The Farmington, Minnesota Model T Reunion is one of my favorite events of the year. This year the weather cooperated for a change!
The Farmington Fairgrounds came alive at about 08:00 on Saturday June 8 as Model T’s snorted and puttered about. There was a chassis on a trailer, not ready for this year’s tour but maybe next year.
As it got closer to the 09:00 AM start time we all got into position on the road. A brief driver’s meeting took place. The Praus family brought their 1915 town car this year. Dan had his '23 roadster pickup out for it’s first ever tour! As we reached the city limit roads went to hard clay, then gravel.
With the temperature around 65 degrees and not a cloud in the sky it was perfect top down weather for the '14. It is hard to describe the beauty of a typical Minnesota morning when there is no rain in early June. We spread out so that we would not have to drive in the dust clouds of the cars in front of us on the gravel road.
Our first destination was the Minnesota Veteran’s home, located about 30 miles from Farmington on the route that we travelled. Refreshments were provided. Several of our group gave interested veterans rides in their Model T’s. Here’s the Minnesota Veteran’s web site: https://mn.gov/mdva/assets/HastingsVeteransHome_tcm1066-194988.pdf
Our next stop was the Old Mill Park in Hastings which is right on the Vermillion River. In the 1850’s a mill was established by Alexander Ramsey. It was very important to the town, producing hundreds of bushels of wheat flour per day at its peak in the 1890’s. The mill was burned, arson was suspected.
Here’s a website with more information: Abandoned MN: Ramsey Mill Ruins Hastings, MN Ruins of the old mill are still standing. Meanwhile, a modern mill still uses the powerful current to operate.
From the Old Mill Park we proceeded to the most important stop of the day - Lunch! The Hastings American Legion Post provided a nice lunch for those so inclined. The post is right on the Mississippi river with a great view of the bridge from the parking lot. We went next door to a small pub, the Onion Grille.
After lunch we puttered over to our last stop before returning to Farmington, the nearby Mississippi river locks. Of course I had to go up on the observation platform.
I do enjoy seeing such well written and photograph loaded tour reports! Sure wish I was going on tours like that these days. I used to enjoy them a lot. (family has other ideas.) Hopefully I can get that '15 runabout of mine done and finds ways to get away enough to enjoy tours again.
Thank you.