How Much Has Red Wing Changed Over Time?

Is Red Wing changing or mostly staying the same?

I think of that sometimes when I wonder what our city’s fate is in this world. What is Red Wing destined to become? I like what Red Wing offers. I grew up here and wouldn’t have commuted to work in the Twin Cities and Rochester for more than 20 years if I didn’t like it here.

Most residents would likely agree that our unique location gives us a lot to live for. We are a small American city in a rural ag-based county. We are only one hour from a large metro area in one direction and one hour in the other direction from the best health care available. Red Wing has the mighty Mississippi, numerous bluffs with great vistas and it serves as a gateway to Wisconsin as well as the unique Driftless Area. There’s a lot of history here.

But that went unappreciated to a youth who could only see Red Wing’s limitations. Dead Wing, we called it. I wished we had all the cool stores we saw on TV and a McDonald’s in every neighborhood. There were times we visited other schools and I realized how far behind we were.

We didn’t have a swimming pool at school. Baseball and football games were not played anywhere near the high school. Phy Ed was played on blacktop. Hockey was something played up north and soccer was a European thing.

So, for all you kids out there who think nothing ever changes here, take a look at the video “Red Wing in 1953.” Search for it on YouTube. It’s a mostly restored black and white promotional film of Red Wing in 1953.

A Town Full of Warmth

Its purpose was to show how welcoming Red Wing is and how great a place it is to live. In fact, the narrator says, “Our town is full of warmth and bids all welcome.” It was one of many promotional films for cities back then. This one’s theme was “This is Our Town, Red Wing, Minnesota, USA.”

Church attendance was higher here than the state and national averages. The million-dollar annex along Fifth Street was going in at Central High School. The city council members were aldermen, the old Carnegie-Lawther Library was still a landmark as was the post office which, back then, handled about 6,000-7,000 letters a day. “When we stop for our morning mail, we expect to spend a little time chatting with our neighbors,” the narrator said.

The documentary continued with a note about the T.B. Sheldon Memorial Auditorium. It had been converted to a movie theater years earlier and the marquee listed “Scared Stiff,” starring Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. The YMCA was shown as a testament to community efforts to provide a place for everyone to learn to swim. The city’s many parks were highlighted.

The city of 10,500 was depicted as host to a number of diverse trades. Production processes were detailed for Red Wing Shoe Co., SB Foot Tanning Co., Red Wing Potteries, and Red Wing Sewer Pipe Co.

Skilled workers were shown using little personal protection while operating elaborate equipment that wouldn’t come close to meeting OSHA approval today. It also showed keypunch operators (women) manually posting checks at the Goodhue County National Bank and First National Bank. The cars shown in the film wouldn’t do well on the hills of Red Wing in a snowy winter.

A Nice Place to Visit

To contrast this, I watched an episode of “John McGivern’s Main Streets, Red Wing, Minnesota,” (PBS, Feb. 2024). This contemporary documentary was presented with a much different take than the 1953 movie. It is based on what a tourist might see and do in a city built by immigrants, now with a population of just under 17,000.

The overview of Red Wing included the world’s biggest boot and various shoe products, not much on how the shoes are made. Reidell Shoes, the Red Wing Pottery Museum, barge traffic on the river, various stores and restaurants were also shown.

Whereas the 1953 movie seemed to beckon people to make a life here, the McGivern episode promotes local businesses that would draw tourists. The parks were again praised. The Sheldon Theatre’s history was detailed. The Prairie Island Indian Community, the Anderson Center and the St. James Hotel were also highlighted, as well as other places of interest to tourists.

Watch these videos twice (they’re short). The first time, you can’t help but see them as a resident because you recognize the landmarks. Then watch them as someone who might be looking for a town like Red Wing to move to or visit. See what you think.

There’s a lot of 1953 in 2024 Red Wing. Sustaining industries are still here and the bluffs haven’t changed. But so much else has changed that it’s hard to imagine living back then. Maybe that’s what they’ll think of us in 71 years.

I bet it’ll still be a pretty cool place to visit in 2095.