I love the beginning of spring—real spring, not the teasing warm days of early and mid-March or simply a date (March 20) on a calendar.
Spring erupts in Minnesota at Falls Creek Park, rural Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo May 2022)
I love when the landscape is flush in green, a green so vibrant that it’s almost indescribable.
Oak leaves at River Bend. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2025)
The starkness of this time of year in Minnesota focuses the eye on details, like the rough bark of a tree in the woods at River Bend. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2025)
Dried seedheads at River Bend. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2025)
While I await the greening of the landscape, I remind myself to appreciate the natural world around me as it is now. The stubborn dried oak leaves that clung to branches through the fierce winds of winter. The rough textured bark of a tree. The dried seed heads and leaning swamp and prairie grasses. All hold the seasoned beauty of days, of weeks, of months, of time.
Animal prints in the snow in my backyard. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2025)
Seasons are not timed by a calendar date, but by the natural world. Authentic spring arrives in Minnesota on her own timetable. Often unhurried. But sometimes abrupt.
The woods at River Bend await the budding of spring. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2025)
As I await spring’s bloom and budding, I realize that the seasons of life also should not be hurried. The years pass too quickly, although we are mostly ignorant of that in our younger years. I understand that now in this advancing season of my life.
For several minutes, I watched and photographed this bald eagle soaring high above the Straight River at River Bend Nature Center. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2025)
I value the moments more, recognizing that seasons end. And seasons begin.
The Irish national flag flies outside an Irish pub in Wabasha. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
I’VE NEVER ATTENDED a St. Patrick’s Day celebration. I’ve never eaten corned beef and cabbage. But I have eaten Irish stew at The Olde Triangle Pub in Wabasha, although not on St. Patty’s Day.
Green beer outside a bar in downtown La Crosse, Wisconsin. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
I once spotted a partially-filled cup of green beer sitting outside a bar in La Crosse, Wisconsin, the day after St Patrick’s Day. I’m quite certain I’ve consumed an Irish lager or ale, although the beer was not colored green.
The Church of St. Patrick in St. Patrick. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
I’ve never attended a St. Patrick’s Day Mass, although I’ve photographed the exterior of the Church of St. Patrick, Cedar Lake Township in the unincorporated village of St. Patrick.
A tombstone in the Church of St. Patrick Cemetery. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
I am 100 percent German, although I had a full-blooded Irishman uncle (he died a year ago) from Belfast. He married into the family.
Now if any of this qualifies me to be an Irishwoman for a day, I will accept the luck of the Irish and don some green on March 17 or thereabouts.
We can all be Irish in mid-March as communities, churches, restaurants and bars, and more celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. In my region of southern Minnesota, you’ll find lots of ways to be Irish. Starting on Saturday, March 15, Sacred Heart Church in Waseca gets festivities underway with Irish music and Mass at 10:30 a.m. A Parade of Clans to The Mill Event Center follows at noon for an Irish rally. I take rally to mean a big party—food, including Mulligan Stew and corned beef and cabbage, served from a food truck; beer; music and entertainment; and more fun. At 7 p.m., Miss St. Patrick and Miss Irish Rose will be crowned. A dance follows. I should note here that Waseca is home to an Irish pub, Katie O’Leary’s Beef & Brew.
Signage on St. Patrick’s Tavern in St. Patrick. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
The tiny, unincorporated Scott County burg of St. Patrick, basically a church, cemetery, baseball field and tavern, is, of course, honoring the patron saint (and its name) via food and music at St. Patrick’s Tavern. The bar and restaurant along Old State Highway 13 northeast of New Prague will serve corned beef, cabbage and red potatoes on March 15 with a green beer on tap. Food and beer specials continue on March 17. There will be music both evenings.
Shamrocks in my yard, planted by friends. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
Over in Le Center, a full day of Irish-themed festivities begins at 11 a.m. March 15 with Mass at St. Mary’s Catholic Church. Over at the American Legion, Mulligan Stew will be served from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. And then at 2 p.m., the big St. Patrick’s Day parade through downtown Le Center begins. Presiding over everything will be the newly-crowned royalty—Miss Shamrock, Miss Leprechaun and Miss Irish Rose. Dancing in the evening at the Legion wraps up the celebration.
A St. Pat’s Day decoration in a storefront window in Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
In Owatonna, VFW Post 3723 is hosting a March 15 St. Paddy’s Day Dinner & Trivia party with dinner choices of corned beef and cabbage or Shepherd’s Pie, plus sides and dessert, served from 5-6:30 p.m. Irish Trivia follows at 7 p.m. with a chance to win a Pot of Gold. There will also be leprechaun races and other activities.
(Promo source: Paradise Center for the Arts Facebook page)
Music centers a high-energy show Saturday, March 15, at the Paradise Center for the Arts in Faribault as Twin Cities-based The Northerly Gales brings its spin on Celtic Folk and Americana to the stage at 7:30 p.m. And, yes, you can enjoy a beer while enjoying the music.
Patrick’s on Third anchors the corner on the left of this block in downtown St. Peter. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
Over in St. Peter, St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on the actual date, March 17. Paddlefish Brewing offers a special on its Leprechaun Lager. I expect the Irish and not-so-Irish will also gather at Patrick’s on Third for food and drink, including green beer. The Govenaires, the longest, continuously-operating drum and bugle corps in the U.S., performs in the 5:30 p.m. St. Patrick’s Day Parade and then briefly afterwards at Patrick’s on Third. The Governaires are traveling to Ireland in August to participate in the Rose of Tralee International Festival. They are encouraging donations of $17 on March 17 to help fund the trip.
Irish pride shows on the Kilkenny, Minnesota, water tower. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
So there you go, a sampling of St. Patrick’s Day activities happening in my region. But I must mention one more thing. If you want to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Kilkenny, Minnesota, you’ll have to wait. The Le Sueur County town of some 150 with the Irish name shifted its annual Irish celebration to September. Halfway to St. Paddy’s Day is set this year for September 13 and 14. Mark your calendars for more Irish fun six months from now.
The audience settles in as Nancy Vaillancourt, center, is about to begin her presentation, “Minnesota’s Hooded History.” (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2025; all photos taken with my smartphone)
NOT MUCH HAS CHANGED in 100 years. That summarizes my thoughts after attending a talk, “Minnesota’s Hooded History—The Ku Klux Klan in 1920s Minnesota,” followed by a Q & A Thursday evening at my local library. Hate groups still exist in America, just with different names, different targets, different locations, different levels of participation.
But the core ideology of these groups, based on what I heard and what I’ve read, remains unchanged. The same in 1925 as in 2025. Historian and retired librarian Nancy Vaillancourt could have been talking about current day America when she shared her research into the KKK in Minnesota. The KKK professed a strong Christian faith, patriotism, Americanism, American ideals and more as they targeted first Blacks, then Catholics, Jews and others, including immigrants. Sound familiar? Today this hatred and intolerance is coming not only from organized hate groups, but also from individuals and from people in positions of power.
Faribault hosted the first state Klan convention, with details outlined in this slide presented by Nancy Vaillancourt. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2025)
Back to Vaillancourt’s presentation Thursday evening. About 100 attendees packed the Great Hall meeting room at Buckham Memorial Library to capacity in a city which hosted Minnesota’s first state Klan convention in August 1924. Klan members from 69 cities and towns attended the event at the Rice County Fairgrounds in Faribault with the KKK claiming 2,500 in attendance. A publication noted fewer than half that number actually attended. Inflated crowd numbers. Sound familiar?
Nancy Vaillancourt displays an authentic Klan hood given to her by a woman from Blooming Prairie. She warned audience members that some items she would be showing may be disturbing and that they could step out if necessary. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2025)
Certainly, hosting a state KKK convention is not a proud moment in a city’s history. But it is history none-the-less and important to know. We cannot deny our past, even if hurtful and painful and awful. And Vaillancourt revealed plenty of hurt and hate as she presented, focusing on the KKK in my region of southern Minnesota. She confirmed the presence of Klan chapters in nearly 60 Minnesota counties at one time. Groups of men, women and sometimes children who, in their hooded coverings, spewed hatred and intolerance while waving American flags and singing “Onward Christian Soldiers.”
Cross burnings occurred in Faribault, (including on the bluffs below St. Mary’s Hall), Stockton, Red Wing, Winona and other locations cited not only by Vaillancourt, but by audience members. Like Teresa, whose husband’s grandmother had a cross burned in her yard near Waterford (outside Northfield) because she was Catholic. Klan hatred toward Catholics was particularly strong in 1920s Minnesota.
A Catholic mother, who had just given birth, watched as the KKK paraded past the Owatonna hospital while en route from the Steele County Fairgrounds to Central Park during the state Klan convention in 1926. Can you imagine the fear she felt? Not unlike the fear targeted groups of people are experiencing today in this country.
Sounds like a deceptively wholesome gathering at the Klan Park in Owatonna. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo February 2025)
Because Vaillancourt is from Owatonna, much of her talk focused on that community just south of Faribault along Interstate 35. Owatonna, it seems, was a hotbed of Klan activity, hosting local and state gatherings. But the fact that stood out for me was the Klan’s purchase of 20 acres of land east of downtown Owatonna. That land became Klan Park, a place to gather, organize and socialize. The local chapter even constructed a meeting house there. While it is disheartening to hear this, it was uplifting to learn that the land was sold in 1945—to a man whose wife was Catholic. Attendee Bonnie shared that bit of information about her great uncle, who was invited to join the Klan, declined because of his wife’s Catholicism and then eventually bought the land. Today that former KKK park is the site of soccer practice fields, Vaillancourt noted, where a diverse group of youth play.
Vaillancourt covered a whole lot more in her presentation. Like how the Klan recruited from fraternal orders, Protestant churches, via fiery speeches, by invitation. Fear and social and economic pressure were used to draw people into the Klan. Sound familiar? In Virginia, in northern Minnesota, the entire school board claimed Klan membership and made Bible reading in school compulsory. The mayor of St. James was a major grand dragon of the KKK. The Northfield Klan hosted a KKK homecoming Labor Day parade in September 1926. The Klan was big on parades. That makes sense given the intimidation and fear a mass of hooded marchers can instill in the public. And Owatonna residents were afraid, Vaillancourt said.
A powerful editorial from a southeastern Minnesota newspaper. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo February 2025)
Yet, there were individuals—like Bonnie’s great uncle—organizations and media who resisted and challenged the Klan. The NAACP, the National Vigilance Association, the Knights of Columbus… Vaillancourt specifically noted the Catholic-based KC group for effectively exposing Klan members in a community.
This gives me hope, when I hear of media, individuals and organizations that stood up and refused to accept hatred and intolerance. It gives me hope, too, when members of my community turn out in strong numbers to learn about “Minnesota’s Hooded History.” Knowledge is powerful. It gives me hope, too, when someone like Nancy Vaillancourt cares, researches and shares because, she says, she wants “to get the truth out.” Even while some still deny it.
A photo gallery exhibit, “Testify—Americana Slavery to Today, The Diane and Alan Page Collection,” will be displayed in the hallway connecting Buckham Memorial Library and the Faribault Community Center from April 1-23. The exhibit will also be at other libraries throughout the Southeastern Libraries Cooperating (SELCO) system.
The “Minnesota’s Hooded History” program was made possible with support from Minnesota’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Library Legacy Fund and SELCO.
I took this photo of a student watching a video of Martin Luther King, Jr. in the exhibit “Selma to Montgomery: Marching Along the Voting Rights Trail” at St. Olaf College in 2015. It was an especially powerful exhibit. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo 2015)
AS MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. DAY approaches, I feel such gratitude to this activist, this civil rights leader, this man of integrity, love, justice and peace who left this world a better place. King inspires me to be better, live better, do better.
I appreciate that King is celebrated not only on a national level, but also locally in our cities and small towns. Even without a local celebration, we can each do our part to honor him by taking a moment to reflect on King’s legacy. His words inspire. As a writer, I especially value how eloquently he spoke with such power, passion and conviction.
His messages continue to resonate.
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.”
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
“I have a dream…”
And then there’s this quote, unfamiliar to me until now, but, oh, one that I find particularly fitting for each and every one of us: “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’”
Visitors could photograph themselves at the Selma exhibit and express their thoughts. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo 2015)
The community of St. Peter is taking that King quote and running with it on Monday, January 20, during an MLK Day of Service. The St. Peter Good Neighbor Diversity Council and Gustavus Adolphus College are partnering in this event to “foster a ‘Beloved Community’ and address issues of social justice and equity.” I love the word choices of “Beloved Community.” Already that shows me a depth of care for one another that will thread through Monday and beyond.
MLK Day in St. Peter begins with information shared about local service opportunities from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. in the campus center at Gustavus. Then later, folks can gather to share stories and conversations about King’s dream and how that is not yet realized. That’s from 1-2:30 p.m. in the Center for Inclusive Excellence at Gustavus and from 7-8:30 p.m. at the St. Peter Community Center.
To promote service and conversations personalizes this, takes the day well beyond just a commemoration.
Opinions expressed in the exhibit polling place at the Selma exhibit. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo 2015)
Over in Northfield, the Northfield Human Rights Commission is celebrating MLK Day with a 7-8 p.m. gathering at the high school. The theme, “Mission Possible: Protecting Freedom, Justice and Democracy in the Spirit of Nonviolence 365” seems a fitting title for this event. Freedom. Justice. Democracy. Nonviolence. All are important and relevant words to carry with us 365 days of the year.
Minneapolis City Council member Robin Wonsley, a person of color who hails from Chicago, studied at Carleton College in Northfield and worked on racial justice and worker’s rights for several organizations, is the keynote speaker.
Additionally, and perhaps the aspect I appreciate most about the Northfield event, is a presentation of the annual (since 1998) Northfield Human Rights Award. That goes to an area individual, group or organization that has contributed to the advancement of human rights in Northfield. I think people need to be recognized when they’ve worked to create a “Beloved Community” via advancing human rights.
Photographed in August 2018 in the storefront window of a business in downtown Faribault, Minnesota. Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo 2018)
Even if you can’t attend an event like one of the three I’ve highlighted here, I hope you will take time on Monday, January 20, to reflect. Consider the great work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Ponder how much has changed and how much work remains to be done. And then do what you can, no matter how big or how small, to live a life focused on love, justice, peace and service to others. Be the light that drives out darkness.
Walking up the driveway to Souba Greenhouse for “Christmas on the Farm” last Saturday. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo November 2024)
IT WAS, IN SOME WAYS, like going back to my childhood family farm in southwestern Minnesota. But rather than traveling 120 miles, I arrived from neighboring Faribault at Souba Greenhouse, a farm site and business on the western edge of Owatonna, for “Christmas on the Farm.”
A 1928 Hart-Parr tractor owned by Bill and Debi Souba idles between wagon rides. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo November 2024)
Walking up the paved driveway edged with vehicles, I felt the cold, biting wind sweeping across the land. That, too, was familiar as prairie winds are seemingly ceaseless. A massive white barn snugged by two towering silos lent more familiarity.
Bundled up for a wagon ride on a cold and windy Saturday morning. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo November 2024)
And then I heard the tractor, the deafening snap snap of a 1928 Hart-Parr 18-36. It sounded a bit like the putt putt of my dad’s old John Deere, only much louder. Guests had already settled onto blanket-draped straw bales atop a wagon for a short ride around the farm yard. They were, I noted, warmly dressed with hoods and stocking caps topping heads. The bright sunshine fooled no one on this cold and windy Saturday morning. I skipped the wagon ride, something I’d typically enjoy.
I passed the barn, silos, a pole shed and Christmas trees on my way to the greenhouses. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo November 2024)
A family searches for a Christmas tree inside the pole shed. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo November 2024)
Instead, I aimed for the warmth of the greenhouses, passing stands of Christmas trees displayed outdoors with more for sale inside an adjacent pole shed. Already I felt the warmth of the holiday season in this rural setting.
Parked inside the greenhouse was this vintage truck. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo November 2024)
Stepping into the greenhouse, I was immediately drawn to a vintage International truck festooned with garland, a fake Santa propped inside the cab. “Vintage” fits Souba Greenhouse, established in 1892 as a Truck Farm. Today this wholesale and retail greenhouse is fifth-generation family owned by two cousins. The business grows annual flowers and vegetables.
Staff sported colorful matching Santa holiday sweaters, just the right festive fashion flair for the event.
Lots of holiday ornaments for sale. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo November 2024)
The second-hand books inside these brown wrappers are, except for genre, a surprise to the buyer and the gift recipient. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo November 2024)
Vendors ringed the greenhouse, peddling sweet treats, holiday décor, cleverly-packaged books and more.
Everything inside the greenhouses was decidedly festive. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo November 2024)
And while I could have enjoyed complimentary popcorn and a hot drink as I wandered among the goods, poinsettias and more, I opted not to given I had my camera in hand. Folks shopped and chatted and smiled. Lots of smiles.
Santa, between family photo shoots. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo November 2024)
I waited inside a second greenhouse as families climbed into a sleigh for photos with Santa. I wanted a photo of Santa only. No need for me to pose with him.
I delighted in seeing this horse and a few cattle at the farm. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo November 2024)
And then it was back outside for a look at the Christmas tree selection. I prefer a scraggly Charlie Brown tree to perfectly-shaped. But I didn’t find that at Souba Greenhouse. What I discovered instead was the spirit of the holiday on a piece of land that took me back in time to the farm. There’s comfort in that, in stepping onto a farm yard complete with barn, silos and pole sheds, a noisy tractor, lounging cattle and a horse munching hay. This felt very much like “Christmas on the Farm” to this farm-rooted girl.
Among the many signs that drew my interest in Owatonna was this insurance agency sign. The bold colors and layered signage stood out. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2024)
SIGNS, WHETHER HANDWRITTEN on a piece of paper or professionally made to mark a business, fascinate me. They reveal much about the heartbeat and history of a community.
Love this artsy sign.The curving arrow points me directly to Wagner’s. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2024)
On a recent visit to Owatonna’s downtown, I photographed a collection of signs that caught my eye. I lean toward vintage, or those that appear vintage. I also lean toward unusual names and interesting fonts and art.
This candy shop and eatery has a lengthy history in Owatonna. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2024)
Most people likely view a sign only as an identifier or source of information. Clearly not me. I see signage through the lens of a writer and a photographer.
Even if partially missing, I still appreciate the vintage charm of this sign. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2024)
The Kitchen, a downtown Owatonna staple gathering spot. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2024)
A catchy name for a bar. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2024)
Every town, not just Owatonna, offers a potluck of signs, a feast for the eyes. All signs bring something to the table. Something that tastes of local flavor. And I’m not just talking food or drink, although certainly you will find plenty of that along North Cedar Avenue and other streets spoking off Owatonna’s main downtown artery.
This shows partial signage for Central Park Coffee and a mini owl mural, among several owls “hidden” in downtown Owatonna. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2024)
It’s that time of year again, time for all things pumpkin as noted on this sandwich board. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2024)
A long-standing pizza place along North Cedar Avenue. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2024)
I’m also talking about the stories behind those signs. The people who own the businesses, run them, welcome customers inside for a cold one, a cup of coffee, a slice of pizza, a new pair of shoes, a pumpkin truffle, even an insurance policy. Signs are more, much more, than simply signs.
A mostly unreadable (at least to me) ghost sign. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2024)
On the side of Owatonna Shoe is this painting of Princess Owatonna, after whom the city is named. A statue of the princess stands in Mineral Springs Park, the spring and princess being part of local lore. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2024)
The long ago Roxy Theater is honored in the Main Street Mural in a downtown pocket park. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2024)
Signs also hold history. Ghost signs, of which there are several in Owatonna, write of bygone days. Murals paint history, too, of the Roxy Theater and of Princess Owatonna and more.
And then I spotted this vintage gem on a building… (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2024)
Wherever you live, whatever community you visit, I encourage you to pause, look and really see the signage. Appreciate the history. Consider the stories. Study the fonts and art. Enjoy the potluck of signs that flavor a place.
An overview of Owatonna’s new streetscape. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2024)
FILL A DOWNTOWN WITH LUSH greenery and flowers in over-sized planters, add water features, and places to sit, mingle and converse, and you have what I consider an inviting space. That would be downtown Owatonna.
Lush planters front a ghost sign in a repurposed space, like a pocket park, between buildings. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2024)
On a recent visit to this southern Minnesota city an hour south of Minneapolis along Interstate 35, I discovered a visually-appealing, pedestrian-friendly business district along revamped North Cedar Avenue. I haven’t walked through downtown Owatonna in awhile, not since a major streetscape project was completed in the fall of 2022. And I must say, the results are simply stunning.
Signage on a building notes past preservation efforts. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2024)
As I walked block after block through this National Register Historic District, I focused not so much on the buildings as on the beauty. Trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, all have been incorporated into the streetscape. Within limestone edged planters. In mammoth free-standing planters. In hanging baskets.
So many inviting details here in bench, barrels and plantings. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2024)
The results present a harmonious connection with nature, a garden-like appearance, a feeling of serenity, of wanting to linger. And that’s exactly what business owners and others hope. Stick around. Connect. Shop. Spend money. Enjoy.
An example of businesses located along North Cedar Avenue. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2024)
Downtown Owatonna offers a good mix of service-oriented businesses, retail shops from shoe store to boutiques to bookshop and more, along with places to dine, drink and even stay overnight. A new Courtyard by Marriott anchors a downtown corner, complete with outdoor sidewalk-side seating and a fire pit.
In a narrow space between buildings, bistro tables await. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2024)
Everywhere, I spotted these welcoming spaces. Some are squeezed between buildings—in narrow areas I assume were once alleyways. Planters lush with ferns and flowers soften the hardscapes of brick and cement. Cozy bistro tables with seating for two to larger round tables with spots for four encourage outdoor dining and conversation. Overhead party lights crisscross some areas, adding to the evening ambiance. Only the addition of outdoor public art would up the charm. Maybe that’s coming.
Flowers make a strong statement on a downtown anchor corner by Central Park. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2024)
There’s more, much more. Rectangular limestone planters flush with trees, perennial flowers, shrubs and grasses create a living buffer between street and storefront that feels protective, naturally calming.
I spotted several of these fountains. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2024)
Unobtrusive small scale water features scatter throughout the downtown. Benches beckon. There’s a neighborly vibe here, of connectedness.
A high-top narrow table caught my eye. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2024)
I even spotted a skinny high-top table, minus chairs, cemented into the sidewalk, ideal for standing and chatting while nibbling or sipping. Outside a wine bar, two wooden barrels hold space.
Bike racks, like these corner ones, are placed throughout downtown, making this a biker-friendly area. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2024)
All of this, everything, speaks to me: “Welcome, we’re happy you’re here. Wander. Engage. Relax.” Owatonna got it right in this redo of their downtown. I appreciate when people take precedence over motor vehicles. (There’s still plenty of parking available.)
Hydrangea grow in this welcoming space, where work continues. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2024)
I like the feeling I get in this downtown, along North Cedar Avenue. One of friendliness. One of deliberate attention to details. One of offering spaces that connect, that build community. One of feeling embraced in a carefully-curated nature-oriented environment.
This downtown feels like a place where I could listen to acoustic music, peruse a pop-up mini art show or listen to a local poet read poetry in a revamped alleyway. Mostly, though, downtown Owatonna feels pedestrian-friendly in a way that most downtowns do not. And that, to me, holds infinite appeal.
The Betty, a mint-flavored Oreo ice cream treat, one of my favorites at The S’Cream. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
AN ICE CREAM TREAT seemed in order after walking through Owatonna’s beautifully-redone, pedestrian-friendly downtown Tuesday afternoon. The sun shone bright on a day as ideal as they come in southern Minnesota. Yes, I could go for ice cream to cool off, not that I ever really need a reason.
So Randy and I headed to our favorite home-grown ice cream shop, The S’Cream.
But our stop at this busy walk-up shop turned out to be more than a pause in our day for a peanut butter sundae and a monster cookie dough Flurry. I struck up a conversation with Paisley and her grandpa (mostly Paisley) while Randy waited for our order.
A bus photographed near Morgan, Minnesota, and used here for illustration only. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
I didn’t know the two. But I like to engage in conversation, even with strangers. I’ve met many interesting individuals this way. Paisley is no exception. She had just finished her first day of kindergarten and was celebrating with a vanilla/strawberry twist ice cream cone.
As Paisley licked her cone and I spooned cookie dough-flavored ice cream, we talked. First off, I asked about school, a day she summarized as “good and fun.” That led to my next question, “What made it fun?”
Well, Paisley explained, she brought a Barbie book home from school. That prompted me to stress the importance of reading. If you can read, you can learn anything, I told my new friend who is turning six in September. I shared that I also have a September birthday. To which Paisley shared that she’s celebrating her birthday all month long. True or not, I don’t know. But I do know this. Paisley doesn’t like spiders, including the one hanging out in her kindergarten classroom on Tuesday.
But that didn’t quell her spirit. Paisley was happy and animated and not one bit shy. I learned a lot in the time we ate our treats. Her backpack is purple and sports a “P.” She lives in the country, had three cats (one’s gone; I didn’t ask), has three semi trucks (one is “hers”; again, I didn’t ask) and has a loose tooth. Paisley wiggled a bottom front tooth to verify her claim.
The Blast, with locations in Owatonna and Northfield, is another popular ice cream spot. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
This kindergartner was all wiggles. Understandable given her first full school day. She moved constantly while licking the melting ice cream that soon ran onto her hands. A few drips fell onto her shirt, a sparkly pink tee emblazoned with the word LOVE.
What a great message Paisley took to school. She exudes love. That gives me hope. Here’s a little girl who loves school and life and birthdays, especially birthdays. I felt absolute joy in her presence.
Forty-five miles away, my 5-year-old grandson also started kindergarten. He’s much different than Paisley. Quiet. Reserved. But he is no less enthusiastic about school. His mom, my eldest, shared this upon his return home: “Isaac said the school day felt like 3 minutes!” So, yes, he, too, had a good day, a fun day, summarized in that creative response to his mom.
Oh, the joy these kindergartners—one a stranger, the other a dear one—brought me on a beautiful September day in southern Minnesota.
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
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