JUNE 1
20 years ago (2002)
Fueled by dry air and high winds, a wildfire raced through Barrows on Friday afternoon, scorching more than 700 acres and five structures including the old Wilson School, built in 1911. More than 200 firefighters battled the blaze as it jumped Hwy 371. Flames 100-feet high burnt a path 1.5 miles long and 3/4-mile wide.
30 years ago (1992)
By a split vote of the county board today, future meetings to evaluate employee job performance will be held behind closed doors. The 3-2 vote showed commissioners Mary Koep and Steve Sievek opposed. State law leaves closing such meetings to the discretion of the county board.
40 years ago (1982)
In her final competition in college, Brainerd high grad Kathy Borgwarth helped Wisconsin to a third place finish in the National AIAW Track meet in Texas. After concentrating on her specialty, the 100 meter hurdles, her coach asked her to do the heptathlon and she finished third, putting Wisconsin in third by just half a point.
60 years ago (1962)
Ground was broken yesterday for construction of a new club building for the Gull Lake Yacht Club. Work will begin on the 24 x 32 building on June 4. The club owns more than 5 acres on the east shore of Gull Lake, with 300 feet of lakeshore, purchased two years ago from Brainerd attorney Walter Wieland.
80 years ago (1942)
The war effort has come to education as a physical education course will be mandatory for all students, not just freshmen and sophomores. Physical education will also be offered as a regular course at the junior college next year, as will a course in army and naval cadet training.
100 years ago (1922)
Bullet Joe Bush, Brainerd boy, won his sixth consecutive game for the New York Yankees, coming back from a four-run deficit to beat Boston 5 to 4. Babe Ruth won it for the Yankees, hitting a two-run triple in the seventh inning. Rain fell for the entire game.
28/50: People in the Northern Pacific Railroad depot waiting area, circa 1910. Source: 'Out of the Woods, A Pictorial History of The Brainerd Lakes Area', Published by The Brainerd Daily Dispatch. Copyright 1994.
29/50: Chicago Tavern on Gilbert Lake circa 1938-1943. Dancing and food. Al LaBarre was the owner. Source: 'Out of the Woods, A Pictorial History of The Brainerd Lakes Area' published by The Brainerd Daily Dispatch. Copyright 1994.
30/50: State Champion was this Brainerd amateur baseball team of 1894, which later saw two of those players advance to the major leagues. Pictured here are (front row) Frary, catcher; Phyle, rf-pit.; Howe, pit., rf; C. McCarthy, 1st; (middle row) Burgum, shortstop, W.P. Buckley, manager; Hill; 3rd; (back row) W. McCarthy, cf; Blandy, lf; Warner, 2nd. Source: 'Brainerd Minnesota 1871 - 1971'. Reproduced from the Centennial Edition of the Brainerd Daily Dispatch. Copyright 1971.
37/50: Brainerd Fire Department. Dispatch archives
38/50: W.E. Lively, the hustling Maxwell auto dealer, has sold a Maxwell to Joseph Johnson. Pictured is a Maxwell Mascotte Touring 1911 by Lars-Göran Lindgren Sweden - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1526033
39/50: This truck belonged to Silas Hall's Transfer Line just after World War I. It was used for hauling freight from the NP (Northern Pacific Railroad) depot to stores around town as well as for other kinds of moving. The picture was taken in front of the railroad freight office. Before the truck, Silas Hal used teams of horses and wagons which he kept at 415 Main (now Washington Street). Source: Brainerd Minnesota 1871 - 1971. Reproduced from the Centennial Edition of the Brainerd Daily Dispatch.
40/50: The 1916 Brainerd police force, pictured here, included the following men: The plain clothes men at either end were Jack Brandt (left) and Ted Nesheim; (front row, left to right) Charles Varner, chief, and Tom Templeton. (Rear, left to right) Erick Graff, Hans Saude and August Swanson. Source: Brainerd Minnesota 1871 - 1971. Reproduced from the Centennial Edition of the Brainerd Daily Dispatch.
41/50: This building at Seventh and Laurel, still a well-known landmark in Brainerd, was the home of the Citizen's State Bank, from 1909 to 1927, when the bank then moved to quarters across the street. This picture was taken in 1913. Source: Brainerd Minnesota 1871 - 1971. Reproduced from the Centennial Edition of the Brainerd Daily Dispatch.
42/50: The "fill" grounds skating rink, located near Franklin Junior High School, winter of 1938-39. Source: 'Out of the Woods, A Pictorial History of The Brainerd Lakes Area', Published by The Brainerd Daily Dispatch. Copyright 1994.
43/50: People in the Northern Pacific Railroad depot waiting area, circa 1910. Source: 'Out of the Woods, A Pictorial History of The Brainerd Lakes Area', Published by The Brainerd Daily Dispatch. Copyright 1994.
44/50: 60 years ago (1959) (Photo) Robert Dobson, 15, is interested in how long he can keep a kite aloft. He launched a kite at 3 p.m. yesterday near the court house and it's still flying despite a near disaster when a truck caught the kite string. The weatherman says it will remain windy today. Photo illustration, Metro Creative Graphics, Inc.
45/50: Brainerd Dispatch archives
46/50: The state hospital campus on Highway 18.
47/50: Santa takes a ride during a Christmas parade in downtown Brainerd.
48/50: Children crowd around Santa during downtown Brainerd Christmas festivities.
50/50: Brainerd Dispatch archives
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