Musical finale for city's 150th

By FRITZ BUSCH

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- New Ulm Battery First Lieutenant John Fritsche slowly wound up a long electrical cord late Sunday afternoon in German Park.

He was a bit tired, but seemed content with the thunderous finale to New Ulm's 150th anniversary celebration weekend.

The Thunder in the Valley event included a wide variety of American and German music performed by the New Ulm Municipal Band. Cannon firing by the New Ulm Battery and eight other participating cannons from four surrounding states, which accompanied the finale, Tshcaikovsky's "1812 Overture, was over.

The crowds were gone. Cannons were slowly being wheeled onto trailers for journeys home to places like Princeton, Lakeville, Rinelander and Eau Claire, Wis., Cherokee and Lake View, Iowa and Gettysburg, S.D.

Now Fritsche, his wife and the rest of the New Ulm Battery will hit the road to perform at re-enactments in Fort Dodge and Mason City, Iowa and Black River Falls, Wis. and at a black powder and cannon shoot at Waverly.

He appreciated the large crowd attending the event in Riverside Park.

"We had more people here than I ever thought we would," Fritsche said. "All the friends I've made in this (re-enactment and cannon firing) business over the past 35 years were here. They came to our shoot, now we'll go to theirs."

Fritsche said he hoped those that attended the event enjoyed it and learned something.

New Ulm 150th Anniversary Chairman Ron Fleischmann was thrilled with the Thunder in the Valley event.

"It was really awesome, a tremendous event," Fleschmann said. "It was impressive and a rarity to see that many cannons. The crowd was overwhelming and the weather was beautiful, creating an unbeatable combination."

Fleischmann said he hoped everybody walked away from anniversary events with great memories, as he did.

More than $2,000 was raised Sunday at the Charity Celebrity Auction, the third such auction of memorabilia that Fleischmann has been collecting over the last four years. A mug from Eibner's Restaurant was the top-selling item in the auction. Fueled by sentiment for the historic New Ulm cafe brought in more than $250.

The last event of the celebration was a concert by the U.S. Marine Reserve Band from New Orleans, La., held at Martin Luther College.

"It was a perfect crescendo to a perfect weekend," said Fleischmann, who searched for words to describe the experience of planning and putting on the celebrations this weekend.

"Magical... It was tremendous. The community coming together like it did, great turnout, perfect weather, the volunteers who worked so hard. I feared that I would be a basket case, but all the hard work was done, the committees came through in shining order... I just enjoyed the whole weekend."