Faribault Water Tower Logos, Beans, Blankets, Blue Cheese

The Faribault City Council recently discussed what logos should be on the new water tower coming to Northwest Faribault.  Mayor Kevin Voracek told KDHL listeners this morning the project completion date is the end of 2023.

I suggested one side be a picture of a Tilt-A-Whirl, another a Faribo Woolen Mill blanket.  You could add a can of Faribo Foods Butter Kernel corn or a brick of Caves of Faribault Blue Cheese.

The current proposal is for one logo on the north side and the other on the south side of the water tower.

Maybe you could include two products with each logo under the words across the top, "Faribault Birthplace Of."

A picture of a package of America's first Blue Cheese, Amablu could be shown founded in 1936 by Felix Frederiksen in Faribault under the name Treasure Cave, Inc.  It closed in the 1990's.

Faribault Dairy Inc. was founded in June of 2001.  They have Caves of Faribault Cheese which have expanded product choices with a number of internationally acclaimed blue cheese delights.

The natural sandstone caves were carved in the 1850's for Fleckenstein Brewery which operated until prohibition was ratified by the states in 1919.

Sharing that side of the 750,000 gallon water tower could be Faribault Foods with a can of Butter Kernel Corn.

In 1895 ten local farmers bought out Faribault Canning and Preserving Company which started in 1888 and according to the Faribault Foods website had been struggling.

Born was Faribault Canning Company which steadily grew.  By 1990 an average of 350,000 cans of corn were packed each season.

The other side of the water tower could have a picture of a Faribault Woolen Mill Blanket.  Founded on the banks of the Cannon River in 1865 it grew to become the longest surviving woolen mill in Minnesota.

The current building is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Final logo would include a Tilt-A-Whirl car.  Herb Sellner invented the iconic ride in 1926.  Sellner Manufacturing was in Faribault until it was sold in 2010.

I'd love to see what you think.  Currently the proposal from the company chosen to erect the water tower, Caldwell Tanks, is for current City of Faribault logos to be placed there at a cost of $9,500 each.

Caldwell Tanks is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky and was started in 1887.

Personally I like the idea of having something more eye catching than your basic water tower you see in virtually every community.

We should be proud of these historic Faribault born businesses.  They helped Faribault into the blue collar town it is today.

There are other historic places which could be honored but of course we are limited.  A few others would include:

• Our Merciful Savior Cathedral, the first church in the Episcopal Church in the United States of America to be designed as a cathedral.  It boasts the same architect as St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York and the Smithsonian Institution Building in Washington, D.C.  (James Renwick Junior)
• Shattuck-St. Mary's School started in June of 1858.
• Bruce Smith, University of Minnesota only Heisman Trophy winner (1941) and Faribault High School graduate.
• Burkhartzmeyer Shoes started in 1949.
• Erickson Furniture opened it's doors in Faribault in 1956.
• KDHL Radio and the Faribault Daily News both started in 1948.
• Alexander Faribault House, first frame residence in Rice County built in 1852.
• Faribault Pet Parade has been a community tradition 85 years.

There was a water tower coloring contest.  You can check out some of the colorful ideas kids shared.

Do you like to eat?

Familiar with any of these?