The November History Break will be centered on the history of the small communities between Red Wing and Zumbrota with a spotlight on Goodhue – the halfway point on the Duluth, Red Wing and Southern Railroad. In Goodhue historian Margaret Hutcheson’s 1989 book, Goodhue: The Story of a Railroad Town, she included a subtitle – From Rowdyism to Respectability. Enough said. The rowdy were 600 itinerant railroad construction workers living in temporary camps and the respectable were the men and women who followed making Goodhue their home. The railroad was a lifeline both socially and economically. This was also true for Hay Creek, Claybank and White Willow.
Imagine no Goodhue at all until 1889 and no Highway 58 until 1934. The railroad created the town and kept it viable with needed groceries, hardware, machinery and lumber transported in and commodities of grain, flour, cream, clay and livestock shipped out. It also provided essential passenger service and mail delivery. This presentation will be a collaboration of Goodhue Area Historical Society (GAHS) volunteers with chairman David Betcher speaking for the group. The GAHS has a museum in Goodhue featuring the area’s agricultural heritage. The GAHS’s mission is to highlight the history of the village of Goodhue and the surrounding townships of Belle Creek, Belvidere, Hay Creek, Featherstone and Goodhue.
