Belita Schindler moved to Austin with her husband, Dick, and four children in 1972. She immediately embraced the community as her own. She opened Belita's Residential and Commercial Interiors in 1978. Belita has volunteered with many organizations . . . — — Map (db m235467) HM
Bonnie Rietz thrives on helping others to be the best they can be. After serving 8 years on the city council, Ms. Rietz became the first female mayor of the City of Austin in 1997. She was instrumental in expanding the airport runways, developing . . . — — Map (db m235662) HM
Dr. O. H. Hegge, a native of Biri Parish, Norway, enrolled at the University of Minnesota Medical School in 1890, just two days after arriving in the United States. He later graduated from the University of Illinois School of Medicine in Chicago and . . . — — Map (db m235431) HM
Dr. Ralph T. Holman moved to Austin in 1951 to join The Hormel Institute and continue his pioneering work in the area of essential fatty acid research, food stabilization technology, and nutrition. Dr. Holman conducted world-renowned lipid research . . . — — Map (db m235663) HM
Dick Schindler served the Austin community as a family physician for nearly forty years. In the course of his medical career, he delivered more than 4,000 babies and was instrumental in creating the Mayo Medical Center's education program for . . . — — Map (db m235492) HM
A writer, poet, educator, and seminarian, Esther Morse came to Austin in 1864. She was the driving force behind the formation of the Austin Ladies Floral Club in 1869, a civic group dedicated to beautifying Austin and contributing to the city's . . . — — Map (db m235496) HM
Frank W. Bridges moved to Austin in 1955 to teach English, Speech, and Theatre Arts at Austin High School. In 1962 he began teaching at Austin State Junior College (now Riverland) until his retirement in 1989. In 2005, he was named Emeritus Faculty . . . — — Map (db m235398) HM
Gary J. Ray was an integral member of the Hormel Foods Corporation for more than forty years. Gary began his career with Hormel as a production supervisor in 1968, arriving in Austin in 1980. He held positions of Director to Vice President of . . . — — Map (db m235497) HM
In 1891 here in Austin, George Albert Hormel founded the company that would grow to become Hormel Foods Corporation. Born in New York in 1860, George moved to Minnesota and settled on Austin as the place where he would start his business, stating, . . . — — Map (db m235400) HM
While on vacation, in 1919, Geraldine Rasmussen and her husband purchased the Mower County Transcript-Republican, a weekly newspaper. In 1920, they sold that paper and joined forces with the Daily Herald as partners, with Geraldine soon becoming the . . . — — Map (db m235469) HM
After graduating from Austin High School, Gertrude Ellis became a teacher and taught grade school first in Austin, then in California, and one summer in Hawaii. In 1890, Ms. Ellis became the first female superintendent of Mower County schools . . . — — Map (db m235498) HM
Memorial Day · May 27, 1991
In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of Geo. A. Hormel & Company, employees and retirees join together to salute its visionary founder, George A. Hormel and his gifted son, Jay C. Hormel. Together they . . . — — Map (db m9871) HM
I.J. Holton served the Austin community in business, philanthropy, education, and literary programs for nearly 65 years. A veteran of the U.S. Army, he served as an infantry officer in the European theatre during the Second World War and was awarded . . . — — Map (db m235495) HM
Austin native Jacob "Jake" Herzog was a machinist for the Milwaukee Railroad who ultimately became a prominent Mower County politician. He started his political career in 1912 as Third Ward Alderman on the Austin City Council followed by 12 years on . . . — — Map (db m235434) HM
The only son of George A. Hormel, Jay Hormel gained a reputation as an innovator and marketing genius from the very beginning of his involvement in the Hormel business. He was responsible for the development of one of the company's major successes, . . . — — Map (db m235401) HM
As a broadcast journalist, John O'Rourke was the "voice" of Mower County and became known as Austin's favorite emcee for civic events, pageants, and sporting contests. After graduating from St. Thomas College, he enlisted in the United States Army, . . . — — Map (db m235661) HM
Austin native Jon Erichson served the City of Austin as Assistant City Engineer from 1979-1992, and as City Engineer & Public Works Director from 1992-2013. During that time he developed and oversaw the comprehensive flood mitigation program which . . . — — Map (db m235494) HM
Larry Dolphin moved to Austin in 1988 to become the Director at the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center. As a self-proclaimed naturalist, he quickly became a leader on local environmental issues and worked with area science teachers to create a dedicated . . . — — Map (db m235437) HM
One of Austin's most helpful and prominent citizens, Lyman D. Baird served as mayor, city attorney, secretary of the Mower County Old Settlers' Association, an officer of the Mower County Fair Association and President of The Citizens' National Bank . . . — — Map (db m235480) HM
Austin native Mike Ruzek, excelled in high school sports and emerged as a leader from the class of 1964. After graduating from Luther College, he returned to Austin to begin his career in financial planning. He established the Austin Health . . . — — Map (db m235412) HM
Miguel Garate moved to Austin in 1997 and worked as a supervisor and interpreter for Spanish speaking employees at Quality Pork Processors. In 2000, he began his career at Riverland Community College as Minority-International Student Advisor where . . . — — Map (db m235399) HM
Educator, patriot, community leader, and advocate for all veterans, Norm Hecimovich worked as a principal in the Austin School District for 27 years. He has served on the Austin City Council, the Chamber of Commerce Board, and was an active member . . . — — Map (db m235489) HM
Pat Piper arrived in Austin in the 1960's as a Franciscan Sister. She taught primary grades at St. Augustine's School and later taught courses at Austin Community College. She eventually left the religious order and founded the Christian Education . . . — — Map (db m235455) HM
A native Austinian and 1950 graduate of Austin High School, Dick Knowlton served as a member of the Hormel Corporation's management team from 1956 to 1995, culminating in a fourteen-year tenure as Chief Executive Officer during which he steered the . . . — — Map (db m235491) HM
A native of Mower County, Robert Enright graduated from St. Augustine High School, served 4 years in the U.S. Air Force, was a founding member of Queen of Angels Catholic Church, and worked at the Hormel Plant for 47 years as proud member of the . . . — — Map (db m235477) HM
Rosalie Seltz taught English and Journalism at Austin High School starting in 1950, when she was fresh out of teachers' training at Winona State, until 1993, when she retired. As a devoted lifetime educator, she inspired generations of students to . . . — — Map (db m235499) HM
Susan Grove, a graduate of St. Cloud State University, moved to Austin in 1975 and immediately immersed herself in the community as an advocate for life-long learning, immigrants, and women's rights. As an educator and expert at networking, Grove . . . — — Map (db m235436) HM
[front side]All Gave Some Some Gave All Dedicated to the memory of all who proudly served and protected their country [back side]Eagle Scout Leadership Project Dedicated November 11, 2014 To Post 1216 Veterans of Foreign . . . — — Map (db m235296) WM
This building, designed by architects William G. Purcell and George G. Elmslie stands as a historic symbol of the Prairie School style of architecture.
Built in 1910, the building captures many of the artistic and structural design . . . — — Map (db m145221) HM
Nearly 10,000 years ago,
Indigenous hunters walking along the headwaters of the Root River Valley came upon two creek beds full of Grand Meadow Chert nodules. They realized the stone was suitable for making tools. For millennia, . . . — — Map (db m289357) HM
After gathering Grand Meadow Chert from creek beds and hand-dug pits, Native people chipped it into spear tips, arrowheads, hide scrapers, knives, awls, and other tools.
Inside a nodule of Grand Meadow Chert.
Spear tip Hide . . . — — Map (db m293744) HM
Millions of American bison, or "buffalo," roamed these prairies 700 years ago, at the peak of quarrying activity.
Hιkta waniyetu opawiŋġe ṡakowiŋ hιehaŋn oyate kiŋ waŋhi σta k'ak'api . . . — — Map (db m302020) HM
This site teaches us about the knowledge, wisdom, and ingenuity of Indigenous ancestors. It is an important place not just because of what happened here so long ago, but also for how it unites us today as we consider the gifts the Earth . . . — — Map (db m299340) HM
For at least 10,000 years, Indigenous people came here to acquire Grand Meadow Chert. You are standing in the only place in the world where this high-quality, gray flint or "chert" is found. The Dakota name for this landscape is "Wanhi Yukan," . . . — — Map (db m294730) HM
Although Grand Meadow Chert drew people here, a diverse ecosystem made it possible for them to stay. The waving prairie grasses, oak trees, and meandering creeks provided ideal habitat for deer, elk, bison, birds, fish, and small mammals. Indian . . . — — Map (db m304271) HM
These pits you see here were dug by hand using tools made of stone, antler, bone, and wood. This work was only possible when the ground was not frozen. Indigenous workers loosened the dirt with digging sticks. They scooped the dirt with bone . . . — — Map (db m287512) HM
About 1,000 years ago, Indigenous people form dozens of regional villages began digging the pits here to gather chert. They shared a cultural identity that included similar languages, spiritual perspectives, pottery styles, farming strategies, . . . — — Map (db m292403) HM
The process of chipping stone into tools is called "flint knapping." Native people quarried below the surface in search of chert nodules. They tested the quality by holding a nodule on a large "anvil" stone, breaking it open with a hand-sized . . . — — Map (db m288980) HM
For thousands of years, grasslands dotted with sparsely wooded areas called "savannas" covered southern Minnesota. Fire-resistant oak trees took hold and grasses and flowers flourished below the canopy. Large burr and white oaks provided . . . — — Map (db m286131) HM
Think of this place like a hardware store. People collected the raw materialGrand Meadow Chertto make many of the tools that were necessary for their daily needs.
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Ikce oyate kiŋ waŋhi . . . — — Map (db m286759) HM
Nearly 400 million years ago, limestone formed in ocean bottoms across southern Minnesota. As oceans receded, pools of glass-like silica remained, forming grey chert. Much later, was the glaciers melted, layers of sand and gravel buried the . . . — — Map (db m296846) HM
For over four centuries, Indigenous people dug nearly 2000 pits here. Their descendants are among the Ioway, Ho Chunk/Winnebago, Lakota, and Dakota peoples.
Why did those ancestors suddenly stop coming here 600 years ago? There may have . . . — — Map (db m288473) HM
This building was erected by the Le Roy Library Association with the support of the Citizens on ground donated by Judson D. Palmer. — — Map (db m288116) HM
