01/06/2026
With the Festival of Trees all done, we now return to our regular programming! The historical society's annual meeting is Saturday, January 24 beginning at 2:00 PM at the museum in Lakefield. We will be holding elections for our Board of Directors, with Delia Emmerich, Gwen Fleace, and John Hay up for re-election. We will also recap the past year at the Historical Society and look ahead to 2026. One surprise that we have in store will be the unveiling of the Jackson County Historical Society’s new logo, giving us a much-needed branding update that will stand the test of time! Light refreshments will also be provided.
We are excited to have Russ Swanson as our guest speaker this year. Swanson is a native of Canton, South Dakota and a lifelong educator, teaching Ag Education and Engineering in Canton while also serving as the FFA advisor. His passion for history stems from growing up on his family’s 1870 homestead, where he heard stories of early homestead life from family members.
His presentation, “A Chase to the Death: The James-Younger Gang,” chronicles the gang’s September 7, 1876 attempt at robbing the First National Bank in Northfield and the ensuing pursuit. Swanson has researched the topic relentlessly, poring over a variety of sources to paint an accurate picture of the gang’s path through Southwest Minnesota and Iowa, and his book on the topic will be available for purchase at the museum.
In case of inclement weather, please check our website and page as to whether the meeting will be postponed. Should that occur, the make-up date is Saturday, January 31 at the same time.
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