History Break: Mineral Springs Sanitorium
Join the creators of An Adventure in Living for a presentation and book signing! Books will be available for purchase at the event.
From 1915 to 1974, the Mineral Springs Sanatorium in Cannon Falls, Minnesota, was a healing destination for tuberculosis patients seeking respite from the once-incurable “Great White Plague.” Founded as a center for isolation and rest, Mineral Springs became a hub of medical innovation, eventually hosting the drug trials that conquered the tuberculosis threat and paved the way for the closure of TB sanatoriums.
Richly illustrated with historical photographs and other materials, this book traces the story of Mineral Springs, from the first visitors who came to Minnesota seeking relief in its health-giving air and water to the state-wide push to build, maintain, and support the sanatorium system and associated anti-tuberculosis efforts. It is a story of dedicated medical men and women and the tightly-knit community of patients that they served- patients for whom the sanatorium experience was not a death sentence, but, in the words of one Mineral Springs doctor, “an adventure in living.”
About the Author: Since embarking on a second career in 2015, historian Bruce William Colwell has researched, authored, and published eleven local histories. Colwell has a BA in history from Lawrence University, and a PhD in administration and policy studies from the Northwestern University School of Education and Social Policy. Prior to becoming a local historian, Colwell worked in higher education, amassing more than thirty years of administrative experience. He also served on the board of the Northfield Public Library and the Northfield Historical Society. A resident of Northfield for 30 years, Colwell now resides in Cannon Falls, where he has served the past six years as president of the Cannon Falls Public Library Board.
About the Editor & Designer: Mark Heiman has been involved in small press publishing for more than thirty years, specializing in books by local authors and subjects related to local history and traditional folkways. This is his fourth local history collaboration with Bruce Colwell. Mark lives in Northfield in the town’s oldest home. 