National Guard Comes to Grove City

In the early afternoon of July 25, 1909, a memorable sight appeared in Grove City as between 200 and 300 members of the 3^rd Battalion, 28^th Regiment, U.S. Infantry marched into town. Since July 14, the men had been on the march from Watertown, South Dakota, where they had attended a National Guard Encampment.

"Battalion 3. 28 Inft. U.S. Regulars in Camp 7-25-09 at Grove City, Minn."

Every day, except Sundays, the men marched between fifteen and twenty miles.  They were tired and dusty and looking forward to a bit of rest. Fortunately for the troops, the day was Saturday, which meant they were done marching until Monday.  

The first thing the soldiers did upon arrival was to set up their tents under the trees in the city park. The local residents were given a glimpse into the life of a soldier as the men prepared their dinner. For the rest of the day, the troops were free to do as they pleased around town. Some of the men talked with the locals, sharing stories of their time in Cuba and other places the military had brought them.

Before long, people from outside of town began arriving. When the Grove City Military Band began its usual concert in the park, the crowd was said to have been the “biggest crowd that Grove City has seen for years.”

While most of the soldiers stayed in town, some of the officers were given special treatment. On Saturday, they were driven to Peterson Lake where they were able to wash off the trail dust. As for Sunday, the regiment’s major and lieutenants were taken to Diamond Lake where they enjoyed a “bounteous dinner” of black bass.

Back in Grove City, two baseball games were scheduled, with the soldiers playing a team from Atwater and then Grove City. Uncle Sam’s boys came out on top in both games, winning 4 to 2 and 6 to 4, respectively. The day concluded with most of the men relaxing at their camp, “singing songs and spinning yarns.”

Early Monday morning, the troops resumed their march, but not before stating that Grove City was the “finest place they had camped” since leaving Watertown. They marched through Litchfield and on to Darwin, where they camped for the night. The regiment would continue eastward, arriving at Fort Snelling on July 31.

If the museum had tried to write this history a few months ago, it would have been much shorter! However, a recent grant made it possible for the museum to double the newspapers we have on microfilm. The new additions include papers from Grove City, Eden Valley, and Watkins. This was made possible in part by the people of Minnesota through a grant funded by an appropriation to the Minnesota Historical Society from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

The microfilmed newspapers are available for the public to view at the Museum. We are also looking for volunteers to help create an index to aid future researchers. Stop by the museum or get in touch.