Minnesota Prairie Roots

Writing and photography by Audrey Kletscher Helbling

Farmer Seed history featured in new corner kiosk September 14, 2026

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Informational panels about Farmer Seed & Nursery were recently installed at the former nursery site in Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2026)

AT THE INTERSECTION of busy State Highway 60 and 8th Avenue Northwest just blocks from downtown Faribault, motorists zoom past a corner kiosk marking the location of a once historic landmark business in this southern Minnesota city.

A 1920s photo of Farmer Seed is featured on the first panel. However, the caption incorrectly dates it as 1980. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2026 of a vintage photo)

On this spot along the highway, Farmer Seed & Nursery stood next to the railroad tracks, an icon of agriculture rooted initially in selling seeds to farmers. But, through the decades, the company grew into much more, supplying nursery stock, plants, seeds and such to the public, the everyday gardener via seed catalogs and a retail store.

Farmer Seed offered a wide assortment of flocked trees. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo December 2014)

During the holiday season, the business flocked trees, making them a local signature Christmas offering.

The two panels present a summary of Farmer Seed’s history along with photos and more. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2026)

Today the history of this long-standing Faribault entity is summarized on two informational panels recently installed in a corner kiosk next to Midwest Flats, a new 55-unit apartment building, and Midwest Indoor Storage, both occupying the former Farmer Seed site.

The first of two panels summarizes the growth and history of Farmer Seed from its birth in Chicago to its move to Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2026)

The informational panels are displayed inside an airy wood-frame structure partially-constructed with beams salvaged from the Farmer Seed building. After the business closed in 2018 and before it was demolished in 2023, volunteers and staff from the Rice County Historical Society saved artifacts from the building, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

This shows a portion of the artsy 1914 Farmer Seed catalog cover, shown on the first panel. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2026)

Today those items, like signs, seed packets, catalogs and advertisements, are showcased in a small exhibit inside Heritage Hall at the historical society. Information and select artifacts from that collection were incorporated into the kiosk signage, RCHS Executive Director Dave Nichols said. He welcomes visitors to tour the museum display with 24 hours advance notice given. Local artist and historian Jeff Jarvis provided the initial sketches for the overall kiosk design.

The second panel in the kiosk shares memories and more. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2026)

Back along the highway, anyone can stop anytime to read a summary of Farmer Seed’s history, which began with its founding in 1888 in Chicago. By 1893, the thriving business had moved west to Faribault. Farmer Seed quickly became nationally-known. Six years after its relocation here, Farmer Seed moved across the street into a large stone warehouse once occupied by Faribault Threshing Company.

Found inside a time capsule, this note was reproduced on the second panel in the kiosk. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2026)

For Faribault residents, Farmer Seed represents more than an iconic business with a 125-year history here. It represents memories. Buying seeds, bulbs and other gardening merchandise. For some, packing seeds inside the sprawling multi-floor complex. For others, wandering among beautifully-decorated Christmas trees in the retail shop and choosing an ornament to buy each year. For some families, purchasing a flocked tree.

The cover of the Farmer Seed memory book Jeff Jarvis is creating. Farmer Seed was founded in Chicago in 1888, moving to Faribault in 1893. ((Credit: Jeff Jarvis of West Cedar Studio)

Local historian Jarvis is collecting those stories for a Farmer Seed memory book. Community members can submit their stories via a submissions form found on Jarvis’ West Cedar Studio website, https://westcedarstudio.com/farmer-seed-nursery-memory-book/. The book will include photos and additional information along with those personal stories.

This mural was installed in 2025 on the side of Midwest Indoor Storage. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo October 2025)

The memory book will complete a three-phase endeavor to preserve Farmer Seed’s history. The Faribault Heritage Preservation Commission early on recognized the need to document Farmer Seed’s history by requiring the new property owner to complete several historical remembrance projects. The first came in a 20×24-foot mural designed by Jarvis and painted by Melodee Strong of Minneapolis. Installed in 2025, it hangs on the west exterior side of the indoor storage unit building.

The kiosk completion marks the second phase of the HPC directive.

Beams from Farmer Seed were used to construct the kiosk at the intersection of Minnesota State Highway 60 and 8th Avenue Northwest. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2026)

While the massive Farmer Seed building could not be saved from demolition, its legacy in the Faribault community endures. The mural, the informational kiosk and the memory book are fitting historic tributes to a company that once stood strong, next to the train tracks along Minnesota State Highway 60, as a cherished local landmark business.

© Copyright 2026 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, trading with the Wahpekute, a band of the Dakota, 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 French Canadian and Dakota, 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. Some 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

 

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

 

Finding oddities, history & community at RCHS Flea Market May 19, 2026

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Shoppers peruse flea market goods early Saturday morning. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)

WHENEVER I SHOP at a flea market, like the one last Saturday at the Rice County Historical Society, I challenge myself to find the quirky, odd and/or unusual. I’m never disappointed.

A replica spiked metal helmet sold at the flea market. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)

Hands down, the most interesting find at the RCHS market was a replica Pickelhaube, a spiked metal helmet worn by an Imperial German Army officer during the 1870s Franco-Prussian War, according to vendor Carson Heselton. He sold the reproduction helmet to a young man who seemed thrilled to get his hands on the unusual piece and learn a bit of history in the process.

An historic church and school, owned by the historical society, backdrop the flea market. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)

Heselton holds a wealth of historical knowledge, which is no surprise given he has a degree in history and is currently in graduate school. Somehow we got on the topic of the Ku Klux Klan’s presence in Rice and Steele counties many decades ago. Heselton wrote a college research paper on the subject with his work now on file with the local historical society. I intend to read it at some point. But he shared a little with me, including that the Klan burned a cross in the yard of his grandmother’s Catholic family when she was just six years old. The KKK targeted Catholics along with African Americans. His grandma never forgot that traumatizing event, the story passed down through the generations.

Timmy Capranos with his The Holy Catch lures. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)

Vendor Timmy Capranos of Kilkenny brought an over-sized cross to the RCHS Spring Flea Market. But his had only good intentions—to market his faith-themed fishing lures under the tag “The Holy Catch.” Each lure features a cross with the words GOD LOVES YOU.

A sample Father’s Day card includes the date of the celebration. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)

Capranos earns my award for creativity with not only his $4.99 holy lures, but also his Design Your Own Card enterprise of blank card stock offered for 99 cents to, well, design your own card. He even provided a sample Father’s Day greeting card. I love his humor, his entrepreneurship and his overall joyful personality.

Jeremy Struff of JS Woodcrafts brought his handcrafted wood products, including this bowl. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)
For the gardener, a vendor sold wildflower seed pods. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)
Kenyon vendor Likkle Jamaica Cawna sold her Jamaican Hot Pickle (for fish and meat) and baked goods. Her Jamaican bread was sold out when I stopped by her table. She hopes to sell her homemade foods at local farmers’ markets. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)

I saw more creativity in crafted wooden bowls, lemonade stand signs, wildflower seed pods, yard art, beer bottle wind chimes (also by Capranos) and pickled vegetables.

This is the first time I’ve seen a tractor for sale at a flea market. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)

You never know what you’ll find at a flea market. A guy even showed up with an early 1950s Super A Farmall tractor.

Collectors could find Fleck’s Beer bottles and related items from the historic Faribault brewery. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)

The adage of “One person’s junk is another’s treasure” certainly fits. Since I don’t need more junk or treasures, I try really hard not to buy anything. Mostly I eye the goods, reminisce, talk with people and scout for the quirky, odd and/or unusual.

A Faribault resident’s finds from a long ago local business. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)

And sometimes I find history in the process—in a replica Pickelhaube, a thermometer promoting pioneer corn and Hy-Line chicks, and bottles that once held Faribault-brewed Fleck’s Beer.

Vendors set up in front of the RCHS, then wrapped around the side and back. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)
The tin man and woman, who once stood outside Lockerby Sheet Metal in Faribault, watch over the flea market as permanent installations at the historical society. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)
A Fun Lil’ Band entertains. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)

I also find community at flea markets. There’s something about poking around in piles of stuff that feels grassroots connective. I often find myself striking up conversations with vendors and sometimes shoppers. I usually see people I know, which leads to a bit of catching up.

A seller counts his money. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)

Another opportunity to shop for unusual finds and handcrafted goods happens Memorial Day weekend in nearby rural Dundas. Rice County Steam & Gas Engines hosts its annual spring event with a flea market and swap meet from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, May 23, and Sunday, May 24. A consignment auction is also set for 9 a.m. Saturday and a tractor pull for 9 a.m. Sunday.

Payment signage among tools for sale at the RCHS Flea Market. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)

I hope to be there, poking around, looking for the quirky, odd and/or unusual as I connect with community and maybe learn some history in the process.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Living history along the Cannon River May 18, 2026

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Tents aplenty, including that of a hat maker, were set up by the Cannon River for the Riverside Rendezvous in Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)

ALONG THE BANKS of the Cannon River in Faribault’s North Alexander Park, they set up camp. The fur trappers, the blacksmith, the weaver, the spinner, the tinsmith, the shopkeeper, the hat maker…all of them in a community founded by a fur trader, Alexander Faribault.

In between stitching leather, this re-enactor weaves a cord. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)

History came to life here, at the second annual Riverside Rendezvous and History Festival organized by the Rice County Historical Society. This event is like a step back in time to the 18th and 19th centuries with history enthusiasts in period costume demonstrating long ago hands-on work and talking up their passions.

One of the hands-on activities, making candles. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)
The blacksmith pounds hot metal. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)
Tinsmith Kitty from Lake Pepin demonstrates tinsmithing. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)

Here I watched candle-making, blacksmithing, rug weaving, spinning of wool into yarn, tinsmithing…

Attendees listened to this participant give a lesson in defense and weaponry. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)

I learned about crests and weapons.

Listening to The Skally Line musicians. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)

I listened to musicians on-stage, one group singing about Tator Tot Hotdish, not exactly period appropriate, but entertaining none-the-less.

Playing an historic saxhorn inside a dry goods tent. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)
History-themed books filled a tent, these appropriate to the event. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)
Lots of hats for sale. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)

Inside Stick and Stump Dry Goods, a musician blew into an 1873 saxhorn, drawing attendees into the tent to peruse the merchandise. A row of merchants vended goods from tents, selling period weapons, beads, books, belts, soap, hats, knives, clothing and a whole lot more.

Guided by the archer, Randy aims at the target. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)

In a far corner of the park, rendezvous attendees stepped up and tried their skills at archery and tomahawk throwing. I passed given my lack of athleticism. I watched, though, while my husband, Randy, pulled the bowstring and, in one of three attempts, hit the target.

A photo opp after tomahawk throwing. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)

I also observed a re-enactor taking a photo of two tomahawk throwers with their smartphone, another example of present day and yesteryear mingling in an almost (at least to me) comical moment. Those long ago dwellers of this land could never have imagined the technology of today.

There were many open campfires for cooking on the encampment grounds. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)
Stripping the plant dogbane to make into a strong thread. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)
A still life of simple foods and dinnerware. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)

Events like this not only preserve and celebrate history, but serve as visual reminders of how much has changed with the passage of time. Progress can often be measured by the past.

MN Jack Sparrow and his pirate “ship” were a draw, especially for the kids. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)

I’m not a history buff. Yet history interests me enough to want to learn more, to attend events like the rendezvous. Before the encampment opened to the public over the weekend, local students came by the hundreds to North Alexander Park for a living history lesson. I would have enjoyed history a whole lot more as a child had I gone to something like this.

Period dress is an important part of the rendezvous. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)
Humorous signs inside the Baby’s Indian Frybread tent. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)
Spinning and playing with a toy spinner. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)

As I wandered around the grounds, photographed, listened, conversed, paused to eat first savory, then sweet, Baby’s Indian Frybread, I considered the time, effort and work involved in putting an event like this together. It’s a lot for the organizers, volunteers and participants.

The North West Company was a Canadian fur trading company important in early fur trade in this area. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)

I’m grateful for this rendezvous which brings living history to Faribault, a place where the Wahpekute once fished and trapped and traded and dwelt. This place, too, where Alexander Faribault came to trade with the native Dakota, to settle, to establish the town named after him.

A vendor inside a tent with blankets, weapons and an assortment of goods for sale. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)

Faribault is a town rich in history. Rice County is a county rich in history. Minnesota is a state rich in history. And, on Saturday, for a few hours, I glimpsed that history along the banks of the Cannon River, where the water flows into the nearby Straight River, stories carried on the current of the water from the past into the present.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

A flea market, riverside rendezvous & Syttende Mai celebration May 14, 2026

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A leather stitcher at the May 2025 Riverside Rendezvous & History Festival in Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo May 2025)

WHETHER YOU’RE INTO HISTORY, flea markets, music or art, you’ll find a trio of events in the area this weekend covering those options.

Vendors set up shop outside the Rice County Historical Society. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo September 2025)

First up is the annual Rice County Historical Society Spring Flea Market from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, May 16, in Faribault. Vendors offer an array of goods from antiques and collectibles to crafts, art, oddities and assorted merchandise to endless to name. I’ve shopped here many times, enjoying the experience of not only poking around for something I may or may not need, but also socializing.

Making ropes at the 2025 Riverside Rendezvous. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo May 2025)

Just down the road from the RCHS grounds, the historical society is hosting its second annual Riverside Rendezvous and History Festival in North Alexander Park from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, May 16, and again from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sunday.

I attended last year and immersed myself in the living history with added music, food (try the frybread) and interaction with re-enactors and others rounding out the festival. The event features the trades, tradition and history of the 18th and 19th centuries via demonstrations of blacksmithing, leatherworking, fur trapping, candlemaking and more plus an appearance by MN Jack Sparrow.

Listen to the music of Curtis & Loretta, The Leather Souls, Bonnie Drunken Lad, the Roe Family Singers and The Skally Line. Try your skills in competitive Voyageur games, tomahawk throwing and archery. Buy goods from vendors, cash only. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for kids, a bargain considering all the rendezvous offers.

Musicians will perform inside the Valley Grove wooden church. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

Sunday brings more entertainment, this time at the historic Norwegian Valley Grove churches, rural Nerstrand. From 1-3 p.m. May 17, the Valley Grove Preservation Society celebrates Syttende Mai, Norway’s Constitution Day.

Inside the old wooden church, St. Olaf College students will play Norwegian hardanger fiddle music from 1-1:30 p.m. After that, until 3 p.m., the duet Over Yonder, with Martha Larson on cello and Brian Johnson on guitar, will play original compositions from their recent album “Valley Grove.” That includes the title track, “(The Big Oak at) Valley Grove.”

Crosses crafted from Valley Grove burr oaks. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

In honor of the big burr oak that once anchored a corner of the Valley Grove Cemetery until a 2018 storm blew the tree down, a pop-up art exhibit will be featured inside the old stone church. Attendees are invited to share their paintings, drawings, photos and wooden items (made from the 250-year-old burr oak) at the exhibit.

This trio of area happenings gets my recommendations. I can’t make all three. But if you can, go. Every single event promises to be worth your while whether you love history, flea markets, music, art or all four. This is a jam-packed weekend of educational, entertaining and enjoyable events right here in your own backyard.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Building bridges in Faribault via a talk on Somali culture April 15, 2026

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(Promo source: Rice County Historical Society)

IN EVER-INCREASINGLY DIVERSE Minnesota, including my community of Faribault, growing understanding between peoples rates as more important than ever.

To that point, Ibrahim Khalif, executive direction of the Faribault Youth Empowerment Center, will speak at 6 pm Thursday, April 16, on “Building Bridges: Intro to Somali Culture” at the Rice County Historical Society (RCHS) in Faribault.

I attended that same presentation by Khalif in late January at the local library and highly-recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about the many Somalis who call my community, and Minnesota, home.

Khalif knows of what he speaks. He arrived in the U.S. as a teenage refugee from Somalia, grew up in Faribault, faced the challenged and embraced the joys of living here.

His January talk proved educational as Khalif shared personal stories, photos and information about the Somali culture. Both helped the sixty of us in attendance to better understand our Somali neighbors and ways we can connect to each other.

Certainly the word “bridges,” titling his talk, fits. Bridges connect. Khalif’s talk focuses on “building bridges in a diverse environment,” according to a media release from the RCHS. The release further states that Khalif “will share information and insights that help us foster mutual respect and understanding.”

I’m all for that and hope Thursday evening’s event is as well attended as his first at the library. I feel like way too many locals remain unwelcoming of the thousands of Somalis who call Faribault home. I’d like to see attitudes change. That starts with listening, learning, connecting on a personal level, bridging that which divides, recognizing that we are all just people.

FYI: To pre-register for “Building Bridges: Intro to Somali Culture” on April 16, call the RCHS at 507-332-2121. Admission is free for RCHS members and $5 for non-members.

Click here to read my January blog post about Ibrahim Khalif’s presentation at Buckham Memorial Library.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

This week in Faribault: The incarceration of Japanese Americans, immigrant portraits & a historical novel March 16, 2026

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IF YOU WERE TO COLLECTIVELY consider two upcoming events this week and one current art exhibit in Faribault, you would find a common theme. That would be humanity and how we treat one another.

Let’s start with “Enmity and Empathy: Japanese Americans During World War II,” a talk by Dr. Ka Wong, set for 6 p.m. Thursday, March 19, at the Rice County Historical Society in Faribault. Wong, a professor of Asian Studies at St. Olaf College in Northfield wrote a book by that name. I’m 25 pages into the book, which was published in May 2025 by the Minnesota Historical Society Press and is a finalist for the “Emilie Buchwald Award for Minnesota Nonfiction” Minnesota Book Award.

Award nominee or not, this book is assuredly a winner for the depth and volume of information Wong shares about imprisoned Japanese Americans, something unknown to many Americans. My knowledge is limited, so I’m looking forward to this presentation.

In promoting Wong’s talk this Thursday evening, the county historical society shared this in a media release:

Drawing on personal interviews, archival sources, and historical literature, Professor Ka Wong explores the courageous struggles of trailblazers who left the incarceration camps and rebuilt their lives in the North Star State. He will share stories of college students pursuing higher education, including the two colleges in Rice County, young men and women training at the Military Intelligence Service Language School at Camp Savage and then Fort Snelling, the US Cadet Nurse Corps serving in Rochester hospitals, and entrepreneurial families and individuals in the Twin Cities and beyond.

All of this, of course, makes me think of the recent massive federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota. In that operation, many were illegally detained by federal agents, flown out of the state and held without due process in detention camps, where they remain. Others were released, some deported. I expect Wong may address this during his presentation. He can definitely provide historic perspective.

NOTE: Reserve a spot at this talk by calling (507) 332-2121. Space is limited. Admittance is free for RCHS members and $5 for non-members.

Immigrant portraits line the hall connecting the library, left, to the community center. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo March 2026)

ART EXHIBIT FEATURES IMMIGRANT PORTRAITS

Immigrants are the focus of an exhibit currently showing in the hallway between the Faribault Community Center and Buckham Memorial Library. Faribault artist Kate Langlais shows 13 of her portraits from her “I Am Minnesota” project. These are first and second-generation immigrants.

Four months ago, Langlais’ immigrant portraits filled a spacious gallery at the Paradise Center for the Arts in Faribault. These are selected drawings from that show. She’s also previously shown her artwork in the same space where the 13 portraits now hang.

In my opinion, these portraits should be shared as often as possible in Faribault, which has not always been particularly welcoming to immigrants. I’m certainly not talking everyone, but too many people would rather our newest neighbors from Somalia, Mexico and other countries leave our city. I’ve heard that shouted while protesting ICE operations.

(Promo from the Books on Central Facebook page)

AN AUTHOR TALKS ABOUT THE GOSPEL OF SALOME

Finally, St. Olaf College professor and author Kaethe Schwehn will talk about her newest book, The Gospel of Salome, at 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 18, at Books on Central in Faribault. The historical novel set in Biblical times follows a mother who is navigating a complex world of gender and power imbalances during the First Century. Schwehn will read from her book and talk about some of its themes, examining ideology, motherhood and a poignant argument for love and equality in today’s world, according to pre-event information.

I expect good discussion will follow, as it always does at these free literary events at Books on Central.

There’s a lot to be learned in Faribault this week. I hope locals and others will embrace these three opportunities to grow their knowledge and broaden their perspectives.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Art, history & laughter at the Paradise January 6, 2026

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The H.H. King Flour Mill as painted by Faribault artist Maybelle Stark in 1959. This is a photo of a print I own. Stark’s mill painting is included in a new exhibit at the Paradise Center for the Arts. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo January 2026)

THE VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS come together under one roof this Friday evening, January 9, at the Paradise Center for the Arts in historic downtown Faribault during an opening gallery reception from 5-7 pm followed by an improv comedy show at 7:30 pm. I’m excited about both. I love art. And I like entertainment that makes me laugh.

First up is the reception celebrating the work of artists showcased in four galleries. That includes “Homegrown Art: The Local Artist Collection of the Rice County Historical Society,” individual artists Barbara Schwenk and Leo Bird, pottery from the Paradise Center for the Arts pottery department and art by Bethlehem Academy students.

The RCHS exhibit in the main gallery kicks off a year-long celebration of the county historical society’s 100th birthday. “From a fantastical creature made of tin to bright, creative pottery and beautiful paintings, this gallery highlights items normally tucked away in storage and spotlights the talents of the Rice County community,” according to a media release from the RCHS.

“1938 Church Wedding” by Linda Van Lear is based on The Holy Innocents Church at the Rice County Fairgrounds/Historical Society grounds. The painting was previously shown at the Paradise. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo August 2020)

Naturally, I wondered about the artists to be featured in the 20 pieces chosen for the Paradise show. They include, among others, Grace McKinstry, Linda Van Lear, Ivan Whillock, Maybelle Stark and Frieda Lord. I’m familiar with all of them except Lord, although I have seen and photographed the art of her granddaughter, Dana Warmington Hanson. Lord and Stark were among the founding members of the Faribault Art Center, which evolved into the Paradise Center for the Arts.

“Rain,” a woodcarving by Ivan Whillock exhibited previously at the Paradise. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo October 2020)

McKinstry and Whillock are perhaps the best-known in that short list shared with me by the RCHS. Whillock, who has a studio in Faribault, is an internationally-renowned woodcarver and also a painter. McKinstry (she died in 1936) traveled the world in pursuit of creating portraits and landscapes. Her art is featured in the Smithsonian, the Minnesota Historical Society, the Minnesota State Capital and elsewhere worldwide. Locally, the county historical society owns more than 40 pieces of her artwork, the largest collection of McKinstry’s art anywhere.

I own art by one of the artists, Maybelle Stark, whose work is included in the RCHS gallery exhibit. That’s a print of the H.H. King Flour Mill, once located along the Cannon River on Faribault’s west side and destroyed by fire in 1975. Stark painted the scene in 1959 and exhibited it locally the same year. Now that painting is back on public display nearly 70 years later.

All of the art showcased in the Paradise galleries from now through February 21 is sure to draw plenty of interest among those who value creativity. And local history.

Promo for Little Fish Improv. (Sourced online)

And for anyone who also values the performing arts, Little Fish Improv presents improv comedy beginning at 7:30 pm Friday. I’ve seen this group of area comedians perform several times on the Paradise stage. They are a talented bunch who think quickly on their feet (thus the word “improv”) and get their audience engaged and laughing. It seems to me a really challenging art form.

Bonus, this comedy show is a fundraiser with all proceeds benefiting the Paradise Center for the Arts. I feel incredibly fortunate to live in a community with an outstanding arts center and with a deep appreciation for the arts.

FYI: Click here to purchase tickets for Little Fish Improv.

At 1 pm Saturday, January 17, Diane Lockerby, pottery instructor at the Paradise, will lead a “Historic Pottery Workshop at the Paradise.” Following her brief talk about pottery and local history, attendees will make a piece of pottery to take home. There is a fee. Space is limited. Click here to register.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling