02/28/2026
The photograph displayed on the Isanti County Historical Society page is a pleasure to behold. Until now, the west side of the building had not been seen by us. This newly discovered image also alters our assumption that the original paint was a deeper color.
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CCRfdqtcP/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Ok, so we need to address our last Stadin water tower photo. Within our database, we have over 1,000 photos at our eager little fingertips. When they are brought into our collection, we do our best to "trust but verify" dates, locations, and other important information.
The "Birdseye View of Cambridge" series was accepted into our collection in 2013 and was noted by the donating party as being from 1925. Now, the winter photo may be 1925 (we haven't had a chance to further dissect it), but not the entire series.
After a ton of engagement, a few pieces of the puzzle were found to be missing regarding the year. Like, houses not being in the photo that clearly pre-dated the stated year of 1925.
The glaringly obvious clue was the view looking north, where the high school lacked its 1920 addition. Yeah...we should've caught that.
Anyhoo...we wanted to right the ship. We're glad everyone enjoys the images and stories we share, but mistakes can happen. With that being said, here's another vantage point from the water tower looking SE.
Note the D.O. Anderson (now Carlson-Lillemoen Funeral Home & Cremation Services) home in the right foreground.
We think it's SAFE to state the photo was taken circa 1910.
