Editor's note: Looking Back is a regular feature on the pages of the Star Eagle.
100 Years Back – 1916
• “Music is the fourth great essential of human nature—first food, then raiment, then shelter, then music.”—Bovee
• Miss Olivia Midgarden arrived here Monday morning from Washington, D. C., having been notified Saturday of her father’s critical condition. It seems hardly believable that the distance between here and the capital city could be covered in a day and a half, but Miss Midgarden’s arrival was complete proof that it can be done.
• Charles and Walter Stearns returned last Sunday from a few days’ trip to the northern part of the state. While there they visited with their brother, Ed., and spent a few days at Duluth and Superior. The Ellendalites were quite favorably impressed with the industries of these two cities. Five days were spent in the vicinity of Cass Lake. Big game, which they were in the quest of seemed to be a rarity at this time or else the “big ones” sniffed the something-doing atmosphere and kept out of range.
• We have a billionaire in this country. He is the first one on record since the dawn of history—and he may be the last. There is no need of mentioning his name, because names do not mean much of anything after all. Perhaps some of you are so foolish as to envy this man, his millions—tens of millions. And yet, why should you? All his gold will not make the sun shine brighter for him. All his money will not cause the flowers to give off a daintier perfume nor assume more lovely hues. You can’t bribe nature, or buy it. The billionaire cannot will the tempest to subdue, or create the glory of the rainbow. All the real worthwhile things in life are yours, as well as his. All his riches cannot procure for him immunity from sickness and disease, nor can they prevent him from going to the grave same as all mortal clay. While this man is far richer than you in clinking gold and shining silver, still you are as rich in the things worthwhile—love, health, freedom and friendship.
75 Years Back – 1941
• R. B. Marpe has filed to succeed himself as president of the village council at Waldorf, and E. E. McDonough and Herbert Habeck have filed for trustees. There has been no filing for justice or constable.
• Anton Bakken accompanied by A. G. Billings of Albert Lea departed Wednesday for his 22nd winter sojourn in Texas. Mr. Bakken headquarters at Mission and has ordered his Star sent there so that he can keep informed of New Richland happenings. They expect to return in May.
• The New Richland High School Cardinals ran into surprisingly strong resistance in Pemberton at the local gymnasium Tuesday and had to come from behind to nose out the visitors 26 to 23. Pemberton started with a rush and good shooting which built them a lead of 10 to 2 at the end of the first quarter. In the second quarter the Cardinals closed the gap to 15-11 as George Rotegard led them with three baskets. Soon after the third quarter started the score was tied and from there on to the finish it was a thriller but four baskets in the second half by Jimmy Jeddeloh, three of them in the final quarter, finally won for the red and white team. The Pemberton boys were decidedly “hot” on their shooting while New Richland continued its good defensive work and poor shooting. The Cardinals appeared jittery and nervous after the visitors’ early lead and never did entirely settle down. A complete reversal of form will be necessary if New Richland is to defeat Waseca Friday night.
50 Years Back – 1966
• New Richland Volunteer Firemen were unable to do more than keep the flames from spreading from the house on the Gudenberg farm a mile east and a half mile south of New Richland last Friday night. The alarm was sounded at 11:15 a.m., when Mrs. Mildred Pofahl of Minnesota Lake happened to notice the blaze and notified Billie Gunsolus, New Richland policeman who called the department. No one has lived in the house since the Harvey Root family moved out about seven years ago. One section of it was a log cabin built many years ago. While the firemen were controlling the blaze, only a few minutes after the first, Mr. Gunsolus was notified that a burning tire was lying next to the Bindewald house, just west of New Richland, owned by O. B. Anderson. This house is also unoccupied. Mr. Gunsolus extinguished the flaming tire. It is thought that the fires were more than coincidence and the State Fire Marshall visited the scenes on Saturday looking for possible clues.
• Al Batt is 6-foot-4 but he is a midget compared to the boys that Waseca put on the floor against the locals last Friday night. And if size means anything in the future Waseca will have it for the next couple years. 6-3 Lyle Waldron, senior, was small in comparison to two of his other mates, sophomore Rolf Iverson, 6-7 and 6-5 junior Jan Iverson. Hitting 32 of 66 shots from the field was more than the New Richland team could contend with. Four Waseca cagers hit the double figure mark. The usual kingpin of the New Richland team, Tom Bergner was cold scoring a total of five points. Batt led the Cards with 12 points, while Minske had seven. Final score was Waseca, 70 New Richland, 38.
25 Years Back – 1991
• A storm of freezing rain followed by snow Friday made travel miserable for south central Minnesota drivers. More than an inch of rain froze on highways and sidewalks, and many ice-coated power lines came down leaving residents in New Richland without power. On Tuesday snow and high winds closed area schools about 9:30 a.m., while poor visibility and whiteouts and car pileups on some highways caused roadways to be closed. More than 15 inches of snow fell in parts of the state, and the Twin Cities area has had 45 inches of snow since Halloween.
Compiled by Jessica Lutgens