Roots & Riddles

05/27/2026

🔦 The “torch gang” had struck again… this time in Spring Valley.

In this new episode of Roots & Riddles, we dive into the shocking 1940 robbery of the Spring Valley Post Office — part of a larger crime spree stretching across southern Minnesota and northern Iowa. Using acetylene torches, the gang burned through vault doors, stole cash and stamps, and disappeared into the night.

The case would eventually lead investigators to James Burl Johnson and uncover one of the region’s most fascinating forgotten crime stories.

🎧 New episode out now. Listen here or wherever you listen to podcasts. https://legacylanegenealogy.com/roots-riddles-podcast/

05/20/2026

This week on Roots & Riddles, we’re venturing just outside the borders of Fillmore County to explore one of southeastern Minnesota’s most fascinating gangster legends. 👀

Did the Barker–Karpis Gang bury ransom money somewhere between Rochester and Chatfield after the 1934 Edward Bremer kidnapping?

From notorious outlaws to rumors of hidden cash between Rochester and Chatfield, this episode dives into the mystery behind the legend.

🎧 New episode out now. Listen here or wherever you listen to podcasts. https://legacylanegenealogy.com/roots-riddles-podcast/

05/14/2026

Before modern medicine, before paved roads, and before Fillmore County was fully settled… there was Dr. Luke Miller.

Physician. Lawyer. Politician. Railroad advocate. This week on Roots & Riddles, we explore the life and legacy of one of early Fillmore County’s most influential frontier figures.

🎧 New episode out now. Listen here or wherever you listen to podcasts. https://legacylanegenealogy.com/roots-riddles-podcast/

05/06/2026

A murder in broad daylight.
A killer who vanished for nearly 30 years.

This week on Roots & Riddles, we uncover the shocking 1874 Patrick Noonan case in Fountain, Minnesota — a frontier murder, a decades-long escape, and the moment the past finally caught up with him.

🎧 New episode out now. Listen here or wherever you listen to podcasts. https://legacylanegenealogy.com/roots-riddles-podcast/

05/01/2026

So many of the stories we tell on Roots & Riddles exist because local newspapers took the time to record them.

Without local news, those stories—and the people behind them—fade away.

If local coverage disappears… what history will be left to uncover?

A broad coalition of media, local leaders, and community activists gather together to send the message that local news coverage is critical infrastructure. Read more about how our publication fits into this critical ecosystem of local news coverage at the link in the comments.

04/23/2026

Once a thriving community, Carimona is now little more than a name on old maps. What caused this Fillmore County town to rise—and quietly disappear?

In this episode of Roots & Riddles, we explore the story of Carimona: its name, its people, and the forces that turned a living town into a ghost of Minnesota’s past.

🎧 New episode out now. Listen here or wherever you listen to podcasts.
https://legacylanegenealogy.com/roots-riddles-podcast/

04/15/2026

In 1856, violence touched both Bloomfield and Fillmore Townships—where land disputes weren’t just arguments… they turned deadly. From a brutal claim-line quarrel to a mysterious killing along the creek, this episode uncovers a forgotten chapter of early Fillmore County history.

What really happened on the frontier… and why did justice never come?

🎧 New episode out now. Listen here or wherever you listen to podcasts. https://legacylanegenealogy.com/roots-riddles-podcast/

04/13/2026

Thank you to everyone who attended our presentation at Bluff Brothers Brewing for the Spring Valley Laura Ingalls Wilder Site yesterday!

I was blown away by the turnout and support—what an incredible crowd.

I know we ran out of handouts, so I’m sharing a copy here for anyone who missed one!

04/12/2026

04/11/2026

Had the opportunity to be on KTTC TV’s Midwest Access to talk about this Sunday’s ghost towns presentation with the Spring Valley Laura Ingalls Wilder Site.

Take a look at the segment below—and I hope to see you there!

The Spring Valley Community Historical Society is hosting an evening at Bluff Brothers Brewing full of tales about the ghost towns and lost communities of Fillmore County.

04/08/2026

A lost calf… a sinkhole… and a 375-million-year-old discovery.

This week, we’re diving underground into the story of the Spring Valley Caverns—and the farmer who found them by accident.

🎙️ New Roots & Riddles episode out now!

🎧 New episode out now. Listen here or wherever you listen to podcasts. https://legacylanegenealogy.com/roots-riddles-podcast/