Forest City was the place to be this weekend for those interested in history.
Or even those who just wanted a tasty bit to eat.
Forest City Stockade and Forest City Threshers — located across a gravel road from each other — welcomed large crowds of visitors Saturday and Sunday to their historical recreations.
The stockade offers demonstrations of life on the Minnesota prairie in the mid-1800s with a collection of shops — gunsmith, land office, blacksmith, newspaper office and others. In addition, the town hall building includes models of the original stockade, built by settlers in the Forest City area in an attempt to fend off attacks from Dakota warriers in 1862.
Of course, food plays a role, too, with old-fashioned ice cream, buffalo sandwiches and the always-popular fry bread.
Across the street, the threshers show offered a glimpse at life on the farm in the early- to mid-1900s with a wide variety of demonstrations and exhibits ranging from a tobacco barn and steam engines to blacksmith shop and one-room school.
Tractor parade
Tractors of all make and model line up for the tractor parade Sunday during the Forest City Threshers Show.
Gilbert Dick Allis-Chalmers
Gilbert Dick drives his Allis-Chalmers tractor in the tractor parade Sunday afternoon during the Forest City Threshers Show.
Tobacco farmer
Dan Ruprecht talks with visitors to the tobacco barn Sunday during the Forest City Threshers Show. Ruprecht’s family grew tobacco on their rural Eden Valley farm from 1963 to 1985.
Aw shucks
Brotehrs Simon and Asher Rydberg of Litchfield try their hand at shucking corn Sunday afternoon at the Forest City Threshers Show.
Saw mill
Greg Fuchs of Eden Valley sharpens a blade at the sawmill demonstration area during the Forest City Threshers Show.
Blacksmithing
Cale Lindberg of Kimball and Breven Buer of Grove City heat metal at the blacksmith shop, while Ralph Ruschmeyer of Buffalo Lake works in the backgroun. Lindberg said he was working on a knife blade, while Buer was making a horseshoe.
On the road
Steve Loch drives his McCormick-Farmall followed by Chad Loch on his International during the tractor parade at the Forest City Threshers Show Sunday.
Stockade overview
A view from the elevated walk at the Forest City Stockade.
Ice cream station
Old-fashioned, homemade ice cream was a big hit with visitors to the Forest City Stockade.
Farrier at work
Joe Yanish files a horse’s hoof in preparation for fitting a shoe during a demonstration of his farrier trade Sunday afternoon at the Forest City Stockade.
Fired up
Joe Yanish pulls a horseshoe from the hot coals as he prepared the shoe for placing on the horse in the background.
School crafts
Geri Moen talks with young visitors to a crafting station outside the schoolhouse at Forest City Stockade.
Ringing the bell
A young visitor rings the school bell in the schoolhouse at the Forest City Stockade.
Demonstrating the printing press
Dr. Rick Searl, who runs the newspaper office and print shop at the Forest City Stockade, explains how the printing press works to a young visitor. Searl was using the press to print invitations for his son’s wedding.
Fry bread
The fry bread station stayed busy throughout the day Sunday as workers met the steady stream of visitors at the Forest City Stockade.
