Listen to the Weekly Radio Readings by Sheila Winstead, RCHS Board Member
Recorded February 2018
February 4 An article from Roseau Times-Region from the 1950s tells a story with this title, “Hetteen Hoist Builds Nationwide Markets”. Throughout the length and breadth of the agricultural states in this country and the farming areas of Canada, a Roseau product is beginning to take a very important spotlight. This Roseau manufactured article is the “Polaris” straw cutter, made entirely, and designed entirely, by the Hetteen Hoist and Derrick Company.
February 11 & 18 Badger celebrated its 75th anniversary in 1981 with a book of remembrances called “Pioneers and Progress”. It told about many people, businesses and events in its history. This story is about the Badger Volunteer Fire Department. With Badger growing rapidly, it soon became apparent that it needed fire protection. Practically all of the buildings were of wooden construction. So the Badger Fire Department was organized in September of 1903. The Fire Department Relief Association was organized and incorporated in May of 1908 after Badger had become an incorporated village in 1906.
February 25 One hundred years ago, the United States was still busy drafting young men into service for the Great War, which we had entered in 1917. Also, the flu epidemic of 1918 was taking a toll. I read a little bit about that time while looking through “Pioneers and Progress”, a book published to celebrate Badger’s 75th anniversary in 1981. I’ll read an article called “War and Depression”.
Some of the darker periods of our history came with the war years, World War I and II, the Korean conflict as it was called, and then Viet Nam. During the last two conflicts, the nation continued “business as usual” and it was difficult to realize that a war existed – that is, except for the boys involved and their families and loved one. The bullets in these conflicts were just as real as always, killing and wounding in the usual manner. If anything, they were more dangerous because of the “improvement” in weaponry…
Thank you to 
for letting us share the history of our county with your listeners.