Vadnais Heights Press

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VLAWMO: Providing grants for raingardens, range of projects PAGE 2A

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Receiving special recognition for their “amazing philanthropy” at the foundation gala were Suzanne and Paul Hanifl. The couple are in Florida, and attended the event via Zoom.

Foundation honors community partners

COURTESY OF WHITE BEAR LAKE AREA HISTORICAL SOCIETY | CONSTITUTED

This 1885 photo shows a gazebo on top of the large burial mound on Lake Street property owned by William Markoe. It was common to use the mound as a social gathering spot.

BY DEBRA NEUTKENS STAFF WRITER

Court documents clarify facts leading to removal of burial mounds The story about the Native American burial mounds on Lake Avenue and their subsequent removal in the late 1880s has taken a turn, thanks to research into archived documents at the county courthouse. The yellowed court papers bundled in a dusty wrapper have been available for viewing all along; it’s just no one knew exactly where they were, pointed out White Bear Lake Area Historical Society Executive Director Sara Markoe Hanson. The packet was discovered this fall on the district court case involving a wrongful death suit that ultimately led to the mounds’ removal.

As Hanson tells it in a presentation about White Bear’s Native American heritage, Charles Wheeler, his sister Ellen “Nellie” Wheeler, and a third woman, Delia Delano, all “from the vicinity of Stillwater, were driving their carriage along the lake when the horses spooked and the buggy overturned. Charles, thought to be 24, was thrown out and hit his head on a tree, dying instantly. The ancient burial mounds were blamed, with people claiming “spirits” caused the horses to spook. “This is a perfect example of a story passed along with newspaper records that tell a version that we have shared for years,” Hanson noted. “We’ve had

clarification. The story has not changed dramatically but has shifted.” The largest of the 10 burial mounds was singled out as the one that needed removal. Lake Avenue was required to curve around the mound near Shady Lane, which made it a hazard for passing buggies. The debate went on for years, as efforts to remove the mound were thwarted by those who believed the sacred grounds should remain untouched. “The issue was controversial in the early 1880s,” Hanson said. “And it took almost a decade for the village of White Bear Lake to make a decision.”

SEE BURIAL MOUNDS, PAGE 9A

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BY DEBRA NEUTKENS STAFF WRITER

Noting she’s proud to live in such a special place since the age of 2, Karen Alnes marvels at the “heartwarming generosity” shown by “big donors and small” to the Greater White Bear Lake Community Foundation. As board member and secretary for the 6-year-old foundation, Alnes performed emcee duties at the annual awards reception Dec. 2 that this year granted $67,000 to 23 nonprofits as part of the Community Partners Fund program. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $5,000. The partners fund has awarded almost $250,000 throughout the White Bear area since 2016, according to board member Laura Whitney, who announced the recipients. Its goal is to raise $10 million. Receiving special recognition via Zoom for their “amazing philanthropy” at the foundation gala were Suzanne and Paul Hanifl. Vice Chair Craig Drake introduced the couple, who are in Florida so were unable to attend the event. “The name Hanifl has truly become a household name,” Drake said. “You don’t have to look too far, across the street (the event


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