History of Pow Wow

The first Pow Wow was held on August 24, 1923, as a one-day event. The festival was given its name by Mountain Lake native, Frank Balzer Jr., who had returned home after attending college at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota. While a student at Carleton, Balzer recalled an event called a Pow Wow, which was roughly translated as “a gathering,” and believed that accurately described what were the growing plans for event by its originators. The day included games for the boys and girls, along with a Zephyr Band concert.

Additional early Pow Wow activities included the Cottonwood County Junior Pig show (along with cow and horse judging contests), the winners winning free trips to the Minnesota State Fair; demonstrations by the champions in sewing and baking contests, tugs-of-war, ball games and automobile, horse, wheelbarrow, foot sack, fat men and greased pig races.

Pow Wow was held in August until 1947, when it shifted to June, only to be switched to July in 1952. The date returned to June in 1953, and has remained a part of the year’s sixth month since.

There were no Pow Wow celebrations for a total of 11 years, spanning the decades, due to a number of reasons, including an infantile paralysis pandemic that closed down events in 1930, 1931 and 1932; World War II stopped short festivities in 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945 and 1946. It returned again in 1947, but none was held from 1948 through 1951.  However – since 1952 (when it was extended to a two-day affair and moved to June) – Pow Wow has continued year-after-year – in unrelenting fashion.

In honor of the 83rd anniversary of Mountain Lake Pow Wow, following is a reprise of historical photographs from prior Pow Wow years (with a few more photos added in). They bring back many fond memories – and many local people can be recognized, albeit a few years younger than they are now. See what Pow Wow reflections these pictures bring to you – as well as who you can find in them that you know.
So many memories packed into one square block.