30 years ago November 19, 1992
Coming in for news three decades ago, Vermillion had its first new mayor in 20 years. This was the result as reported of Patricia Lucking defeating Elmer Kiekow by 10 votes, 134 to 124. Lucking was to receive $720 a year for the post, making it an effective volunteer post, writer Steve Eide wrote.
Coming in for local news from the general area, mean-while, report of damaged mailboxes in different parts of the city had come in, each mailbox valued at approximately $50. The damaged boxes had been hit with “a pipe or club-like object,” with the Hastings Police Crime Fund offering a reward for in-formation leading to the apprehension of those responsible. Tipsters could re-main anonymous, it was re-ported.
Also of note from 30 years ago, a stolen car had been found in a cornfield near Red Wing Boulevard. The car owned by a Cottage Grove resident had been reported stolen months before and was only discovered as work-ers were harvesting the field off 180th Avenue.

55 years ago THE HASTINGS GAZETTE November 23, 1967
Coming in for notice from 1967 was news that the Red Cross Bloodmobile had just had a successful blood drive, with 217 pints of blood being donated by Hastings residents.
Of those, 45 were giving blood for the first time, with 14 donors being presented the one-gallon pin, six meriting the two-gallon pin, and one receiving a three gallon pin.
Last but not least from 1967, were community youth organizations.
As to one, Brownie Troop 558 had met at a home on West Fifth Street. A story had been read entitled “The Magic Seeds,” followed with making popcorn, cranberry, and seed necklaces to feed area birds. Some 21 Troop members were named among those making seed necklaces for the local birds.
As to another, The Happy Go-Getters 4-H Club had held their annual Community Night at the Rosemount Town Hall. Club reporter Janice Bauer recorded that Mrs. George Waldow, a senior leader for two and a half decades, had shown slides of a recent trip to Russia and Hungary, followed with the annual auction, including “lively bidding” by those present. Proceeds were to be used to maintain the club.
Last for memories this week, the Top Notchers 4-H Club had held its November meeting at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Frandrup on Thursday Nov. 16. Club re-porter Shirley Chandler recorded that plans for “Share the Fun” were dis-cussed, while Terry Kieffer, Nany Tutewohl, Jane Bauer, and Ken Kieffer had all been appointed to the committee. The group had also “made fa-vors” for the elderly on Christmas, Chandler re-ported.

80 years ago THE HASTINGS GAZETTE November 13, 1942
Passing away at St. Paul some 80 years ago, former Hastings resident Henry Raway had received a Requiem High Mass at Guardian Angels church.
Born May 10, 1879 in Farmington, Wisconsin, Hastings had been Raway’s home in the early part of his life, and he was survived by many sib-lings, including two at Hastings. Those siblings were brother Godfrey E. Raway and a sister known as Mrs. W. F. Miller, on account of a then current naming convention whereby women were known public by their husband’s name.
One other brother and five sisters were listed for Mr. Raway in his front page obituary.
Also in the obituaries from 80 years back, Jacob Yanz of Blooming Prairie Minnesota, brother of Hastings resident W. J. Yanz, had just died after a short illness, at Blooming Prairie. The funeral had been at the Catholic Church in that locality, with other Hastings area relatives of the deceased including Mrs. Charles McNa-mara, Magdaline and Agatha, as well as Frank and Norbert Yanz.

105 years ago THE DEMOCRAT Published at Hastings November 16, 1917
Apparent attempt made at Farmington to wreck the Catholic church in that locality, with a dry boiler reported after it had started with water in it. A reward of $50 was being offered by Father Power for information leading to arrest and conviction of the one responsible.
Mrs. Joseph Horsch dies at age 38 in South Hastings, being interred in the St. Boni-face cemetery.
St. Mary’s Church in Douglas sees Miss Teresa Liefeld, daughter of Mrs. Frank Liefeld, married to Jacob Schmitz of Medicine Lake, Montana.

130 years ago THE DAILY GAZETTE November 22, 1892
E. H. Ives, of The Prescott Plaindealer, died on the 18th, aged 73 years. He was one of the oldest residents of that town.

159 years ago THE HASTINGS CONSERVER October 17, 1865
(Some of) what they studied.
Course of Instruction for the Hastings Public Schools.
Eighth Grade.
[Primary Department]. Frequent exercises in singing, in seventh and eighth grades.
Spelling and Reading.— The pupils of this grade shall be taught to read the lessons on Webb’s primary charts, primer complete, and spell by letters or by sounds all the words.
Punctuation.—They shall be taught to name all the punctuation marks in their reading lessons.
Writing.—They shall be taught to print on their slates any of the words in their reading lessons.
Counting They shall be taught to count forward and backward, with or without objects, to fifty.
Seventh Grade. [Primary Department]. Reading. They shall be taught to read fluently and distinctly the lessons in Wil-son’s First reader, and to number each page by its fig-ures.
Writing. They shall be taught to write on their slates the words they are required to spell.
Numerals. They shall be taught the Roman numerals to C.
Sixth Grade. [Primary department]. Oral Instruction.—Form, six, general qualities, com-mon things, animals, miscellaneous topics, morals, and manners. Two or more oral exercises a day, each from 10 to 15 minutes long.
Fifth Grade. [Primary Department]. Reading. They shall complete Wilson’s Second Reader, and be able to repeat, in their own language, the substance of each lesson.
Numerals. They shall be taught the Roman numerals to M.
Fourth Grade. [Grammar Department]. Oral Instruction. In this department oral instruction should be given on sound, light, water, minerals, morals and manners, familiar exercises in grammar embracing parts of speech and construction of sentences. The time devoted to oral instruction each week to be equal in amount to 15 minutes a day.
Third Grade. [Grammar Department]. Numerals and Abbreviations.— Roman Numerals complete, in and out of course, and abbreviations.
Second Grade. Declamations and Recitations as often as once a month in first and second grades.
First Grade. [Grammar department]. Studies:–spelling, reading, punctuation, definitions, penmanship, drawing, arithmetic, geography, grammar, history, etc.
Spelling.—Spelling, both oral and written of selected works, synonyms, use of dictionary.