Mr. Antonio Zappa is an Italian immigrant who settled in the Northwest corner of Wisconsin. Zappa, who retired to Cumberland, Wisconsin, recounts in the interview his days in North Hudson and work on the Soo Line Railroad in New Richmond. The interview is incomplete.

Mrs. Wyman talks about her early life, her academic career, and about her marriage to Dr. Wyman.

Miss Wharton became a faculty member in the Music Department at the River Falls State Normal School (now the University of Wisconsin-River Falls), River Falls, Wisconsin, in 1925. Most of the interview deals with her teaching career there, from 1925 to 1955. She discusses students, music programs and contests, the Music Department, am her teaching methods and experiences. She also has some very interesting memories of fellow faculty members she knew at River Falls, including Marvin Geere, Olen Junkman, James I. Mallott, and C.O. Stratton, to mention only a few. Miss Wharton also discusses changes that have occurred in the town of River Falls, Wisconsin, within her memory. A collection of the Wharton Family papers were donated by Miss Wharton to the State Historical Society, and are currently reposited at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls Area Research Center.

Mr. Warn grew up in Pierce County, attened the Normal School, and taught school for a short time in Webster, Wisconsin.

Miss Walker discusses her early life and goes on to detail her time working as a teacher on Native American Reservations (particulary the Navajo and Sioux Reservations) in South Dakota. Aside from her teaching, she talks about conditions on the Reservations.

Mr. Veranick discusses the events leading up to the Russian Revolution, the Revoution itself, and the aftermath. Veranick joinedd the White Russian Army who tried and failed to defeat the Bolsheviks. This is an extremely interesting and informative interview.

Mr. Van Horn worked for many years as a locomotive fireman and engineer, primarily for the Chicago and Northwestern railway before retiring in 1969. As a hobby, for over 40 years, he took railroad photographs, mainly of steam locomotives, in many parts of the U.S.
In this interview, he discusses his career in railroading, the difficulties and hazards involved in his work, and the changes that took place in the railroad industry and in the engineer's job over several decades. Mr. Van Horn also describes his interest in photographing locomotives, his involvement with teh Mid-Continent Railroad Museum at North Freedom, Wis., and tells something of the history of various rail lines in Minnesota and Wisconsin, including some now abanded lines in western Wisconsin.

Transcripts of interviews primarily concerning the history of Wisconsin's St. Croix Valley conducted with residents of the area. Initially gathered in a federally funded project directed by Patrick B. Nolan of the University of Wisconsin-River Falls Department of History, the project was later funded by the Area Research Center and the History Department directly. Interviews concern pioneer farming, railroading, steamboating, logging, newspapers, early medicine, and early education as well as contemporary politics, academic affairs, environmental issues, war experiences, and other topics. A few interviews concern topics other than area history.

Mr. Tronnier, a Prescott native, talks about his immigrant family and their experiences moving to Wisconsin from Germany. He discusses his time working for the railroads and the history of the Prescott, Wis. area. He also talks about the Missisippi river and boating.

Mrs. Thomsen was a longtime summer resident of the St. Croix River Valley who became highly involved in the "Save the St. Croix" movement. This grassroots organization developed quickly in the 1964 in opposition to the plans of the Northern States Power Company to build a coal-burning power plant along the St. Croix at Bayport, Minnesota. Due to her writing skills and knowledge of the political process and the newspaper business, she served as the group's publicist while it attempted to sway public opinion and to gain attention and support from nationwide environmental groups and sympathetic elected officials. In the interview, Mrs. Thomsen tells of Save the St. Croix's unsuccessful campaign to prevent the granting of the plant permit to NSP. She describes the reactions of St. Croix Valley residents and government agencies to teh controversy and expresses her views as to why NSP won this decision and the effects of this dispute on subsequent public concern over environmental issues.

Dr. Marvin Thompson begins with biographical information and goes on to discuss his erperiences in a small town while he was growing up. During the depression, Dr. Thompson spendt a year working in the Civilian Conservation Corps before he went to college at Iowa State University. He was drafted into the Army in 1943. In the three years that Dr. Thompson was in teh Army he never left the U.S. but worked on his degree in radio communications. After the war, Dr. Thompson finished undergraduate and graduate work before coming to the University of Wisconsin-River Falls to teach.

Mrs. Thayer discusses her memories of Spring Valley, Wisconsin, in the early 20th century, including the operations of the iron smelter and her father's foundry-machine shop located in that city. Her father emigrated from Germany at the age of 19, settling in Menomonie, Wisconsin. He moved to Spring Valley in 1903, the smelter located there being the drawing card for his building of a foundry-machine shop . Mrs. Thayer reminisces about the mines at Cady Creek am in Gilman township that fed the smelter, and the smelting process as she remembers it. She discusses Spring Valley as it was at the turn of the century, remembering businesses located there, including lumber mills, the local opera house, retail establishments, and the thriving saloon business. She goes into sane detail concerning her father's foundry business.

Mrs. Thayer also speaks briefly about her two years of Teacher Training at the River Falls Normal School, in River Falls, Wisconsin.

Mrs. Taylor, 104, is the oldest living graduate of the River Falls Normal School. She is remarkable alert and talkative as she discusses her life in the River Falls area.

Mr. and Mrs. Albert Swanson were life-long residents of Wahsington County, MN. Both were born in the vicinity of Afton, and they farmed near Afton for many years. In this interview, the Swansons describe in some detail the village of Afton, its buinesses, and churches. They also discuss farming and farm life, Mr. Swanson's service in the First World War, and the Hastings-Stillwater railroad line which ran through Afton.

Frank Stirratt and his sister, Pearl Stirratt were longtime residents of the Prescott, Wis. area, descendants of early settlers of Oak Grove Township. After working as a bookkeeper as a young man, Mr. Stirratt returned to Oak Grove where he farmed for more than 40 years. He helped organize and was actively involved in a local creamery, served as town clerk, and later as Prescott's city clerk. Pearl Stirratt kept house for her parents and later for her brother.

In this interview, Mr. Stirratt recalls his years as a farmer, and both he and Pearl discussd Prescott: its businesses, how its residents lived, and how it changed over a period of several decades.

Mr. St. George, a native of Simpsonm, MN., served in the U.S. Army from January 1945. He was sent to Australia with the 32nd Divison, then assigned the staff of Yank, an Army publication distributed to U.S. servicemen overseas during much of the war. He covered troup loadings in New Guinea and the Phillipines for Yank, and also contributed catroons. After the war he remained in the field of journalism and at the time of the interview was a columnist with the St. Paul Pioneer Press. The interview is focused on Mr. St. George's somewhat unusual wartime role as a news reporter in uniform.

Mrs. Springer speaks extensively about her ancestry, particularly the Doughty family history. She also discusses at length her father and his career as a horse and buggy doctor in west central Wisconsin. She reminisces about the towns of Eau Galle and Elmwood, both in Wisconsin, and remembers "camp meetings", a type of religious revival that was often held at Eau Galle, Wisconsin, during her youth.

Mrs. Springer provides information concerning the changes wrought in her life by the depression of the 1930's, and her husband's difficult position during that period as a banker who had occasionally to foreclose on mortgages. She recalls an incident in Hayward, Wisconsin, when farmers responded to attempts at foreclosure with violence. She also gives her husband's opinion of the New Deal, and her own reaction to the bombing of Pearl Harbor (December 7, 1941).

James Smart, a student at River Falls, relates his experiences during the Democratic Convention in Chicago in 1968. Smart was a part of the mass demonstrations and his assessment of the proceedings is quite interesting. Smart also attended the Woodstock Rock Festival and offers some insights into the gathering in New York.

Mrs. Slack and Mrs. Cole relate information reagarding James Ruben Rice, and early settler of Prescott, Wis. and his son, David Oren Rice. The women also provide information regarding the Rice families and their connections with Prescott and Pierce County history.

Mr. Slack provides one of our most interesting interviews. He was a highly decorated soldier durig World War I and has met and worked with a great variety of interesting, important, and famous people.

Mr. Shue, 98, has lived in Hayward, Wisconsin since 1903. During the interview Shue talks about the Hayward area with particular emphasis placed on the logging industry, farming, and early transportation.

Fred Short, a 1910 graduate of the River Falls State Normal School, discusses his uncle, Emery Short, and his grandfather, J. A. Short, who were engaged in the milling and roalroad busnesses in Wisconsin. His father, C.P. (Commodore Perry) Short, was a farmer and a freight haulder.
Short attended the River Falls Normal School from 1898 to 1910, including eight years in the campus or Model School, and four years at the Normal itself. His first teaching assignment was at New Richmond, WI. Short joined the faculty of Norris Inorporated, a private school for "problem boys," near Milwaukee, WI, in 1931; he was still associated with the school, where he taight indistrial arts, at the time of the 1971 interview with Wyman.
Short tells of his days at the River Falls Normal and at Norris. He also discusses his recollections of his youth in the City of RIver Falls, his involvement in the Boy Scouts, and of Ku Klux Klan activities near Barron, WI, in the early 1920s.

M. A. Shepard, 90, lived in River Falls since 1888. During this interview he offers many interesting and informative facts about the River Falls aera and how it has changed since the 1890's. A good, informative interview.

This is a well conducted interview with Mrs. Carl Shapiro, and early resident of the Minneapolis area. Mrs. Shapiro has some interesting stories to tell as well as offering some insight into the conditions in Virginia, Le Seure, Shakopee, and Minneapolis, Minnesota in the early 1900's. At 81, Mrs. Shaprio is extremely alert and a good conversationalist.

Mr. Seyforth is a long time county agent and talks about the agricultral history of Pierce County. He discusses the Farmer's Institute and programs that ran through the UW System, seed distribution, the dairy industry, fertilizers, advancements in arriculutral technology, infestation and disease, and briefly about the logging industry.

Mr. Savola has been an active participant of labor unions and propent of the rights of American workers since an accident that afflicted his father. He participated in an I.W.W. protest in Iron River and aftewards became a C.I.O. timber workers' orginizer. He also later worked for a copper mining company, Mackard Motor Car Company, and field work for cooperatives. He was a member of the Communist Party for which he was a district coordinator.

Mr. George Lincoln Rockwell, Commander of the American Nazi Party, engaged in a debate with Dr. Ed Peterson, UW-River Falls History professor. Topics discussed during the debate include the Jewish/Communist conspiracy, the beliefs of the Nazi Party as well as the treatment of cultural America. Included in this file are six issues, dated from 1961-1963, of the Rockwell Report, the official publication of the American Nazi Party.

George Lincoln Rockwell, Commander of the American Nazi Party, visited River Falls on January 21, 1970 to deliver a speech regarding his and the Nazi party’s beliefs. Also included in this file is a photograph of Rockwell speaking and other ephemera .

Frank Richie was born in Cumberland, WI, I 1897, where his father was a farmer. HE moved to Hudson, ca. 1912. Ritchie worked for fourty-four years in the railroad shops at North Hudson; he had six brothers, each of whom also worked in the shops. In thid memoir, Ritchie discusses the early years and development of North Hudson, as welll as his experiences growing up as an Italian-American in North Hudson.

Mr. Phipps, a lifelong resident of the Hudson area, was a railroad employee, logger, and engineer during World War I. Phipps discusses Hudson history, homes, and social events. Also included is information regarding the Phipps family and Mr. Phipps' childhood recollections.

Mr. Phillips talks about his early life in Clear Lake, Wisconin, and also discusses some of the early history of the area.

Mr. Pemble was an early supporter of Senator Gene McCarthy and participated in the acmpaign for the senator from Minnesota. Pemble was also a delegate to the National Democratic convention held in Chicago in July of 1968. This interview provides much information and insights into the McCArthy movement and the Chicago Convention.

Pedersen talks briefly about her early life and her family.

Miss Peck, 85, reminisses about her life in the Hayward area. She has an interesting family background and her commends on the early history of Hayward are quite worthwhile.

Mrs. Oberg discusses her family background and her memories of her childhood in the Hager City area. The last few minutes of the interview deal with Mrs. Oberg's recollections of her two years at the River Falls Normal School. Mrs. Oberg is practically unintelligeble.

Mr. Nelson entered the U.S. Navy in September 1942, and served as a motor-mechinist on PT boats in the South Pacific. The bulk of the interview involves his recollections of the details of PT boat operations, how patrols were conducted, the hazards involved, the performance capabilities of PT boats, and how boats and engines were maintained under adverse conditions.

Mr. Myron was a longtime employee of the Northwestern Railroad. A Menominee, Wis. native, he learned telegraphy and worked briefly as a boom operator for the Chicago & Northwestern. In the early 1910's he became the depot agent for the railroad in Baldwin, Wis. and working there until his retirement in the 1960's. He discusses operations of the depot, types of freight handled, passenger service, train schedules, and changes in the line and the railroad over the years in great detail.

Mr. Murphy, long-time resident of River Falls, Wisconsin who now lives in Red Wing, Minnesota, discusses his parents dairy farm, one of the earliest in Pierce County. He reminisces about the transition to darying from other types of farming and why the transition occurred. He also describes the process of making butter. Mr. Murphy attended the Normal School at River Falls and and played on the football team. He discusses changes in the sport and some of the teachers and presidents at the normal school.

Mr. and Mrs. Most lived on a highly prodcutive farm in the Prescott area. They discuss the specifics of their farming and mention being among the first in their area to use commerical fertilizers. Over the years, both Mr. and Mrs. Most have taken active involvement in the Prescott Community and in this interview detail their civiv and governmental affairs.

This interview is concerned mostly with Mrs. Monteith's family background but also contains some interesting comments on the political and economic issues during the 1890's and 1930's. The Montieth family history is extremley interesting and informative.

Mr. Miller discusses a Native American man named John Walker and an "Indian Marking" on a cliff near Red Wing, Minnesota, presumeably Barn Bluff. He mentiones the Chippewa, Ojibwe, and Cayuga tribes. Mr. Miller also discusses his time working with the highway.

Mr. Mercord provides recollections of Prescott, Wisconsin during his youth: river boats, flour mills, and commercial activity. He talks about changes over the years and extensively describes the Mississippi and St. Croix rivers. As such, he also discusses river travel and types of boats. In the final piece of the interview Mr. Mercord deals with his his experience with the Ku Klux Klan in Rochester, MN during the 1920's.

Mrs. Madson gives an excellent accout of what it was like growing up and living in the Spring Valley area in the 1900's. Included in her interview is an account of the infamous 1942 flood that destroyed Spring Valley. She also gives a very good account of what it was like being a rural school teacher in Pierce County in the 1930's. Aditionally, she talks of attending the River Falls State Teachers College.

Mr. Lindh offers some keen insights into the early logging business and his association with the Socialist Party in Wisconsin. A good, well put together interview. Mr. Lindh is extremely alert for an eighty year old man.

Mr. Ritchey and Dr. Laue are both longtime residents of River Falls. Both attended public shcools in River Falls and the State Normal School located there, and lived and worked in River Falls as adults. Genealogical information on both families is given, and their recollections of River Falls in their youth and the changes the city has gone through are discussed.

Mrs. Clara Larrieu was born in 1884 in the Spring Valley, Wisconsin, area, before the establishment of the Village of Spring Valley. She was, at the time of this interview, the oldest living Spring Valley resident, and she has many valuable recollections concerning the rapid growth of the community during the 1890's and the iron minine and smelting industries which contributed to the town's rapid growth at the turn of the century. Mrs. Larrieu also supplies some information about lumbering operations in the area.

The interview provides a lively description of Spring Valley as a mining "boom" tmm complete with imported labor, and thirteen saloons. In addition, Mrs. Larrieu details biographical infonnat ion about her husband who held various jobs in the Spring Valley area, including work in a veneering mill, in a lumber mill, and as a Spring Valley postal worker from 1917-1951.