Future brightens for Le Sueur County Historical Society

Sep. 25—A log cabin filled with antique clocks, guns, quilts and farming tools was a highly-attended county fair attraction in Le Center last month.

Out-of-staters stood side-by-side with area residents in the replica one-room structure, viewing artifacts from Le Sueur County Historical Society's collection.

"We got to say 'Hey, here's what we have in the county,'" said George Luskey, a member and former president of the society.

Dean Milton Pettis, LSCHS vice president, said the uncounted fairgoers who visited the cabin over four days included 558 people who signed a guest book. The list of names is a useful gauge for LSCHS.

"The fair was our only site that was open to the public (that weekend). It was our P.R. event," Pettis said.

"The number of people who were going in and out of that cabin's door — that goes to show there is interest," said Luskey.

On display in the cabin were family portraits of Le Sueur County pioneers. Those early county residents made many of the exhibit's artifacts; other objects had been carried on journeys to the Minnesota River Valley in the late 1800s.

Among the society's cabin guests were descendants of area white settlers, said Luskey. He observed relief in their faces when they recognized objects once used by their ancestors.

"They wanted to make sure everything is in order, that their donated item is still there," he said.

This summer, the society amped up efforts to promote its work to preserve and document the county's past. Events included a July open house at LSCHS's grounds in Elysian.

The history of the society itself includes rough patches that included a conflict over ownership of a valuable art collection; the demolition of its museum space in Le Sueur; and the defunding of regular assistance from the county.

Le Sueur's board of commissioners has resumed its support to the county historical society, and an arbitration process settled years-long legal wrangling.

In June 2019, Le Sueur County commissioners agreed to resume including the society in its budget and provided $30,000 to LSCHS. The society's president, Bill Stangler, was asked to return to the board with a report on how the funds were used.

Apparently, the commissioners' confidence in the historical society has been restored. This year, $50,000 was budgeted for the society.

The same amount is allotted for the preliminary 2023 budget, said Pamela Herrmann, county administrator assistant.

Attendees at the historical society's September meeting preferred not to talk about the dark times in organization's past.

"That to us is history; we have a forward motion," said board member Ruth Collins.

"We want to build the society back to what it was in its heyday," Luskey said.

The Sept. 13 meeting focused on the future and fundraisers, paid bills, a website update and the increase in people joining the society's 230-plus membership,

"I like to say we are rising like a phoenix," said Bryce Stenzel after the meeting at the library in Le Sueur.

Stenzel, who joined LSCHS in 2017, is a member of several history organizations and is known regionally for his portrayals of Abraham Lincoln. His experience is appreciated by his fellow board members.

"I love the comraderie," Stenzel said.

"We all work well together, we are getting things done," Luskey said.

Recent accomplishments include the approval of a small Legacy grant for the non-profit's genealogy research center in Elysian. The Minnesota Historical Society funding covers the cost of a microfilm reader and printer, said board member Sally Olson.

Olson regularly volunteers at the "gen center," helping the public access marriage and death information regarding Le Sueur County.

The 1884 building was known as the rural Harty School before it was moved to LSCHS' property grounds in Elysian.

The dozens of research requests Olson handled in recent months include one from an author seeking background for a new book, she said.

Carol Richter, of New Prague, traveled weekly to Elysian this summer. She's been working on filing newspaper clippings of wedding announcements.

Richter and Olson spend hours together in the small center on History Hill.

"We've become really close friends since way back in 2000, when I first came here to do my family's research here," Richter said.

The center's doors have closed for the season; however, requests for research assistance can be left on the center's voice mail, Olson said

A tall, red-brick building in need of repairs stands next door to the genealogy research center on property owned by LSCHS. The former Elysian high school is the society's closed museum space.

A new roof and lots of repairs are necessary before the group's collections of artifacts can be safely displayed in the 1895 building listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

A large MHS grant to help with the roof replacement is pending. In the meantime, some patching up had to be done on the structure before winter arrives.

A large blue tarp has been placed over the building's bell tower and broken windows are boarded up to prevent damage by "critters and the weather," Pettis said.

Prior to its October meeting, the society's board members plan to check out the condition of another LSCHS property.

Board member Paul Malchow joked about wearing headlamps while inspecting the shuttered 1869 former Methodist church.

The society's completed projects include a coordinated effort to replace a steeple for Ottawa's 1859 stone Methodist church.

Earlier this month, a longtime tradition returned to the site: an ecumenical prayer service in the restored building.

A Harvest potluck picnic at Bur Park followed.

"We had a nice turnout. There were close to 50 people at the service," said Kathleen Peterson, Ottawa Historians member.

"The historical society actually owns the building. We act as hosts and tour guides at events," she said.

Peterson's all-volunteer organization could not be capable of taking care of all the repairs and upkeep for the site. LSCHS and Ottawa Historians asked for the public's help in re-attaching the church tower, which was removed several years ago after it began to tilt, threatening the roof and structural stability.

"It's beautiful for its simplicity, and it's one of the three oldest Methodist churches in Minnesota," Stangler told The Free Press in 2019.

"When that tower started leaning, something had to be done," he said.

The church was on view to the public throughout most of the summer. Attendance numbers are an indication decisions to preserve Le Sueur County's history have benefitted local tourism.

Along with visitors from the Twin Cities and other states, people from other countries took road trips to Ottawa.

"We are really excited about the number of people who stopped by the church this summer," Peterson said.