Old Frontenac

New owner announces plans for re-invented Villa Maria

May 9, 2018

Commonwealth Properties, a St. Paul real estate and hospitality company with a special niche in restoring and revitalizing historic properties, announced plans to reinvent the 63-acre Villa Maria property as a “romantic boutique country hotel complex.” “There is no other place in the region that I...

Capacity crowd gathers to hear history author

Apr 26, 2018

About 100 people listen as Lorry Wendland (far right) tells the story behind the stories of the 19th century pioneers in her new books “19th Century Frontenac, Minnesota - The Rest of the Story,” and “Genealogy of a Village - 19th Century Frontenac, Minnesota.” Wendland’s presentation was the...

New books chronicle 19th century Old Frontenac

Apr 18, 2018

When Lorry Wendland moved to her home on Lake Avenue Way in Old Frontenac in 2000 she decided to read up on the village’s history. Two things struck her. First, a lot of the information she was reading was contradictory. Second, she didn’t feel like the town’s 19th century pioneers were being...

History teacher: New book offers definitive history of Old Frontenac

Apr 11, 2018

“19th Century Frontenac, Minnesota - the Rest of the Story,” is an epic undertaking by Lorry Wendland that is a minutely detailed history of the quaint river town of Old Frontenac, the small historic village that nestles along the Mississippi River about 70 miles south of St. Paul. This history is...

Author of new Old Frontenac history books headlines Florence Township History Fair

Apr 11, 2018

Friends of the Florence Town Hall will host a Florence Township History Fair Saturday, April 21, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Town Hall, 33915 Hwy 61, Frontenac. Refreshments will be served and door prizes awarded. There is no entrance charge. At 2 p.m. Lorry Wendland, resident of Old Frontenac,...

Open water appears near Methodist Point

Mar 7, 2018

The trail of a snowmobile leads into a patch of open water on Lake Pepin near Methodist Point Saturday, March 3. Portable ice fishing shelters stand nearby. The opening is near the area staked out with thin ice signs by the Goodhue County Sheriff’s Department earlier this winter. On Feb. 21, the...

Rigelman named to New York Life 'President's Council'

Oct 19, 2017

Charlene Rigelman of Old Frontenac has been named a member of the 2017 President’s Council of New York Life. Members of the President’s Council are among the top five percent of New York Life’s sales force of 12,000 licensed agents. Rigelman has been a New York Life agent since 1986 and is...

Riverboat passes eagle perched on cross

Aug 10, 2017

An eagle perches on the cross at the former Methodist Campus in Old Frontenac (not far from the old steamboat landing) Sunday morning as the American Queen river boat heads upstream. The boat made an appearance later that day at Red Wing’s River City Days before heading south toward Dubuque, Iowa,...

Walkers to explore Old Frontenac on July 19

Jul 12, 2017

Next week is week eight of the 10 week “Walking Lake Pepin” community walking challenge. Group walks continue on Wednesday evenings at 6 p.m. On July 19, the group walk will take place in Old Frontenac starting at Garrard Avenue (Wabasha County 2 Blvd.) and Wells Street.Old Frontenac was first...

1860s base ball returns to Old Frontenac July 15

Jul 6, 2017

On Saturday, July 15 Wakondiota Park in Old Frontenac will be the site of a friendly double-header in 1860s base ball between the Crescents Base Ball Club of Red Wing and the Afton Red Socks Base Ball Club. Admission is free to this event but spectators are encouraged to bring a lawn chair or...