Listen to the Weekly Radio Readings by Sheila Winstead, RCHS Board Member
Recorded October 2019
October 6, 2019: Today I’ll read from the book created by the community of Roosevelt to commemorate its 100th year, 2006. The story is about life in a logging camp.
Camps were so varied, that it is hard to get one picture of what happened in every camp, still, there would be some similarities throughout the camps.
One indisputable fact shared by all logging camps was that logging was a lot of hard work. Hours were long, and work was physically demanding. Axes and hand saws were the tools to work with. Those who were more skilled were in charge of felling the trees, while others would be responsible for cutting off branches or peeling bark. The logs also needed to be pulled to the loading point. The logs once cut down and prepared to be hauled to railroad or sawmill, needed to be loaded by hand. There were some devices to help with this labor, still, it was muscle which rolled the logs up and steadied them, as they were pulled up on the top of a load.
October 13, 2019:Today I’ll read again from the book published to celebrate Roosevelt’s 2006 centennial. I read about some general similarities among the camp conditions. Today I’ll read some of the job duties of various workers.
October 20, 2019: This brief history of Howard and Alice (Meier) Urtel appears in the Roseau County Heritage book. Howard Urtel was born in 1911 the son of Ferdinand and Ida Urtel in Leona Township, Roseau County. He went to school in Swift, Minnesota.
Alice Meier was born in 1909, the daughter of Ernest and Mary Meier of Badger, Minnesota.
They farmed in Moranville Township for many years. Alice taught school in Roosevelt and several of the other area schools.
October 27, 2019: This story comes from Roosevelt’s book celebrating its centennial. I thought it might be appropriate for Halloween week. It’s called “An Early Pioneer Murder Mystery” by Morrie Grove.
Shortly after the turn of the century, the Lake of the Woods area was opened for homestead entry.
The gates were opened and the multitude poured in. The land was free and a new life beckoned. New hope and a new horizon were in view. A new future was theirs for the taking.
From the north, south, east, and west they came. From Canada, the U. S. and Europe came the brave and valiant home seekers. They had one desire in common. All hoped this would be their new and happy home. For them, it was a challenging vista.
Thank you to 
for letting us share the history of our county with your listeners.