Guardians of the Past

Guardians of the Past. . , By the end of the fighting in New Ulm, the U.S., Dakota War of 1862 had taken a heavy toll on the town. More than 50 settlers had been killed and 36 wounded, along with an unknown number of Dakota. In addition, at least 190 of the town’s 258 buildings had been destroyed, most by fire. , Over time, some of the surviving buildings fell into disrepair, some were demolished to meet changing real estate needs, others suffered damage in natural disasters such as the tornado of 1881, and still others fell victim to subsequent fires. Today in New Ulm, only seven structures remain from the period before the war. Though a few are largely unchanged, others have been modified or disguised by modernization. , Forster Building , 117 N. Broadway St. , During the war, this building served as a defensive outpost on New Ulm's western perimeter. It originally housed the post office and a potteryworks. , Kiesling House , 220 N. Minnesota St. , Built in 1861 as a private home, the Kiesling House sits on its original site. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it is the only wood-frame building remaining in New Ulm from the period of the U.S., Dakota War. , Erd Building , 108 N. Minnesota St. , Built in 1858 as a retail store, the Erd Building had county offices upstairs. During the U.S., Dakota War of 1862, it was a refuge to women and children, who stood ready to destroy it by gunpowder in case of capture. , Weddendorf House , 826 N. Minnesota St. , During the First Battle of New Ulm on August 19, 1862, this brick home on the northern edge of town served as a defensive outpost. , Schalk Building , 822 N. State St. , Inside the walls of this modern home is the frame of the Schalk Building, constructed in 1858 as a general store. It originally stood at 3rd N. and Minnesota Streets, at the north end of the barricades erected during the 1862 war to defend the town. , Waraju Distillery , 2nd N. and West Streets , All that remains of Henry Sublilia's distillery is the chimney. The brick complex was destroyed in the fighting of August 1862, although the foundations remained visible until the 1960s, when they were covered during park expansion. , August Schell Brewery , 1860 Schell Road , According to Schell family lore, their brewery business, founded in 1860, was spared during the U.S., Dakota War because of the family’s kindness to the Dakota. The original August Schell home and brewery, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, are still in use today as offices for the larger brewery complex. , Photos from the collection of the Brown County Historical Society, New Ulm, except Weddendorf House, courtesy of Elroy Ubl, New Ulm , Struggles for a Home , The Minnesota River Valley has stories to tell...about the indigenous people struggling to keep their land and their way of life, and about immigrant families who began new lives here. Their stories came together, with tragic consequences for all, in what has become known as the U.S.–Dakota War of 1862 , a war that had repercussions for the whole country. , The Minnesota River Valley Scenic Byway , , logos of: Scenic Byway Minnesota River Valley; Minnesota Historical and Cultural Grants; Clean Water Land and Legacy Amendment , , mnrivervalley.com. , This project has been made possible by the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the vote of Minnesotans on November 4, 2008. Administered by the Minnesota Historical Society.