Taylors Falls Historical Society

After doing a morning program at Lakeville Senior Center last Friday, Nancy and I drove up to Taylors Falls, where we were scheduled to do a Farm Heritage Program for the Taylors Falls Historical Society after their 6:00 PM Volunteers Recognition Dinner at the Taylors Falls Community Center, which used to be the old depot.
We expected a beautiful display of leaves in the area, and we weren't disappointed, even though local residents assured us that we missed the peak by about a week.

Photo taken through the windshield as we drive toward Taylors Falls.

Overlooking the St. Croix River from a park north of Taylors Falls.

As we drove into the parking lot of the Community Center, we could see workers inside preparing the table layout for dinner.

The depot rests on the hillside on the edge of town. It's a picturesque setting, and since we were early, we decided to walk around the area before going in to set up.

Impressed with the area's beauty and the main street shops, we decided to put Taylors Falls on our list of towns to visit next summer.

Board Member Fay Caneday greeted us when we came in the door, and she helped us get settled as we set up our display.

Our book and photo display is on the left and extends to center. The table at the far end of the picture, extending to the right of the photo, contains the museum's photos and tools, which we found very interesting.

This is a corn sheller exactly like the one my folks bought me when I decided to raise ducks. 

Turning the handle was easy and corn-shelling went fast, but I had to be careful not to let the sharp teeth catch my clothing. Even though it was hand-powered, the momentum of the wheel could still draw blood if the teeth caught your fingers.

The table setting at the old depot provided a nice setting for 57 guests as Fay began the program (above), and as I began my program (below).

Nancy and I had a great time visiting with people, and we have never been any place where people were more willing to tell their stories to us. I think the small farm heritage runs pretty close to the hearts of the people in the Taylors Falls area.

We wish to thank Fay Caneday for arranging our visit, and we thank everyone who attended the dinner for being such a fun audience. We especially thank all those people who bought my books and stopped to give me a few kind words after my program.

Taylors Falls is a beautiful area to visit, and it has several historic places to see in addition to the riverside parks and walkways. You may want to put it on your list of places to visit just like Nancy and I did.

Photograph by Nancy A. Fredrickson