@ Your Library
Tomorrow, Saturday, October 26th at 1:30 pm the Sutter Brothers will perform at the library. “How to Say North” with the Sutter Brothers is a program that blends poems from Bart’s new book, Cotton Grass, with Ross’ versions of songs and tunes from the American, Celtic, and Scandinavian folk traditions. Best known for his singing, Ross also plays guitar, button accordion, dulcimer, and Irish drum. A three-time winner of the Minnesota Book Award, Bart has given hundreds of readings and had four plays produced. Come hear The Sutter Brothers offer praise for a farm wife famous for kindness and butchering chickens, ragtime lyrics for a river otter, an original hymn to Lake Superior, and much more about our region. This free program is 50 minutes long and is geared towards adults. This program, sponsored by Arrowhead Library System, was funded in part or in whole with money from Minnesota’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund (ACFH).
History is fascinating. You can study and learn about the big picture events like wars and such, but it is when you narrow down and focus on the day to day lives or even little local events that you begin to see and understand how we got to the lives we lead today. Littlefork put together a history for their centennial called Littlefork and Surrounding area : a century of small town living. Big Falls put together one for their centennial called A Ripple in the Wilderness with text by Willard Larson. The town of International Falls does not have a history written down, but there are many books about the area including Pooner: a legendary fish tale by Thomas Edward Rolando or Reflections of Rainy a borderland collection of photos and reminisces from both the Daily Journal and residents of the community. Fifty Stars on the Flag by Harry Batdorf, Jr. is a compilation of profiles about fifty Koochiching County veterans. Travel a little farther afield and read about Life at Kettle Falls by Mike Williams or Border Warden by Murray Mills or Nakoda by Martha S. Cole. Of course we also have the journals of Don Johnson as edited by his son Byrne that cover over 50 years of life in this area. Northhome also produce a centennial history compiled by Faye M Estabrooks called Northome Community Centennial History : One Hundred Years in Big Bear Country. Continue traveling outward and visit Blackberry, Minnesota in Brown Sugar Syrup and Jack Pine Sand by Dennis Herschback.
Another approach to history is to focus on a particular event or business. The mill commissioned a history of its first 100 years and the result is The Mill at the Falls: 100 years of papermaking on the border. Or read about the 1999 blowdown in the boundary waters in Gunflint Falling by Gary Griffith. (On a side note, Mr. Griffith will be presenting his story at the library in early December).
The best history might be the one you write about your family. Share those stories with one another.