HISTORICAL TOWER-SOUDAN

There are annual meetings and then there are annual meetings.  This years annual meeting of the Tower-Soudan Historical Society in addition to taking care of elections, annual reports is ‘recreating’ history by doing so spreading interest in the community.

            President Richard Hanson’s first problem was that the membership has increased. “We have had our meeting at the Tower Café for years but if every member comes, there would have to be tables on the side walk.”  So Hanson moved the site to the Tower Community Center.  Hanson formed a committee of TSHS members to plan the October 22 dinner.  The committee which consists of Kitty Hill, Jayne Sundeen, Anne Flanagan and Al Reller decided to recreate a historic Tower-Soudan dinner.

            “We have programs from all sorts of meetings and celebrations.  We have the minutes from several clubs and organizations and they include what was served.”  Then Jim Stefanich donated the scrapbook he kept during the 1945-45 Tower-Soudan High school’s trip to the Minnesota State High School League Basketball tournament. There are game programs, pictures of the band, the cheerleaders, score cards, post cards and the best thing the menu of the celebration banquet.

            The dinner started with The First half (grapefruits) the main course Ground Timber wolves, Mashed Washburns, and Coleraine Greenies.  There were relishes, a toss-up salad, dessert and Coffee Dribbles. Local caterer Mark Stefanich is recreating the dinner sans grapefruit halves.

            The TSHS Men’s choir provided the entertainment which included “Our Boys Will Shine Tonight.”  There were speakers and the evening ended with University of Minnesota football movies. There will be no movies and the TSHS Men’s Choir has not formed yet for the year. 

            However the fifth graders of Tower-Soudan have stepped forward, with a little urging from their teacher Michelle Anderson to entertain.  In addition to three songs about trains to honor the refurbished Caboose and Coach 84, the students will lead the Pledge of allegiance and the Star Spangled banner.

            Kitty Hill is peering at old black and white photos trying to discern what people meant when they snag about m, “The Purple and Gold.”   She would be a happy person if some one actually had a basketball uniform from the team.  Mrs. Hill has also released teams to search the nooks and crannies of Tower-Soudan High school to find the trophies and other memorabilia.  A search of the library turned up 1945-46 yearbooks from Virginia high school and Agustana College but not TSHS.