Fairmont

We spent part of the day finding Bill's grandparents homes in Fairmont and Ceylon. He was able to find both and talked about childhood memories- playing outside his grandma's house and sitting on her horsehide couch. Yeek!

Then we moved on to Jackson, MN and explored Fort Belmont. The museum is a collection of artifacts from the early 1800 and early 1900s. A very interactive place - you are encouraged to try your hand at the little games on display and touch items. The buildings outside were from the early 1860s as well as several replicas of a log cabin, stockade and blacksmith shop. The most interesting was the sod house. The settlers had to use what was in the area to build their homes. In the absence of trees - they dig 2' thick 'bricks' of grass and dirt. These were then stacked to form the walls. The roof was a layer of branches and hay and covered with more sod. I believe the wood frame you see was added so it was more stable for display. It was said that no bullet or arrow could penetrate but rain, snakes and rodents were a serious problem. Wow! The Fort is the only civilian built fort in MN - 11 families stayed there 2 years during the Dakota War of 1862.

We also traveled to Okoboji, IA on this trip. I have wanted to go there since I lived in Iowa in the 80s! Very fun to explore! Click on the link above if you want to know about that city.

June 2021