Dakota-U.S. War of 1862 program at Dassel Historical Society

Author Dean Urdahl, a lifelong resident of Meeker County and an avid Civil War re-enactor, will discuss his historical novel, “Uprising,” about the Dakota-U.S. War of 1862 at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 31, at the Dassel Area Historical Society, 901 First Street N. in Dassel. Light refreshments will be served after the program.

In “Uprising,” Urdahl wrote a story that features several fictional characters as well as real-life Dakota leaders Little Crow, Cut Nose, Chaska, Little Six, Wabasha, and Medicine Bottle, as well as Union soldiers, Corporal William Sturgis, Lt. Tom Gere, Lt. Timothy Sheehan and General Henry Hastings Sibley and the mixed-race Renville Rangers.

Local historic pioneer families who were affected by the conflict are also woven into the story. Urdahl makes reference to the Solomon Foot, Robinson Jones, Lars Endreason and Olav Olson families. Urdahl also brings in his own great-grandfather, Ole Halvorson Ness, who supervised the construction of the original Forest City Stockade.

There’s no charge to attend the program and the public is welcome. For more information, call the Dassel Area Historical Society at (320) 275-3077.

(Kay Johnson is a staff writer at the Hutchinson Leader. She can be reached at johnson@hutchinsonleader.com).