New book celebrates history of Dassel’s biggest bash
NANCY DASHWOOD
Staff Writer
Dassel’s Red Rooster has lived a long, long time.
This summer, the celebration with the largest chick-
en BBQ in the state hit 60 years old.
To commemorate the milestone, longtime Dassel
Area Historical Society member Maribel Gilmer,
with the assistance of other area experts, compiled
“Through the Years,” a book that examines Red
Rooster’s history from its origins in 1959, to the
present.
Gilmer has lived in Dassel nearly her entire life.
She was employed in a variety of capacities by both
the Dassel Dispatch and the subsequent Enterprise
Dispatch for more than three decades; is a charter
member of the Dassel Area Historical Society; is
an original member of the Village Players theater
group; is an active participant at the Dassel Church
of Christ; and serves on the Red Rooster Commit-
tee.
Information in Gilmer’s book was derived from
interviews with locals Dean Gayner, Chris Hanson,
and Mary Neu, and the fi les of the Dassel Dispatch
(1959 to 1987), and the Enterprise Dispatch (from
1988 to present.)
Gilmer and her team of volunteers also gleaned
information from Don Bollman, Jeanette Servin,
Amy Wilde, Dassel History Center staff, and the
scrapbooks of Dassel ambassadors
All together, “Through the Years” encompasses
nine years of dedicated research.
The book includes pages of information and relat-
ed photographs from every year of the Red Rooster
celebration.
near the 5,000 to 6,000 mark.
The fi rst Red Rooster Day was a
fi nancial success, and the commit-
tee never touched the Commercial
Club’s donation.
Members of the original com-
mittee agreed the event should
continue.
Rooster grows huge
By the time Red Rooster Days
hit 30 in 1989, the multi-day cel-
ebration included a parade, a
fi reworks display, a hymn sing, a
horseshoe tournament, helicopter
rides, trolley rides, garage sales,
and speaker Bill Holm, a well-
known Minnesota author.
“Through the Years’s” epilogue
includes a big-picture overview of
the event’s history.
Summaries covering the Red
Rooster queens, events and activi-
ties, and the chicken BBQ fi ll the
section.
A complete listing of royalty,
ambassadors, and Aquatennial
Commodore’s Award winners
wraps up the 256-page tome.
Maribel Gilmer has worn many hats throughout her life in Dassel. She,
along with many area volunteers, used their experiences, newspaper ar-
chives, and royalty scrapbooks to compile an exhaustive history of Dassel’s
Red Rooster celebrations.
The all-inclusive book is available to
purchase
Celebration in Dassel,” is available for purchase at
the Dassel History Center and at Dassel City Hall.
Book price is $20.
“Through the Years, 1959 - 2019, Red Rooster
Something to crow about from day
one
In the book’s fi rst chapter, entitled “The Begin-
ning,” Gilmer wrote about Red Rooster’s origins.
A committee comprised of locals Dennis Al-
berts, Verdon Schwatz, Tom Jarl, Dean Gayner,
Jack Hardy, Jim Ernhart, Maynard Warne, George
Tesch, and Tom Kealy met with the Dassel Com-
mercial Club May 20, 1959.
After a lengthy discussion, members of the
Commercial Club elected to sponsor the proposed
event, and approved a $1,000 donation to assist
with getting the celebration to fl y.
In “Through the Years,” Gilmer wrote that the
“Red Rooster” moniker came about for several
reasons. At the time, Dassel dubbed itself “the
seed corn and chick center of the northwest.” The
committee also planned to serve chicken to event
attendees.
The Red Rooster name seemed like a good fi t,
and a logo was designed which featured a rooster
standing on a cob of corn.
The fi rst Red Rooster Day took place Sunday,
Sept. 6, 1959, at the Dassel Ball Park.
Attendance estimates for the festivities hovered
14
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