“Name that Year” is designed to put your knowledge of Tracy and its newsmakers of the past to the test. Each week, we will publish a news item that ran in a past edition — maybe it was a major event, or a story about a Tracy resident — it’s up to you to determine in what year that particular news item hit the pages of the paper:
• OVER 300 PEOPLE SIGNED THE GUEST BOOK AT THE RIBBON-CUTTING FOR THE NEW WALNUT STATION FINE ARTS CENTER IN WALNUT GROVE ON A SATURDAY OF THIS YEAR.
Taking part in the ceremony were Bill Richards, Gregg Hansen, Wilbur Oberg, Shirley Knakmuhs, Marlys Vanderwerf, Roberta Bakken, Mayor Bruce Thoma and Cindy Wahl.
The ribbon cutting officially opened the arts center, which was created out of a vacant 1902 bank building. The structure had not been used for some time.
The building was given to the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum. From there, numerous committee members and a group of energetic volunteers went to work.
Tina Richards, chairman of the bank restoration committee, wrote and secured a $7,000 grant from the Southwest Minnesota Arts and Humanities Council (SMAHC) and the Endowment For The Arts.
“This grant from the two sources got the work started as the money was applied toward a new roof. Over 1,400 hours of volunteer time has gone into the cleaning, replacing of windows and general restoration,” said Richards.
Donations began coming in such as $4,000 from the Walnut Grove Lions Club, $3,600 from the Wilder Museum, $2,500 from Meadowland Cooperative, $2,000 from the Walnut Grove Area Jaycees, $1,500 from the Wilder Pageant Committee, and $1,400 from the Aid Association for Lutherans. Dinners were served in the Walnut Grove Community Center and donations were received from private individuals.
The local people had been looking at the building for quite a few years and thinking that something should be done to preserve a bit of history on main street in Walnut Grove. When someone took the initiative to get something started, the town rallied behind them.
“Work began on the building in June. In five months, the main floor was pretty well redone. The building needs to be winterized and that will be the next undertaking. Next summer we will have pieces in here for sale and a gift shop area. Area artists have expressed interest in showing their work in the arts center,” said Richards.
The first featured artist is Charlie Benson III from Walnut Grove whose work is on display this month.
• Last week’s answer: Leonard Drever sold the grocery store in Walnut Gove in 1983.
