(Arnolds Park)– A research project into the Spirit Lake Conflict of 1857 by a group of 7th grade students from the Graettinger-Terril and Ruthven-Ayrshire Community Schools will culminate in a special event in October on the grounds of the Abbie Gardner Sharp cabin in Arnolds Park. Donna Mau is with the lakes area Questers group, an organization that specializes in preserving local history and historical sites. She says the students have purchased a marker identifying those buried at a previously unidentified site on the grounds…
“About a year ago I was contacted through an employee of Mau Marine because his daughter was in this class in Graettinger and the teacher had brought the students over on a field trip. And as they were learning about the area and about Abbie Gardner cabin they realized that there was not a marker with names, you know, dedicated to them and they felt like they wanted to do research and find out who the names were and actually they took it upon themselves then to buy a marker and researched and researched and found all the different names that was involved and there were several children, and I think that’s why they really were, you know, excited about doing this project.”
The students’ teacher, Shayla Hunefeld, contacted the State Historic Sites Manager and received permission to place a marker on the grave where 17 people are buried. Mau says a dedication of it will be held at the site Friday, October 9th at 10:00 am…
“The children are going to explain how it all came about, what they did and how they got all the information and wanted to share it with everyone in the community.”
The public is invited to attend the ceremony.
