Document - Historical Society Minutes - Historical Society Meeting Minutes - 2/4/2014MEETING NOTES/MINUTES
EAGAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY
TUESDAY
February 4, 2014
3:30 p.m. – 2nd Floor Conference Room A/B
Members present: Acting Chair Kenny Ekblad, Martin DesLauriers, Millie Gignac, Steve
Hansen, Bernie Jensen, Joe Reid, Ted Ringberg and Dawn Simpson. Chair Mary Ellen Voracek
and Vice-Chair Kim Hazel were detained and joined the meeting already in progress. New
member Norman Anderson provided introduction. Also present was artist Larry Landis and
Communication Coordinator Joanna Foote.
MEETING MINUTES & SECRETARY
Kenny Eckblad agreed to act as Chair of the meeting in the absence of Chair and Vice-Chair.
Eckblad called the meeting to order and asked if members had any changes to the January
minutes. No changes were recommended to the minutes from the December 3, 2013 meeting and
they were accepted as presented. A motion was made by DesLauriers to approve.
HISTORICAL SOCIETY BUSINESS
As Larry Landis was in attendance, the agenda was amended to discuss Item C.1. Update Regarding
Acceptance/Unveiling Planning for Donation of Larry Landis’ 1914 Town Hall Painting
Landis showed his original painting in progress to the group. He has been working from
photographs provided of the 1914 Town Hall through a variety of timeframes. He asked for the
committee’s input regarding items and features to be included as he finishes the painting. He
explained that the canvas now depicts the early base image that he builds up and adds foliage and
other detail as work progresses. Some of his questions included:
• How many steps led into the original building?
• Was there a flag pole on the building in early years?
• How people arrived, by horses, horse and buggy, cars/trucks and tractors and where did
they park?
• What was the early surrounding landscape?
• Was there a hitching post?
• Can we locate any color/additional pictures from before WWII showing typical Eagan
landscape
DesLauriers and Ringberg and other members talked about the condition of Pilot Knob Road
during the 1950s and 1960s and how community members attending meetings parked in the
(fairly tall) grass on the side and in front of the Old Town Hall. One member questioned if the
building had always been white with green shutters. The group was unsure as all older images
are black and white.
Landis asked if there was anything that the committee would like to see in the painting. Foote
stated that she marked the a photo showing the town board supervisors sitting on the stoop of a
school house in our Eagan history book and also an old photo of DesLauriers and Kennedy
inside building on either election day or court day. Maybe add some of the older members
entering the building or Alyce Bolke putting the “Vote Here” sign out front.
She also brought up the highly recognizable District 106 school bell that is kept in the Eagan
Council Chamber and is there some way to incorporated it in the timeline.
Reid will send photos of a group picture from 1915 showing how people were dressed the 1900s
and Foote does have a photo of Carlson Lake. Simpson has photos of her home and the farm
buildings in the 1920s and 1930s. Foote will go through pictures of McCarthy homestead and
others to see if they might shed light on landscape.
Members discussed a potential timeline border being created, if it was possible to blend the
timeline of Eagan’s history around the edges of the border/matting not on the painting.
Landus discussed his intent to donate the painting so any proceeds could be used for fundraising.
By selling the prints it will help cover the cost to make them. Landus indicated he had provided
two options for the Fire Department panting/print; prints on canvas at a cost of about $50.00
which sell for $140.00, and poster prints, with a cost of $17.00 and sell for $50.00.
The group extended its appreciation to Landis for his work to help celebrate the 100th
Anniversary of the 1914 Town Hall and for his generous donation of the painting for Historical
Society use in fundraising.
Larger Commemorative Event
The discussion turned to how and when to unveil the paining and an event to celebrate the Town
Hall 100th Anniversary. A presentation at the Council Meeting was requested and an additional
larger event, likely in the Fall on the Town Hall site will be further discussed and developed.
Members also discussed have a booth at the July 4th Funfest to take orders for prints, notecards
and posters. It was also suggested that there is the opportunity for selling the prints that Laundis’
did for the fire department commutative anniversary. Possibly incorporate both images in not
card sets. The idea will be revisited at a later date.
Final Considerations for 1914 Town Hall Discussion at February 11, 2014 City Council
Workshop
The Special City Council Meeting on February 11, 2013 at 5:30 p.m. in the Eagan Room will be
the first opportunity as a council of the whole to discuss all that has occurred since the fire at the
Town Hall. The priorities that committee has set as well as recommendations from the Finance
Committee members and staff will be included in the packet information for the council.
Foote and Tom Garrison met with David Grabitski, of the Minnesota Historical Society’s Local
History staff and Melinda Hutchinson, with MNHS grants programs. She is also an Eagan
resident. They will be putting together recommendations for EHS. They applauded the work
that the committee and city staff had done after the fire and how quickly we moved to get items
preserved as well as the decisions that were made and setting priorities.
Advisory Parks Commission Park Naming Progress
The Eagan Historical Society members were briefed about the recommendations for park names
for the property near Cedar Grove Parkway and Nicols Road. Three names were generated by the
Advisory Parks Commission for submission to the City Council for consideration:
• Nicols Station
• River Valley
• Bridgeview
EHS Members expressed disappointment in the choices of River Valley and Bridgeview stating
that these types of Park names can be found in virtually any community and do not reflect on
anything distinct to Eagan. Of the options presented, Nicols Station Park was preferred.
However, within the discussion Martin DesLauriers resubmitted the name of Onion Patch Park
and would like to have this reconsidered. In advocating this name, DesLauriers presented the
following arguments:
• Historically, Eagan has been known as the Onion Capital of the U.S. due to the tonnage
of onions grown and shipped from this location.
• This is an important piece of Eagan’s history which has not been recognized in road or
park naming (Nicols is already recognized as a road name.)
• The name speaks to a strong community heritage of Eagan’s farming community and
not a single individual, family or location (in much the same way as Threshers Fields
Park).
• Many families in the area, on and near this park location, were onion farmers from the
mid 1800s into the 1960s, including the Slater, Rueggert, Kenneally, Kennelly, Scott,
Beaudette, Perron, Rahn and Letendre families. But virtually all farmers in Eagan grew
onions for family sustenance and as a cash crop.
• As a boy, Martin recalls that they often “went out to the onion patch” for work, play and
to settle sibling disputes. (It should be noted that Martin comes from a family of 10
siblings).
Based on these reasons, the following MOTION was made by DesLauriers, seconded by
Simpson: To submit the name of Onion Patch Park for consideration by the Parks
Commission and ultimately the Eagan City Council for the naming of the park property
fronting Cedar Grove Parkway near Nicols Road. All members voted in favor of this motion.
Other
Foote shared aerial photos showing the progression of the Cedar Grove area starting with 1953
and ending 2002.
Work Session/Filing Assistance Need
Foote brought up a few items for a work session. She suggested having one or several work
sessions whether several smaller groups or even one time where we split up and do different
tasks. There is filing in the basement and retiring old displays and creating new ones for the City
Hall space and at the Community Center. It was decided that Tuesday or Thursday afternoon
would work best.
OTHER
• Reid’s article related to the Reid Family will be published in the upcoming “Over the
Years” publication.
• Lynn Grueber, the new Executive Director of Dakota County Historical Society met with
City Administrator Osberg to introduce herself. Conversation turned to the subject of
partnering and to determine if there is interest in any formal or informal partnership. She
they are in the process of doing a site evaluation of their current museum. Grueber then
quickly stopped to greet Foote. A brief hand shake turned into an hour informal meeting.
Grueber was shown the displays in City Hall and they discussed the work that had been
done regarding the Town Hall since the fire and hopes for a future museum location.
• DCHS held their annual board meeting. Although Eagan is not a formal “Chapter”,
Jansen and Foote were asked to submit a recap of the past year for their 2013 Chapter
Highlights.
• Jensen gave an updated on Lockheed/Sperry display and its opening and the continued
progress. Last September it officially opened. It is called ERA to Lockheed Martin. With
the help of retirees from Univac/Unisys/Sperry/Lockheed/ they submitted a grant
proposal to the state and were awarded $25,000.00 to help make a huge picture board. In
the mean time they are working on another grant so they can continue to add to it.
• Hazel brought in the article titled Burnsville family tree has many familiar names from
the January 10, 2014 Sun Thisweek.
• Foote shared an original letter that came across her desk on Eagan Police Department
letterhead that shows the Lone Oak Tree as a watermark.
NEXT MEETING
The next regular meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 4, 2014 at 3:30 p.m.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 5:10 p.m.