Edina Historical Society Quarterly Newsletter
Letter from the Executive Director
Heather Haeg, Executive Director
As I sit in the Museum on a snowy February day, watching kids sledding on our big hill at Arneson Acres Park, I am thinking about all of the exciting things that are happening at EHS this spring and beyond. I believe there is a little something for everyone in our upcoming programs.
On April 19th, we will be hosting a program at the Historic 1879 Minnehaha Grange Hall titled Edina’s First Refugees: Irish Immigrants at Cahill Settlement. This will be an interesting and engaging look into Edina’s roots with Interpreter and Historian, TJ Malaskee.
In May, we will be at the Historic Cahill School with a program titled Back to School for Adults where grown-ups get a look into the world of an 1888 school child inside this historic Edina treasure. (This program will be offered again on September 20th.) Don’t forget your bonnet and kerchief!
Looking further ahead, we have Apollo: Why America went to the Moon on 7/20/19, the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing. Also, Boathouses of Minnetonka by Edina’s own Melinda Nelson on August 3rd, Minnesota Hauntings with the Johnsdale Paranormal Group at our Historic 1879 Minnehaha Grange Hall on September 9th, Kieran Folliard sharing An Irishman’s Journey from the Emerald Isle to Lake of the Isles on September 27th, Pioneers of Color: The Yancey Family of Edina on November 16th and 100 Years of Christmas at Dayton’s on December 6th. All programs begin at 7pm. Tickets are available on our website www.edinahistoricalsociety.org.
Summer camps return June 10th with the very popular Homestead Camp and Tea and Manners Camp, held at the Historic Cahill School and Minnehaha Grange Hall. Both camps run four half days per session in June and July and are open to girls and boys ages 6-12. Cost is $195. See our website for registration and forms.
WE NEED YOU to become a member of the Historical Society. Benefits include free entrance to our exhibits, discounted tickets and presale opportunities, and our quarterly electronic newsletter, The Mill About Town. Memberships are available for purchase on our website. Your support helps us preserve Edina’s history and share our stories throughout the community and beyond.
Please feel free to stop by the Museum at 4711 West 70th Street for a peek at our Exhibits, a look at unique Edina swag in the gift shop or a trip down the hill on your toboggan. We are open Tuesday 11-1, Saturdays 10-noon and third Thursdays 5-8pm. We love visitors!
On April 19th, we will be hosting a program at the Historic 1879 Minnehaha Grange Hall titled Edina’s First Refugees: Irish Immigrants at Cahill Settlement. This will be an interesting and engaging look into Edina’s roots with Interpreter and Historian, TJ Malaskee.
In May, we will be at the Historic Cahill School with a program titled Back to School for Adults where grown-ups get a look into the world of an 1888 school child inside this historic Edina treasure. (This program will be offered again on September 20th.) Don’t forget your bonnet and kerchief!
Looking further ahead, we have Apollo: Why America went to the Moon on 7/20/19, the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing. Also, Boathouses of Minnetonka by Edina’s own Melinda Nelson on August 3rd, Minnesota Hauntings with the Johnsdale Paranormal Group at our Historic 1879 Minnehaha Grange Hall on September 9th, Kieran Folliard sharing An Irishman’s Journey from the Emerald Isle to Lake of the Isles on September 27th, Pioneers of Color: The Yancey Family of Edina on November 16th and 100 Years of Christmas at Dayton’s on December 6th. All programs begin at 7pm. Tickets are available on our website www.edinahistoricalsociety.org.
Summer camps return June 10th with the very popular Homestead Camp and Tea and Manners Camp, held at the Historic Cahill School and Minnehaha Grange Hall. Both camps run four half days per session in June and July and are open to girls and boys ages 6-12. Cost is $195. See our website for registration and forms.
WE NEED YOU to become a member of the Historical Society. Benefits include free entrance to our exhibits, discounted tickets and presale opportunities, and our quarterly electronic newsletter, The Mill About Town. Memberships are available for purchase on our website. Your support helps us preserve Edina’s history and share our stories throughout the community and beyond.
Please feel free to stop by the Museum at 4711 West 70th Street for a peek at our Exhibits, a look at unique Edina swag in the gift shop or a trip down the hill on your toboggan. We are open Tuesday 11-1, Saturdays 10-noon and third Thursdays 5-8pm. We love visitors!
Curator's Corner
Stephen Barrett
The city of Edina has a long tradition of winning sports teams. Nowhere is that more evident than in hockey, with 12 boy’s state high school championships and 3 straight championships for the girl’s team! Since its beginnings in the 1950s, the youth hockey program has continued to grow, attracting more than 1200 boys and girls today, along with an army of dedicated coaches, faithful volunteers and enthusiastic fans.
But how many of us have ever heard of Bandy? Introduced to Europe, Scandinavia and former Soviet countries in the late 19th century, Bandy is considered a precursor to the modern sport of ice hockey. The name comes from the French verb bander, with the literal translation meaning “to stick back and forth.” The game incorporates some modern elements of hockey, soccer and football, and is played outdoors on a large sheet of ice the size of a soccer field. Teams are composed of 11 players on skates who use a curved stick called a “bandy” to move a rubber ball up and down the field toward a net.
It is only fitting that the game of Bandy was introduced to the United States by a long-time Edina resident. Former Edina Park and Recreation Director Bob Kojetin helped bring the sport of Bandy to the United States in 1976, in conjunction with the International Bandy Federation. Bob traveled extensively between Scandinavia and the former Soviet Union to learn all the fundamentals that went into the game of Bandy. Returning home to the U.S., he conducted clinics throughout the country to promote the game. This led to the creation of the American Bandy Association and a league of over 1,000 players and 30 teams in Minnesota.
Bob’s recent donation to the Edina Historical Society includes a large collection of Bandy equipment, memorabilia and photographs. A typical Bandy stick measures 3 and a half feet long, is made of wood and has black tape with leather wrapped around the blade. Do you recognize any of the players in the photo of an American Bandy team in Sweden? We invite you to stop by the museum and see the collection of unique items that are part of our Edina sports tradition.
But how many of us have ever heard of Bandy? Introduced to Europe, Scandinavia and former Soviet countries in the late 19th century, Bandy is considered a precursor to the modern sport of ice hockey. The name comes from the French verb bander, with the literal translation meaning “to stick back and forth.” The game incorporates some modern elements of hockey, soccer and football, and is played outdoors on a large sheet of ice the size of a soccer field. Teams are composed of 11 players on skates who use a curved stick called a “bandy” to move a rubber ball up and down the field toward a net.
It is only fitting that the game of Bandy was introduced to the United States by a long-time Edina resident. Former Edina Park and Recreation Director Bob Kojetin helped bring the sport of Bandy to the United States in 1976, in conjunction with the International Bandy Federation. Bob traveled extensively between Scandinavia and the former Soviet Union to learn all the fundamentals that went into the game of Bandy. Returning home to the U.S., he conducted clinics throughout the country to promote the game. This led to the creation of the American Bandy Association and a league of over 1,000 players and 30 teams in Minnesota.
Bob’s recent donation to the Edina Historical Society includes a large collection of Bandy equipment, memorabilia and photographs. A typical Bandy stick measures 3 and a half feet long, is made of wood and has black tape with leather wrapped around the blade. Do you recognize any of the players in the photo of an American Bandy team in Sweden? We invite you to stop by the museum and see the collection of unique items that are part of our Edina sports tradition.
Early Edina Architecture
Katie Rue
The city of Edina started out as a small town, inhabited and supported by farmers and a few small mills in the 1850s. While it was not as established or extravagant as some larger cities, the residents enjoyed a simple, hard-working life. But did you know that this lifestyle was reflected in the architecture of the city? The homes of these farmers and mill workers were simple and utilitarian, representing their practical and uncomplicated way of life. Many of these early homes included elements of European architectural styles, although they were extremely simplified.
The Historic Cahill School, built in 1864, is one of several examples of the Greek Revival style which was used throughout the village of Edina in the mid to late 1800s. Although it is much simpler than the grand European examples found elsewhere, this style is evident in the proportions of the building and the formal placement of doors and windows. An even more simplified form of this architectural style may be seen in the utilitarian and uncomplicated form of the “vernacular farmhouse” which was prevalent in early Edina. These farmhouses were usually rectangular or L-shaped with steep roofs to protect against heavy snows and an informal placement of doors and windows. Many examples of the vernacular farmhouse still stand in Edina today.
By the mid 1890s, vernacular farmhouses were being replaced with the “midwest square.” This was a plain version of the cube-shaped, low-roofed Italianate style. These homes were comfortable and informal with a random placement of doors and windows reflecting the casual arrangement of rooms within the home. Although some of the traditional style remains with the front porch and overhanging roof supported by pillars, these elements were unadorned and more practical than decorative. Many Midwest squares still remain in Edina.
While most early Edina homes utilized one of these two simple farmhouse styles, the most impressive home from the period still stands today. Built in 1869, The Grimes House is an extraordinary example of Gothic Revival and Italianate architecture with its pointed arch, bay windows and decorative brackets. Built and owned by Jonathan Taylor Grimes, this home represented the pinnacle of wealth in the community. Grimes moved to Minnesota from the south in 1859, becoming an important part of the farming community when he purchased Edina Mills and the surrounding 160 acres, now known as Morningside. He ran a large orchard on his land and operated the Lake Calhoun Nursery which provided many trees to Edina and surrounding cities. With all his success as a farmer and businessman, Mr. Grimes became the first president of the Minnesota Horticultural Society. This beautiful home is unlike most other farmhouses in Edina because of its attention to detail and true representation of the style which inspired it.
The simple and utilitarian nature of the vernacular farmhouse and the midwest square represent the hard-working lifestyle of most Edina citizens during the 1850s-1900. However, they also show us that the owners of these homes were striving to keep up with architectural trends. While these houses may not be as carefully planned out as the styles by which they are inspired, simplified elements of European architecture remain. The Grimes house is a true representation of the European styles from which it came and represents the wealth achieved by its owner through farming and agriculture.
The Historic Cahill School, built in 1864, is one of several examples of the Greek Revival style which was used throughout the village of Edina in the mid to late 1800s. Although it is much simpler than the grand European examples found elsewhere, this style is evident in the proportions of the building and the formal placement of doors and windows. An even more simplified form of this architectural style may be seen in the utilitarian and uncomplicated form of the “vernacular farmhouse” which was prevalent in early Edina. These farmhouses were usually rectangular or L-shaped with steep roofs to protect against heavy snows and an informal placement of doors and windows. Many examples of the vernacular farmhouse still stand in Edina today.
By the mid 1890s, vernacular farmhouses were being replaced with the “midwest square.” This was a plain version of the cube-shaped, low-roofed Italianate style. These homes were comfortable and informal with a random placement of doors and windows reflecting the casual arrangement of rooms within the home. Although some of the traditional style remains with the front porch and overhanging roof supported by pillars, these elements were unadorned and more practical than decorative. Many Midwest squares still remain in Edina.
While most early Edina homes utilized one of these two simple farmhouse styles, the most impressive home from the period still stands today. Built in 1869, The Grimes House is an extraordinary example of Gothic Revival and Italianate architecture with its pointed arch, bay windows and decorative brackets. Built and owned by Jonathan Taylor Grimes, this home represented the pinnacle of wealth in the community. Grimes moved to Minnesota from the south in 1859, becoming an important part of the farming community when he purchased Edina Mills and the surrounding 160 acres, now known as Morningside. He ran a large orchard on his land and operated the Lake Calhoun Nursery which provided many trees to Edina and surrounding cities. With all his success as a farmer and businessman, Mr. Grimes became the first president of the Minnesota Horticultural Society. This beautiful home is unlike most other farmhouses in Edina because of its attention to detail and true representation of the style which inspired it.
The simple and utilitarian nature of the vernacular farmhouse and the midwest square represent the hard-working lifestyle of most Edina citizens during the 1850s-1900. However, they also show us that the owners of these homes were striving to keep up with architectural trends. While these houses may not be as carefully planned out as the styles by which they are inspired, simplified elements of European architecture remain. The Grimes house is a true representation of the European styles from which it came and represents the wealth achieved by its owner through farming and agriculture.
Cahill in the 1930's
Dorothy Grant Palmer
The following excerpt is from Dorothy Grant Palmer manuscript, “A Wedding in a One-Room Schoolhouse,” at the Edina Historical Society.
In the 1930’s, Cahill was a predominately Irish community distinct from the rest of Edina. It focused on the intersection of 70th Street and Cahill, where St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, the Cahill school, a grocery store with gas pumps, and two or three nearby homes stood. Few people had telephones, and when Northern States Power began to bring electricity into homes in 1934, people held “light up” parties to celebrate.
Because Edina did not have a high school, most Cahill graduates went to St. Louis Park High School. Parents were responsible for transporting their kids to the high school until 1936, when the Cahill School district (Independent District #16) hired Leonard Grant as a bus driver. His school bus was a used seven-passenger Packard limousine.
By the 1930’s, a few families with Scandinavian names like Amundson, Peterson, and Larson had infiltrated the predominately Irish community. With the leadership of Mrs. E. O. Amundson and the help of Wooddale Lutheran Church in St. Louis Park, they organized Calvary Lutheran church, which met in the schoolhouse.
For the first wedding in the new church, Mrs. Elizabeth Peterson and the Ladies Aid Society transformed the plain schoolhouse into such an enchanting garden that it satisfied the apprehensive bride, Dorothy Grant, and started a career catering weddings for Elizabeth Peterson!
Join us for two special programs to learn more about Edina’s historic Cahill settlement. Edina’s First Refugees: The Irish at Cahill Settlement on Friday, April 19 and Back to School for Adults: Experience Edina’s Historic Cahill School on Friday, May 5.
In the 1930’s, Cahill was a predominately Irish community distinct from the rest of Edina. It focused on the intersection of 70th Street and Cahill, where St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, the Cahill school, a grocery store with gas pumps, and two or three nearby homes stood. Few people had telephones, and when Northern States Power began to bring electricity into homes in 1934, people held “light up” parties to celebrate.
Because Edina did not have a high school, most Cahill graduates went to St. Louis Park High School. Parents were responsible for transporting their kids to the high school until 1936, when the Cahill School district (Independent District #16) hired Leonard Grant as a bus driver. His school bus was a used seven-passenger Packard limousine.
By the 1930’s, a few families with Scandinavian names like Amundson, Peterson, and Larson had infiltrated the predominately Irish community. With the leadership of Mrs. E. O. Amundson and the help of Wooddale Lutheran Church in St. Louis Park, they organized Calvary Lutheran church, which met in the schoolhouse.
For the first wedding in the new church, Mrs. Elizabeth Peterson and the Ladies Aid Society transformed the plain schoolhouse into such an enchanting garden that it satisfied the apprehensive bride, Dorothy Grant, and started a career catering weddings for Elizabeth Peterson!
Join us for two special programs to learn more about Edina’s historic Cahill settlement. Edina’s First Refugees: The Irish at Cahill Settlement on Friday, April 19 and Back to School for Adults: Experience Edina’s Historic Cahill School on Friday, May 5.
|
|
|
New, Renewed & Gifted Memberships
Richard Allendorf & Paul Markwardt, Judy & Paul Anderson, Julie & Paul Anderson, Kay Bach, Bob & Marilyn Benson, Carol Rae Brown, Frank & Lois Cardarelle, Bruce & Gail Carlson, Richard & Marcia Carthaus, Ed & Cheryle Clausman, Dave Colwell, Elise & Jeff Cross, Kathleen Dahlheimer, Marjorie Ellingson, Eleanor Fisher, Peter & Marion Franz, Doug Fuerst, Jim Gehrey, Robert & Patricia Haberkorn, Ken Harris, Eric & Sarah Hoegger, Martha Johnson, Bob & Joan Kojetin, Betty Reid Kuechle, Jean & Mark Larson, Diane Lindgren, Janet Parsons Mackey, Mary & David McDonald, William C. Melton, Mary Olson Coleman, John & Sandi Oren, Doris Peterson ,R. A. & Margaret Pfohl, James & Bev Phillips, Joyce Repya, Donald Roberts, Tom & Ellie Savereide, Barb Sheehan, Mark & Ruth Valgemae, Ward & Marj Wages, Leila J. Wallace, Richard Atwood Willson, and Margaret Zverinova.
Help Wanted!
Calling all local historians, we are looking for volunteers who love Edina history to help us research and write articles about Edina’s rich history for our newsletter and Facebook posts. To learn more, contact [email protected].
