Reporter
Photos by Deb Gau
Special displays at the Lyon County Museum help tell the story of the womenâs suffrage movement, and the role that the League of Women Voters played in Minnesota. A traveling exhibit from the League of Women Voters in Minnesota, together with local artifacts and poster displays created by the Smithsonian (above), will be at the museum through March 31.
MARSHALL March is Women’s History Month, and now visitors to the Lyon County Museum will be able to learn more about some important milestones for Minnesota women.
A new traveling exhibit, “A Century of Civic Engagement,” will be on display at the museum through March 31.
Lyon County Museum
On March 3, 1921, a destructive fire swept through Russell. The fire destroyed all the buildings in Block II east of the old Russell State Bank building. The estimated lost was between $75,000 and $100,000. The buildings that were completely destroyed were: F.S. Purdy store building; Zvorak & Works Restaurant building; Zvorak and Burckhardt building, occupied by Harry Musch’s plumbing and tinning shop; Zvorak Ice House; B.G. Henrichs Machine and Blacksmith Shop; and F.E. Munson Store building. The Russell State Bank and the City Drug Store were badly damaged. The fire spread rapidly and was not checked until it reached the new brick building of the Russell State Bank, which was badly smoked and scorched by the flames.
Lyon County Museum
The social news or gossip columns in the old newspapers are always fascinating to read. A special section in the newspaper was devoted to the social media of the day. The whereabouts of local people and events were often featured in these columns. Here are a few from The News Messenger of Lyon County on January 3, 1908:
The graduates for the year 1905 of the Marshall High School held a class party in the Woodmen hall on Tuesday evening of this week. Of a class of 28 there were 20 who were able to be present. Music, games and light refreshments furnished entertainment for the evening.