KTTC Rochester, Austin, Mason City News, Weather and SportsOn the Road: Lanesboro

On the Road: Lanesboro

LANESBORO, MN (KTTC-DT) - Welcome to Lanesboro, Minnesota: one of the jewels of Bluff Country.

Our tour guide is former Fillmore County Jailer, Tom Smith. He is filled with stories like how the city's beautiful dam cam to be.

"This is the Lanesboro dam, built in 1868 by original investors to provide power for flower mills and canning factories," says Smith. "It cost 15 thousand dollars. It is 150 feet long and 27 feet high...built entirely out of limestone blocks quarried out of the hills near Lanesboro."

And then there were the fires on the hill.

"Both high school and elementary sat until 1917, two buildings side by side with the Lutheran church to the west. All three buildings burned down in 1917. This building was going to reopen in 1919 and got struck by lightening on the 3rd floor."

Some interesting history in a town unlike any other.

"People enjoy coming to a community that offers no franchises; privately owned businesses where people enjoy the dining, food, outdoor recreation on the Root River trail," says Julie Kiehne from the Chamber of Commerce. 

Outdoor recreation in this part of the state can take you sky high. If you are brave enough to take on High Ropes Challenge at Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center.

"It was much higher than it looks. I started crying. The first step is so hard," says one girl trying the challenge.

"And then the arts definitely have a presence here, too. They enjoy the Commonweal Theatre for live professional theatre as well as the art galleries in town," says Kiehne.

Lanesboro was also voted one of the top 100 art towns in America.

Many artists depict the beauty of the area in their work. For goldsmith, Liz Bucheit of Crown Trout Jewelers, her jewelry is all about expressing the area's Norwegian heritage.

"One of the great things about Scandinavian metal work is it comes from a long line of unbroken tradition," says Bucheit.  "So this type of work is taught from master to apprentice to mentor so we have a nice long unbroken record of techniques. So what I'm doing now they were probably doing in the 16th Century".

200 thousand people visit Fillmore County each year. Many who travel to Lanesboro chose to spend the night in a bed and breakfast. There are 15 of them here and that has earned Lanesboro the title of "B and B Capitol of Minnesota."

But the town isn't built just on tourism. This community has strong agricultural roots.

If you go to the Lanesboro Sales Commission on sale day, you'll find the parking lot packed with trailers. Buyers and sellers have been coming to this family owned business since 1947.

And, just when you think you've seen all this special place has to offer, you can't miss one of the most unusual celebrations around!

"The Rhubarb Festival is fantastic," says Kiehne. "The first weekend in June we have a celebration that started with the farmer's market and celebrates rhubarb as the sweet, tart favorite of our community. There are Olympics and food and music. A great time is had by all."