Thanks to a bit of good luck and an interest in historical preservation, almost 300 glass slides were saved from destruction. Rain which leaked into the rear portion of the vacated theater obliterated about that many more. Inside storage boxes, the slides took quite a tumble from shelf deterioration .
Jim Finseth and his late father Kenny discovered this during repairs. Finseth donated all to NRAHS, who then worked with Waseca County Historical Society and the Minnesota Historical Society to preserve and document the images.
According to the local historical group, the time period has been narrowed to 1915 through '40 by way of some evidence. One is that Faust Theater was built in 1914. Another is that business place photos are so clear that when a calendar is close enough, the year is sometimes legible. The same is true of vehicle license plates. In addition, children's names and approximate ages are helpful.
Also available will be general and specific church publications. One is the LeSueur River congregation's current 150th anniversary book. The other is the historical society's history of eight local area churches.
This is the 10-year anniversary of New Richland Area Historical Society. A free will donation is suggested to assist this civic organization. As in past years, 60 notebooks containing articles and pictures of the town and area will be available, as will artifacts.
The former hotel is being renovated into apartments. Its front rooms are unfinished but are cleared and available, according to the owner and the NRAHS board of directors. Historical displays last year were at the nearby Township Hall.
