Ranier offers festivities for all to celebrate 100 years
Founders Day was an annual Ranier event that disappeared in recent years. It is back as a reinvigorated community celebrates the centennial year of the city on both Rainy River and Rainy Lake, with activities that rise to the occasion of a once-in-a-lifetime event.
The Ranier Centennial Celebration of August 15-16 promises something for everyone in the family event of the summer, say organizers. The city is opening its doors to all who want to share in the celebration and enjoy a day of history, culture, entertainment, food and fun.
Diane Edens, chair of the Ranier Centennial Committee, said the planning began early in 2008, when the town was polled to learn what activities should occur for the city’s 100th birthday. She said many residents missed the annual Founders Day activities held in August in the past, and felt that would be the appropriate time for a public centennial event.
March 2008 marked the 100-year anniversary of the community founders signing the city’s 1908 charter. In the months following that anniversary, the residents have held a potluck and pie social for the immediate community. Edens said they are looking forward to opening the city to the public for the largest celebration of the year.
“It’s been an incredible year,” said Edens. “We invite the entire area to come celebrate with us. Ranier is an extremely proud little town.”
Festivities are scheduled to begin on Friday evening with a performance of the Rainy Lake Orchestra next to Woody’s Pub. The concert concludes a week of string music workshops.
“Music always makes an event more festive,” Edens added.
The Ranier Community Building will hold two events on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Douglas Skrief, a local writer and artist, organized the Ranier Reflections Art Show, an exhibition of art with the city in focus. Ranier Mayor Ed Oerichbauer, who is also the director of Koochiching County Museums, organized a historical photo exhibit that will run in the same space.
“It’s a look back at history and at the way Ranier used to be, a bustling little town,” Edens added.
This is also the centennial birthday of the late Gene Ritchie Monahan, one of Ranier’s most famous residents who established the Ranier arts community with summer workshops in the 1960s. Monahan, who died in 1994, left an indelible mark on Ranier with a lifetime of her art, research and teaching.
Edens is excited that the descendants of Monahan are in town for the centennial, and they have retrieved much of Monahan’s museum-loaned artwork from around the country. Monahan’s former home and the current home of her daughter will be open to exhibit her work.
Jean Kelly, Monahan’s daughter, and two sons, Robin and Laird, have brought back more than 20 of her works from museums and private collections around the country for a Ranier public exhibit at Monahan’s home on the corner of Oak and Main Street; and at Kelly’s home behind Grandma’s Pantry at 2080 Shelrud Place.
“The paintings that we have here are of people in Ranier or International Falls,” said Kelly. “Some are visitors and winter residents alike.”
Kelly added that they will be serving bars and coffee because Monahan always did. The church friends and neighbors of Monahan will be on hand to share the memories.
“She had the door open,” Kelly added. “People were always welcome at our house.”
Joanne Finstad will offer tours of her late father’s Auto-Marine Shop. Now listed on the Registry of Historical Places, she and her sister will install the plaque designating this honor, outside of the building on Saturday. She has spent the year researching the whereabouts of vintage boats that once were stored at the shop, and has brought a few of them back for the event.
Buck Johnson will have on display his scaled models of vintage Rainy Lake boats, representing the real-life, old wooden vessels. Some of the actual boats will be on parade or display at the Ranier water front dock. The “Betsy Anne,” “Virginia,” “Helge,” “Miss Janet,” “The Mother Lode” (Tug Boat 156), and the old Camp Koochiching Boat are just some of the watercraft that worked the lakes and rivers to Ranier in years past.
Spike Woods will have a book signing of his recently published book of drawings and stories about Ranier, at Woody’s Pub from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Venders will be around town offering everything from sandwiches to popcorn.
Ranier Park will have plenty of activities for youth and adults. The horseshoe pit will be open for challenges all day. Youth games begin at 2 p.m., including a sawdust pile where kids can search for hidden coins. There will be plenty of prizes for the kids. At 4 p.m., the Ranier Council will dedicate the planting of the Centennial Oak Tree.
Dwayne Sjoblom has donated his equipment, time and fuel for tractor hayrides, and free-will offerings will be accepted for a local charity. He will offer rides around town from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. During the same time, the kids can ride on the Ranier Barrel Train, a converted golf cart that pulls a line of one-seat cars.
The arrival of the float planes at 12:45 p.m. will announce that the Centennial Parade begins at 1 p.m. The parade lineup starts in front of Lake View Cabins next to Ranier Beach at 12:30 p.m.
The first Ranier Dog Parade will follow. The city is honoring its free-running canines with a parade of their own. The lead dog, wearing a red hat, will be “Chloe: Little Bit o’ Tirzah,” the puppy belonging to Jan and Doug Bohman. Dogs will line up behind Jan Bohman and Chloe. All dogs must be on a leash for the parade.
“A leash, like dogs in dresses, isn’t normal fashion for a Ranier dog, but in a parade gathering a leash is necessary,” said Naomi Woods, organizer. “Some Ranier dogs may get jealous if another dog has a better hat, scarf or purse. The dog fashion parade isn’t a bra sale at Macy's. We don’t want dogs fighting over fashion.”
The larger dogs will be scattered at the end of the line. Dogs may also ride on floats, in cars, wagons and golf carts. Parade walkers without a dog are encouraged to dress up or play their own music on pots and pans or boom boxes.
People outside of Ranier are also invited to parade their dogs and should call Naomi at 286-5481.
Voyageurs National Park staff will be present to offer 45-minute rides in the huge North Canoe from 1 to 3 p.m. The canoe holds about ten people and is a birch bark design.
The Municipal Liquor Store will have a beer garden from noon to midnight. Duluth Street will be closed for a street dance with music by the band Timberline from 8 p.m. to midnight.
Around 9 p.m. as it gets dark, a unique centennial fireworks display will be ignited from a barge in Sand Bay. A floating fireworks stage has never been done before but has been planned to honor the historical occasion of Ranier’s 100th birthday.
If you go:
WHAT: Ranier Centennial Celebration
WHEN: Friday and Saturday
WHERE: Ranier waterfront
Music, art, photographs,a parade, dogs, food, games, boats and more are all part of this special celebration of Ranier’s 100th birthday.
