'Nostalgia Kitchen' brings back memories

The l927 General Electric Monitor Top refrigerator, a real innovation for its time and quite an improvement over the traditional ‘icebox,’ dependent on your having electricity, of course. Oh, the fun things one can see at the Spring Valley Historical Society museums! The old-time kitchen in the basement of the Methodist Church Museum contains many artifacts, most of which are from l900 on, whereas the Washburn-Zittleman House kitchen has older items from the late l800s. Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Glimpses of Yesteryear: Looking back at class of 1950

You should see the "Reflection" yearbook for the class of l950. In Spring Valley high school colors, the black notebook features a red felt square on its cover with a snarling gray wolf glaring at you. Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Businesses that thrived in 1926

Not long ago Linda Niemeyer brought in a tattered and very brown copy of the Spring Valley Mercury dated Aug. 6, l926, originally mailed to Mrs. Glenn Churchill on Route 3. Thursday, July 15, 2010

Neill family 'treasures' can be found at Historical Society

Many years ago the Frank Neill family home north of town near Hamilton was burglarized and vandalized while Anna Neill and her husband, Bill Hare, were residents at the local nursing home. Thursday, July 08, 2010

Tour city cemetery, get a lesson in history

With the beautiful American flag prominently flying these days, first for Memorial Day, then Flag Day, and now the Fourth of July, it's a constant reminder of sacrifices made for our benefit. Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Looking back at life in 1980

Perhaps there is a 30-year class reunion coming up this summer? A total of 83 students graduated from Spring Valley High School in l980 with an international flavor - two foreign exchange students - Pablo Espinola from Paraguay and Dagfinn Johansen from Norway. It was the year for many boys to wear their hair about as long as the girls did, and all looked neat and trim in the class photo. Students enjoyed a wealth of activities: Spanish or German Club, Heart Club, Student Council, choirs, Girls' Glee Club, Pep Singers, cheerleaders, band, FFA and FHA. Wednesday, June 23, 2010

How the tourist information center came to be

As the tourism season gets into full swing, we might take another look at the Spring Valley Tourist Info Center, located on Highways l6 and 63 at the corner of North Broadway and Grant Street. It sits on property once owned by my great-great uncle, Ephraim Steffens, who built the lovely brick "mansion" in l874. At that time the property included the house, horse barn, smokehouse and outhouse on several acres, all enclosed with a high wrought iron fence. Steffens died in l903 and his widow returned to her native Canada. Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Tales of a teacher, country schools

Dunbar Mason Leach, lifetime schoolteacher, farmer, legislator. A man of many talents, Leach served his LeRoy and Spring Valley communities well. Born in Vermont in l837, Leach was educated in his local district and after graduating from Lyndon Academy nearby, he began a career of teaching school. Wednesday, June 09, 2010

Looking back at 1940 as school winds down

As school wound down for another year, we saw buses full of chattering excited children en route to spring outings. In the accompanying photo we find the fourth grade class at the Molstad School in May l940, amazingly with 21 boys and only five girls. Wednesday, June 02, 2010

Memorial Day a time of respect in 1907

The Spring Valley Sun headline in May l907 read, "Nation's Dead To Be Fittingly Honored." The Memorial Day program looked to be indeed that, with a full afternoon schedule Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Wartime affects rendering business in 1940s

As the colorful songbirds return to brighten our days, I'm reminded of a fascinating bird hike 20-some years ago. Gordy and I were members of the Fillmore County Birders and we often hiked through woods around Kappers Ponds and DNR areas in the vicinity. One such tour took us to a former iron mining area southeast of town and as Dr. Risser from Stewartville led us through brush along the creek, we were astonished to come upon remains of a stone building. Wednesday, May 19, 2010