I was scanning Crookston Band concert programs from my great-grandfather's scrapbook earlier this week when I saw something I'd never noticed before and laughed out loud (which means something because I'm usually a silently amused person).  At a concert on April 19, 1901, listeners were treated to what seems to be an odd juxtaposition of events: band music followed by a boxing match.

The concert featured guest soloists Mr. Jeremiah Schefstad, described as "the finest violinist in the northwestern United States," and soprano Miss Alma Fontaine.  And it closed with three 3-minute rounds of boxing between Kid Corbett (weight 60 pounds) and Kid Jeffries (weight 70 pounds).

Kid Eli, left, and Kid Seb, right, recreate the 1901 boxing match after Seb's orchestra concert Tuesday night.

The first old building I ever loved was the public library in my hometown of Alexandria, Minn.  Walking up the steps of the Carnegie Library, built in 1903, and opening the door was like embarking upon an adventure.  I didn't know what I was going to find, but the anticipation was part of the experience.  If you blindfolded me now and opened up a vial containing the smell of the library, I would know it instantly, although I can't begin to describe what it smelled like.
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My piano teacher, Mrs. Rolfsrud, believed in the importance of recitals.  I never thought to ask her why she went through the trouble of scheduling the occasional performance events in her studio in Alexandria, Minn.  She must have felt that her students benefited from the experience of diligently preparing a piece and then playing it for others.  It always felt like a big deal to me, in a good way.
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Last week, on the ride to the Twins game with a bus full of 8th graders, I put the names of all my blog followers into a hat and had Louisa draw the winner of the blog challenge.  I'm pleased to announce that the Vintage Band Festival pin goes to (imagine drumroll here): Owen Mibus.

Congratulations, Owen!  And thanks to all of you who are reading and following my blog.  I appreciate your support.

Owen is a data warehouse architect for Patterson Dental Inc. in Mendota Heights, Minn.
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Three weeks from today, my dad and I will be packing for a short research trip to Crookston, Minn., where my great-grandfather, G. Oliver Riggs, directed adult and juvenile bands for about 15 years, from 1898-1909 and again from 1914-1918.

What we would love to find, in the archives of the Polk County Historical Society, is a photo of John Philip Sousa and G. Oliver together, from either of the concerts Sousa's Band played in Crookston when G. Oliver lived there.
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