This card was made to illustrate the terrible locust invasions of Nicollet and other counties in the 1870s. This card specifically mentions St. Peter and Nicollet County, and is dated June 22, 1877.
A view of the Sylvan Border Farm in Underwood. A barn, windmill and house are in the background surrounded by trees; and a harvested field covered in snow is in the foreground.
Two men unload an over-sized onion from a wagon while a third man watches. In the field are two large piles of onions. Tall-tale postcards use photographic montage to create images of over-sized produce and animals. Fruits, vegetables and fish are the most common subjects.
A tall-tale postcard showing horses pulling wagons loaded with oversized potatoes and corn. A man sits atop the lead wagon and holds the reins. Tall-tale postcards use photographic montage to create images of oversized produce and animals. Fruits, vegetables and fish are the most common subjects.
The Alfalfa Arch was constructed across Atlantic Avenue in honor of the Corn and Alfalfa Exposition held in Morris on December 10-12, 1913. The Expo was dedicated to the promotion of corn and alfalfa growing as well as the general virtues of diversified farming.
A group of men look on as two men carve an ox carcass on an outdoor table. The men are, left to right: Mr. McGrath, Ed Hall, Homer Wooldridge, John Brooks (in white coat, center), John Towey, Ed Stoyke (in white coat, foreground), Henry Ringey.
The family is taking a break in the field with their dog and puppies, as well as a small wagon and buggy. The woman holding the puppies is "Liisa of Kalajoki." In his "History of the Thomson Farming Area," written in Finnish in 1935, John A. Mattinen wrote that the Fred Johnson farm was also known as Liisa of Kalajoki's farm and that Liisa (who died in 1924) was Fred's mother.
The typical farm had a house, barn, and several other buildings for chickens, hogs and grain storage. Several horses and cows are also seen as well as rows of corn starting to grow in the field.