Brainerd Minnesota History
PROJECTS
Here you will find current projects of anyone or entity that is working towards making our history come alive and promote our town. I'm sure I am not aware of ALL of them! Also found here will be projects that NEED doing, so if you want to get a group together and tackle a project, let's do it! I have far more things on the to-do list than peole to do the list!
Buffalo Hills Trail project and markers.
Trails are getting BIG attention in Brainerd, and they are finally coming together...literally! Have you heard of the one above, or the Cuyuna Lakes Trail. And what is the Cuyuna trail doing here in Brainerd???
2013: The grant for the 4 graphics markers was secured, and in 2014 placed. Can you find all 4?
UPDATE: 2015, now 2 more grapics markers. 2 more have followed, adn one is due late fall of 2015...weather permitting. It will replace one that was destroyed by a white buick. Thes last 3 are not on the trail.
Lists! Neighborhood Grocers, Churches, Taverns and more, oh my! This is too cool.
So far, we have started the Grocers list which lists all the neighborhood grocers we can find since about the 1920's-present.
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In 2013 we tackled a list of Taverns and Supper Clubs. In 2014 we started Restaurants.
If you would like to add to the list, contact me.
Which Schaefer's was this? 6th & Oak? 7th & Maple?
Lyman P. White! Who???
Most commonly affectionately called the Father of Brainerd, but who has ever heard of him? What did he do? What did he look like (a hint at the left), and where is his memorial? Well, there is some exciting news on this! We now have a marker for him!!! There is also a really cool story on the photo to the left! It goes back to 1886. Really!
​Field work, help wanted!
-address hunting
-artifact hunting
-brewery dig
-River, what river?
-Then & Now photgraphy help needed.
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RAILROAD!
We would not even BE here were it not for the NP, yet there is not much of its history openly celebrated here; how strange! The Crow Wing County Historical Society has dedicated an entire floor to the subject, and the artifacts are mind-blowing! You have just GOT to go check it out.
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But now there has been some talk of a Railroad History Days, or a new exposure of the remnants of the enterprise, namely the NP Center and those WONDERFUL old Brainerd brick buildings...even a RR Museum. The fall of 2012 saw how much interest there is in this at the first ever Railroad Symposiun put on by the Brainerd Public Library, where over 200 folks gathered and listened to several speakers, looked at RR artifacts and reminisced of old RR days. So the interest is there, but where do we go from here?
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April 2013: See the new page called "Railroad!"
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There is a college student tackling a project for one of his final classes...see it on this page!
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NEWS FLASH:
​I had to put this news under PROJECTS, since if there ever was a project, this has been it! I don't know how many years in the making, but many, and now the CARBINE HOUSE is going to be restored! It was INCHES from the wrecking ball. For the last 2 years it has had to be closed to the public at the CWC Fair due to its disrepair and safety concerns. The crew at the CWCHS has been able to raise enough funds, AND secure a grant to completely restore this treasure. Congratulations and thanks to the staff!
UPDATE: The Carbine House has now been restored! It is SO fun to post and update of a project that seemed insurmountable, but now has been accomplished.
Photo courtesy CWCHS; it's the structure on the right:
HELP WANTED!
No, we're not hiring, but sure could use some help! We have many ongoing projects that need finishing. If you have a project you are working on and need help, post it here.
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Brainerd City Directories: These are invaluable for researching, but we need to scan some of the older ones! I do have the first one, 1888, then 1903, a 1920 photocopy, some 40-50's. I have a void in the 20-40 range. But, most all can be found at the museum or library. Thank heaven for these wonderful places, the keepers of the history!!! These badly need to be scanned, so we can place them online, yet another PROJECT. Winter is coming!
Brainerd History Walk signs: Well over half are already installed, but help is needed to get the rest put up. Here are some buildings where they are already installed: Guidepoint Pharmacy, Design Consign, Last Turn Saloon, Northwind Grille, Thrifty White Drug, First Impressions Printing. Here's what needs doing: Get building owners' permission to install sign, may need a post, holes drilled, ladder, cordless drill, etc. The list is already compiled. Some were placed in windows but have now fallen over or set aside, so we need to work with the building owners.
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Brewery Site: in 2009 we located and excavated the Bottling House. We cleared out the area more so one can see the lake and river better from this slab. Then we made a marker from bricks found on the site. Help is needed brushing and hauling tree limbs and stacking in piles for later removal. What is needed now is a good ol' fashioned barn-raising style cleanup with pruning shears, loppers, rakes and hand saws to clean up the area. We are not allowed to use chainsaws in a city park, but a LOT can be done by hand. Parks & Rec. does mow around the whole lake, but keeping the brewery site is up to us.
Fishing Display: New, Oct. 2018: To my knowledge, there is no fishing museum or display in Brainerd. Do you know of any??? The museum does have a nice glass cabinet with a few items, but I think it could be expanded with a bit of help from the public. Some new items would need to be donated, and another display case must be fashioned, perhaps tall enough for fishing rods. There were a LOT of Brainerd-made lures in the past, and they should be included. Also, there are at least 2 famous fishing spears made here, the Fred Drexler, and the Gustis "Brainerd Spear") spears. Can we find examples of these for display? This along with spearing decoys could make a wonderful, and POPULAR exhibit!
Granite Curbing: The last ones I saw were on Front St. over a decade ago, and on S 8th in 2011. None was saved! But, there may be more hiding! Do you know of any? I found ONE more location in about 2014, and the street is scheduled to get re-done, including curbs, in about 2024. What will the city do with them this time???
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History of the building: There is a movement to have the history of the business or building, well, IN THE BUILDING! Many businesses have already done this, not only with the written history but GOBS of photos. Find this list on the RESEARCH page, and click on the pink button called Brainerd Historic Art & Photo List. This really IS a research tool!
Horse Tie-Ups: We have found a few, but there may be more out there. Contact us as to what and where to look.
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Lists: For some reason, I feel compelled to make lists of everything, and put them on paper! So the topics so far are Grocers (Ma & PA grocery stores of old), and Taverns & Supper Clubs/in town list, out of town list. Yet to come are churches, restaurants, manufacturers, stores, families, buildings, and...who knows?
Markers: Many are up, but many more are needed! Contact me for a full list. Did you know that for our 1971 centennial 18 were planned but none was put up? 3 STILL are awaiting installation! I have had this project on my Brainerd Bucket list since about 2008, and is prolly at the TOP of this list. See the FULL story below:
UPDATE, 4/10/2017: For the first time anywhere, the complete list of ALL historic markers in Brainerd...unless I messed any! Check it out and send in any you know of that I don't. Just think, there are still a few 1971 Centennial Markers that have never been installed! See the list below:
QR Codes (Quick Response): As you know, there are now LOTS of websites on which to find Brainerd and area history. We have lots of histoic markers up, and many of them could just as well have a QR code sticker on them, so one can go right to the site with his smart phone, FROM the site...site to site you might say! :-)
Ransford Hotel artifacts: I have some of the original sandstone window sills from the buiding. They are 4' long by about 10" square and weigh 125#, an make a dandy park bench! I would like to place one on the SW corner of 6th & Front Sts. where the hotel stood. I have somewhat gotten permission to place this, but it needs followup from the credit union folks, and the City. I can mortar it in after pouring a slab.
Recreating History: Did you know that a project has started to actually REcreate our history by way of photos? Can you imagine standing in a store and looking out at what one would have seen in say 1904, or 1920? This has already been done! Do you know where???
Research: There are SO many questions yet to be answered. Some have been lingering for years, even with all of the new tools available online. If you like a challenge, go to the RESEARCH page and look at my QUESTIONS list at the bottom, and good hunting!!! The list is shrinking, but not fast enough! Posted 11/2015.
Scanning: MOST old books and documents on Brainerd have been scanned, and can now be enjoyed by anyone since they have been placed online. But a few remain to be scanned. Here are at least some, and I'll look for more:
-1888: Brainerd City Directory. I have one that is poorly bound and can be dissembled for this use. DONE!
-1923: Brainerd's Half Century, Ingolf Dillan (We'll need to check, but it may now be in the public domain.) UPDATE, 2016: This wonderful Brainerd history book, our first, was scanned during the 2016 Brainerd Public Library's Photos Scanning Project. DONE!
-1946: Brainerd 75, Carl Zapffe Sr. (Permission has been granted for copyrights.) DONE!
-1948: It Happened Here, Carl Zapffe Sr. DONE!
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Find the ones that are DONE on the Research page.
PHOTOS: If you have a vintage photo, PLEASE get it scanned. Consider giving a scan to the CWCHS. Many folks would love to see it, not to mention researchers! You may think it's just a picture Aunt Martha, but a detective might see an old building with an important sign in the window giving a clue to some mystery.
Store Names, by address: Did you know that back in the 1980's SOMEone started making a sheet on every address downtown and listed ALL of the business that occupied that address? We should keep this going! Click the button below for more, and to see a sample, and then let's get to the CWCHS and get researching! UPDATE, 4/21/2017: Now find below all 59 address business lists in one place! This would indeed be the MOAP! (Mother Of All Projects)
Then & Now photography: A long time ago I thought it would be fun to do Then & Now photos of our most prominent street scenes. Some of the best photos we have were taken for publication of postcards, which have now largely gone out of fashion...sadly! Who is out there taking pictures of the town as it moves through time THESE days? Let's take some of the best street scenes and go stand right where that photographer was standing back in 1890 or 1910, and recreate the scene! Some will show the same buildings, but as you know many of those buildings are no longer with us. Let's get on this before it's too late! If you would like to go take a few shots, LMK and I'll provide the THEN view. See this in action at Design Consign, where you can go back in time and see the view of 100+ years ago! This could be done all over town. The photos could be blown up cheaply to 11 x1 7", laminated and just stuck on a window. This could be accompanied by a flashy sign on the outside, reverse of the photo stating "stop in to see the view from this location here 100 years ago, and more history of THIS building". The idea is to get people IN the store!
Below is a good example that was posted on Andy Walsh's great Facebook page, to give you an idea how cool this is!
Photo courtesy of Ronald Majersky. Please correct me if I'm wrong on the credits.
Websites: I can't help but notice that many businesses these days are including a HISTORY tab to show off their great photos and information on the history of their business or building. Shing Wako Resort, Bar Harbor, and Adventure Advertising are just a few examples. If you know of more, please send them in and I'll add them to a lsit on the RESEARCH page. After all, the best place to research a building is often at the building, or in this case the current owner's website! How easy?
Wohl House roof repair: The CWCHS desperately needs someone with a lift to repair the hole in this old log home at the fairgrounds. It is a cedar roof, but at a minimum, it should be covered with sheet aluminum to keep the elements out. The list is long of other carpentry items needed, too. UPDATE: This has been done, about 2016.
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Since the Water Tower is back in the news, I thought I'd dig out Dad's old button again. Ca. 1968!
QUESTIONS!!!!
Just a few years ago, say 2008, we had no clear structure to research our history. Along came the Brainerd History Group, then Ann. M. Nelson's Special Features were put online; maps are now online, and newspapers are being scanned. Then came Andy's Facebook page. The result of all of this has been an explosion of long-asked questions being answered. BUT, we still have more, or at least I do! Here is my list of top questions that need answering yet, somewhat in order of preference.
1) What were the crescent-shapde pilings for by the RR bridge (photo above)?
2) Did the Water Pumping Station on the end of N. 7th St. also produce electricity, or was this done in a separate building down there?
3) There are some utility pole remnants running to the east down there. What were they used for? That is, was power made at the station sent to the east, or was it produced at the dam and sent west???
4) Was power sent from this S. side of the river sent to the W. side here? There is a more modern pole thre that would suggest this.
5) What is the iron stake cable anchor in the ground there for? A ferry service cable anchor? A logging chain anchor?
Dazed & confused...
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There always seems to be one of those "if there ever was a PROJECT, this is it! " project.
I will list here the biggest and best project currently underway, or at least discussed. Here it is...see if you can help, or send in your ideas! POSTED 3/29/2017:
2017/4/15:
There has been a bit of movement on this! The city has gotten the 4 bridge plaques out of the basement of City Hall, and to the Street Dept. for safe keeping. Now we need to get the railings there and get a plan for funding. Here is a photo of the plaques...cool, huh?
2017/10/22:
Well, the movement has stopped. At the city, for the east end of the bridge by the fire hall location, there is no indication of any help in paying for the restoration & painting of their 2 railings and plaques. They WILL, however, install them on their dime. At the county, for the front of the museum location, there is no forward motion or funding offers since we all looked at the proposed location at the front entrance to the museum. They want them in line with the sidewalk, and we want them in line with Laurel St., just like they were in 1898. This indecision is strange since a donor has since come forward and has offered to fund the painting of the 4 railings and the 3 plaques, so all they need to do is install them out in front of the museum, even if a few feet BACK from the sidewalk. Apparently, snow removal was an issue if placed too close to the sidewalk. OK, so move them back. I guess this all is what they call bureaucracy. It's too late for 2017, so maybe something will give in 2018. Keep posted.
2018/5/29:
This could finally be it! The 3 plaques have been brought to the sandblaster/powder coater. They are in need of a good painter to highlight the raised wording. This will not be too difficult, a detail roller may work, but may be a bit time-consuming, so I'm looking for a volunteer. I think a quart of any good Rustoleum-type gloss black will do. Can you help? The railings have been delivered to the welder to get straightened and readied for painting. The City has authorized the installation of 2 railings and a plaque next to the Laurel St. Bridge....right back where they started in 1898! Keep posted!
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2018, fall: UPDATE...
It took a while, but the railings and plaques are in the round! See the last photos below. On July 27, the project was completed, including an interpretive plaque telling the interesting story of how it all came about. Dignitaries posed in period clothing...sort of, recreating the 1898 bridge dedication photo. This was TOO cool! 2019 will bring the installation of 2 more in front of the CWCHS museum! (Photo match-up courtesy of Dave Badeaux.)
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Do you remember this old fire pit in Lum Park? Well, it turns out it was likely made by the WPA in the 30's, and is in dire need of repair, or it will be demolished. There is a movement to restore it, but it will take some funding. Let me know if you recall if your used one, and if it was for a fire, or BBQ, or just conversation. Was there more than one in the park? Stone mason, DIYers, please send in a bid!
Who can repair & save this piece of history?
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