Listen to the Weekly Radio Readings by Sheila Winstead, RCHS Board Member
Recorded February 2021
February 7, 2021:
One hundred years ago, in April 15, 1921, issue of the Roseau Times-Region, a story told about a fellow from the Moranville area who had gotten himself into some trouble.
Sheriff O. A. Rice returned on Wednesday from Warroad with a copper still and five gallons of the finished product – moonshine whiskey, which he had secured on the place of Edwin Hoefs of Moranville, six miles south of Warroad. The liquor was found hidden in various places on the farm. Caught with the goods Hoefs could not very well deny the charges of operating an illicit still. He was taken before Justice J. Friend Holmes at Warroad, where he was bound over to the May term of court and released on $500 bonds.
Hoefs can well testify to the truthfulness of the old saw that troubles do not, as a rule, come singly. He is at present under the shadow of a more serious charge than making moonshine whiskey, having been accused of attempting to poison Herb Halvorson, details of which are given in another column.
And here is that column shared by the Warroad Pioneer in the same issue of the Times-Region:
Last Friday afternoon John Hanson drove out to the place recently sold by Herb Halvorson, about six miles south of town, with a load of hay, and after unloading, it went into the house and asked Herb for a drink of water.
Herb said the water wasn’t good, but he had just put on the coffee pot, and they would have a cup of coffee each.
John poured out the coffee into cups but noticed that it was off-color, and said it must be tea. Herb said he had never had tea in the pot, so they examined it more closely and found it was green and that among the coffee grounds in the bottom of the pot was a green substance which they recognized as Paris green.
They called in Frank Davis, a neighbor, who also examined the contents of the coffee pot and the three of them found fresh footprints from the house leading eastward and followed them for some distance.
Halvorson and Davis had been away to Warroad together in the forenoon,…listen for the rest of the story.
February 14, 2021: Since today is Valentine’s Day, I thought I’d read to you about two couples who were celebrating 50 years of marriage in 1953, which means they were married 118 years ago. The story of their Golden Anniversary celebrations was in the Roseau Times-Region of April 16, 1953. Here is the article:
A hundred years of married life were celebrated in two golden weddings by Badger folks last week-end as hundreds of relatives and other friends gathered to pay homage to the popular couples. High point of interest in their lives was the birth of 18 children and many grandchildren.
Observing their 50th anniversary on Sunday, were Mr. and Mrs. Carl Rude. Celebrating Monday evening were Mr. and Mrs. Jalmar Wellen.
The Rudes were married in Sacred Heart and came to Badger 14 years later. Mr. Rude had been a blacksmith since the age of 17 and carried his new trade to Badger where he set up shop. With the exception of three years when he farmed, he continued his blacksmithing at Badger until last fall when he sold out to Vernon Peterson.
Still very young at 74 years apiece, Mr. and Mrs. Rude were host Sunday to many friends and relatives. After church services at Our Redeemer’s Church, the honored couple were escorted to Christy’s Café where they were served a chicken dinner. They held open house at their home that afternoon and the Ladies’ Aid served. They received a beautiful wedding cake and many nice gifts and cards. One gift was a gilt tree hung with quarters and dimes covered with gilt.
The Rudes bought a home in Badger eight years ago and have lived there since while Mr. Rude continued his blacksmithing.
Seven children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Rude and are all living. They are Chester, on a farm near Badger; Emmanuel, who is farming near Thief River Falls; Earl, who is in Anchorage, Alaska; O’Neill, Badger; Ethelyn (Mrs. Morris Cederholm), Duxby; Audrey (Mrs. John Trangsrud), Badger, and Elenore (Mrs. Rudy Holt), Roseau. All the children except Earl were home for the occasion. The Rudes are retired now and plan to just take it easy.
Monday night Jalmar Wellens were honored at a large gathering in Roselund Church…listen for the rest of the story.
February 21, 2021: On May 6, 1921, nearly 100 years ago, the Roseau Times-Region told a sad story of a young man’s death. I’ll read that article to you today.
Earl Anderson, a young man living alone near Pencer, was found dead in his barn last Sunday, the victim of one of the most peculiar accidents ever reported in this section, having been crushed to death in the manger underneath his horse.
The unfortunate man had evidently gone to the barn to unharness his horses, one of which, according to neighbors, was of a vicious nature. This horse was tied in an extra large double stall which is equipped with a rather low manger. Mr. Anderson had loosened the harness and gotten the collar off when the horse probably either tried to kick or crowd him. In his effort either to control the animal or get away, the horse likely crowded him against the low manger, knocking him over into it. Swinging around or following up with the lunge the horse went over sideways on top of him, both man and horse being found dead in this position. The victim was lying full length on his back with the sharp shoulder of the horse resting on his chest which had been crushed, so it is likely that he hardly knew what happened, the struggles of the animal quickly knocking him unconscious.
The sad fate of Mr. Anderson was not discovered…listen for the rest of the story.
February 28, 2021: A tragedy documented one hundred years ago in the Roseau Times-Region of May 20, 1921, was the death of a young farmer from Spruce Township.
Not in a long time has this community been so shocked as it was last Tuesday morning when it learned that Melvin Olson, eighteen-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Martin Olson of Spruce had lost his life in a tractor accident the previous evening while out plowing. The sad accident which claimed as its victim a bright, dutiful and robust young son and brother and promising citizen happened some time after seven o’clock in the evening. Melvin was plowing with a Fordson tractor about three-quarters of a mile from the house and had been home for supper, going out again after seven o’clock to continue the work for an hour or so. When it began to darken Mrs. Olson became worried and went out to see if he was quitting or not. Not hearing the tractor running she thought he had gone home by another route so returned. Finding that he wasn’t yet home the family became alarmed and Mr. Olson went out to see what could be the trouble. One can imagine his horror to find the tractor on end with Melvin pinned underneath, dead. Unable to get the boy out, Mr. Olson had to return home and get a team and chain to pull the tractor back on its wheels off the victim.
The accident, which claimed the life of such a promising young man, had happened when he had run into a small ditch and gotten stuck. In the effort to get out the machine had evidently all at once reared up with the front end, pinning Melvin under the rear end with the steering wheel striking him over the breast on the left side, pressing down with the weight of the machine. Death must have been instantaneous as his hand was still on the steering wheel…listen for the rest of the story.
Thank you to for letting us share the history of our county with your listeners.