Stillwater Public Library selected this overhead view of a downtown street fair from their collection in MDL:

Joseph Wolf building and a street fair, Stillwater, 1901

This photograph, taken by Frederick Holcombe in 1901, captures a vibrant street fair in Stillwater, Minnesota, during a time of prosperity driven by the logging industry. While the logging boom was beginning to wane by 1901, few could have anticipated that 13 years later, the last logs would pass through Stillwater, signaling the end of an era for the city.

The image depicts the city’s third annual street fair, held from September 10-13, 1901, which attracted thousands of attendees to Stillwater’s Main Street. The fair featured a variety of attractions, such as open-air concerts by Seibert’s military band from St. Paul, a 30-piece ensemble that played throughout the event. Other musical acts included a 25-piece Stillwater band and a performance by the Hastings band. One of the most exciting spectacles was a daily balloon ascension, during which a lady balloonist soared into the sky before parachuting back to the ground. One of the ascensions ended in a close call when the performer landed in the water and was unable to swim. Thankfully, nearby boats quickly rescued her. Additional highlights included an exhibition of flying trapeze artists, various tent shows, and a "Picture Balloon Ascension” that had to be canceled due to a gust of wind damaging the hydrogen filled balloon. The fair concluded with a grand mask carnival, a fancy-dress parade, and a lively battle of confetti, inviting everyone to join in the festive fun. For more details about the street fair, visit the Minnesota Digital Newspaper Hub to read local newspaper coverage from 1901.

Holcombe’s photograph not only captures the lively crowd but also provides a fascinating glimpse into the fashion and daily life of the time. The men are dressed in suits, women in dresses, and everyone is sporting hats and gloves, providing a stark contrast to modern attire at similar events. Amid the crowd, you can spot men tipping their hats, children doing their best to behave, and street vendors trying to sell their goods. While most of the people are unaware that a photograph is being taken, a young woman walking past the musicians' platform appears to notice the photographer. Many of the buildings visible in the photograph remain standing today, although they have since been remodeled and repurposed. The Isaac Staples mansion no longer exists, but its site is now occupied by Pioneer Park. The 45-star flags seen in the image were adopted in 1896 after Utah became a state, and the photograph also highlights the electric power and streetcar lines that were introduced in Stillwater in the late 1880s.

This photograph’s significance extends beyond its historical value; it brought the past to life in a surprising way! In July 2023, Stillwater Public Library featured this image in its weekly Throwback Thursday social media post. A local business owner, inspired by the photo, decided to recreate the 1901 street fair during a time when Main Street was closed for construction. With traffic halted, the event became a perfect opportunity to bring the community together. On August 5, 2023, the modern street fair featured music, costume prizes, and a nostalgic atmosphere, attracting thousands to downtown Stillwater.

The success of the event demonstrated how historical photographs, like Holcombe’s, can serve as inspiration for contemporary community-building. Even with the reopening of Main Street, the street fair returned in 2024 and expanded to a newly established pedestrian plaza, even including a dinner on the lift bridge. This evolution underscores the value of historical resources in shaping the future of a community.

This photograph is part of a treasured collection of images taken by Frederick Holcombe, an amateur photographer and banker who captured life in Stillwater starting in the 1880s. Holcombe’s photographs offer a unique window into a transformative period in Minnesota's history, documenting everything from everyday family moments to extraordinary events, such as floods. His collection is one of our personal favorites because it provides a deep and fascinating look at the past, revealing details that might otherwise have been lost to time.

Holcombe’s photographs often tell stories beyond what’s visible in the frame. For example, a photo of a Valentine's Day party led to the discovery of Vinegar Valentines, an unusual cultural practice from the turn of the century that has been all but forgotten. Holcombe’s dedication to capturing the everyday lives of his family and community shows his affection for his subjects through the years.

Holcombe’s collection was donated to the Stillwater Public Library’s St. Croix Collection in 1997, ensuring it would be preserved for future generations. In 2021, Holcombe’s grandson loaned the library the original glass negatives for digitization, making 119 photos available online through the Minnesota Digital Library for the public to explore. This collection continues to provide invaluable insights into Stillwater’s past, and it’s a privilege to have access to these images, each one brimming with historical significance and personal stories.

The historical photo showcases a bustling main street, representing a time when our community was centered around local commerce and close-knit relationships. Our library continues to serve as a hub for community engagement and support. The photo reflects the foundational values of connection and collaboration that are still at the heart of our work today. As a library, we serve as a bridge from the past to the future, preserving the rich history of our community while providing resources and opportunities that help shape its future.

For more than 125 years, Stillwater Public Library has provided resources and services to area residents. Today, we continue to enrich the City of Stillwater and the St. Croix Valley through our work to connect members of our community with the power of knowledge, the possibility of new ideas, and the opportunity to engage with one another. Within Stillwater Public Library, the St. Croix Collection offers resources on local history, Stillwater people through the years, news archives, and historic photographs. People use the St. Croix Collection to find out about ancestors, the history of buildings they own, businesses in the area, and much more. The photo collections are stunning visuals documenting the history of Stillwater and the surrounding area. Highlights from this collection are included in the Minnesota Digital Library.

Browse the Stillwater Public Library collection in MDL.

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