By Rachael Hanel
Free Press Staff Writer
Mankato Free Press - May 30, 2002

Bryce Stenzel attended a historian's convention in Springfield, Ill., and when he said he was from Mankato, he attracted much attention.

Other historians there wanted to know more about Mankato's role in the Dakota Conflict.

That interest and knowledge of Mankato's history by other historians proved a theory of Stenzel's.

"We tend to be interested in things happening elsewhere, but our own history is overlooked," he said.

Stenzel sees his latest endeavor as a way to get Mankato-area residents interested in their own community's history. His book, "Mankato Milestones," is being released to coincide with Mankato's 150th birthday.

The book goes through Mankato's history decade-by-decade, starting with the 1850s and ending with 2002. Most of it is set up in a question-and-answer format. Stenzel also includes asides about his own personal take and stories on Mankato's history.

Stenzel thought his latest book could serve as a commemoration for the sesquicentennial.

"When I think about what people want to look back and have 25, 30 years from now, they could have mugs and T-shirts, but those wear out or break. Books are pretty durable. It will be a lasting keepsake from an important occasion," he said.

The book was borne out of a timeline Stenzel worked on while serving on the sesquicentennial planning committee. Some members of the committee wanted a book and talked of revising Verne Lundin's "At the Bend of the River" book. But Stenzel didn't want to tinker with Lundin's writing.

"That was a great book. It really stands on its own," Stenzel said.

Despite Stenzel's vast knowledge of Mankato history, he discovered a few new things while working on the book.

He learned that Mankato was home to the first car with a V-8 engine, the Mayer car.

And he addresses the conflicting ideas about where the name "Mankato" originated. Some people think it's a misspelling of a Dakota word, "Mahkato." Others think it's named after a German sea nymph of lore.

But Stenzel said Mankato was named that purposely. "Mankato" and Mahkato" are different dialects: One means green-blue earth and the other means blue-green earth.

He said a Chief Mankato born about 20 to 30 years before the city was founded proves it's a legitimate word.

The 1986 Mankato East graduate attended Minnesota State University and earned bachelor's and master's degrees in history. He teaches at Riverbend Academy and Community Services, and is now in his 13th year as an Abraham Lincoln impersonator. His first book, "Abraham Lincoln: Man of the People," was published in 1996 and came out of a lecture series he did on the 16th president of the United States.

Stenzel said events marking Mankato's sesquicentennial is drawing people into history that may otherwise not have been interested.

"History is like a road map. You don't know where you're going if you don't know where you've been," he said.

The following is an example of facts noted in
Bryce Stenzel's "Mankato Milestones" book:

1. Name Mankato's first hotel, built in 1853.
2. This is the railroad trestle built in 1874. It weas considered a great engineering geat for it provided an essential means of transporting grain from farmer's fields to processing mills in the Mankato area. Named for a grist mill that was built in 1866, but was destroyed by fire in 1880.
3. First cases of this product were sold in Mankato in August 1890.
4. This U.S. president visited Mankato Oct. 24, 1911 and spoke at the Opera House.
5. Legend has it that this famous "bootlegger" and mobster visited Mankato on at least one occasion.
6. What was the name of a traveling truck that Mankato children eagerly awaited in the 1960's?
7. When Mankato's Lincoln Elm tree was cut down in 1980, its growth rings were counted. How old was the tree determined to be?

Answers

1. The Mankato House, built on the corner of Front and Hickory streets. Construction began in July 1853 by Gen. Samuel Leech. The lumber, millwork and workmen for the building came from St. Paul by boat. Because of illness, Gen. Leech sold the site in 1854 to Henry Shaubut, who completed the construction. A grand ball was held July 4, 1855, to dedicate the hotel.
2. Red Jacket.
3. Bottled mineral water from Mankato Springs.
4. William Howard Taft.
5. Al Capone.
6. The Mister Softee Ice Cream truck. Mister Softee first appeared in Mankato in 1960. Many children have fond memories of the chime of the truck coming down the street in the summertime.
7. 315 years old.

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Ron Affolter
Updated
April 25, 2007