Keep checking back for new stories. If you’d like to include your story here please email it to info@wrighthistory.org or submit it online HERE.

This page is named after one of WCHS’ current board members, Claudia Menzel. A long time volunteer and supporter of WCHS, she is also an avid writer who knows the value of sharing history and personal stories for future generations.

Monthly Feature

MOONSHINE HENRY | MAY 2024

My grandparents had a small resort on the east side of Lake Pulaski that they named “Sunset Grove.”  They rented small cottages to families for a summer retreat. Each cottage included the use of a boat and access to the lake. There was another perk that a few of the summer residents learned to enjoy: regular social activities at the old farmhouse on the hill across the road.

This was in the early 1920s and on into the 1930s. The Prohibition Law had been passed in 1920, so liquor could not be sold legally.

So all across the country, folks took advantage of people’s thirst for liquor, and established illegal liquor production. In that little old farmhouse on the hill, Henry Ordorff constructed a ‘still’ in his upstairs bedroom. Friends and neighbors spread the word, and soon Henry had a booming business. Some customers hung out at the farm and soon it also became a “party house.”

Eventually, word spread that liquor was available at Henry’s, and he even attracted some cronies from the Chicago and St. Paul racketeers. They needed a place to hide out when the law was in pursuit.

My father was a teenager at the time, living across the road, but also working odd jobs in the area. He and his mother sometimes walked up the hill to Henry’s if there was music or a party was going on. So my dad had lots of stories to tell.

Customers of Henry’s sometimes had too much moonshine and needed a breather. They would walk down to the lake through Sunset Grove in order to cool off--- (occasionally making the trek in the nude).

One regular customer was a St. Paul policeman by the name of Jim. He and his wife were summer residents at Sunset Grove. Jim was one of those people that became incorrigible with too much to drink. One afternoon at Henry’s, he had been drinking too much and suddenly wanted to fist-punch everyone in sight. My grandmother quickly hid under the porch, and others scattered out into the woods. Jim began fist-punching the nearest tree until he passed out.

Another time, there was a group of men enjoying a glass or two of moonshine. One man slipped a “knock-out” drop into another man’s drink. The victim slowly became sleepy and eventually passed out. Whatever cash was in the victim’s pocket disappeared. The knock-out drop was a little too strong, and the victim later died. Authorities were notified, and Henry spent some time in the county jail. He was later released and returned to continue with his business.

There were many more tales about the events at the old house on the hill, but in 1933, the Prohibition law was repealed, and Henry’s moonshine days were over.     

Henry continued living in that old farmhouse. He had a large steam engine that he operated during threshing season at many of the local farms. In the mid-1950s, he became ill and spent time in a nursing home. He died in 1957. That old house became available for purchase when Henry went to a nursing home. My dad’s oldest sister, Clara, lived on a neighboring farm and was married to Henry’s nephew. She purchased the house and a number of acres in 1956. My father, who was a carpenter, helped Clara clean the place up, renovated the home, modernized it with electricity and plumbing, and made it into a comfortable old farmhouse. The upstairs bedroom still had a few of the fixtures that Henry used to make his moonshine!

The old house is still on the hill (2022). Sometime in the 1980’s, that house and a few acres were sold to a young couple who resided there for several years. The rest of the farm has seen great changes. It is now the site of a residential development called GREENBRIAR Estates.  

WHEN WILL THE FLIVVER SINK? | APRIL 2024

   One event that occurred each winter in Monticello was the breaking up of the ice on the Mississippi River. It usually happened about the middle of April, but varied greatly according to the weather.

   Each year, there was a guessing game played out in the community connected with the ‘ice out’ on the river. One of the local community organizations would place an old car on the river ice. To retrieve the car after sinking, a heavy chain would be attached to the car. Lottery tickets would be sold and each person buying a ticket would write down their guess as to the date and time that the old car would sink into the river. A nice prize was awarded to the ticket holder with the closest guess. As the weather warmed up, there was much speculation and conversation as to when that ‘flivver’ was going down.

   In connection with the spring melt, many people would walk across the bridge to watch the huge chunks of ice float downstream; some ice chunks had trees and other debris atop them. As those chunks would collide with the support piers below, the whole bridge would shake like it was going to collapse. It was always a thrill to take that walk across the old bridge.

   My husband, Karl, tells me that some of the brave local teenagers would climb out on the girders under the bridge to the third pier. That was the pier that would shake the most when a large hunk of ice would hit it. (I really don’t know how Karl knows those details.) What teenagers wouldn’t do for a thrill!!!

   Eventually, the flivver event was discontinued because of the environmental impact of a car sinking in the river. The opening of the power plant upstream resulted in an open river with very little ice forming along the city.

VARNERS IN THE CIVIL WAR | March 2024

I recently attended the Interesting presentation about the soldiers from Wright County who enlisted and formed Company E, serving in the Civil War. I began thinking about my own Varner ancestors who also served in the Civil War.

There were six Varner brothers who migrated from Pennsylvania to Wright County before and after the Civil War: John, Lafayette, David, Henry, Jacob, and Solomon. They were farmers and some had other skilled occupations, such as a cooper, carpenter, and potter. They all purchased farms north and west of Buffalo. They worked hard clearing the land and raised large families.

While still in Pennsylvania, three of the brothers, John, Lafayette and David, enlisted together in the Union Army. They were inducted into Company K, 4th Pennsylvania Cavalry in February of 1864.    

John Varner, my great grandfather, received a $200 bounty to volunteer. Before leaving, on February 28, 1864, he married Frances Hickman. Together, John, Lafayette, and David left Pennsylvania for Virginia where they took part in a number of battles including Stony Creek, Ream’s Station, and the Appomattox Campaign. All three brothers survived the Civil War. They served in the Cavalry for 1 ½ years and were mustered out on July 1, 1865.

In November of 1865, while he was serving under General Phillip Sheridan at the Battle of Stony Creek, John Varner became a father. Back home in Pennsylvania, Frances had given birth to a son…William Sheridan Varner. His middle name was chosen in honor of General Sheridan.

Addendum:  Shortly after returning to Pennsylvania, John and his young family joined several of his brothers who had settled in Buffalo, Minnesota. He purchased a farm on the west side of Pulaski Lake where 10 more children were born. As the oldest child, William Sheridan Varner did much of the clearing of the land. Later, he became well- known as a builder of homes and commercial buildings around Wright County. He was known as “Sherd Varner.”

(The Varner families were very prolific. There are hundreds of Varner descendants today in Wright County… and many more throughout the world. If you live in Wright County, you probably know a Varner descendant.) 

CREAMERY DAY | february 2024

A free meal and an afternoon of entertainment…an annual community event prior to 1960 in towns throughout Wright County. We called it Creamery Day.

Up until about 1960, Wright County had many small towns. Much of the commerce depended on farm communities. Many of the towns had creameries. Dairy farmers brought in their milk to be made into butter or processed into other dairy products. Downtown businesses stocked their stores with items essential to the needs of local residents.

As a member of a Monticello farm family, I grew up attending our local Creamery Day.

Each spring, local farm leaders organized a community get-together at the local high school gymnasium. Local businesses served a free lunch to all who attended. It was a way for them to say “thank you” for the local trade. It was also a way for the farmers and the “townies” to mingle.

On the food trays, there were sausages, cheese sandwiches, potato salad, cookies, Dixie cups of ice cream, milk, coffee, and more. While the meal was being served, the high school band played several numbers. (Band members also received a trip through the food line.)

By about 2 o’clock in the afternoon, the tables had been cleaned up, the stage was cleared, and people had taken their seats in anticipation of the rest of the afternoon. Sometimes there was a short business meeting by the local Co-operative Creamery Board. A speaker might be asked to present new ideas on farm topics. Then came the entertainment. There might be a musical group, a comedian, a juggler, or a magician. The day ended about 4 o’clock, except for a few stragglers who took the opportunity for a quick visit with friends and neighbors.

One of the attendees one year was Senator Hubert Humphrey who never passed the opportunity to speak to a crowd. After he was introduced, I remember him looking through the crowd and recognizing people by name who he had met at some prior gathering.

Creamery Days were discontinued sometime in the 1960’s. As communities have grown and changed, people have found other opportunities for public get-togethers, but thoughts of those Creamery Days evoke good memories of small town traditions.

FROST SHIELDS | JANUARY 2024

Some of you might remember riding in an automobile that had a poor (or no) heater or defroster. In the winter, the windows would have so much frost on them that it would be unsafe to drive.

Car owners could stop at their local service station and purchase “frost shields” for the windows. They were made of clear heavy plastic and the edges had heavy felt glued onto the plastic. The service station attendant would install the frost shield, but the car had to be warmed up first, and the windows had to be clean and dry. Once installed, the view was frost free.

The problem with the frost shield was that they sometimes sprung a leak and let in frosty air. Also, when summer came, they got in the way for opening the windows. So they only lasted for one season.

COLD WEATHER Memories | December 2023

Brrr!! The cold weather is on its way. But it brings back memories of the many ways we dealt with cold when I was a child on the farm.

The farmhouse did not have central heat. It was kept warm by a furnace in the basement and two heat registers…one in the kitchen and one in the central dining room. To save heat, the living room was closed up for the winter months. We had a wood cook stove that provided a warm cozy kitchen early in the morning. Each evening, my grandmother, who lived with us, would place a brick or a flat iron on the cook stove to heat up before bedtime. The brick would be wrapped in a towel and placed between flannel sheets at the foot of the bed. We would crawl in and cover up with two or three wool quilts. The brick could be unwrapped for more heat as it cooled down.

The fire in the basement furnace was nearly out by the time my dad got up in the morning, so he had to go down to stoke the fire. The house was still cold when it was time for me to get ready for school. My mother had my clothes warming near the kitchen wood range. I dressed in layers--- underclothes, then long brown stockings (held up with a garter belt), next, my brother’s old long johns, a cotton shirt and wool sweater, and an extra pair of socks and shoes. Before going to school, there were overshoes, snow pants, a warm coat, knit hat, mittens, and a long wool scarf that wrapped around my neck and mouth.

In the summer, we walked the 1½ miles to school, but in the winter, we usually had a ride. My dad or the neighbor would drive us in their car if the roads were plowed. If there was snow, the neighbor would hitch up his team of horses, hook up his sleigh, and pick us up, stop at the corner for the teacher, and continue on to school. To stay warm on the ride, my mother placed a hot brick near our feet and covered our laps with a wool blanket.

Arriving at school, the neighbor helped get the wood furnace going. We kept our coats on until the room warmed up, and sat near the front of the room where the big stove was located. The cloak room was frigid, so any water in the basin was frozen solid. When the older boys arrived at school, they used the hand pump in the entryway to obtain water for the day.

Those are happy memories, but I’m glad they are memories. I much prefer central heat, electric blankets, warm automobile seats, and heated steering wheels.

Pedal Pushers and Crazy pants | November 2023

I was a farm kid. In the summer, I wore whatever was available…bib overalls, hand-me-downs, cotton pants…to play and explore the farm. Girls at school could only wear dresses, and mine were mostly homemade by me or my grandmother and pretty conservative. Then came the teenage years…

I remember sewing my first pair of shorts…bright pink with a matching bra! While shopping in the local stores, I noticed other girls were wearing pants that stopped just below the knees…they called them pedal pushers. (Today, we would call them capris or chinos.) I talked my mother into letting me buy a brown plaid pair of pedal pushers.

For a short time around 1958, there was another fad that hit the market…crazy pants. Crazy pants were pedal pushers designed with a multi-colored diamond print all over. Of course, I wanted a pair. Eventually, I was able to purchase a pair…after they were nearly out-of-style. This is a photo of the men’s version of crazy pants. Teenage girls wore similar patterns in Capri length:

Soldiers and Socks | october 2023

One hundred years ago, in 1917, there were many articles in the local papers about the war waging in the European countries. The United States would not enter the “War to End All Wars” until April of 1917. There was much interest in anything pertaining to Germany. This one human interest article caught my eye…published in the Monticello News, January 3, 1917. "Soldiers and Socks" is reprinted below:

“The German soldier does not wear socks, but fuss-lappen. These are strips of cloth soaked in tallow and wound about the feet. They are supposed to be preferable to socks, in that they wear more evenly, are more easily cleaned and, when properly worn, are not so likely to wrinkle and cause blisters.

Military authorities disagree, however, as to the relative value of socks and tallow soaked strips. Either covering, though, is considered preferable to the custom of wearing no socks, which has prevailed in the French, Spanish and Italian armies.”

---Outlook