Farmers’ Days

Back before Dam Days became an annual celebration, its September slot each year in Spring Valley was dominated by Farmers’ Days. Oh, I guess there was Lumber Jack Day’s for a few years until they got the dam built, but I remember Farmers’ Days as I was growing up and until I joined the Navy in 1956.

Anyway, Farmers’ Days was quite an event each year, and it brought in the crowds from all around. I’d like to share a few remembrances of those celebrations during my growing up years in Spring Valley.

Flood, Garage and Farmers’ Days:

The Ford Garage played a large part in the festivities. Here is an excerpt from a previous article, Flood garage Farmers’ Days tales, as related by my dad, Rexford Pence:

Rex: “We used to have Farmers’ Days in Spring Valley in the Fall each year (Author’s note: Dam Days now). The farm kids would bring their livestock in for display and judging. Wally Hanson, the Ag teacher in school usually took care of it, and the kids in his class would bring their young stock in, and their sheep and chickens – and display them.

“We had taken all the cars out of the garage - out of the storage part. (Author’s note: The maintenance and parking side of the Ford garage, now used by Oakdale, still has the rings used to tether the livestock, embedded in the north wall) We turned it over to the school to use for Farmer’s Days. And the water, well it rained and the water was coming up …”

The rest of that conversation pertains to one of the floods that occurred on Farmers’ Days and can be found in the aforementioned article in the Sun-Argus.

Beating the Drums for the Taverns:

Of course there was a parade, complete with bands from other high schools and organizations. In those days, unlike today, there seemed to be money in the schools’ budgets for guest appearances at these small town festivities.

One memorable band organization that sticks in my memory is the colored drum and bugle corp. from the Twin Cities that was invited to perform. They did have rhythm, they were loud (reverberating off the surrounding hills), and were they ever good. It was a big draw – people loved their performance.

Of course they marched in the parade with the high school bands. And I use the word march loosely. When they marched, everything moved with great (and I might add, for that time and predominantly Scandahuvian/German place) high energy style. It really wowed the crowd. And, while the high school bands were very good, these guys were professionals in their unique way!

The parade was usually staged over by the old school and Catholic Church, and it would enter the parade route at north end of McKay. The organizers learned real fast to put the drum and bugle corp. at the end – a grand finale as it were.

Why, you may ask. Well of course the performance pretty much overshadowed the other bands, for one thing. But, probably more to the point, these guys didn’t stick strictly to parade discipline.

They were all of age, so they could legally go into the taverns, which were very much open for the celebration. And, they did. As they “marched” south on McKay, they would stop in front of each tavern in turn and knock your socks off – then single file into the tavern for a setup on the house. In payment, they would knock out a performance in the tavern. They would then file out again, form up and “march” to the next tavern, where the performance was repeated. The crowd just grew and grew as they advanced down Main Street.

It was a performance to behold. Of course with the number of taverns (7 at the time I think) they were getting pretty well oiled by the end of the parade. That didn’t seem to bother their playing any, but their marching “discipline” started to show signs of wear. I guess that might have been due to the high energy output for an extended time, come to think about it.

The Barbecue:

Wally Hanson, the Ag. Instructor at the SVHS, was instrumental in making the celebration a success. Along about mid week he and his Ag boys would dig a trench on a vacant lot (at that time) on the East side of the street across from where the telephone company is today. They would fill it with firewood and light it off.

Once it burned down to some mighty fine hot coals, along about Thursday afternoon, they would spit a beef or two and roast them overnight. The festivities of course started on Friday, and the beef was ready to go.

You could purchase a delicious beef dinner for what would be a ridiculous price today. I think it was even pretty reasonable back then. I don’t recall what all you got with your big slice of beef, but I remember the big succulent slice of beef you got out of the deal. (Note to somebody: If Spring Valley recreated some of those events during Dam Days there wouldn’t be enough parking for miles and miles the next year, after the word got around!)

I particularly remember the aroma. I lived on the west hill above the train depot about a third of the way up from the valley floor to the crest of the hill. By Thursday evening, I could see a thin haze of aroma laden smoke that had settled over downtown. What a terrific aroma permeated the valley for the next three days – it was magical.

Milk and Beer:

I recall that one Fall the businessmen’s association (or Chamber of Commerce) got the bright idea that milk would be served instead of beer. I think the idea was to promote the product that was the livelihood of the majority of the celebrants at Farmers’ Days. Like a lot of things, it looked good on paper, but it didn’t fly worth a pile of barnyard debris

Think about it. You are a dairy farmer. You and yours come to the commercial center of the region (Spring Valley in those days) for the three S’s (Shopping, Socialization and Slurping). You may have guessed that it’s not milk that is being slurped.

Well, in Monday morning quarterbacking that fiasco, it was decided that dairy farmers get to slurp all the milk they can handle at home – why would they want to come to a celebration to do that, anyway?!?

Spring Valley’s unique properties:

I mean as in features, not real estate. The picturesque narrow valley with the river running through it, the creeks on both ends running into the river, and the dam capping the north end concentrates the beauty to the beholder. It provides tremendous opportunities for someone with imagination and promotional ability. Wally Hanson and others of that day were those kinds of men.

Spring Valley should play to its very real strengths. With its features, easy proximity to the Twin Cities and such things as the lake, golf course and Crystal Cave it’s ripe for tourist development. Leave the industrial parks to the towns on the main line and I-94.

But don’t get me started.

The Spring Valley Kid

Russell Pence

pence@asu.edu