Cushing History

Last night was the 2013 season opener for the Sterling Eureka and Laketown Historical Society.  Nearly a dozen members showed up to begin the planning for the season which begins with the Cushing Spring Bash and ends with the River Road Rambler

First everyone paid their 2013 $10 dues (actually due in June).  Then the informal visiting and catching up what was happening.  Member LeRoy Hedberg is ailing and staying in a care facililty after a heart attack a month ago.  We debated whether he was in St. Croix or Grantsburg, with Grantsburg winning out.  Marlys, his wife, is taking it hard, but has decided to again do the Luck Cancer Walk, and is looking for sponsors.  I think she was the highest fund raiser last year.   

Mark brought some photos of Manitou Lake school children on a parade float and Cushing students on the old merry-go-round.  The Gullickson twins and brother George date it to be about 1952-3.  

Mark also brought in a gift from the Wilson family of Cushing.  It was a bat inscribed Elmo Wilson 1925-1950 with dozens of signatures of Cushing Tiger players from that era.  We have the start of a Cushing Tigers exhibit and this will greatly enhance it.  The Tigers played in Cushing from 1904 to about 1984 and for many decades were the best town ball club around. The Cushing Bank has many trophies in a display case.  I am trying to figure out how to best photograph the bat to show the signatures.  Of course last night I forgot my camera. 

The minutes of the October meeting were read and approved as was the treasurer's report by Donna, our secretary/treasurer.  We had a little money come in from book sales as well as a contribution of $200 from the Cushing Commercial Club.  

The roof is still leaking in the east museum room in the corner.  It leaks enough to go to the room below, so we are hopeful a roof repair will be coming. 

We hope to gather information on Jim Rutsch for our veteran to honor on Memorial Day at Wolf Creek.  His sister works in St. Croix Falls at the Holiday so we will try to get information from her.  Gene Olson of Cushing may be another Vietnam veteran to honor.  We are not sure where he is buried.  

The River Road Rambler is scheduled for the last Saturday of September--the 28th.  We want to get the message out to save those fall garage sales along Hwy 87 and the River Road until that date.  We hope the 8th year will be good.  

The biggest new event we are taking on is the Red School house at the Polk County Fair.   We hosted it for the Polk Co Historical Society last in 2006.  Our goal this year is to get all of the local historical societies and organizations to contribute an exhibit and some folks to be there.  The fair is July 25-27 and we want to be open 9am to 9pm.  There are many history groups in the area and it would be great to get support from each.   We have the Polk Co Genealogical Society and the Luck Area Historical Society on board already.  

 We continue to be involved with Cushing events.  Doc Squirt day and Fun Days.  We help with the Sterling Old Settlers Picnic too.  We would like to have the Memory Rooms open more often, so will try to check for other special events in Cushing (family reunions for example) and see if they would like to have a tour.  

The other 2013 event that should be celebrated is the Cushing Fire Department turning 50 years old. We are encouraging the Fire Department to commemorate 50 successful years of having a rural fire department that has grown to include a 1st Responders too.  We think Maurice Christenson is one of the few folks still around who remembers the beginning.