Interviews – History of the River Bend Nature Center

For this project, we interviewed several people who were instrumental in the history of the RBNC. We used these interviews, along with other research, to complete our timeline and other portions of the website. Below each interview is a finding aid which provides a list of the topics discussed.

Some of the interviews on this page have been edited or shortened. The full audio recordings will be submitted to the Rice County Historical Society collections. The views expressed in these interviews do not reflect the thoughts and opinions of Carleton College or its affiliates.

RBNC Interviews

Liz Hartman

Conducted on May 22, 2023 by Gwen Casey, London Bettman, and Raine Bernhard

“It wasn’t just one person. All these people who had a part in making this place unique… it is being carried on”
liz hartman

Introduction and background information (0:00- 0:32)

Hartman talks about what brought her to RBNC (0:32- 2:11)

Memories of the early volunteers (2:11- 3:20)

Memories of teaching at RBNC (3:20- 6:06)

How the logistics of teaching at RBNC worked and how she got on the board (6:06-6:45)

Hartman’s time on the board (6:45-7:50)

Memories of the Halloween programs (7:50- 9:45)

Personal connection to RBNC (9:45- 10:45)

Arts and camp programs (10:45-11:20)

Butterfly garden (11:20- 11:40)

Cross country skiing and snowshoeing (11:40- 12:15)

Funding (12:30- 14:00)

Tthe responsibility of the nature center in the wider world and future (14:00- 15:47)

Teaching programs (15:47- 18:05)

Hartman talks about her husband Tom Hartman’s role at the nature center (18:05- 19:37)

Dinner fundraisers (19:37- 21:00)

Riverbend Ramble (21:00- 21:45)

Land transfer from the Regional Center (21:45- 22:58)

Personal connection to RBNC and what it means to her (22:58- 24:30)

Hopes that RBNC is a welcoming place for everyone. (24:30- 25:00)

Closing thoughts (25:00-)

Ivan Whitlock

Conducted April 26, 2023 by Ruby Becker and Raine Bernhard

“Looking for the red wing blackbirds to show up for the first time you see them and then you know spring is here, or the first hatch of geese (…) it’s all part of the interconnectedness of everything. The first guy who mows their lawn is a connection to the weather change and (…) it’s this interconnectedness of human and animal behavior. And that’s a lot of what that [the calendar] is about. It not only observes nature but it observes human activities.”
Ivan whitlock on the calendar he made for the rbnc

Introduction (0:00 – 0:20)

Involvement and memories of the RBNC (0:20 – 5:08)

Specifics of the RBNC sign carving (5:08 – 7:20)

Other art projects for RBNC (7:20 – 8:52)

Ron Miles (9:36 – 10:14)

More specifics about the sign (11:18 – 12:09)

Memories of RB, walking, and change (13:10 – 20:10)

Pat Rice

Conducted on 23 May, 2023 by Gwen Casey

Introduction (0:00 – 1:33)

What drew Rice to River Bend and connection with city (1:34 – 2:39)

Impact of being a non-profit and fundraising (2:39 – 3:52)

Early days of River Bend (3:52 – 5:45)

Opening and first building (5:45 – 6:52)

Stories of Orwin Rustad, Ron Parker, and Kay Janky (6:52 – 9:34)

The people who visit River Bend, school groups and skiing (9:34 – 10:48)

Events (10:48 – 13:01)

Unexpected changes, financial challenges (13:01 – 14:05)

Projects that Rice would like to see, more adult programming (14:05 – 14:54)

Connection to state hospital (14:54 – 18:48)

Connection to prison (18:48 – 21:00)

Favorite spots at River Bend (21:00 – 22:33)

Benches, marijuana and trout lily stories (22:33 – 24:36)

Christmas bird count and baby beaver (24:36 – 26:48)

Future of River Bend (26:48 – 30:15)

Role as city councilwoman and role of River Bend in Faribault (30:15 – 33:54)

Story of Dad at Carleton (34:40 – 35:21)

Wintertime in MN (35:21 – 36:07)

Urban forest and teaching children, deer hunt (36:07 – 39:18)

Invasive species and the River Bend forest (39:18 – 41:34)

Railroads and tunnel (41:34 – 43:23)

Remembering the founders (43:23 – 46:54)

Bob Kholer

Conducted on May 24, 2023 by Gwen Casey and London Bettman

Acquisition of the land and references to the Regional Center (0:00-2:20)

Funding (2:20-2:57)

Discussing of naming River Bend (3:15-3:49)

Acquisition of the land and Orwin Rustad’s vision for River Bend (3:50-4:15)

Discussion of trails and how they got their names (4:15-7:37)

Mountain bike riding (7:37-8:30)

Kholer discusses his involvement with the site (8:33-9:10)

Eagle scout trail project (9:10-9:42)

Discussing Teepee Tonka trail (9:42-11:14)

Snowmobiles (11:14-12:56)

Gwen asks if Teepee Tonka was originally part of the Regional Center (13:00-13:05)

Kholer discusses land acquisition (13:05-13:58)

Kholer discusses hermit’s cave (13:58-14:40)

Discussion of what is to be done about the tunnel (14:40-15:20)

Discussion of RBNC and its relationship to the city (15:20-16:30)

Discussion of the trails (16:30-20:06)

Kholer discusses a written history of RBNC (20:06- 20:44)

Discussion of the river and beavers (20:44-21:44)

Gwen asks about wildlife management (21:44-48)

Kholer talks about deer hunting (22:00-23:50)

Talking about buckthorn (23:50-25:35)

London asks about bird hunting (25:35-25:40)

Kholer shows a trail map (26:00-26:40)

Kholer discusses funding and building of the nature center and amphitheater (26:40-28:50)

Kholer discusses the can dumps (28:50-31:19)

Kholer discusses Teepee Tonka Tunnel (31:19-33:19)

Kholer discusses nature conservancy (33:19-35:47)

Land donations after the initial land from the state hospital (35:47-37:00)

Kholer discussing farming operations at the state hospital (37:00-38:21)

Kholer talks about the prison (38:21-42:05)

Discussion of education (42:05- 43:00)

Discussion of cross country skiing and snowshoeing (43:00-49:00)

Discussion of the railroad (49:00-50:00)

Discussion of trails changing over time (50:00-52:10)

Kholer discusses his predictions for the future of RBNC (52:10-53:00)

Kholer discusses his favorite events at RBNC (55:00-56:55)

Kholer discusses education (56:55-59:00)

Invasive species (59:00-1:05:33)

Quarries (1:06:00-1:06:22)

Teepee Tonka park (1:06:22-1:07:00)

Teepee Tonka rock (1:07:00-1:07:22)

Discussing the use of the area by Dairy Lane by the State Hospital (1:07:30-1:11:01)

Discussion of a trails (1:11:01-1:12:30)

Final thoughts from Kholer (1:12:30-1:18:55)

Ron Parker

Conducted on May 30, 2023 by Gwen Casey and London Bettman

“One day I was out there and John Blackmer had me go with a group of kids, and they caught a spider. It was in the tall grass and they caught her and they threw her into the grass and she grabbed a grasshopper and wrapped it all up – and I tell you my eyes got that big! I was as excited as the kids were!”
Ron Parker

Parker talks about the construction of River Bend’s buildings (0 – 0:40)

Getting closer to the mic (0:40 – 1:16)

Introduction, starting as a contractor and other early founders (1:16 – 2:51)

Time in Faribault, highschool and WWII (2:51 – 3:17)

Growing up hunting on the State School land, making of River Bend (3:17 – 5:04)

Ron Osterbauer (5:04 – 6:24)

Membership efforts, college internships, educational booklets (6:24 – 8:48)

Intern programs (8:48 – 10:01)

Serving young kids, spider story, rebuilding roads (10:01 – 12:14)

Teachers scared to bring students when prison first opened (12:14 – 13:40)

Membership, calling from the telephone book, the Ramble, pull tabs (13:40 – 15:34)

No federal funding (15:34 – 16:20)

Hope to gain members through students bringing their parents, budget (16:20 – 18:38)

Halloween event (18:38 – 20:48)

Remarking on birds outside (20:48 – 21:06)

Leases from State Hospital, working with the legislature (22:06 – 25:20)

The building, $200,000 grant, water main and building design (25:20 – 30:04)

Ron’s role in interpretive center design and layout, cabinet donation (30:04 – 32:43)

Interior design of interpretive center, stuffed animals (32:43 – 34:01)

Raising hawks and owls, sleigh rides and maple syrup (34:01 – 34:43)

Volunteers including “Hockey” Mealey and John Blackmer (36:34 – 37:14)

Wrap up and current view of nature center (37:14 – 39:34)

Institution

Joseph Shapiro

Conducted May 3, 2023 by Ruby Becker and Jonah Docter-Loeb

“That was one of his favorite places, he would go and explore.”
Joseph shapiro, about his friend jim’s love of the rbnc area

Joe Shapiro describes his connection to the Regional Center through the Faribault project at Carleton College. (0:00 – 5:20)

The Regional Center and Shapiro’s book, No Pity (5:20 – 6:37)

Shapiro talks about his friend Jim, a patient at the Institution. He also discusses how Jim could find things to use as building materials in the woods, including in some of the can dumps. (6:37 – 15:09)

Shapiro discusses his experiences with working with the Faribault Project at Carleton. (15:09 – 17:24)

Shapiro discusses some of what he learned about life in the institution from Jim and how this affects him to this day. (17:24 – 18:19)

The major changes observed between Shapiro’s visits in the 70s and his visit in the 90s. (18:19 – 21:33)

Discussing the history of the Owatonna Children’s School and their interpretive museum. (21:33 – 26:03)

Discussion shifts back to the Faribault project at Carleton. (26:03 – 27:25)

Discussion of institutions in Iowa. (28:20 – 29:48)

Discussion briefly shifts back to memories of Riverbend area. (29:48 – 32:17)

Shapiro discusses moving Jim out of the institution in 1992 and the process of finding him a job. (32:17 – 39:00)

Discussion shifts back to the Faribault Project at Carleton. (39:00 – 40:00)

Shapiro discusses going back to Minnesota to visit Jim. (40:00 – 40:42)

Shapiro’s memories of the Faribault Program, knowledge of Faribault history, and history of disability in America. (40:57 – 58:13)

Shapiro directs Jonah and Ruby to a Northfield Newspaper article about Faribault house. (57:27-58:13)

If/how Shapiro’s work on project Faribault influenced his life going forward. (58:13 – 58:30)

Shapiro discusses his continuing friendship with Jim. He also discusses his career as a reporter who discusses disability civil rights, however, he does not think this specifically came out of his experiences working with people at Faribault. (58:30 – 01:09:55)

Dave Campbell

Conducted May 16, 2023 by Ruby Becker, Esme Krohn, Jonah Docter-Loeb

“Some of my earliest, fondest, memories here would have been the day camp… we made a big deal out of it, you know. Get on a bus, go pick up people around from their buildings, food being cooked at the campsites and those sorts of things. It was just a really neat thing to do with people.”
Dave campbell, former program director at the state hospital

Introduction and personal background (0:00- 0:45)

Campbell’s work as program director at the State Hospital (0:45-2:54)

The Regional center’s relationship with the town of Faribault (2:54- 6:40)

The closure of the center and the opening of the prison. (6:40- 10:20)

Campbell’s role in the final day of the institution’s operation. (10:20- 10:37)

Transition from the Regional center to the group homes? (10:37-17:38)

Specific memories from working at the regional center: the day camp, activities, group homes (17:38-21:10)

Client’s issues exacerbated by institutional living, Campbell’s visit to the center as a student in the 1960s (21:10-23:14)

Changing approaches to mental health treatment and the closure of the facility (23:30- 27:30)

The continuance of school tours (27:30- 28:39)

Campbell describes his memory of a resident named “Birdie.” (28:39- 29:07)

Campbell’s memories of Carleton volunteers at the regional center. (29:07- 30:20)

Behavioral modification and the role of volunteers (30:25- 31:28)

Memories of River Bend (31:30- 33:02)

The farm and other industrial work that occurred at the regional center before Campbell’s time (33:02- 34:03)

More of early memories of River Bend. (34:03- 35:45)

Overlap with the regional center after the nature center got started (35:45- 36:39)

Efforts to preserve the history and legacy of the institution (36:39- 38:44)

Staying in touch with former colleagues or residents (38:44-40:35)

Campbell addresses his views on the issue of abuse and neglect at the regional center. (40:35- 43:50)

Campbell reflects on his work. (43:50- 44:12)

Our team did not interview any people who were institutionalized at the Faribault Regional Center. However, we want to make sure that their voices and stories are heard and have therefore included a number of testimonials gathered from other sources.

John Johnson

John Johnson was institutionalized in the Faribault Regional Center at age five, he was later moved to the Owatanna facility at age thirteen. His recollection of his experiences at Faribault and Owatanna were collected as part of a Minnesota state initiative to apologize to those who were held in state institutions. His story can be found at the link below, on the website of the Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities.

John JOhnSon’s Interview

Dorthy Anderson

Dorthy Anderson lived in the Faribault Regional Center from the time she was born until she was in her twenties. She wrote an article detailing her experience growing up in the institution for Access Press, a Minnesota news organization that works with and for people with disabilities.

Dorthy’s Story

“J.J”

“J.J” was institutionalized in Faribault from 1934 until the late 1970s. In 2011 he was interviewed by Deborah Holtz at Access Press about his life in Faribault and the Minnesota system more widely.

“J.J.”‘s Story