inBemidji Fall 2020

Fall 2020

Q&A WITH SPOKEN WORD ARTIST

ASHLEY KINNARD

5

RECIPES TO MAKE WITH YOUR KIDS

FEATURING QUILT & BEADWORK

ARTIST DEE CROAKER

FR

BELTRAMI COUNTY’S POOR FARM

EE

RECOUNTING THE HISTORY OF

Sanford Health is committed to delivering the care you need, when you need it. Because even when the world looks different, you can be confident we’ve taken every step to keep you safe while you’re in our care.

Call your local clinic or visit sanfordhealth.org to make an appointment.

We’re standing with you.

049024-00209 8/20

Meet Mick Scott Cabinet and Countertop Specialist, Focusing On High End Kitchen Designs

I have always been inspired by new places and people which recently motivated me to move from Illinois to Bemidji, Minnesota. With over 30 years in the industry I have had the enjoyment of watching trends and styles change throughout the years. There is never a dull moment because there is always something new to be learned. As a cabinet designer, I enjoy working with people and I love the process most of all turning those small initial ideas and desires into a beautifully completed and customized space.

Cabinet Corner Inc. WHOLESALE/RETAIL

218-751-7522 | Toll Free 1-888-751-7522

Visit us at www.cabinetcorners.com 5 miles W. of Bemidji on Highway 2 Mon-Fri 9-5; Sat 10-2

A BEMIDJI PIONEER PUBLICATION

802 Paul Bunyan Dr. SE, Suite 19 Bemidji, MN 56601 218-333-9200

STAFF Editor Jillian Gandsey Creative Director Mollie Burlingame Advertising Lindsay Nygren Business Larisa Severson

ADMINISTRATION Publisher/Advertising Director Todd Keute Editor Annalise Braught Controller Tammie Brooks

TO ADVERTISE 218-333-9200 James Hanson jhanson@bemidjipioneer.com

Questions and Feedback Email inBemidji at inmagazine@bemidjipioneer.com Volume 7, Issue 4

Copyright © 2020 Bemidji Pioneer

22

in Bemidji

All rights reserved. Although some parts of this publication may be reproduced and reprinted, we require that prior permission be obtained.

ON THE COVER Spoken word artist Ashley Kinnard in Diamond Point Park.

Photo by Jillian Gandsey.

inBemidji’s mission is to be Bemidji’s and the surrounding area’s local lifestyle

magazine. We strive to enhance the quality of life for the people of the Bemidji area by informing them about all of the amazing people who live in our community. Our concentration is on everything local: fashion, food, health, and most importantly, unique individuals and stories.

We strive to maintain a high level of integrity as an inspiring, local media presence for our readers and provide advertisers with a high-quality, effective marketing medium.

Bemidji online!

Visit www.bemidjipioneer.com, then click on inBemidji near the bottom of the page.

Read the award-winning in

instagram.com/inbemidjimag 4 | in Bemidji Fall 2020

facebook.com/inMagBemidji

twitter.com/inMagBemidji

inside Fall 2020

Features 09 Finding solace in her art

06

Quilt and beadwork artist Dee Croaker also dabbles in photography. Learn more about how her separate crafts began.

14

Halloween at home

17

Q&A with Ashley Kinnard

22

We share some simple recipes and other ideas for how to celebrate Halloween at home this year.

Spoken word artist Ashley Kinnard shares some of her work and answers our questions.

The history of the Poor Farm

Learn about Beltrami County’s Poor Farm and how it operated for residents in the early 1900s.

09 In this issue

06 21 26 30

DIY: Homemade candles Bookmarked Larisa Cooks Spot the difference

26 Fall 2020

in Bemidji | 5

‘ candlegame Upping our

by in

Bemidji staff

We’ve made candles before for inBemidji, but for the fall edition we wanted to try some new things. We went with soy wax as it burns longer and cleaner compared to paraffin wax. We also wanted to try adding some bits like lavender, cinnamon and cloves to our candles either at the bottom of the container or the top. For scents, we used essential oils but also tried out some oils made specifically for scenting candles with flavors like sugar cookie and cinnamon bun. You could also try a woodwick. They smell divine!

6 | in Bemidji Fall 2020

what you need • Soy wax • Wicks • Glue dots • Clothes pins • Essential oils • Pot to melt wax in • Other bits to put in candles (cinnamon sticks, lavender, etc.)

Fall 2020

in Bemidji | 7

directions first

Measure out the wax. Use double the amount of hard wax that fits into your container. Once it’s melted it will fill it up perfectly. Once measured, add it to the pot for melting in a double boiler.

second

While the wax melts, use a glue dot to stick the wick(s) to the bottom of the container and hold it/them center with a clothespin.

third

Once it’s melted, add your scent. Online directions say to let the wax cool to 155 degrees before adding essential oils. We didn’t do this for all of ours, and they turned out just fine. Use roughly a tablespoon of whatever scent you’d like for a medium-sized candle.

fourth

Carefully pour wax into the container and let it set. Some say it needs to set for a few hours or overnight. Others advise up to two weeks.

Need Furnace Maintenance this Fall? We Can Help!

Open 7 Days A Week 8am - 7pm

Providing Indoor Comfort for your Home and Business.

Stop in or call us today to get a

FREE ESTIMATE! We Take Pride in Your Comfort.

172 Spirit Ave Bemidji

218-444-4328 naylorhvac.com

8 | in Bemidji Fall 2020

2 LOCATIONS IN BEMIDJI

500 Paul Bunyan Dr SE

1700 Paul Bunyan Dr NW

her art Finding solace in

Dee Croaker creates to connect with her mother

by Jillian

Gandsey in Bemidji Editor

Quilting, beading, photography. Those are all forms of therapy for Dee Croaker.

“Oh, man,” she said before thinking back to her younger years when her mother would always be singing and playing music.

“I was kind of born into it,” Dee said. “Doing different things like sewing or learning to crochet or going and learning how to line dance, doing artsy stuff like that and she would take me along.”

She remembers the first time she played piano when she was 6 or 7 on a Casio keyboard.

Dee’s mother, Linda Croaker, passed away in 2017 and since then her artwork has been a way for her to connect with her mother. She had been quilting with her mother since she was young, but after her unexpected passing, Dee needed a way to help raise money to cover funeral costs.

“I was like well this is what me and mom used to do, if (we had) a hard time, we’d sit down and make something and have money for groceries that week or whatever,” Dee said.

When she was 16, her mother gave her a blue sewing machine and that’s when she started quilting. She used the machine up until last year.

She was nervous it was slowing down so she bought another, but still uses it occasionally.

“The style that we would do was the older block

quilts a lot of the elders were making back then and we learned with Lena Cloud,” Dee remembered.

Lena was an elder in Inger and a family friend. She taught them finger quilting where it’s done with ties instead of a sewing machine.

Quilting has come in and out of her life since she was a teen and learning from Lena.

She took a class on star quilting at Leech Lake Tribal College and that kicked off another spurt of quilting around 2005. Dee combined what Lena had taught her with star quilting and was excited about the result.

“I still have that one too,” she said. “As I’ve progressed to making them now, I kind of do a few things differently.”

In the time since her mother passed, she went to finish her degree from the tribal college and was connected with Karen Goulet, who works at the Watermark Art Center and taught a class which Dee participated in.

“That just pushed me more towards experimenting and getting back into my artwork and I found it like therapy to help me through the grieving process with my mom, help me feel closer to her, especially the quilting side of it,” Dee said.

Not long after, she was awarded her first grant from the Region 2 Arts Council.

Fall 2020

in Bemidji | 9

“Just that feeling that it’s going to go to someone just starting out their life and maybe, possibly, be an heirloom later on—that type of thing,

It just has more of a special feeling.”

Beading Dee learned how to bead in high school and did a little here and there. She experimented with it a bit over the years, making dangle earrings, but became more serious with it after her daughter was born and would bead her regalia.

Now hoop earrings are her main focus and she has jewelry for sale at Shop 505 at the Watermark Art Center and at the Art & Antique Mall in Walker. (Her quilts are available in Walker, as well). It started when she was asked to make hoop earrings and after a couple YouTube videos, she was in business.

“With my beadwork, I really took a liking to the 1800 pre1900s Ojibwe style before the floral,” Dee said. “One thing I learned is that the Ojibwe also did the geometric shapes — triangles, squares — prior to beads and velvet and the traditional Ojibwe floral everybody knows and recognizes.”

She wants to focus on creating sets in the future to include earrings, bracelets and necklaces.

“You can never have enough earrings,” she laughed.

Dee’s also grateful to have Morell’s Chippewa Trading Post in close proximity, as she gets a lot of her beads from their shop. “They’ve been really helpful, too,” she said.

Koda: Friend, Ally, Companion Formerly Citizens State Bank Midwest New name, same friendly faces!

www.kodabank.com 1060 Paul Bunyan Dr. NW • BEMIDJI • (218) 444-3486 10 | in Bemidji Fall 2020

Photography Dee said she dabbles in photography on the side, but looking at her photos, you wouldn’t consider it a side hobby.

“I like taking pictures,” she said. “I like being in nature.”

She captures landscapes mostly around the Leech Lake area and other nature shots. She’s got birds and bees in her collection and sells prints of those in Walker too.

“I got a couple where my daughter was the model and just a silhouette of her with a sunset or a sunrise at the harbor in Duluth,” she said. “That’s more my style.”

Dee often finds herself hopping between the different mediums of art she practices. Her photography is more of an outdoor adventure, while indoors she moves from quilting to beading and, of course, mask making.

“That’s kind of how my work goes,” she said. “I’ll start on a blanket and then I’ll switch over and I’ll be beading and then I’ll switch over and, ‘OK let’s make a few masks.’”

Her favorite things to create, though, are baby quilts.

“Just that feeling that it’s going to go to someone just starting out their life and maybe, possibly, be an heirloom later on — that type of thing,” Dee said. “It just has more of a special feeling.”

She likes to say that, “every quilt I make has to find its baby.” She’ll make ones with fun themes featuring material with Spiderman, Batman or Finding Nemo characters. Dee takes special orders for quilts, but hasn’t been lately as it’s tough to find the fabric she wants during the pandemic.

Just as her mother’s interest in the arts influenced her, Dee has a daughter, Zara Croaker, who paints.

“I’m pretty proud of her,” Dee said. “She was doing craft shows with me last year and she sold some originals and she got prints of some of them made.”

Zara, 20, is expecting and due in September and Dee has been busy preparing for that in a few different ways. She beaded her future grandbaby a teal dreamcatcher to match a quilt she also made. She plans to make a carseat cover, too, which will be her first.

“If it works then I’ll do more,” Dee said. “She’ll have my first one.” n Photos by Dee

Croaker

Fall 2020

in Bemidji | 11

“Every quilt I make has to find

its baby.”

Healthy Hair For Everyone Book On Line | Call Ahead | Walk In

Richard Phelps 218-766-5263

rphelps@century21dickinson.com Facebook @DickPhelpsRealtor

12 | in Bemidji Fall 2020

751-1607

Mon.-Thur. 9-7 Fri. 9-6 2219 Paul Bunyan Dr. NW #8 www.hairnaturally.net

“I like taking pictures, I

like being in nature.”

Where you can find and purchase Dee’s work: Shop 505 at Watermark Art Center Art and Antique Mall of Walker Follow Dee’s work on Instagram: Photography: miss.whitewolf_photography Beadwork: miss.whitewolf_beadwork

Photo by Dee

JORGE PRINCE for Mayor

Croaker

Celebrate Local

We need to see each other as people first.

As mayor, I will build citizen work groups to solve problems and increase understanding among the diverse populations of our city.

There’s a seat at the table for you.

Make your voice heard.

DreamBigBemidji.c om Prepared and paid for by the Committee to Elect Jorge Prince Mayor.

P.O. Box 111, Bemidji, MN 56 6 01

Community Minded. Cooperatively Owned.

Expert Service • Organic & Local Produce Bulk Foods & Herbs • Affordable Prices Full Service Deli • Organic & Fair Trade Coffees Plant Based Proteins • Specialty Cheeses Organic, Nitrate & Antibiotic Free Meats • & MORE! 302 Irvine Avenue NW Bemidji, MN 56601 • 218-751-2009 • www.harmonyfoods.coop

Bemidji’s Downtown Full-Service Grocery & Wellness Store

Fall 2020

in Bemidji | 13

Halloween @ Home

by Jillian

W

Gandsey in Bemidji Editor

ith all the uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, who knows where we’ll be come October 31. Even if we’re somehow feeling more comfortable going about our day-to-day business, we might feel safer keeping our children away from trick-or-treating, or the typical large gatherings that Halloween brings. But we shouldn’t let that keep us from enjoying ourselves with quirky costumes and sweet treats. We’ve got some fun ideas for you on how to have Halloween at home this year.

14 | in Bemidji Fall 2020

H

alloween falls on a Saturday this year so with children home all day, you can add a spooky touch to just about everything, including meals!

For breakfast, add orange (or a tiny bit of red and yellow) food coloring to a pancake or waffle mix for orange pancakes. I also have these pumpkin cookie cutters, which work good if you want to shape them, but it’s not totally necessary. You could add in some pumpkin pie spice to your regular pancake recipe, too.

For lunch, these spider PB&Js are so cute! They’re already simple to make so just a few extra steps and you’re good to go. I ordered these edible eyes off Amazon (the local shops weren’t selling Halloween bits in August) and I’ve used them for a few of these Halloween treats. You could always just use chocolate chips, too.

Gifts For All Seasons!

Better hearing means...

ART SUPPLIES HANDCRAFTED GIFTS PICTURE FRAMING LARGE SELECTION REASONABLE PRICES ORIGINAL ARTWORK

Diane’s Dance Studio Since 1966

• Ballet • Tap • Theatre • Liturgical • Jazz • Pointe

Ages 3-adult classes start in September.

THE OLD SCHOOLHOUSE Contact us by email or Facebook: theoldschoolhouse.mn@gmail.com

2335 Monroe Avenue SW, Bemidji • 218-751-4723 Located: 1 mile south of Bemidji on #197 and 1 mile west on Carr Lake Road SW & Co. #11

I’m back to doing the things I love!

What will better hearing do for you?

Hearing Wellness Center

LET US HELP YOU HEARWELL™

L to R: Dr. Andrea Wilson and Jessica Yanish

677 Anne Street NW | Suite G 218-333-8833 | hearwellmn.com Fall 2020

in Bemidji | 15

Crafts

► A lot of people carve their jack-o’-lantern before Halloween, but you could always buy a second pumpkin to save for the day and carve another. Maybe the first didn’t live up to your expectations, so another try could be fun. ► Check out other ways to decorate pumpkins on Pinterest. A little Mod Podge and any kind of decorative paper can make for a fun alternative to carving. Paint is also another way to go.

Games ► Pin the Boo on the Ghost, which is exactly as it sounds. You just need a large sheet of paper, some white paint, construction paper, tape and a marker. ► For Ghost Bowling, you can empty, clean and completely dry some plastic water bottles before filling them with cotton balls. Use some construction paper to make ghost eyes and use a ball to knock down the ghosts. ► You could also just plan to have a game night but in costume. Pull out the family favorite board game, have some Halloween-themed snacks and enjoy the evening that way.

Trick-or-treating ► Trick-or-treating could also just be kept to your close family and circle of friends. You could plan out where to stop beforehand and keep it shorter than a typical Halloween.

Real Faith

Real Life Deepen Your Walk.

Treats

► For some healthy-ish treats throughout the day, you can also turn your Mandarin oranges into tiny pumpkins using a marker. ► You could also dip strawberries into white chocolate to make Boo Berries and use the edible eyes again or else milk chocolate would work for eyes and a nose.

SEE ART MAKE ART BUY ART

Discover Your Purpose.

1600 Oak Hills RD SW • Bemidji, MN 56601 (218)751-8670 • oakhills.edu Admissions@oakhills.edu

Develop God’s Heart.

SHOP 505 Fine Art Retail Gallery & Gifts

P.S.E.O. 16 | in Bemidji Fall 2020

Real Learning

505 Bemidji Avenue N. in Bemidji, MN | (218) 444-7570 Galleries are free and open to the public! watermarkartcenter.org

Q&A

y r t e o P Ashley Kinnard with spoken word artist

I first heard Ashley perform her spoken word pieces at a poetry slam last December at Red Stu Breakfast Bar. Of all the incredible work that was read aloud that evening, Ashley’s stuck with me. I knew I wanted to publish it somehow, somewhere, and at some point and now is finally the time. Ashley is a senior at Bemidji State and is on the track and field roster for the Beavers. We are publishing two pieces of her work and also had a Q&A with her.

— Jillian Gandsey in Bemidji Editor

Share Beauty.

325 Minnesota Ave. Bemidij, MN. 218-444-7673 www.kdfloral.com

VISIT US FOR YOUR BUILDING NEEDS THIS YEAR! • New Houses & Garages!

• Remodeling • Lumber • Doors • Decks • Windows • Shingles 580 Mahnomen Dr. SE, Industrial Park Bemidji, MN • Pole Buildings • Estimating & Design 218-751-1515

www.grizzlytruss.com Fall 2020

in Bemidji | 17

Promised

Tomorrow is tomorrow is just another tomorrow But tomorrow will never be today And today is just today A miracle if I’m blessed with another day Cuz people like me there will never be Any guarantees, cuz one minute I’m living and breathin’, Next I’m dying and pleadin’, Have mercy on my soul, Don’t let me die, I look into your eyes It’s almost as if I am looking at me, We are the same Both soldiers to the streets As I stare into the barrel of your gun I know Tomorrow will never be today My body is a magnet As bullet fill my chest And the holes decorate my skin, And I’m welcomed as Lucifer’s newest guest As the blood flees my body seeping into the ground to dry out With a dark red stain Moralized by my DNA I’m just society’s castaway But the streets loved me a different way No one else could understood Cuz self worth comes From the love of the hood walking headstones Roam the streets Written in ink across their chest So that their legacy is never forgotten Even if their souls lay to rest Cuz my brothers and sisters Carry my initials and dates Inked permanently in their skin And teddy bears, flowers, and small white candles Mark the last place I will have ever been tomorrow is just tomorrow While they all hope to see another tomorrow Instead of seeing their last today Each and every one Eventually suffocating six feet below Where their body will forever stay

Artist statement

One day I was watching a show, and one of the characters had a very promising future.

However, he was falling into a cycle of crime. He was involving himself with gangs, and he said something that really stuck with me. Why should he bother worrying about his future, when he’s not sure if he’ll see the end of the day. Tomorrow is never guaranteed, and for some people all they have is now. I made the connections with people and head tombs, because we are losing young people at an alarming rate. We see people inked up with tattoos, with their loved ones birth and death dates. They actually become living tombstones. Keeping the memory and legacy alive.

18 | in Bemidji Fall 2020

Someone You Love

You are the wick Trapped at the bottom of a candle I try to light the flame To ignite and finish what’s left But the moment it sparks The flames flicker for only a small second But for that second I can feel it all The flames warm my skin Almost as if it’s you again But as I try to relight it I’m left in the dark Cold from the absence of the flame And the small bit of scent and warmth That lingers at the bottom Wrapping your arms around me, holding me tight And the scent escapes the jar trickling into my nose Filling it with a sweet aroma almost like my brain is playing the soundtrack of us Except The flames start to fade within my sight And the smoke drifts through the room As if someone scratched the record And all the memories come to a halt And I yearn to smell the candle Again And yearn to be with you Is unattainable And you Are unreachable Like the last bit of wax That is a reminder Of how good it all was

Artist statement

I was watching the Grammy Awards and Alicia Keys was one of the hosts, and she gets on the piano to sing, “Someone You Loved.”

Except it’s more like parody, and she’s talking about 2020. She talked about all the good things that happened in the year, and bad things. While this is happening my candle is fading out, as the last bit of wax is burned. Somehow my mind decides on the analogy of your favorite candle, that is burning to an end. With that of an old flame, relationship. How you find yourself yearning for that bit of comfort, even though you know it’s over.

What are you going to school for?

I’m going to school to get a major in political science, and a minor in criminal justice, and international relations.

What are your career goals?

The goal is to obtain my law degree.

Where are you from? What brought you to Bemidji?

I am from Milwaukee, Wis. I wanted to run track at the collegiate level, and Bemidji made that possible.

Q&A

When/how did you start writing?

I started writing when I was just a little girl. I used to write these songs that were very corny. I then realized that a lot of times when trying to write songs, the rhyme took from the message. So I transitioned to poetry around fifth grade. I always loved writing, even from a young age.

How do your spoken word pieces come about?

A lot of times I’m just going through the day, and something will trigger a spark. I instantly go to my notes and jot down a few lines. Sometimes it’s me listening to a song, or watching a movie, or having a conversation with someone.

When do you feel most compelled to write?

I think when I get a rush of emotion, whether it’s a happy, sad or an angry feeling. Those emotions are very charged, and easy to express.

WOOD, GAS, PELLET AND ELECTRIC FIREPLACES STOVES AND INSERTS

Complete Installation Available

Call 800-367-7976

9608 State 371 NW | Walker | wilkeningfireplace.biz Fall 2020

in Bemidji | 19

Do you write for yourself or for others?

I mainly write for myself. Sometimes it’s simply me writing to get something off my chest. Or me feeling helpless with everything going on right now. Or it’s just me wanting to write about nature.

How long does it take you to write some of your pieces?

Q&A

Honestly it depends on the piece. One time I was listening to a song, and wrote a piece in like 10-15 minutes for a class. While other pieces have taken me days. I think it also depends on the topic, and how heavy the piece I’m writing about is.

A lot of your work is triggered by something you’ve watched. Are there parallels between the media you consume and real life?

I would say yes, I think that whether it’s a show, or the news or a video, it all correlates. I think that seeing something creates a strong emotion. It’s hard to deny it when it’s right in front of you.

How does it feel to perform your work for an audience?

I love it. It’s something about performing the poems out loud that brings the piece to life. I feel like I write for the pieces to not only be read, but to be heard. I love the way the words leave my tongue, and trickle into the audience’s ears. My words paint a picture for them to see. A picture they might not have known existed.

“My words paint a picture for them to see.

A picture they might not have known existed.”

BEER H LIQUOR H MIXES H WINE

Follow us on

Dr. James Hess

Dr. Susan Tesch

We offer a variety of services including: Custom Frame Repair • Eyeglass Adjustments Vision Therapy by our Professional Opticians

DAILY LOCAL DELIVERIES TO BAGLEY & BEMIDJI AREA

Outside Prescriptions Welcome

Monica Feil

Jenny Johnson Kyla Cardinal

Eva Schocker John Williams Toni Peterson

Dave Smith

212 - 3rd Street Downtown Bemidji www.thirdstreetoptical.info • 333-EYES (3937) Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8-5 20 | in Bemidji Fall 2020

for specials and giveaways.

Place your order by 2:00 for same day delivery 15485 Caribou Footed Dr. NW Solway, MN 56678 (218) 467-3245 Open Monday-Saturday 9 am - 10 pm

VISIT US ONLINE

HorizonWarehouseLiquors.com

BOOKMARKED For Bookmarked in the fall edition of inBemidji, we’re featuring titles to honor Indigenous Peoples’ Day, which will fall on October 12. We’ve selected novels, children’s books, memoirs and more.

The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee

By David Treuer

We Are Still Here

By Dick Bancroft

The Birchbark House

By Louise Eldrich

Warrior Nation: A History of the Red Lake Ojibwe

By Anton Treuer

Bowwow Powwow

By Brenda J. Child

There There

By Tommy Orange

My Grandfather’s Knocking Sticks

By Brenda J. Child This Town Sleeps Dennis E. Staples

Fall 2020

in Bemidji | 21

‘It’s the people’ Recounting the history of Beltrami County’s Poor Farm

by Dennis

Doeden in Bemidji staff writer

About a half mile east of Lake Avenue on First Street in Bemidji, you’ll find a large 100-year-old house with a small barn next to it.

It’s a rental house these days. Pretty nondescript and mostly unnoticed, the last building on a dead-end road.

That’s largely the way it was in 1920 when it was built to provide care and shelter for Beltrami County’s impoverished, elderly and disabled residents. The first county Poor Farm building, which opened in 1902 on the property, had burned down in 1914, forcing its residents to be moved to various locations throughout the Bemidji area.

The new house was constructed and served its purpose

for the next 15 years, until the United States replaced poor farms with Social Security and welfare assistance programs.

“The stigma of being there was one of the worst aspects of it, I’m sure,” says Cecelia Wattles McKeig, a regional historian whose 2012 book, “The Poor Fund, The Poor Farm, and the Paupers Cemetery,” chronicles the system that was in place. “I don’t think physically it was so terrible.

They had good food. I think they had good care. But I think the stigma of having to rely on charity in an institution that everybody looked down upon was difficult. There were so many people who weren’t even aware that there was such a place. It was a place you just didn’t want to wind up.”

“The stigma of being there was one of the worst aspects of it.”

- Cecelia Wattles McKeig

22 | in Bemidji Fall 2020

McKeig spent about 10 years scouring records and newspaper clippings in research for her book, which is available for purchase at the Beltrami County History Museum’s gift shop.

The county bought the 320acre Poor Farm property in 1901 from Rien Kilgard, and construction soon began on the original house and a smaller building to be used for quarantine and hospital needs. The property extended north to Mill Street and west to Lake Avenue, with plenty of room for farming. All but 24 of Minnesota’s 87 counties created poor farms at one time or another.

Beltrami’s was a “functioning farm because those who were able to work on the farm did so,” McKeig wrote, “and it was very economically run. Additional labor was hired and that often included neighbors who helped with the outside work.”

The farm consisted of a house, a four-story barn, granary, pest house, smoke house and root cellar. All that remains are the rebuilt house and a barn.

Regional historian Cecelia Wattles McKeig spent about 10 years of research for her book about the Poor Farm and the Paupers Cemetery.

ANYWHERE - ANYTIME.

You’re retirees seeking the worry-free life – choose electric thermal storage heat.

You’ve both finally entered the retirement stage of your

Plus, there’s no need for a backup heating source like

lives – less time spent on work and more time to give

propane or gas, making the system clean, maintenance-

to family, fun and relaxation. Kick back and enjoy the

free and 100% efficient.

economical, no-fuss comfort and reliability of electric thermal storage heat.

On top of comfort and convenience, you can now receive a bigger-than-ever rebate from your cooperative for

Brick storage heat is a “set it and forget it” system.

installing thermal brick heat – up to $75/kW. Combine

Electric heating elements warm up specially designed

that with a reduced electric rate on the off-peak electricity

ceramic bricks within the unit. That heat is stored and

program, and you’ve found your perfect power pick.

then released at the time and level necessary to keep your entire home uniformly cozy (with the central forced-air furnace option) or give added warmth to a chilly area (with the room unit option). Since heat energy remains in the bricks for hours, they can be warmed during your cooperative’s off-peak hours, cutting down your heating bill substantially so you can spend more on spoiling the grandkids or that trip to Maui.

Contact the energy experts at Beltrami Electric to find the perfect power pick for your space.

218-444-2540 or 1-800-955-6083 www.beltramielectric.com

Up to

$75/kW

Apply with our Mortgage App on your Mobile Device

in rebates!

WWW.SECURITYBANKUSA.COM • 218-751-1510 Fall 2020

in Bemidji | 23

“There may be others like her (Lena Maki) who were buried from Lake Julia at the Poor Farm Cemetery but were not noted in the ledgers. It is only due to the persistence of her family that we know that she is buried at this site.”

- Cecelia Wattles McKeig

FINAL RESTING PLACE

Barn 24 | in Bemidji Fall 2020

Another little-known part of the property is the Paupers Cemetery, located on the south side of Mill Street about a quarter mile east of Lake Avenue. The cemetery was established in 1902.

McKeig wrote: “In addition to providing the necessities for life, the (county) commissioners also supplied the paupers with the necessities of death. Payments were made for the services of an undertaker, a coffin, and the digging of a grave.”

McKeig was able to identify 274 burials in the cemetery.

“Some of the people who died at the Poor Farm are buried there, but not all,” she said. “If a person had a relative who could afford a lot at Greenwood or another cemetery, they were buried there. In some cases, a poor person who died at the farm had actually paid for a lot elsewhere before their death.

“I met one lady who told me about her experience as a child when a child related to her was buried at the Poor Farm because the family had no money to pay and the child was buried at county expense. There are even a few paupers’ lots at Greenwood with no markers, but most people who died without resources were buried at the Paupers Cemetery. If a lumberjack keeled over in Blackduck on the sidewalk, and he had no money in his pocket, he was buried by the county in the Paupers Cemetery. The bodies of many who died at the Poor Farm were reclaimed by the family and buried in a family plot somewhere else.”

As time went on, the cemetery became a pasture. Grave markers rotted or were lost, and in 1967, the county sold a portion of the property to a private owner. But in 1979, a community effort helped bring dignity to the cemetery, and the county exchanged land deeds with the owner to regain ownership. The land was cleared, fenced, and once again identified as a cemetery.

Meanwhile an evergreen tree has grown to block the view of a commemorative sign for the cemetery, and a few metal plates that once held names of the dead are still in place.

The only permanent tombstone at the cemetery is near the entrance. It is a memorial to Lena Maki, who died of tuberculosis at the Lake Julia Sanatorium on Aug. 24, 1926.

McKeig writes, “There may be others like her who were buried from Lake Julia at the Poor Farm Cemetery but were not noted in the ledgers. It is only due to the persistence of her family that we know that she is buried at this site.”

A SPACE FOR QUARANTINE

The Pest House was a county quarantine facility that housed people with contagious diseases because the Bemidji hospital didn’t have an isolation unit, McKeig said. It was situated on the Poor Farm property and open to the public. Because it only dealt with infectious diseases, it was called the Pest house. The facility was later converted to a residence with many windows and still exists on First Street.

Dr. William Blakeslee, the assistant county health officer, made a real campaign to stamp out infectious diseases in the area. He watched the trains to discover infected visitors. When John Burman of Michigan got off an eastbound train on Aug. 11, 1901, it was discovered that he had smallpox. The doctor promptly grabbed him and sent him to the pest house, which had been unoccupied for the previous several weeks.

According to McKeig, the lumber camps were especially vulnerable to smallpox outbreaks, and neighboring counties would sometimes bring their infected workers to Bemidji and “dump” them, in hopes that they would be cared for by Beltrami County.

Smallpox, diphtheria and tuberculosis were the diseases that required isolation from the regular hospital patients in town, McKeig said. Some patients were able to be isolated and cared for in their homes, but others, especially the lumberjacks, had no such option.

Between January 1 and April 15, 1902, there were 80 non-county residents and 35 county residents treated at the pest house. Upon arrival, each patient was identified and recorded. If he was a nonresident, he signed an affidavit to that effect and gave his home address. If he was a resident of the state, but not a Beltrami County charge, he was obliged to pay for his keep or give a promissory note before being discharged. The state reimbursed the county for the care of non-residents at a fee of $50 per case.

This building, now a residence, once served as a Pest House to quarantine ill patients.

‘IT’S THE PEOPLE’

McKeig said researching and writing a book about the Poor Farm was personal for her.

“This subject has always intrigued me,” she wrote in the book’s introduction. In researching her own family in Massachusetts, she discovered that her own great-grandfather in the ninth degree was indigent and placed in a communityowned dwelling.

She said the book project was rewarding, “but I still felt like it was a project that never would be completed totally. And I do still hear from people occasionally who are looking for someone. They’ve been looking for their grandpa’s brother, and by some fluke they found that he was named in this book. And then they are so grateful that they’ve been able to track down this person that they had totally lost. With the emphasis on genealogy today, this kind of thing really helps them.

Because these are people who just weren’t known. It’s not about a piece of land and buildings. It’s the people.” n

Cold weather is coming!

Get your car ready! $50 upgrade for

smartphone car control available with ALL remote car starter packages

Astro S AF-RF tart D532 $ 5 95

649

Astro S AF-RF tart D2615 $ 95

4 49

Astro S AF-RF tart D262 $ 5 95

5 49

Astro S AF-RF tart D514 $ 95

3 49

BUSINESS HOURS Monday-Thursday 7:30am-5:30pm Friday 7:30am-5:00pm CALL NOW TO MAKE YOUR APPOINTMENT 444-7587

*All prices include installation *Includes Smartphone connectivity Fall 2020

in Bemidji | 25

with

Cooking Kids

F

or the fall edition of inBemidji, we have my daughter Tasha helping us out in the Larisa Cooks kitchen. Our children may or may not be home with us a little more often this school year, so we’re sharing some of Tasha’s favorite recipes that she’s able to whip up with just a little supervision. These are simple recipes that would be good to start your kids out cooking with. After all, they may be missing out on their home economics class.

First, we’re sharing our recipe for Italian Sloppy Joe meat. We’re going to use it to go with the recipe for Tasha’s Garlic Joes and also in the sauce with the cheese tortellini. It’s great to freeze and have on hand also.

After that, we’re sharing some of Tasha’s favorite dinner and breakfast recipes that she can make on her own.

We hope you enjoy! photos by Jillian

26 | in Bemidji Fall 2020

Gandsey in Bemidji Editor

Italian Sloppy Joe (Sloppy Giuseppe) Ingredients

2 pounds ground beef 2 packages of sweet Italian sausage (5 links per package) 67-ounce jar spaghetti sauce of your choice 1 medium onion 4-6 cloves garlic 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon pepper 1 tablespoon oregano 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded 1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

In a large skillet or electric fry pan cook the beef and sweet Italian sausage (remove from casings before cooking) over medium high heat. Season with salt, pepper, oregano and Italian seasoning. When mostly browned, add the peeled and minced onion and garlic and continue to cook until the onions are soft. Add the entire jar of spaghetti sauce. Simmer until warm, then taste and adjust seasoning to taste. Add the 2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese and the 1 cup of parmesan cheese and stir to combine. Continue to simmer an additional 1-2 hours for flavors to blend.

Note:

This will make enough meat to use for multiple recipes.

You may need to scale down the amount of ingredients you use if you are making just one meal. We made Tasha’s Garlic Joe’s and Cheese Tortellini with Meat Sauce out of the above recipe and also had some meat left over that we froze.

Tasha’s Garlic Joe’s Ingredients

3 cups of the Italian Sloppy Joe meat 1 box Texas Toast frozen garlic bread 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

Instructions

In a small saucepan heat the Italian Sloppy Joe meat over medium heat. Place the frozen Texas toast on a foil-lined baking sheet and cook to box instructions.

Take cooked Texas Toast and place about 1/4 cup of the Italian Sloppy Joe meat on each piece using a fork to smooth out the meat and cover the entire piece of garlic bread. Top meat with shredded mozzarella cheese and place back into the oven until the cheese melts. Serve with warm spaghetti or marinara sauce for dipping.

favorite recipes

Fall 2020

in Bemidji | 27

Cheese Tortellini with Meat Sauce Ingredients

3 cups of the Italian sloppy Joe meat 1 36-ounce package of frozen cheese tortellini 1 45-ounce jar of spaghetti sauce of your choice 1 frozen box or loaf of garlic bread

Instructions

In a large saucepan add the 3 cups of Italian Sloppy Joe meat and the entire 45-ounce jar of spaghetti sauce and heat over medium heat. If the sauce is too thick add a little more spaghetti sauce until desired thickness. Cook the cheese tortellini by following the package instructions. Place cooked and drained tortellini on a large bowl and pour your pasta sauce with meat over it and stir gently until combined. Serve with garlic bread.

General Tso’s Chicken and Broccoli Ingredients

1 package 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1 12-ounce package frozen broccoli, thawed 1 12-ounce bottle of General Tso Sauce

Instructions

Cut chicken into bite-size pieces and place into a large heated skillet with 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Cook over medium heat until chicken is cooked through. Add broccoli to the pan and continue to cook until broccoli is cooked through. Add about 1/4 to 1/2 the bottle of General Tso Sauce. You can add more sauce to taste if desired.

Note:

This can be served over rice or eaten as is.

Maid In Bemidji, Inc.

A Great Place for a Great Burger!

Hand Patty Burgers

BEMIDJI’S #1 COMMERCIAL CLEANING SERVICE

Served on Fresh Bakery Buns Homemade Chili & Soups Daily

Offering Electrostatic Spray Disinfecting Services at your Business Contact us for a FREE Quote

(218) 759-0014  www.maidinbemidji.com 28 | in Bemidji Fall 2020

Home of Beer’s Blackdog BBQ Sauce

OPEN 11AM MON-SAT • 142 ANNE STREET NW, BEMIDJI, MN • 218-444-SLIM

Spam Breakfast Sammy Ingredients

1 12-ounce can of SPAM 1 6-count package of English muffins 6 American cheese slices 6 eggs

Instructions

Cut SPAM into approximately 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices. Depending how thick you cut the SPAM, you should have enough for six muffins using two pieces of SPAM per muffin. Place SPAM into a large skillet or electric skillet and cook over medium heat to brown and crisp both sides. Toast the English muffins in the toaster and put a piece of American cheese on one side of the toasted muffin and top the cheese with two pieces of SPAM. Cook the egg to your liking and place egg on top of the SPAM and top with the other half of the English muffin.

We’ve got your Brand!

SHOP CHRYSLER

SHOP HONDA

“For over 65 years our mission has been to provide our customers with a shopping, buying, service and ownership experience that satisfies your needs and exceeds your expectations in a comfortable supportive environment.”

SHOP DODGE

SHOP RAM

SHOP JEEP

BEMIDJI

www.bemidjichrysler.com 218-751-8006 • 755 Paul Bunyan Dr NW, Bemidji

www.hondaofbemidji.com 218-444-4663 • 755 Paul Bunyan Dr NW, Bemidji Fall 2020

001689485r1

CHRYSLER CENTER

in Bemidji | 29

30 | in Bemidji Fall 2020 ANSWERS: 1) Number missing on the first runner on the left, 2) man in blue has a lighter t-shirt, 3) heart engraved in tree, 4) woman on far right missing, 5) man in hoodie missing his sock, 6) woman in black has babe antlers, 7) on the left side the word FALL is in the leaves, 8) and extra snow to the right of the bike path.

Can you find 8 differences between these two pictures?

The Bemidji Blue Ox Marathon is going virtual this year, which means runners are still able to enjoy the fall colors and can run the race whenever and wherever. Good luck to all the runners!

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE

DRESS CLUB

CLEANERS

• Winter Coats • Outerwear • Comforters • Blankets • Sweaters • Suits • Trousers • Slacks • Shirts • Blouses • Dresses • Leather Jackets • Wedding Dresses • Pillows • Ties • Vests • And Much More

DRY CLEANING & LAUNDRY SERVICES

218-751-3171 • www.dressclubcleaners.com 406 MINNESOTA AVE NW, BEMIDJI, MN

MON-FRI 9AM-4PM | SAT 9:30AM–3PM| DROP OFF & PICKUP

STOCK UP FOR FALL Beer • Wine • Liquor • Ice

-THE-

BEMIDJI AREA

Our Everyday Low Prices would be specials at most other places.

3324 Bemidji Ave N. • (218) 751-3312 • www.northernliquor.com Bemidji’s Best Liquor StoreHours: 9:00 AM- 10:00 PM MON.- SAT., 11AM- 6PM SUN. Fall 2020

in Bemidji | 31

Does a 90-acre campus surrounded by hundreds of square miles of nature transform you?

Find out.

SCHEDULE A CAMPUS TOUR AT WWW.BEMIDJISTATE.EDU/VISIT A member of the colleges and universities of Minnesota State, Bemidji State University is an affirmative action, equal opportunity educator and employer.

THE SHORTEST PATH TO YOUR DREAM JOB

S BEMIDJI’ E!

BEGINS AT

L CO L L E G A C I N H C E T

AUTOMOTIVE

HEALTH CARE

CHILD CARE

BUSINESS

BUILDING SYSTEMS

MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY

AUTOMOTIVE • BUILDING TRADES BUSINESS • HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY A member of the colleges and universities of Minnesota State, Northwest Technical College is an affirmative action, equal opportunity educator and employer.