A couple of years ago Blue Earth put on a big party for their sesquicentennial celebration.

Unfortunately, I missed it. I had not moved here at the time of the huge party.

I understand even Peter Noone of the Herman’s Hermits band was here.

I have seen the pictures, and everyone has told me it was a great time. Sorry I missed it.

Now the city of Elmore is gearing up for their own sesquicentennial. It seems Elmore was started in 1863, so their 150th birthday will hit on the year 2013.

Granted, that is still four years away, but there are some folks already busy at work on a project for the celebration.

A group of Elmore – and Elmore area – residents are hard at work on a book for the sesquicentennial.

The book has a pretty impressive – and long – title: ‘Landmarks on the Prairie – Pilot Grove 1858 and Elmore 1863 – in Faribault County, South Central Minnesota 2013.’

That is quite a title. The book is getting quite long as well.

“We have some interesting stories about our early settlers, a list of the veterans from the area, century farms and many other interesting things to read,” says Mary Huber, who is typing up the manuscript.

“A group of people is getting the information together, and Nancy Steele is editing it,” Huber says. “We are all going to check it over to see if something should have been included that is not in the book.”

The committee, besides Huber and Steele, are Dona Blom, Jeanette Hanson and Beverly Krosch.

Now, in order to fund this project, the book group has been holding some fundraisers. Last week Friday they held their latest one, a Good Friday Brunch.

There were 60 women who donated $7 each and had a quiche brunch at the meeting room of the Pioneer Bank in Elmore.

Huber’s husband, George, says he hasn’t seen so many cars on Elmore’s main street since the Saturday nights of the olden days, when all the farmers and their families ‘went to town.’

The group is also selling blue enamelware cups for $5 each. The cups sport the same long title as the book, and the logo on them will be the same as the bookcover.

I think it is pretty nice that a group is taking it upon themselves to get things started now, in anticipation of Elmore’s big celebration four years from now.

Some of the group is from Pilot Grove township, joining forces with the ‘townies’ to work on the book. After all, Elmore is not that large, so a bigger work force is a great idea.

I really didn’t want to point out that according to the book title, Pilot Grove actually had it’s 150th birthday last year, in 2008.

Even though the rural folks are technically five years older, it is a good thing they are working together for Elmore’s – and Pilot Grove’s – big anniversary.

The year 2013 will be here before you know it.