Captured 100 years ago today, on Oct. 2, 1913, this photo includes 114 delegates bundled up against the chilly fall weather. The occasion? The League's first annual conference. The location? Rice Park in St. Paul.
Fast-forward a century later. Planning commences for the League's 2013 Annual Conference and Centennial Celebration. We wondered: could we re-create the photo in the same spot? The League decided to give it a shot.
The only challenge? With more than 400 attendees expected at the Centennial Celebration, we simply would not fit in Rice Park anymore! Not only had LMC outgrown Rice Park, the trees at Rice Park had also outgrown us and now towered above the spot where those delegates once stood.
So the Union Depot's front lawn was chosen as the new location. On one of the first hot summer days in 2013, delegates attending the LMC Centennial Celebration made their way outside:
In the meantime, Twin Cities photographer Paul Lundquist prepared his equipment and readied himself:
Once everyone was set, the photographer climbed his ladder (steadied by a helping hand) to gain the vantage point necessary to capture all of the delegates:
And voila! The re-creation was a success, with approximately 400 smiling delegates imprinting themselves into this moment in history:
And last—but not least—on this anniversary of the League's
first annual conference, we wanted to recognize those 35 cities that have had
continuous membership in the League for 100 years:
Ada, Albert Lea, Aurora, Bemidji, Buhl, Canby, Chaska, Coleraine, Detroit Lakes, Duluth, Hibbing, International Falls, Janesville, Kasota, Keewatin, Mankato, Minneapolis, Montevideo, Morris, New Ulm, Northfield, St. Cloud, St. Paul, St. Peter, Sauk Centre, Shakopee, Sleepy Eye, South St. Paul, Staples, Thief River Falls, Tonka Bay, Two Harbors, Virginia, White Bear Lake, and Willmar
Thanks to these founding members for a great first century!