OCTOBER 4, ROTARY IN REVIEW: Patrick Hill

Posted by Carley Stuber on Oct 11, 2016
 

President Chuck Whitaker called the meeting to order at 12:15 PM. Meeting highlights include:

  • Inspirational Minute by Scott Van was a prayer of blessings, one of which included roses.
  • Valdi discussed a project by the Twin Cities Rotaract that raised $3,000 for a literacy project in North Achievement Zone.  Peg Deunow of the Lakeville Rotary presented a $2131 matching grant from the District Grants Committee
  • Kristin reminded every one to sign up for the Holiday party.  At next week’s meeting she will auction off a signature cocktail named after the highest bidder.
  • Jason agreed to give a happy dollar for every volunteer set up by next week’s meeting.
  • Valdi introduced a global grant project for $200,000 to get 500 families off the waiting list for a micro-financing grant in Iringa, Tanzania.  This will feed 1800 children.   Donations are being accepted.
 

Patrick Hill presented on the history of people buried at Oakland Cemetery.  Patrick is a historian who grew up near the gate of the cemetery and now serves as a volunteer leading civil war tours. He describes people of importance especially those involved in the Dakota conflict and Civil war. He would often visit the cemetery in his research.

Oakland is the oldest continuously operated cemetery in MN, with burials beginning in 1851.  Gov. Sibley and Ramsey are buried there.  There are 100 acres and 52,000 burials with room for 50,000 more. In 1870, the first Memorial Day in MN was held there.  There are 500-600 Civil War soldiers buried at Oakland including 5 medal of honor recipients.

Patrick shared some information about the Dakota Conflict, sharing that 2 sites of the Civil War battle grounds include Fort Ridgely and Wood Lake, which is the location of the conclusion of the Dakota conflicts.  It’s important to know that it was now a unified decision by the Dakota to go to war.

Finally, Patrick shared some interesting people buried at Oakland: Harriet Bishop, 1st permanent teacher; William Pitt Murray, saved the capital for St. Paul; James Goodhue, 1st editor of Minnesota Pioneer; Dr. Arthur Gillette, visionary care for disabled children; Gen. Richard Johnson, 1st King Boreas; Delos Monfort, 1st Fire King; Archibald Bush, 3M, Bush Foundation; Amherst Wilder, Wilder foundation; Lucius Ordway, 3M, St. Paul Hotel; Henry Rice, Rice Park; Mary Coulter, Grand Canyon architect; The Schoenrock Family, cemetery directors in 3 centuries

Respectfully Submitted,

Carley Stuber