Roots & Riddles

On Mother’s Day in 1953, the skies over Fillmore County darkened—and by 5:45 p.m., an F4 tornado with winds up to 260 mph tore through the countryside near Wykoff, Minnesota. It was one of five violent twisters that struck the region that day, but for the some Wykoff locals It became a moment frozen in time.

In this episode, Lenora and Preston revisit the harrowing events that resulted from this monster storm. The story unfolds through eyewitness accounts, family memories, and historical records. It’s a tale of tragedy, survival, and the power of community in the face of nature’s fury.

Sources Referenced

Fillmore County Journal, May 15, 2023

National Weather Service, Fillmore County, MN

National Weather Service, Tornado Outbreak of May 10, 1953

Rochester Post Bulletin, 5/11/53, 5/12/53, 5/15/53

The Winona Daily News, 5/11/53

The Winona Republican, 5/19/53

Before the Wild West was mythologized in dime novels and traveling shows, one man lived it—and practiced medicine in the heart of Fillmore County. Dr. Frank Powell, known to audiences and admirers as “White Beaver,” was no ordinary country doctor. He was a frontier scout, a showman, and a trusted friend of Buffalo Bill Cody.

In this episode, Lenora and Preston peel back the layers of Powell’s theatrical life, tracing his journey from the streets of Lanesboro to the stages of the American West. Was he a healer? A performer? A myth in his own time? Through historical records, newspaper clippings, and local lore, they explore how one man blurred the lines between medicine and myth—and why his legacy still echoes in Bluff Country.

In the winter of 1936, the quiet farmland near Harmony, Minnesota became the scene of a brutal double murder. Knute and Sever Olson—two bachelor brothers known for their frugality and rumored stash of hidden cash—were found dead on their isolated farmstead in Bristol Township. The crime shocked Fillmore County and sparked a flurry of speculation: Was it robbery? Revenge? Or something darker?

In this episode, Lenora and Preston sift through newspaper clippings, family lore, and long-buried confessions to piece together a case that remains unsolved to this day. From whispers of bootlegging to a man who claimed responsibility before dying in a mysterious fire, the Olson murders are a haunting reminder of how secrets can linger in the soil—and how justice sometimes never arrives.

📚 Sources Referenced

The Winona Republican

Winona Daily News

The Brainard Daily Dispatch 12/9/1936

The Worthington Globe 12/3/1936

Rochester Post Bulletin 12/26/1936,  2/9/1937, 2/11/1937, 2/17/1937, 8/27/1937, 4/25/2015

The Austin Daily Herald 4/24/1937

Before the fame of Little House, before Walnut Grove became a household name, Laura Ingalls Wilder lived through one of the most difficult—and least documented—chapters of her life in Spring Valley, Minnesota.

In 1890, following illness, financial ruin, and the death of their infant son, Laura, Almanzo, and young Rose moved in with Almanzo’s family in Spring Valley. For nearly 18 months, they found refuge in the Wilder home and worshipped at the Spring Valley Methodist Church. Though Laura never wrote about this time directly, the town’s records and Wilder family ties reveal a story of quiet resilience, spiritual grounding, and recovery.

In this episode, Lenora and Preston uncover the threads of Laura’s time in Fillmore County—from church registries to museum archives—and reflect on why this chapter, though unwritten, still matters. It’s a story not of prairie winds, but of healing in the stillness.

Sources Referenced

The Laura Ingalls Wilder “Connection”, Mary Jo Dathe

The Wilder Family Story, Dorothy Smith

In an era when women were rarely seen in medical roles, Isabel Minerva Albro carved out a quiet legacy in southeastern Minnesota. Born in 1814 in New York and later settling in Fillmore County, Isabel defied expectations by practicing medicine at a time when few women were formally trained—and even fewer were recognized.

In this episode, Lenora and Preston explore the life and legacy of Dr. Albro, tracing her journey from early frontier life to her final years in Forestville Township. Along the way, they examine the challenges faced by women in medicine during the 19th century and the ways Isabel’s story reflects both resilience and quiet revolution.

In the quiet farmland of Amherst Township, a shocking act shattered a family and sent ripples through Fillmore County history. Peter Erickson was killed in his own home—struck repeatedly with an axe by his wife, Inga.

Behind the headlines was a deeper story of isolation, untreated illness, and a family tragedy that still lingers.

In this episode, Lenora and Preston revisit the story through period newspapers and institutional records, examining how mental illness was understood in the late 19th century—and how this case reflects both the hardships and the silences of rural life in that era.

📚 Sources Referenced

https://livingwithschizophreniauk.org/information-sheets/schizophrenia-a-brief-history/#:~:text=Whilst%20they%20were%20good%20at,of%20life%20for%20many%20sufferers.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2657829/

https://www3.mnhs.org/mnopedia/search/index/structure/rochester-state-hospital?hs_amp=true

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-49507-3

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/137738680/inga_bendiksdatter-erickson

The Preston Republican, April 13, 1876

The Lanesboro Journal, April 15, 1876

FindaGrave.com

Inga Erickson Rochester State Hospital Medical Record March 15, 1881-March 12, 1885

History of Fillmore County, 1882

Ancestry.com

FamilySearch.com

On March 30, 1953, the quiet town of Spring Valley, Minnesota became the final stop in a deadly cross-country rampage. Two women—Harriet Horsman, a waitress, and Agnes Beaston, the café owner’s wife—were murdered during a holdup at the Four Winds Café. The killer? An 18-year-old Marine named Fred McManus, traveling with his 16-year-old girlfriend, Diane Weggland.

In this episode, Lenora and Preston trace the path of a spree that spanned five states and claimed five lives in just four days. From the café’s final shift to the couple’s arrest near Dubuque, Iowa, we explore the chilling contrast between McManus’s privileged upbringing and the violence he left in his wake. What drives a “nice boy” to commit such horror—and how did Spring Valley become part of a national nightmare?

📚 Sources Referenced

• The Minneapolis Star, March 31, 1953

• The Winona Republican, March 30 & April 1, 1953

• Post Bulletin, March 31, 1953

• Brainerd Dispatch, March 31, 1953

• The Winona Daily News, March 30, April 1 & April 2, 1953

• The Star Tribune, March 31, 1953

• Murderpedia – Fred McManus profile

• WikiTree – Harriet Emily (Combs) Horsman

• True Crime Archives – Fred Eugene McManus: 5-State Killing Spree

When the first settlers arrived in Rushford, Minnesota, they found more than untamed land—they found a grave. Near the future site of the Catholic church stood a simple wooden headboard, weathered and nameless. Its presence suggested a burial made with care, yet no one knew who lay beneath the sod or how they had come to rest there.

In this episode, Lenora and Preston explore the mystery of Rushford’s earliest known death—a story that lingered in silence until a chance encounter in Wisconsin decades later revealed a tale of illness, isolation, and quiet grief. Who was the man buried before the town began? And what does his story tell us about life on the edge of settlement?

Source: History of Fillmore County, Minnesota (1882) by Charles S. Bryant

Long before the Mayo Clinic became a global medical powerhouse, its future was quietly taking shape in the tiny village of Hamilton, Minnesota. In this episode, Lenora and Preston trace the remarkable journey of Dr. Henry S. Plummer—from his childhood in Fillmore County to his groundbreaking work in Rochester. Born to Dr. Albert Plummer, a Civil War veteran and early settler of Sumner Township, Henry’s story is one of innovation, compassion, and quiet brilliance.

Discover how a chance encounter with Dr. William J. Mayo led to a partnership that revolutionized modern medicine. From pneumatic tubes to integrated care teams, Dr. Plummer’s fingerprints are still found in hospitals today—but his roots remain firmly planted in Fillmore County.

📚 Sources Referenced

• Find A Grave – Biographical and burial information for Dr. Henry S. Plummer

• Wikipedia – Henry Stanley Plummer

• Mayo Clinic History Project – “Diversified Genius”

• Post Bulletin – “Henry Plummer: An Innovator at Mayo Clinic” by Thomas Weber, January 27, 2024

• Post Bulletin – “Back and Forth: The Early Home of Dr. Henry Plummer” by Harley Flathers, April 17, 2014

• Fillmore County Journal – “Meet the Stars of Hamilton”

• The Spring Valley Mercury – September 19, 1889; October 31, 1889; March 24, 1899; June 5, 1896; July 13, 1893

In the dead of night, a small-town bank explodes—literally. The culprits vanish with a modest sum, but the mystery they left behind still echoes through Wykoff’s history. Lenora and Preston revisit the crime and the clues that kept the legend alive.

📰 Sources:

• Fillmore County Historical Society — Richard J. Bottorff article, January 4, 2021

• Rochester Daily Post and Record, Monday, October 27, 1924

• Levang’s Weekly, Thursday, October 2, 1924

• Caledonia Argus, Friday, October 3, 1924

• Preston Times, Thursday, October 2, 1924