Saturday, August 18, 2012
An excerpt from National Geographic provides a glimpse into a now-familiar species.
Feb. 2, 1917: Readers of the West St. Paul Booster and Dakota County Globe receive a dramatized glimpse into the wilds of the ocean. An excerpt from National Geographic describes in flourishing detail the characteristics of a killer whale (orca) pack, or "giant wolves of the sea." "A regularly spaced row of advancing long black fins swiftly cutting the undulating surface of the sea produces a singularly sinister effect. The evil impression is well justified, since killers are the most savage and remorseless of whales. The jaws are armed with rows of effective teeth, with which the animals attack and devour seal and porpoises and even destroy some of the larger whales." While an orca whale's prey may agree with that characterization, modern…
Saturday, August 11, 2012
The county fair fun of the past wasn't all that different from what attracts fair-goers today.
Aug. 18, 1960: Before motocross races and demolition derbies, there was good old-fashioned horse racing at the Dakota County Fair in 1960, as you'll see in a photo published in a 1960 edition of the Dakota County Tribune. But some of the classics remain—bunnies and baked goods among them, as you'll see in our other photo snagged from that historical newspaper issue. Check out more events, exhibits and archives at the Dakota County Historical Society, 130 Third Ave. N., South St. Paul.
Saturday, August 4, 2012
A dancer in the Esther Bowles Happiness Troupe chomps into a slice of watermelon on her break.
July 25, 1968: A Burnsville dancer in the Esther Bowles Happiness Troupe chomps into a slice of watermelon on her break. The dancers are preparing for 10 performances at the Minnesota State Fair by spending their summer days at dance camp in Burnsville. This moment, and other shots from the preparations, were printed in the Dakota County Tribune. You can check out more events, exhibits and archives at the Dakota County Historical Society, 130 Third Ave. N., South St. Paul.
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Folks were getting ready for "the zaniest and craziest Ridiculous Days in history" in 1960.
July 28, 1960: Forget all the summer festivals you know. Forget Eagan Funfest, Rosemount Leprechaun Days, even Lakeville's Pan-O-Prog. Welcome to Ridiculous Days in Farmington, which in 1960 the Dakota County Tribune reported was expected to be "the zaniest and craziest Ridiculous Days in history." The main event behind Ridiculous Days was two days of "plain honest to goodness bargains" at local stores, where employees also dressed up in the most ridiculous costumes they could find. But highlights abounded beyond that. At the 1960 Ridiculous Days, you could expect a pig auction, street dance, zany stunts—and balloons with gift certificates inside periodically dropping from the sky. You can check out more events, exhibits and archives at …
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Lebanon residents enjoy a festive Fourth of July carnival.
July 11, 1968: The Apple Valley Carnival in Lebanon (now Apple Valley) on July 4 draws a crowd to the patriotic festivities. A photo of the activity makes the front page of the following issue of the Dakota County Tribune. Striped tents, treats and summer wear complement the holiday atmosphere as the Lebanon Fire Department helps out. You can check out more events, exhibits and archives at the Dakota County Historical Society, 130 Third Ave. N., South St. Paul. Lakeville Patch will feature a local history item each week.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
In 1952, a last-minute switch among Minnesota delegates to the Republican National Convention propelled Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower to capture the Republican nomination for president.
July 18, 1952: While they might not have realized it at the time, the Minnesota delegation to the Republican National Convention in 1952 played a significant role in determining the next president of the United States. Twenty-eight Minnesotans ventured to Chicago in July that year to cast their votes, with a choice between Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower and Minnesota's own Harold Stassen. Their original split was 19 for Eisenhower, nine for Stassen, which likely would've propelled Ike to victory anyway, but "at the crucial moment," the nine Stassen-ers switched their votes, which clinched the nomination for Eisenhower, the Dakota County Tribune reported at the time. In November, Eisenhower won by a mile (or maybe more), with 442 electoral votes…
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Dakota County Tribune staffers left their readers some snippets of news to come as they departed the office for the week of July 4, 1952.
July 4, 1952: This one's pretty self explanatory. The Dakota County Tribune staff took a little break for the Fourth of July holiday in 1952, but made sure to leave their readers with some teasers for next week's news. We at Patch won't all be skipping town (or our websites) for a full week in this day and age, so keep coming back for new content. And we hope that, beyond continuing to read our sites, you get to take some time off to celebrate Independence Day. You can check out more events, exhibits and archives at the Dakota County Historical Society, 130 Third Ave. N., South St. Paul. Apple Valley-Rosemount Patch will feature a local history item each week.
Saturday, June 23, 2012
A weekend of racing sports cars draws a happy summer crowd.
July 18, 1968: Grab your Ray-Bans and start your engines. It's a hot summer day, and sports cars are lining up to race in Farmington. Photos of the crowd and of course, the cars, make the front page of the Dakota County Tribune. You can check out more events, exhibits and archives at the Dakota County Historical Society, 130 Third Ave. N., in South St. Paul.
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Four high schools in the Dakota County Tribune coverage area in 1945 sent seniors off into the world.
1945: School's almost out for the summer, and so it was as well at this time in 1945, when four high schools in the coverage area of the Dakota County Tribune planned commencement ceremonies for a total 119 students. Lakeville High School topped the list, with 42 seniors, followed by Farmington with 39, Rosemount with 26 and Randolph with 12. See if you recognize any familiar surnames in the list of graduates pictured. You can check out more historical events, exhibits and archives at the Dakota County Historical Society, 130 Third Ave. N., South St. Paul.
Saturday, May 26, 2012
How large was your town 82 years ago?
June 6, 1930: Preliminary numbers are in for the 1930 Census, and Dakota County is growing. County-wide, the population increased by 5,618 over the previous 10 years, reports the West St. Paul Booster and Dakota County Globe. Most of that growth was centered in West St. Paul, South St. Paul and Hastings. Smaller towns such as Lakeville (pop. 999) Rosemount (pop. 692) and Burnsville (pop. 490) also recorded modest growth. Apple Valley was still called Lebanon, Mendota Heights had yet to be incorporated, and the village of Mendota boasted 173 residents—shockingly, only 25 fewer residents than it reported in the 2010 census 80 years later.
