Day Trip #19
Friday, June 24, 2022
Having recently discovered the town of St. Peter, MN, we wanted to return to walk the streets and explore a little further. These three photos show some of the architecture in this lovely town.
Fujifilm X-Pro3 33mm, 1/125 seconds, f/6.4, ISO 160
A creative way to display flowers in the front yard. Such a pleasant neighborhood.
Fujifilm X-Pro3 33mm, 1/125 sec, f/4, ISO 160
The Eugene St. Julien Cox House.
“In 1871, Eugene St. Julien Cox, a man of eccentric tastes and ‘great vigor of mind’ built this picturesque neo-Gothic Italianate house noted for its towered cupola, small balconies, and carved eaves.
Cox began his law career in 1857 and built a thriving practice in the frontier village of St. Peter. After brief service as a Union officer in the Civil War, Cox enrolled fifty men into the ‘Frontier Avengers’ and led this unit in the defense of New Ulm during the Dakota War of 1862.
After the wars, the ‘affable and genial and always daintly dressed’ Cox was elected St. Peter’s first mayor. This was followed by his election to the Minnesota Legislature, first as a representative, later as a senator. In 1877, he was elected judge of the ninth judicial district. Within four years the Minnesota House impeached Judge Cox and the Senate organized a high court for trial purposes. He was mainly charged with intoxication ‘caused by the voluntary and immoderate use of intoxicating liquors, which disqualified him for discharge of his official duties.’ In 1882, after a sensational five-month trial which included seventeen hundred pages of testimony and a petition for acquittal signed by four thousand people, Judge Cox was convicted and removed from his office as district judge by a bare two-thirds vote of the Minnesota Senate. Nine years later, the legislature passed a resolution ‘vacating, annulling, and expunging all the proceedings of the impeachment and trial.’ Nevertheless, a few years later, E. St. Julien Cox left Minnesota and died in Los Angeles on November 3, 1898.
The house remained in the Cox family until 1969, when it was donated to the Nicollet County Historical Society for preservation and restoration. In 1969, this property received the first grant awarded by the Minnesota Historical Society, as a part of the newly created State Grants In-Aid program, created for the preservation and restoration of Minnesota’s historical sites.”
From the interpretive plaque on site.
Fujifilm X-Pro3 33mm, 1/2000 second, f/10, ISO 1250
This fun art is located in the alley next to the Arts Center of Saint Peter.
Fujifilm X-Pro3 33mm, 1/500 sec, f/5, ISO 640
Heading north on the Sioux Trail/N Minnesota Ave, just on the outskirts of Saint Peter is the Nicollet County Historical Society. We were not able to go inside the visitor’s center, having Sedrick with us that day. However, on the property, they have this example of a mid-1800s prairie cabin.
Fujifilm X-Pro3 33mm, 1/500 sec, f/5, ISO 200
Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/125 seconds, f/5, ISO 1600
Our next stop was the town of Le Sueur, MN. Here are a couple of drone shots of their water towers.
DJI Mini 2, 4.5mm, 1/1250 sec, f/2.8, ISO 100
The newer of the two current water towers. In the distance, you can see the older one from the prior image, and between the two is a brand new water tower that is still under construction.
DJI Mini 2, 4.5mm, 1/1000 sec, f/2.8, ISO 100
Dr. William W. Mayo House.
“The accomplishments of the Mayo family in the field of medicine have brought fame both to its members and to Minnesota, for it was Dr. William W. Mayo and his two sons, William J. and Charles H., who founded the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, in 1903.
This little house was built by William W. Mayo in 1859. It is intimately associated with the Mayo family’s early years in Minnesota, for there on June 29, 1861, the Mayos’ first son, William J., was born.
His father had emigrated to the United States from England in 1845. By 1854 the doctor was living with his wife in Indiana. He left the family there when he departed suddenly in search of relief from the effects of malaria, saying to his startled wife, ‘Good-bye, Louise, I’m going to keep on driving until I get well or die.’
Dr. Mayo’s travels took him to St. Paul, the rude capital of Minnesota Territory, where he settled with his family. In 1859 he moved to Le Sueur, where he built this house with the help of his brother James. In 1863 he again moved, this time to Rochester, where in 1889 he was asked to become the medical director of St. Mary’s Hospital, the nucleus of the future Mayo Clinic.”
From the interpretive plaque on site.
Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/500 sec, f/8, ISO 200
“On August 19, 1862, word reached Le Sueur that the Dakota Indians Soldiers had attacked settlers living near New Ulm and were threatening the town. Militia volunteers quickly organized into two companies named the Le Sueur Tigers No. 1 and 2 and they went to New Ulm on August 19 and 20.
The Dakota made their major attack on New Ulm on August 23, and the Tigers were in the middle of the battle. Some fought from the Roebbecke Mill, a tall, strongly build structure while others fought elsewhere outside the barricades, keeping the Dakota at bay. It was a hotly contested fight. Le Sueur doctors William Worrall Mayo and Otis Ayer accompanied the Le Sueur Tigers to New Ulm and tended to the wounded. The town’s defenders did manage to prevail, but the cost was high with about 30 killed. Six of the Tigers were dead - Mathew Ahern, Monro Edwards, Washington Kulp, William Luskey, William Maloney and Luke Smith.
New Ulm was evacuated on August 25 and the Tigers were mustered out on August 27. Most of the bodies of the Tigers who were killed were brought back to Le Sueur later that fall.
The Tigers had willingly left their families and the safety of their area to confront a deadly enemy. They answered the call, and, in doing so, earned a place of high respect and honor in their community and in the state.”
From the interpretive plaque in the foreground.
Fujifilm X-Pro 3 23mm, 1/500 sec, f/8, ISO 250
Lisa just had to have her photo taken on this cow bench in front of The Friendly Confines Cheese Shoppe. They have some fantastic onion & garlic cheese for sale here!!
Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/250 sec, f/8, ISO 160
Wall mural across the street from the Jolly Green Giant.
Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/250 sec, f/8, ISO 250
Nowhere near as impressive as the one in Blue Earth, MN, but an interesting story nonetheless.
The Jolly Green Giant.
“In 1903, fourteen of Le Sueur’s leading businessmen met in the back of the Cosgrove Harness Shop to start a canning factory. They called it the Minnesota Valley Canning Company. Sixty-seven shares of stock at one hundred dollars per share were sold that evening. The sale provided enough money to buy one kettle, seed, sugar, salt and cans. Corn was brought in from the fields with horse-drawn wagons. Women husked the corn by hand for three cents per bushel.
Eleven thousand seven hundred cases of white cream style corn were sold that first year. The profit from this was enough to buy two more kettles. The company continued to grow, and in 1907 it began canning peas under the Blue and Gold label. In 1925, the Green Gian brand of peas was added. Vacuum packed Niblet brand yellow whole kernel corn was introduced in 1929. Though the company continued to expand, packing a variety of vegetables and opening canning facilities throughout the United States, only corn and peas were ever canned in Le Sueur.
In the early 1940s, during World War II, many of the local men went into the military service. That left a shortage of help. Laborers from Mexico and Jamaica and German prisoners of war were assigned to help harvest the vital food crops needed.
In 1950, the Minnesota Valley Canning Company changed its name to the Green Giant Company. In 1978, one year before the company was acquired by Pillsbury, its national sales were over $485 million, and its net earnings were over $10 million.
Over the years, the canning company had a direct impact on the positive growth and development of the City of Le Sueur. The Le Sueur plant closed in 1995. Today its history remains, and if you listen carefully, the gentle laughter of the Jolly Green Gian can still be heard echoing through his valley.”
From the interpretive plaque on site.
Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/500 sec, f/5.6, ISO 250
Heading home on some of the back roads we came across this interesting find. it is the Le Sueur County Pioneer Power Association and they hold an annual event here which, from what we can tell from their website, features historical tractors, various demonstrations, and a swap meet. They have held this event every year since 1974, and the grounds feature period-appropriate buildings which are shown in the subsequent photos.
Here is a link to their website. Lisa and I may have to come back and check this out when it is up and running.
Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/250 sec, f/8, ISO 250
Wind-powered water pump.
Le Sueur County Pioneer Power Association.
Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/640 sec, f/8, ISO 640
Praire log cabin.
Le Sueur County Pioneer Power Association.
Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/640 sec, f/8, ISO 1600
Country school.
Le Sueur County Pioneer Power Association.
Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/640 sec, f/8, ISO 320
In looking at their website, it appears that all these old buildings are open and have demonstrations/exhibits during the show.
Le Sueur County Pioneer Power Association.
Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/125 sec, f/8, ISO 200
Fire hall.
Le Sueur County Pioneer Power Association.
Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/500 sec, f/8, ISO 250
Some of the historical power equipment upon which the event is based.
Le Sueur County Pioneer Power Association.
Fujifilm X-Pro3 23mm, 1/500 sec, f/8, ISO 500
