After dealing with a summer lost to this devastating fire, I was able to retreat for a weekend with my fellow quilters in week ten. It is a known fact that sewing is the most relaxing extracurricular activity that anyone can do, and I really needed to relax. Eight members of my guild gathered for four days with their own projects to begin, work on, or complete. There is camaraderie among this group of quilters built upon 20+ years of working and sewing together. The more seasoned quilters are always willing to share their expertise with those less versed in the craft, and it sometimes is the reverse as we all like to try new techniques. Amidst the quilting and time away from the regular grind, we also share our lives, our stories, talking about family, children and grandchildren, joys and sorrows. We are a support group unto our own.

So you will not be surprised when I say again, some things just never seem to change. In years past women gathered at quilting bees, regular weekly quilting days, or at “Ladies Aid” meetings to work on their quilts for weddings, new babies, or utilitarian purposes. These women stitched as they shared their lives with each other, and again, the seasoned quilters passed their skills on to the younger women in the community. As was then, and still is, the type of friendship, and bond that quilters develop is all encompassing.

ICHS had many quilts in their collection. There were several cotton utilitarian quilts, a quilt made from woolen coats, a signature quilt made for a neighbor that was moving away from her “fellow quilters”, and a beautiful crazy quilt of satins and velvets with decorative hand stitching. The wool quilt may have been made out of necessity to keep someone really warm, the signature quilt as a parting gift, and perhaps the crazy quilt was a learning experience for the maker as she tried one new hand stitch after another.

ICHS used quilts in different ways to bring warmth, comfort and ambiance in the Heritage Center. Large quilts helped with the acoustics in the community room, and smaller quilts were used in display cases as backdrops, some draped on wicker chairs, antique wheelchairs, or in ornate baby carriages. Lost were five quilts on display in the great hall from one of my fellow guild members, a dozen miniature quilts on display from my personal collection, as well as every one of the quilts in our artifact collection. There are many different uses for a quilt, and you can be sure that when a quilt is made there is much emotion invested into its construction—this I know from personal experience. The loss of all of these quilts, whether from the 19th, 20th or 21st century is huge, not just for the makers and donors of these quilts, but also for the community who will never be able to view and appreciate them again as a result of a very senseless act.

ICHS’ journey continues in Week Eleven with a meeting on Monday, October 3 to “hone our focus” within our mission of “Preserving and Promoting Isanti County History”, and our vision, “To Be a Visible Organization and Make History Come Alive.” This is a brainstorming and idea gathering meeting only. What should our history business look like in the 21st century? We welcome your ideas and input. There are two ways in which you can participate. If you want to attend the meeting, please contact me at 763-689-4229 as space is limited. You may also complete an idea form at www.ichs.ws so that we may add your ideas to those expressed at the meeting. We would like to consider all ideas and options that are available to us before decisions on how to rebuild are made.

Monetary donations can be made by mail, at our website, or directly at Cambridge State Bank, and are greatly appreciated. For all other inquiries, visit www.ichs.ws, follow us on Facebook, call us at 763-689-4229, email at ichs@izoom.net or drop us a letter at 33525 Flanders St. NE, Cambridge, MN 55008.

Kathleen J. McCully, Executive Director
Isanti County Historical Society

Volunteers Ed & Sue Sweep, Duane Swanson, Mary Kay Bodeen and Board Member Kriste Erickson worked for days to sort and wrap burned and wet documents and photos in over 60 milk crates after the fire. Then all was frozen and sent for freeze-drying just this week.

by Kathy McCully

Week nine and still recovery is very slow. Tuesday our computers and network will be set up, then to load softwares and we will be back in business. Keep your fingers crossed.  

The day after the fire it was very evident that we needed to have a means to freeze our recovered documents and photos. Freezing inhibits the growth of mold, which starts in about 48 hours. I contacted Larson Implement to see what the cost of renting a freezer truck would be and Lance Larson generously donated a freezer truck for us to keep on-sight during recovery. What I thought would be a couple of weeks turned into five, and at nine weeks, we still have a few frozen items. We even froze textiles that were wet because we could not dry them all at once and mold was beginning.

As soon as we pulled fire and water-soaked materials from the building and artifact room, they went into the deep freeze. A Request for Proposal was sent to a number of companies that do freeze-drying, of which Belfor was one. After hearing about the enormity of our loss, they offered to donate their services for freeze-drying. From the smallest medical record to an entire library system, BELFOR is the leader in paper recovery. Large capacity freeze-dry chambers and highly-trained personnel are located at key regional centers around the country. Their rep in Minnesota has been more than helpful and has guided me through the needed steps to get our documents to them.

This past weekend our “frozen” records were driven to Ft. Worth, Texas to Belfor Property Restoration to be freeze dried. So, everything was wrapped in plastic and dry-ice for the trip and left on Sunday. It should have arrived in Texas on Monday, so by the time this issue goes to press, I may even know how long it will take before it will be back. Freeze drying of paper and books removes all of the moisture and odor so we can trim the burned parts and keep the originals, scan them and/or make duplicates. We do have our work cut out for us.

I can only think of everyone that has been so gracious and kind, extra helpful, generous with their time and donations as Heroes for History. Larson Implement and Belfor Property Restoration fit that category this week. Without the ability to freeze large amounts we would have lost everything and would have been up a creek without a paddle. Then, to be able to have it dried by BELFOR, the worldwide leader in disaster recovery and property restoration, we can only say thank you over and over again.

Our journey continues at snails pace, but things are looking much warmer and drier now that the documents have left for processing. You can learn more about document recovery at www.belfor.com, and about available trucks at www.larsonimplements.com.

Monetary donations can be made by mail, at our website, or directly at Cambridge State Bank. For all other inquiries, visit www.ichs.ws, follow us on Facebook, call us at 763-689-4229, email at ichs@izoom.net or drop us a letter at 33525 Flanders St. NE, Cambridge, MN 55008.

Billy McLaughlin is a guitarist and composer.

For twenty years, he astounded audiences around the world with his complex and rhythmic music.

In 2001, Billy was diagnosed with Focal Dystonia, an incurable neuromuscular disease that rendered him unable to play his own music.

By 2002, Billy McLaughlin's career was over.

In 2006, Billy began a comeback. He was doing the unthinkable - relearning his songs left handed.

Billy McLaughlin is astounding audiences once again with both his story and his music.

Meet the Artist - Billy McLaughlin has been changing people’s idea of what an acoustic guitar can sound like since the 1980’s.

“…you may swear Billy McLaughlin is two of the greatest acoustic guitarists you’ve ever heard.” - Pittsburgh Post Gazette

“… it’s amazing that such an extensive sound comes from one instrument.”

- Chicago Sun Times 

He is recognized as an innovative performer and composer who embraces the advantages of acoustic guitar amplification, unorthodox techniques and altered tunings while celebrating a gift for melody. His enormous yet fluid acoustic guitar tone has carried him around the world, to Billboard’s Top-Ten Chart and most recently through a devastating medical disorder called focal dystonia. McLaughlin has had to re-learn the guitar left-handed and is in the early stages of what might be described as “one of the great musical-comeback stories of all time.” His story is the subject of an award-winning documentary film called Changing Keys - Billy McLaughlin and the Mysteries of Dystonia.

The Past - A serious professional in his teens, McLaughlin left his home and rock band in Minneapolis for the University of Southern California guitar department where he became interested in minimalist composers Phillip Glass and Steve Reich. Employing what would become his signature style of placing both hands on the fretboard, McLaughlin began composing for his first release using a technique of “hammer-ons” and “pull-offs” that create a harp-like effect on the acoustic guitar. This unusual approach led Billy to extensive national touring earning multiple NACA Campus Entertainer awards. In 1995 McLaughlin signed a multi-album international contract with Virgin Records label Narada whose first release, Fingerdance, peaked at #7 on the Billboard charts. Hundreds of shows a year and another release deep into the contract with Narada, he began struggling with his hands – something felt “off” and it was getting worse.

For two years he struggled with a mysterious and unrelenting condition of unexplainable muscle spasms and contractions. Shockingly as symptoms grew worse he could no longer perform most of his own repertoire.  In 2001, Billy was diagnosed with a neuromuscular disorder called focal dystonia. The diagnosis was confirmed at the Mayo Clinic. Going against doctors’ recommendations to quit music and look for other work, McLaughlin focused on his songwriting and returned to his rock band which was less demanding for his hands. Despite releasing his ensemble’s best recording, Finally – Live! (2002) it was clear that focal dystonia had ended McLaughlin’s career as a virtuoso guitarist.

The Challenge – Feeling utterly lost without his music and not willing to give up, McLaughlin began the unlikely journey of teaching himself to play in his signature style, left-handed! Late in 2004 a documentary film crew began following McLaughlin’s desperate attempt to regain his career. Warned by doctors of a higher likelihood for developing focal dystonia in his remaining good hand, McLaughlin chose to press on towards an ambitious goal he had yet to achieve – to perform and record a new project with a string orchestra.

In January 2007, McLaughlin published a limited release of Into the Light, a concert recording of compositions for acoustic guitar with string orchestra. This collaboration with Grammy nominated arranger, Eugenio Toussaint, is McLaughlin’s first recording as a left-handed guitarist. In 2008, Coming Back Alive, a companion DVD shot by volunteers from the WWE broadcast crew capturing the historic performance was completed and released via direct marketing.

The Future - Billy’s story is truly an inspiration!  The Dystonia Medical Research Foundation (Chicago, IL) has named Billy their first Ambassador for Public Awareness and for his efforts McLaughlin has just been awarded the international 2010 Leadership in Public Neurology Award at the American Academy of Neurology conference held in Toronto. Previous winners of the award include Paul Allen, Julie Andrews, Leon Fleischer and Michael J. Fox. The documentary film, Changing Keys, chronicling McLaughlin’s physical and emotional struggles, the medical mysteries of dystonia, and this amazing musical come-back has been awarded top-honors at the Houston International Film Festival. This independently produced film will begin airing on over 50 major market PBS stations in June 2010. McLaughlin is a featured speaker at the TED conference in Atlanta (May 2010) and is touring internationally including China, the Philippines, India, Europe and extensively throughout the US.

“Many people fail because they quit too soon.” reads the fortune cookie saying that McLaughlin taped to his dashboard in 2001 – it remains there to this day.

Concerts/Workshops/Speaking engagements Billy McLaughlin is available for concert performances (solo or with string quartet, string orchestra or modern rock ensemble), master classes, guitar workshops and broad-based lectures on a variety of topics appropriate for middle school, high school; college and graduate level students, corporations and churches. For further information including booking contacts, downloadable high-resolution press photos and video links go to:  

www.billymclaughlin.com

http://www.billymacmusic.com/photos.shtml

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5V6mT-Eix8

In addition to regular concert dates, Billy McLaughlin has performed/presented recently for:

Accenture

American Academy of Neurology

ARC Greater Twin Cities

Elmbrook Church Milwaukee

Fairview Hospitals

Great Lakes Music Therapists Convention

Gustavus Adolphus College

Guthrie Theater Minneapolis

Keller Williams Realty International

Mayo Clinic
Metropolitan Symphony Minneapolis

Mobile Symphony Saenger Theater

Peking University

TEDxAtlanta

Twin Cities Public Television Pledge

Securian

University of Minnesota

Wells Fargo

Woodbury Financial

by Kathy McCully
Several years back Carlson Studios donated a large collection of negatives to Isanti County Historical Society. We had one person exclusively creating a digital database of the photo logs for 15 months (part time). Our next step would be to scan all the negatives in reverse so we could match the photos with the database. This cannot be done now because so many of the negatives were fused and burnt. Of those that were saved, all the ID numbers were on the edge and have been burnt off. This is a huge loss for our history as I am sure there were many “hidden treasures” among these negatives. My goal was to create several books of the most memorable, or a line of greeting cards to support our operating budget. If you can identify these folks, please let us know.

Our marathon continues as we move forward to process all the recovered material. Two fundraisers are also in the works. The first, a pancake breakfast on October 22 at the Cambridge Chamber Business Exp. The second will be a musical performance by several musicians and performing groups—tentatively October 23. Your support is greatly appreciated, and we hope that we can personally thank everyone who attends for their kind words and actions of support since the fire.

Monetary donations can be made by mail, at our website, or directly at Cambridge State Bank. For all other inquiries, visit www.ichs.ws, follow us on Facebook, call us at 763-689-4229, email at ichs@izoom.net or drop us a letter at 33525 Flanders St. NE, Cambridge, MN 55008.

ICHS Executive Director Kathy McCully talks about what ICHS has been doing since the fire.

Pat Donahue will be playing at Heritage Jam, details TBD.

Here's a little more about him.
From swing to jazz to bottleneck blues to folk, Grammy-winning acoustic guitarist Pat Donohue plays it all with a flourish of artistry and melodic inspiration. Chet Atkins called Pat one of the greatest finger pickers in the world today; Leo Kottke called his playing “haunting.”

Pat is certainly one of the most listened to finger pickers in the world. As the guitarist for the Guys All-Star Shoe Band of Minnesota Public Radio’s A Prairie Home Companion, Pat gets to show off his savvy licks and distinctive original songs to millions of listeners each week.

His decade-long association with Garrison Keillor’s popular program has led to some unusual gigs: There was the after-show club date in Berlin, when Wynton Marsalis showed up to sit in with Pat and the Prairie Home band.  Or playing music on camera for the Prairie Home Companion movie with director Robert Altman and stars Meryl Streep, Lily Tomlin, Kevin Kline, John C. Reilly, Woody Harrelson and Tommy Lee Jones.

Besides the weekly radio broadcasts, Pat plays about 30 concerts a year nationwide and teaches at such popular music camps as Augusta Heritage Center and Rocky Mountain Fiddle Camp.

Pat’s musical tastes are eclectic. Though he considers himself foremost a folk guitarist, Pat’s influences are rooted in bluesmen Blind Blake, Robert Johnson, Charlie Parker, Duke Ellington, Muddy Waters and Miles Davis. He manages to blend jazz and blues with folk, and the mix is seamless. Over the years he has captivated audiences with his unique original compositions, dazzling instrumentals and humorous song parodies, including Sushi-Yucki and Would You Like to Play the Guitar?

Honors include a 2005 Grammy for his participation on Pink Guitar, a compilation of Henry Mancini tunes on acoustic guitar, several Minnesota Music Awards, and the title of 1983 National Finger Picking Guitar Champion. His original tunes have been recorded by Chet Atkins, Suzy Bogguss and Kenny Rogers. Pat has also been a featured performer at major music festivals including the Newport, Telluride and Philadelphia Folk Festivals. Pat joins a legendary list of notables, as The Martin Guitar Company recently introduced a Custom Signature Edition Series OM-30DB guitar designed to his specifications.

Pat has been obsessed with the guitar since he first picked one up at age 12 and began learning simple chords and melodies from a Pete Seeger instructional book. His background as a drummer in a garage rock band helped with the transition and he never looked back. As a youth, the St. Paul, Minnesota native pestered guitarists playing at Twin Cities coffee houses and blues venues, seeking tips on playing. Borrowing bits and pieces of the styles of finger picking pioneers he admired, he taught himself to play, building a repertoire flavored by Blind Blake, Django Reinhart and Chet Atkins.

“I was very lucky to see some of the old-timers that aren’t around anymore,” says Pat. “The University of Minnesota had summer concerts in the early 70s and I got to see Lightnin’ Hopkins, Big Joe Williams and Jesse Fuller. I wasn’t shy about going up to them and trying to befriend them and find out what I could about playing the blues. By and large, they were very accommodating. Big Joe Williams invited me to his hotel and we wound up playing guitar together.”

Aside from his music CDs, Pat also has two instructional videos and a concert video on Stefan Grossman’s Vestapol Videos, which not only display his guitar wizardry, but also feature the warmth and humor he brings to his live performances. Pat recently recorded an instructional DVD with buddy Mike Dowling, “A Guide to Two Guitar Jamming,” or Learning to Play Well with Others. Produced by Homespun Tapes, the DVD comes with tablature and is nearly two hours of strategies, examples, and advice on making good music together, no matter your playing level.

Pat currently lives in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Don't miss out on the fun Sept. 24. See you there!

by Elizabeth Sias, Isanti County News

As a result of the fire that destroyed the Isanti County Historical Society Heritage Center on July 8, St. John’s German Lutheran Church in Bradford lost several historic artifacts.

Some of those were an antique chandelier and lamp manufactured by the Coleman company.

Friends of Historic St. John’s posted on the Coleman Collectors Forum website about replacing the lamps and received offers for donations.

On the afternoon of Friday, Aug. 19, representatives from the International Coleman Collectors Club, from Madison, Wis., were on hand at the historic church to donate new items to the church.

The Bowling Proprietors of Minnesota, with local Junction Bowling Alley Owner Mike Warring, was also there to present a check to help with the restoration efforts of the church and the ICHS; $3,000 was given to the ICHS and $2,000 was given St. John’s.

Coleman collector Jerry Engbring and Steve Potter, regional contacts for the International Coleman Collectors Club, compared the new 1916 chandelier and lamp with those destroyed in the fire, which are now black with soot.

Engling’s and Potter’s reflections could be seen in the metal as they pumped air into the pressure lamps and ignited them.

Finally, the chandelier and lamp were lifted into the air on a rope pulley system to hang in the church.

For more information on St. John’s, visit www.ichs.ws/st-johns-church.html. You can also find the church on Facebook by searching for “Historic St. John’s German Lutheran Church of Bradford, MN.”

About the historic church

Built in 1882, Historic St. John’s (German) Lutheran Church is located on the south side of County Rd 5 (NW) in Bradford Township.

Historic St. John’s is representative of the many rural churches scattered across Isanti County which served the function of binding together the small ethnic communities comprising the county’s rural population.

The church is primarily significant for its association with the German immigrant population of Isanti County. It is also significant as one of the few remaining examples of the small churches that the county’s rural population throughout the county’s history.

An upcoming event for St. John’s is Oktoberfest, where you can enjoy an authentic German meal. This year’s event will be held Saturday, Sept. 24, from 4 to 9:30 p.m. The Kevin and Melinda Ruprecht Band will perform, and there will be real German adult beverages. The event will be held outdoors under the big tent at the church.

See original story at http://isanticountynews.com/2011/08/24/donations-given-to-replace-items-lost-in-fire/