Roots & Riddles

What did the Fourth of July look like in Fillmore County 150 years ago? In honor of America’s 250th birthday, we’re stepping back to 1876—the nation’s Centennial—to uncover how communities across Fillmore County celebrated one of the biggest holidays in their history. Using newspaper accounts, advertisements, and firsthand descriptions from Preston, Spring Valley, Chatfield, Lanesboro, Rushford, a...

In January 1901, a routine stagecoach run into Preston nearly ended in tragedy. As the Preston–Isinours stage approached town on Engle Hill, a loose piece of paper spooked the horses. Within moments, the team bolted, the driver was thrown from his seat, and the coach overturned as it raced down the hillside. Miraculously, no one was killed—but the accident left behind a dramatic newspaper account...

For nearly a decade, Fillmore County farmers believed they had discovered the future of Minnesota agriculture: Early Amber Sugar Cane. Newspapers praised it, county fairs awarded premiums for it, local mills were built to process it, and hundreds of acres were planted across the county. In this episode of Roots & Riddles , we uncover the forgotten story of Minnesota’s sugar boom. From towering...

On September 21, 1894, an F4 tornado tore through the north side of Spring Valley, Minnesota — killing residents, flattening homes, and leaving parts of the town in ruins. In this episode of Roots & Riddles, Preston and Lenora uncover the terrifying story of the cyclone that changed Spring Valley forever. Using firsthand newspaper accounts, survivor stories, and historical records, we explore...

In 1922, a bizarre and disturbing crime shook the Mabel area of Fillmore County. Former marshal Arch Gordon discovered that several of his cows had been poisoned after eating ears of corn that had been hollowed out and filled with Paris green — a deadly poison commonly used at the time as an insecticide. As rumors spread through the community, bloodhounds were brought in from Waterloo, Iowa, and i...

In the spring of 1940, a gang of safecrackers armed with acetylene torches swept across southern Minnesota and northern Iowa — leaving behind burned vaults, stolen cash, and nervous communities. One of their boldest crimes happened in the heart of Spring Valley, when burglars broke into the local post office under cover of darkness and torched their way through two steel vault doors. In this episo...

In 1934, the notorious Barker–Karpis Gang kidnapped St. Paul banker Edward Bremer and collected a ransom worth $200,000. According to local legend, not all of that money was ever recovered. Some believe a portion of the gang’s loot was buried somewhere along Highway 52 between Rochester and Chatfield — hidden beneath a fence post during the dead of a Minnesota winter. But is there any truth to the...

Before modern hospitals and paved roads reached southeastern Minnesota, frontier communities depended on figures like Dr. Luke Miller. Physician, lawyer, politician, and early Fillmore County leader, Luke Miller played a major role in shaping the region during Minnesota’s pioneer era. From practicing medicine on the frontier to serving in the Minnesota legislature and advocating for railroad expan...

What if a murderer could simply… disappear? In 1874, Patrick Noonan killed a man in  Fountain, Minnesota —in front of witnesses—and fled. For nearly 30 years, he lived freely under a new life, hundreds of miles away. But the past has a way of catching up. This episode uncovers the brutal killing of John McDonald, the decades-long manhunt, and the moment justice finally closed in. Sources:   Histor...

Once a thriving community in southeastern Minnesota,  Carimona  is now little more than a name on old maps and in forgotten newspaper columns. In this episode of  Roots & Riddles , we explore the rise and quiet disappearance of Carimona—a town shaped by geography, railroads, and the ambitions of its residents. We trace where its name came from, who lived and worked there, and why Carimona fade...

In 1856, as Fillmore County was just beginning to take shape, the promise of opportunity came with something darker. Land claims weren’t just lines on a map—they were worth fighting for. And in at least two cases, they turned deadly. In this episode, we explore a violent chapter of early Fillmore County history: the murder of an Irish settler in Bloomfield Township, and a separate killing in Fillm...

What would you do if you were searching for a lost calf… and instead stumbled into a hidden world 375 million years in the making? In this episode of  Roots & Riddles , Preston and Lenora take you just north of Spring Valley, where farmer John Latcham made an unexpected discovery on his own land—a sinkhole that led to one of southeastern Minnesota’s most fascinating underground wonders. From t...

For generations, people living along the Root River have whispered about something moving beneath its quiet waters. Early settlers described a long, dark shape slipping silently below the surface. Fishermen claimed their boats were struck from beneath. Teenagers standing on bridges reported strange shadows gliding upstream at dusk. Could Fillmore County have its own river monster? In this episode...

On a fall evening in 1961, Fillmore County Deputy Sheriff Walter Kruegel set out to do something routine — transport a man under arrest back to Preston. But what should have been a simple drive to the county jail would become one of the most shocking tragedies in local history. Just outside the city limits of Preston, gunshots rang out from inside the deputy’s car. Kruegel, a well-known and respec...

In June of 1874, a strange box was discovered in a quiet stream in Sumner Township, Fillmore County. Heavy. Waterlogged. Bored through with auger holes. Inside were human bones. Word spread quickly. Was it murder? A hidden crime? A body concealed in plain sight? Neighbors were horrified to learn the creek water had been used for cooking and household purposes for weeks. An inquest was called. News...

In the winter of 1854, the settlers of a small frontier community gathered for a Christmas supper at the home of E.K. Dyer. The food was hearty. The mood was festive. And before the night was over… they would choose the name of their town. Pomfret was suggested — but deemed too “Vermontish.” Rushville was proposed — then amended. A vote was called. And according to an 1882 county history,  “the el...

Before there were towns. Before there were roads. Before Fillmore County even had a name — there was a military expedition moving through this rugged southeastern Minnesota landscape. For Fillmore County’s 173rd birthday, we’re traveling back to the earliest documented exploration of this region. Who were the men sent to survey the land? Why were they here? And what did they encounter as they pass...

In the early days of aviation, long before flight kits and factory-built planes, one man in rural southeastern Minnesota believed that flying should be simple, affordable, and accessible to anyone willing to try. Bernard Pietenpol , a mechanic and inventor from  Cherry Grove , built his own airplanes using everyday materials and automobile engines—often testing them from open fields and country ro...

In the summer of 1912, teenager  Victor Patterson  disappeared after a night out with friends. Days later, his body was discovered in a pasture near  Canton, Minnesota , dead from a gunshot wound. A revolver lay nearby, and the initial conclusion leaned toward suicide—but the details left many uneasy. Newspaper accounts from the time reveal conflicting interpretations: questions about the weapon,...

In the mid-1900s,  Preston, Minnesota  became the focus of statewide scrutiny when officials and newspapers accused the town of operating a so-called  “marriage mill.”  Couples—many from Iowa—crossed the border for quick weddings, raising questions about waived waiting periods, fees, and legal oversight. This episode traces the investigation that followed: court hearings, grand jury proceedings, a...

In September 1881, a quiet walk home along a rural road near Rushford, Minnesota, ended in tragedy. Nineteen-year-old Anna Martin was shot and killed under circumstances that immediately shocked her family, neighbors, and the wider community. Newspapers across southeastern Minnesota quickly filled with conflicting accounts—was it a terrible accident, a reckless act meant to frighten, or something...

From the rolling hills of  Spring Valley, Minnesota , to the halls of political power,  Thomas Frankson  built a life as bold as the era he lived in. Known as both a  statesman  and private zoo keeper, Frankson carved out a reputation that blended frontier enterprise, public leadership, and spectacle. In this episode, we trace Frankson’s journey from rural roots and agricultural ambition to his ri...

From Lanesboro to Washington, D.C., one woman helped shape the future of rural education in America. In this episode of  Roots & Riddles , we trace the remarkable life of  Katherine Cook , born in Lanesboro, Minnesota, who rose to become  Chief of the Division of Rural Education  for the U.S. Bureau of Education. At a time when rural schools were often overlooked, Katherine traveled the countr...

Why did one stretch of woods gain such a dark reputation? In this episode of  Roots & Riddles , we explore the infamous  Jordan Woods —a place repeatedly named in historic newspaper crime reports across Fillmore County. Using original sources, we uncover what really happened, what may have been exaggerated, and how reputation alone can shape local history. A story of headlines, human behavior,...

What if Fillmore County once echoed with the footsteps of a saber-toothed tiger? In this episode of  Roots & Riddles , we journey back to the Ice Age to explore evidence of  ancient predators  that once roamed Fillmore County, Minnesota. From caves and fossils to climate shifts and extinction, we uncover how these animals lived—and what traces they left behind. This is Minnesota history, long...