Join Samuel Temple and Logan Ledman as they scour Faribault and Northfield history for stories big and small, and present their findings on “1855″. Various episodes feature interviews with historians, experts, or historic people themselves. Several episodes feature local middle school students who did research on the episode’s subject as part of community involvement outreach from the 1855 team. Nearly every episode features original music from local musician Sam Dwyer.

The video series, begun in the Fall of 2015 when both young men were in 9th grade, continue to be researched, written and presented by Logan and Samuel. These videos are made possible by a grant from the Faribault Foundation and by support from Faribault Community Television, where it is broadcast. Every episode is available for free online following the links below.

In Season Four and Five, 1855 expands its topics beyond Faribault to Northfield.

Season One

• Alexander Faribault –  Released in September of 2015, this episode tells the inspiring story of the town founder.
• Bruce Smith – Released in October of 2015, this episode shares the All-American saga of the Heisman-winning athletic legend from Faribault.
• Liz Strohfus (Betty Wall) – Released in November of 2015, this episode brings the delightful icon herself, Liz Strohfus, to the screen as she shares memories from her high-flying service as a Women Airforce Service Pilot during World War II.
• Bishop Whipple – Released in December of 2015, this episode shares the life of the profound leader who chose Faribault as his base from which to advocate for Native American rights through his sermons and Presidential correspondence.
• Fleckenstein Brewery – Released in February of 2016, this episode serves up the tale of Bavarian immigrants coming to town with nothing but their brewing experience and building up their name to become a local landmark.

Season Two

• Bethlehem Academy – Released in July of 2016, this episode lays out how the pursuit of academic excellence, technological advancement, and faith can all fit under one school’s roof for over 150 years.
• Tilt-A-Whirl  – Released in August of 2016, this episode tells the proud story of the internationally-loved amusement ride invention of an eccentric Faribault craftsman and his family’s legacy.
• Tedd Nelson – Released in August of 2016, this episode of 1855 MINI runs through the story of the Faribault-born Olympic track contender.
• Howard Bachrach – Released in September of 2016, this episode of 1855 MINI attempts the extraordinary feat of detailing this scientist from Faribault’s prolific accomplishments in eradicating harmful diseases such as polio.
• Olaf Hanson – Released in January of 2017, this episode shares the uplifting life story of the first deaf architect in America and the deaf community he helped build up in Faribault.
• Faribault Woolen Mill  – Released in March of 2017, this episode details an internationally-recognized industrial powerhouse with a history and culture that has a following of its own.
• The Season Two finale: the Peoples of Faribault episode. In the longest and most impactful installment to date, Logan and Samuel interview four local experts, in addition to the students of the Cannon River STEM School, and tell the story of the major ethnic groups and nationalities that have populated Faribault since the beginning.

Season 3

• Burkhartzmeyers – Released in October of 2017, this episode charts how one remarkable Faribault family and their prominent local business has touched the lives of countless individuals for over half a century.
• Faribault Foods – Released in March of 2018, this MINI episode shares the history of Faribault Foods with the help of the sixth grade history students of Shattuck-St. Mary’s.
• The Buckhams – Released in May of 2018, this episode shares the compelling journey of the relationship between Thomas and Anna Buckham, a story that will give you a new pride in the beautiful library deep in Faribault’s downtown.
• River Bend Nature Center – Released in June of 2018, this episode discusses River Bend Nature Center, a beautiful and wholly unique asset to the town of Faribault–one that was only made possible by countless hours of work from a myriad of volunteers and community members.

Season 4

• Ivan Whillock – Released in June of 2019, this episode shares the story of artist Ivan Whillock, a world-renowned woodcarver, painter, musician, and author who plays a prominent role in Faribault’s artistic landscape.
• Agriculture in Rice County – Released in July of 2019, this specially produced episode charts the innovation-filled, tumultuous history of agriculture in Rice County–a story that spans thousands of years and reflects the impacts of massive social, technological, and economic changes.
• Joseph Lee Heywood – Released in July of 2019, this episode–the first to feature a story from Faribault’s neighboring community of Northfield–unpacks the life of Joseph Lee Heywood, a Northfielder and Civil War veteran whose tumultuous life was filled with sorrow and heroism–a heroism that would find itself consummated by his infamous, tragic death at the hands of the James-Younger Gang.
• John Scofield – Released in August of 2019, this episode follows the story of an eccentric doctor as he flees his previous life and rises the ranks of Civil War medical leadership while also establishing himself as a prominent figure in southern Minnesota.
• John North – Released in February of 2020, this episode serves as a comprehensive history of John North’s life, from his time as a firebrand abolitionist in college to his work as a utopian integrationist after the Civil War, and how he built three cities–including Northfield–in between.

Season 5

• The Pandemic and the Zeamann Family  This story explores how Faribault and Northfield, two cities in Rice County, responded to and overcame the Spanish Flu–the restrictions, the anxiety, and how neighbors came together when they needed each other most. This is also the story of one Faribault family of Lena and Gottlieb Zeamann, a German immigrant couple, as they struggled through the world-changing events of 1918: the dramatic end of World War One, the onset of the terrible pandemic, and unbelievable heartbreak.
• The Orinoco Company.  In the late 1800s, Faribault tycoons set out to colonize Venezuela in the pursuit of fortune. They banded together to invest in The Orinoco Company, led by the larger-than-life former Mayor of Faribault: Donald Grant.  Logan Ledman and Sam Temple, the team behind the documentary series 1855, are excited to share their latest episode about The Orinoco Company and how the calamitous actions of Faribault investors nearly sparked a war between much of Europe, South America, and the United States.