Garretson Area Historical Society & Heritage Museum

09/01/2026

Happy Homecoming Week, Garretson Blue Dragons! As Garretson High School crowns its Homecoming King and Queen Monday night, we're taking a look back at past royalty from years gone by. Featured here are coronation winners from the following classes:
2017 – Queen Kindra Clark (now Decker) and King Shay Gibson
2007 – Queen Maria Grimsrud (now Hup) and King Brad Bruggeman
1997 – Queen Tina Julson (now Scott) and King Jeremy Quamen
1987 – Queen Melanie Vollan (now Vlasman) and King Mark Bauer
1977 – Queen Melissa "Missie" Theodosen and King Tom Barker
1967 – Queen Mary Johnson (unknown married name) and King Roger Garry
1957 – Queen Janet Hoven (now Davis); [the 1957 annual did not report a Homecoming King]
Do you recognize anyone or were you there for any of these coronations? Share your memories in the comments!

08/30/2026

The Garretson Area Historical Society would like to congratulate Kevin Steckler on his retirement from Garretson High School this past summer.
From the fall of 1985 through the spring of 2026, "Steck" dedicated his career to Garretson HS as a History/Government teacher, coach, and athletic director. During that time, he educated generations of Blue Dragons and left a lasting impact both in the classroom and on the sidelines.
Known for his energy, enthusiasm, and larger-than-life personality, Steck brought history to life for countless students and was a familiar presence at athletic events throughout his career.
From a historical perspective, Steck's 41-year tenure ranks as the second-longest of any Garretson School employee on record, surpassed only by the remarkable 45-year career of Ms. Clara Jacobsen.
Thank you Mr. Steckler for four decades of service and we wish you all the best in retirement!

08/27/2026

Over 60 years ago on August 21, 1965, downtown Garretson was bustling with shoppers, bargain hunters, and hungry visitors during a community-wide Sidewalk Sale sponsored by the Garretson Commercial Club.
The event featured merchandise displays lining Main Street, special sales at local businesses, and perhaps most memorable of all: free hot dogs! According to the Garretson News, volunteers served an estimated 1,500 hot dogs throughout the afternoon and evening. Demand was so great that organizers exhausted hundreds of dozens of bakery buns, raided local grocery stores for more, and eventually resorted to sliced bread to keep up with the crowds.
Pictured are LaMoyne Godbey and Fritz Davis helping serve hungry attendees. The newspaper even reported that some younger residents managed to eat 15 hot dogs between the 2:00 and 4:00 p.m. feedings!
The article noted not only the strong turnout but also the friendly atmosphere, with neighbors gathering to visit, shop, and enjoy a summer day in downtown Garretson.
Were you one of the shoppers or ambitious hot dog eaters? We'd love to hear your memories in the comments!

08/25/2026

https://www.minnehahafuneralhome.com/obituaries/richard-dick-nussbaum?fbclid=IwY2xjawT6-1xwZG9mBWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHkh8dhOdxLopkgF4RJQ3qJdbI1Um8PNntaA1sR-Mn6odq1syyyEZTNbmS4Fc_aem_EInkCKxfbm9e9ZXGkv3beg

View Richard "Dick" Nussbaum's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

08/22/2026

The Garretson Area Historical Society would like to extend a sincere thank you to all who made the "This Is Garretson" film project a reality. The documentary debuted in June and now has a permanent home at the Heritage Museum and Split Rock Park Visitor's Center. 
Special thanks to the cinematographers, interviewees, donors, and community partners who contributed their time, talents, and stories to showcase what makes Garretson such a unique place.
If you haven't had a chance to see it yet, we encourage you to stop by the museum and watch it in person! Open Saturday’s 10a-4p through Labor Day Weekend. Or you can watch the video here: https://www.garretsongazette.com/museum-visitors-center-now-feature-garretson-movie-produced-by-local-cinematographers/

08/20/2026

Happy First Day of school Garretson Blue Dragons!
As a new school year begins, we thought we'd take a look back at recess time in Garretson over 40 years ago. This photo appeared in the 1982 GHS yearbook and shows students enjoying one of the favorite parts of any school day: time on the playground! This playground was located on the northeast side of the school grounds, in what is now the staff parking lot. Take a closer look at the young trees along the Main Avenue boulevard in the background. The next time you drive by the school, check out how large those same trees have grown! Do you recognize this playground or have memories of recess at Garretson School? Share them in the comments! We wish all Garretson students, teachers, staff, and families a wonderful start to the new school year. Have a great year, Blue Dragons!

08/19/2026

At the Historical Society board meeting last month, we were honored to be joined by Allan Hammer, who will be turning 94 in about three weeks. Allan donated several corporation seal embossing presses that once belonged to historic banks in Garretson and Sherman. Yes, Sherman once had a bank!
The collection also included seals from The First National Bank of Garretson, the predecessor to today's Garretson branch of First Bank & Trust, which was formerly located in our museum building. Allan began working for First National Bank in Garretson in 1957 as a teller and bookkeeper. In 1973, he purchased the bank from the Wangsness family and served as its Chairman and President until 1994. We are especially appreciative of Allan because he initiated the donation of the bank building to the Garretson Area Historical Society in 1988, to become a community museum where it has remained our home ever since.The embossing presses were used by notaries public, corporations, and organizations to signify authenticity and authority on legal documents, certificates, and other important papers. Thank you, Allan, for helping preserve another piece of our community's history!

08/15/2026

Save the date! Join the Garretson Area Historical Society for a fun and meaningful evening at our Bingo Fundraiser on Saturday, October 17 at the American Legion Dugout. Each card is just 50¢ per game, with half the pot going to the winner of each round. So the more players, the more money you can win! The American Legion bar will be open, offering alcohol and soda for purchase.

08/13/2026