Stearns History Museum

The first of two Antique Treasure Roadshows was held, with area antique experts David Seutter and Tom Thrush on hand to look at and appraise long-held treasures.

When a plot of land came up for sale across the street from the home of Bill and Virginia Clemens, they purchased and donated the land to the City of St. Cloud Park Department. July 20, 1989 is the date of the approved motion for the rose garden to be name for Virginia Clemens, its muse.

John L. Wilson, the “Father of St. Cloud”, purchased a section of land in central Minnesota for $100. This is where Middle Town (St. Cloud) would develop. The first town-site location at St. Cloud, covering what came to be known as “Middle Town,” now the business center of the city, was purchased on July 19, 1853 by John L. Wilson.

Find out of your family heirloom is valuable only to you, or worth a whole lot of money. The Stearns History Museum is hosting an "Antique Treasures Roadshow" tomorrow (Wednesday).

Stearns County Fair held at the current fair ground in Sauk Centre for the first time. The holding of fairs was abandoned until 1903 when a new association was organized, a 28 acre tract of land was purchased in Sauk Centre and preparations were made. The new fair grounds and race track were formally opened July 3, 1903.

John Zapp opened Zapp’s Abstract and Loan Bank which was incorporated in St. Cloud on July 1st, 1907. Pioneer settlers who had accumulated some money began to leave it with Zapp, who would give them a receipt and place the money in his safe in the Register of Deeds office.

The first known settlers in the Rockville area came in 1852. More and more pioneers immigrated to the area over the next few years. As the population of the village increased, W.B. Mitchell and his father opened the first store here.

The electric car shuttled in people along with a new metropolitan experience in the city which reigned for 44 years. The St. Cloud Streetcar Co. originally consisted of two cars and 10 horses.

June 21st, 1859 – Stagecoach line between St. Cloud and the Red River opened. In 1859, J.C. Burbank and Company of St. Paul combined with the firm of Allen and Chase to form the Minnesota Stage Company and immediately set about the task of clearing a road and building stations and bridges along the route. After three weeks of work, the first two stages left St. Cloud on June 21, 1859, loaded with passengers.

Get a behind-the-scenes look into the White House at a new exhibit opening this weekend at the Stearns History Museum. "The Working White House: Two Centuries Of Traditions and Memories" is part of the Smithsonian Institute's Traveling Exhibits.