Roots & Riddles

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...

In this delightfully chaotic tale from 1878, Preston erupts into full crisis mode when a young boy wanders off and doesn’t return by nightfall. The church bell tolls, neighbors grab lanterns, and before long, half of Fillmore County is convinced the child has been kidnapped by a passing emigrant wagon. In true frontier fashion, a heavily armed posse charges off to “save the day”—only to discover t...

In this episode of  Roots & Riddles , Preston and Lenora revisit a startling chapter in Fillmore County’s past: the earthquake of 1877. Though Minnesota is far from the seismic hotspots of the nation, residents of Fillmore County felt the ground shift beneath them in a rare and unsettling event. Drawing from historical accounts, they explore how the tremor rippled through southeastern Minnesot...

In this episode of  Roots & Riddles , Preston and Lenora trace the surprising local ties of Richard Sears — the man whose mail-order empire reshaped how Americans shopped. Long before catalogs and department stores, Sears was a boy in Fillmore County, surrounded by the rhythms of rural Minnesota life. This episode blends local history with national legacy, showing how Fillmore County’s landsca...

In this special Thanksgiving episode of  Roots & Riddles , Preston and Lenora set aside the mysteries and dive into something just as meaningful: gratitude for the place they call home. Fillmore County isn’t just a backdrop for their stories — it’s a living archive of resilience, creativity, and community spirit. Whether you’ve lived here your whole life or are just discovering its stories, th...

In the spring of 1915, Preston was shaken by a near-tragedy that unfolded behind closed doors—and made its way into the pages of the  Preston Times . This episode of  Roots & Riddles  unpacks the haunting story of Dr. Harrington, a respected dentist and entrepreneur whose return from illness took a dark and unexpected turn. Was this a case of post-illness delirium, untreated trauma, or somethi...

In this episode of  Roots & Riddles , we uncover the story of Fillmore County’s sons who marched off to war as part of the 2nd Minnesota Infantry, led by Colonel J.W. Bishop. From the rolling hills of Bluff Country to the battlefields of the South, these men carried the hopes of their community into one of America’s darkest chapters. We explore how Fillmore County rallied behind the Union caus...

In this episode of  Roots & Riddles , we journey to Spring Valley. Twice, in 1928 and again in 1933, the First National Bank was robbed in bold, daylight heists that left the community stunned and the authorities scrambling. Who were the culprits behind these daring crimes? Were the robberies connected, or was Spring Valley simply unlucky? We dig into dusty archives, trace the getaway routes,...

This Halloween,  Roots & Riddles  takes a spectral stroll through the shadows of Fillmore County’s forgotten towns. Elliota, Waukopee, Belleville, Clear Grit, and Beldena—once bustling with blacksmiths, millers, and hopeful settlers—now linger only in maps, memories, and moss-covered cemeteries. In this chilling episode, Lenora and Preston unearth the rise and fall of these vanished communitie...

When the 18th Amendment outlawed alcohol in 1920, Fillmore County didn’t just dry up—it got inventive. In this episode of  Roots & Riddles , Lenora and Preston uncork the hidden history of Prohibition in southeastern Minnesota, where moonshine flowed through barn basements, backroads became smuggling routes, and small-town saloons went underground. But here’s the twist: Did Al Capone, the infa...

Long before tailgates and turf fields, the Minnesota Vikings traded helmets for softball gloves—and headed to Ostrander, Minnesota. From 1970 to 1973, the Vikings made an annual summer pilgrimage to this small Fillmore County town, playing charity softball games to raise funds for the Ostrander Park. In this episode of  Roots & Riddles , Lenora and Preston step onto the diamond of memory, revi...