1960—50 years ago
• Local doctors and clergymen took out an advertisement urging residents to fund a new nursing home at the corners of DeKalb and Second Streets.
Local voters weren’t convinced, voting 485-279 against the city issuing bonds to help pay for the effort.
The effort to build a new nursing home was ultimately successful; you can see Sunwood nursing home there today.
• Sixth graders Paul Schell, Jean Churchill, and Joann Iverson were selected to attend school patrol camp at North Long Lake, and learn the latest in crosswalk and bicycle safety.
• The Sears Roebuck company warned residents that a con man claiming to represent Sears was going around the area selling lightning rods to farm sites.
• An Associated Press story on the front page of the August 2, 1960 Redwood Gazette mentioned that Raul Castro might replace his brother Fidel as president of Cuba due to the latter’s illness.
(Raul finally did assume the duties from his brother 46 years later, on July 31, 2006.)
• Local merchants donated a truckload of gifts to Mr. and Mrs. Howard Taylor after the birth of their triplet at the Redwood Falls hospital several weeks earlier.
1985—25 years ago
• In response to deer impaling themselves on the fence, the Redwood Falls Cemetery Association “deer-proofed” the fence after Leo Zeug invented a device to bend down the spikes on top.
• Redwood Falls grocers wondered where they were going to find the shelf space to put the sudden new variety of products produced by the Coca-Cola company: New Coke, Classic Coke, Cherry Coke, Diet Coke, Caffeine Free Sugar Coke, and Caffeine Free Diet Coke.
• A Gazette editorial worried about the effects the proposed mega-mall in Bloomington might have on local store, especially during the Christmas shopping season.
• For the first time ever, the Gazette printed a color photo on its front page. The subject: Ramsey Falls.
• The Ehlers family sold its interest in the Ehlers chain of clothing stores to a Red Wing company, with one exception - the Redwood Falls store would still belong to the Ehlers.
2000—10 years ago
• Thirty members of the Redwood Falls National Guard unit were sent to Granite Falls to help out after a tornado hit.
• The final rush was on to complete the new Calf Fiend coffee shop in time for its scheduled Sept. 4 grand opening.
• Erv Greve and Addie Moonier were named the Outstanding Senior Citizens for 2000 at the Redwood County Fair.
• Fairgoers knew the battle was on when the midgets in red tights came out during the first - and to date, only - midget wrestling contest at the Redwood County Fair.
• Redwood Falls resident Jennifer Hoffer did a 3.97 meter vault to land in the middle of the contestants during the United States Olympic Track and Field Trials in Sacramento, California.
