Thank you for celebrating La Crescent area history
We love documents, and this one is a gem!
ARTIFACT–DOCUMENT FROM 1958 – Building Permit
for Clarence Vonderohe’s business
Issued by Bob Kies, then our village clerk
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Our thanks to Summer Thorson for finding this document when she moved her business into the 106 S. Walnut Street building
ONE PIECE OF HISTORY LEADS TO ANOTHER…AND ANOTHER…
The signature of Bob Kies is at the bottom of the document:
Then our city clerk, Bob was also La Crescent’s telegrapher/depot agent for 21 years, taking over from Ed Hurley (1884-1966), who held that job for 50 years. Scroll down to the Letters Home project to learn more about Ed Hurley’s civic involvement.
Wait! A people depot? La Crescent had a passenger train?
Yes, we did. Our passenger train was affectionately called the “hoot and holler” because it first alerted passengers up ahead with a very loud whistle before it was announced.
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AFTER MEMORIAL DAY …
THE HISTORY CENTER WILL BE OPEN on Saturdays 1 – 4
UNTIL THEN … WE’RE BEHIND THE SCENES
Volunteers are busy cleaning and updating displays
to be ready for visitors.
Planning a visit? Tours can be arranged by appointment
Leave a message at 507-895-1857
Email to lahs1857@gmail.com
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BRIEFLY, HERE ARE HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2025 ….
Saturday, November 8
VETERANS DAY 2025 … a time of reflection
November 1944 A group of community leaders, including Mrs. Georgia Fay and Ed Hurley, organized the La Crescent Community Club to stay in touch with the many young men and women from the area who were in the armed services in World War II. The Club gathered local news items and addresses for about 80 servicemen and women. To create 80 copies, several members typed the same newsletter (on a manual typewriter and using several sheets of carbon paper). [Explain “carbon paper” to your grandchildren!]. D. C. Webster paid for the mailing, and eventually a few businesses offered the use of their “modern” machines (copy, Gestetner, and ditto) to duplicate pages.
The newsletters were upbeat, reporting on hunting seasons, the bowling leagues, home purchases, marriages/births, and business news, and always with a bit of humor and sincere concern for the welfare of those brave men and women.
In 1994 Julie Zuehlke led a group of volunteers to re-type the newsletters into a readable format; following that, a special display of them was held at Gittens-Leidel Post 595 American Legion. Afterward, all the material was donated to the La Crescent Area Historical Society, where it was archived. Eventually, the Historical Society scanned each newsletter and all the letters received from servicemen and servicewomen, displaying them years later at the La Crescent Event Center in the new American Legion meeting area.
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CONGRATULATIONS
LA CRESCENT’S MAN OF THE YEAR 2025
DON THESING
President of the La Crescent Area
Historical Society
Rain or Shine, Don’s the Man!!
We were a featured stop on the
2025 TROLLEY TOURS
See a bicycle similar to this one in our museum!
How did apple growing begin in La Crescent? It started with one man…
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Because of Harris, La Crescent become famous for apples
We still grow apples! To learn more about our annual festival, click on this link to the Applefest USA website.
THE LA CRESCENT HISTORY CENTER
& APPLE MUSEUM
OPEN MAY THROUGH OCTOBER
Stroll through the displays in the house
Visit the Apple Museum in the big red shed
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THANKS TO GRANTS FROM THE ARLIN FALCK FOUNDATION,
WE ENCLOSED THE PORCH ON THE BACK OF THE HOUSE,
A MUCH-NEEDED UPDATE THAT GAVE US MORE DISPLAY SPACE,
AND WE UPDATED OUR COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY!!
June 16, 1832
Nathan Boone and his survey crew
reach the area that is now La Crescent
Click on 1832 LAND SURVEY at the top of this page to learn more
Below is a transcription from Boone’s original field notes.
His field notes are in the National Archives.
T
THANKS TO
LA CRESCENT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
4TH GRADE CLASSES AND THEIR TEACHERS VISIT
What a surprise! Quinn Jore, 4th grader,
saw her great grandmother’s photograph on a display shelf.
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IN MEMORY OF
Gordon M. Fay 1924-2022
La Crescent native
Past Recipient of the Historical Society’s Heritage Award
His heart never left La Crescent
MARKING A SIGNIFICANT EVENT IN HISTORY
Nathan Boone’s land survey
of the Neutral Ground in 1832
HISTORICAL MARKERS- walk/bike/drive
Along the Wagon Wheel Trail, south Shore Acres Road (above)
and along Skunk Hollow Road
LEARN MORE: Click on 1832 LAND SURVEY (top of this page)
Gratitude to Our Boone Project Partners
City of La Crescent
La Crescent Public Library
La Crescent Township
FUNDING
The project was made possible in part by the people of Minnesota through a grant funded by an appropriation to the Minnesota Historical Society from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
PROJECT ADVISORS
Don Borcherding, a licensed professional surveyor with 45 years’ experience in land surveying, survey research, and survey history
Gwen Westerman, a scholar of Dakota history and language and a professor in English at Minnesota State University, Mankato
ASK US ABOUT GROUP TOURS
