History

• The City of Hanska was founded in the year 1901 by the Jenkins Townsite Company.
• Hanska is located in Brown County on Highway 257. Nearby lakes include: Lake Hanska, Lindon Lake, and Lake Omsrud.
• The name Hanska is a Sioux Indian word which means “long and narrow.” It refers to Lake Hanska.
• The Lake Hanska and Lindon Co-Op Creamery and the Lake Hanska-Lindon Store Company were organized and established in the southern part of the present City of Hanska in 1892.
• In 1900, the Minneapolis and St. Louis Railroad started to build a branch line from it’s main line in Winthrop, south through New Ulm to St. James, and further south to Storm Lake, Iowa. The railroad company located it’s line close to the Lake Hanska and Lindon Co-Op Creamery and Store, which had been there for 8 years.
• The Jenkins Townsite Company came to the location of the Lake Hanska and Lindon Co-Op Creamery and Store and laid out the townsite, naming it Hanska, after the township. The name Hanska is a Sioux Indian word meanign long and narrow, which refers to the 9 mile long and narrow Lake Hanska a short distance southwest of the city.
• On August 1st, 1913, the Hanska Schoolhouse burned to the ground. The building was struck by lightning during a fierce storm, and within 2 hours it was totally consumed by the fire. Only a few books, the school’s organ, and 2 desks were saved. The rest of the town was saved from destruction due to the heavy downpour and lack of wind. Work on a new school building started later that fall.
• Hanska became a “wet” town in the mid-1930′s with the opening of the Municipal Liquor Store. The revenue generated by the new Muni allowed Hanska to construct a city water system, including the water tower and water mains.

Businesses

• School children in Hanska for the most part attend classes in New Ulm. District 88 is the home of the Eagles.
• Hanska is the home of several gift and specialty shops, most of them celebrating the town’s Norwegian heritage.
• The Hanska Bowling Alley is a good place to relax and have some fun.
• Area farmers have a place to store their grain at the Hanska Farmer’s Co-Op.
• Great deals on home furnishings are available in the town of Hanska at Hanska Furniture.
• Hanska residents are able to take care of all of their banking needs without leaving town at Alliance Bank.
• Sleepy Eye Telephone Company came to Hanska in 2005. Residents have a choice for their cable and telephone needs.

Festivals & Events

• Hanska’s biggest celebration of the year is Syttende Mai, the commemoration of Norway’s independence from Sweden. The Scandinavian folk festival also celebrates the coming of spring, and means “May 17th.” Syttende Mai features lots of music and dancing, arts and crafts, and “Hanska Hot Dogs,” which are hot dogs wrapped in lefse.
• Hanska’s churches hold annual events that are always eagerly anticipated. The Nora Unitarian Church has a Smorgasbord every October. The Zion Lutheran Church holds a Lutefisk Feed in October as well. Everyone loves lutefisk!
• There are special Norwegian groups that usually perform throughout the summer in Hanska, and the Hanska Chorus, too.
• The Hanska Fire department holds 2 fundraising events each year. The Pancake Feed takes place in late winter or early spring, they also have the Porkchop Feed in the fall.
• The Hanska Baseball Association holds a special tournament every year on the 4th of July. They are also responsible for the town’s top-notch fireworks display.

People

• The City of Hanska has a population of approximately 450 people. The Mayor is Dick Willis.
• The Hanska area is home to the Lins-Hans-Rud dancers. The group has Scandinavian folk dancers from around the region. Up to 70 people participate in the group, which includes adult, junior, and children’s divisions. The dancers perform at festivals around the area, and have even performed at Walt Disney World in Florida.
• Hanska’s “Blackstad Brothers” are referred to as Minnesota’s answer to the Everly Brothers. Dennis and Craig Blackstad are still performing, but only for special events.
• Proud of their Norwegian heritage, Hanska has a Sons of Norway lodge which meets monthly.
• The Antique Automobile Club of America’s Minnesota Region chose the City of Hanska for their annual “Spring Fling” in 2010. Around 100 classics rolled into Hanska for the Syttende Mai Parade.
• The City of Hanska hired Chris Fischer as the new Clerk/Treasurer for the city in 2010. Former Hanska Clerk/Treasurer Arnie Smesmo submitted his resignation after being injured in a car accident in November 2010. The 70-year-old suffered a broken ankle after being struck by a pick-up truck while crossing Broadway in Hanska.
• In 2010 the Nora Universalist Church in Hanska broke ground for their wind turbine near Mount Pisquah Cemetery, to provide electricity for its building. Any excess energy that is produced will be sold to Alliant Energy. The project is partially financed by a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture.
• The Hanska City Council welcomed two new faces in 2011. Wayne Nelson and heather Kloeckl were sworn in during the first council meeting of the year for 2011.
• The City of Hanska celebrated the 27th annual Syttende Mai festival in May 2011. The Norwegian independence celebration included a vintage car-tractor-motorcycle show, flea market and craft fair, an all-school reunion, and pie and ice cream socials, as well as the grand parade.
• Ray and Shirley Bentdahl of Hanska donated $1 million dollars to the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation in 2011. The funds were to be used at the discretion of the Foundation’s Board of Directors to advance life-saving research and education programs.
• Jeffrey Bode of Hanska won $25,000 in 2011 playing the Minnesota Lottery’s $100,000 Wild Cherries Scratch Game, which he purchased at the Courtland Mart.
• Chris Oehler of Hanska was named the new general manager of the POET Biorefining ethanol plant in Lake Crystal in 2011. Oehler has a bachelor degree in dairy science and agricultural education from South Dakota State University in Brookings. Prior to joining POET, he worked for Del Monte for 10 years, including a position as plant manager of the Sleepy Eye location.
• A new wind turbine was being built in 2011 at the Nora Unitarian Church in rural Hanska. The church erected a 120ft, 20 kilowatt wind turbine near the Mount Pisquah Cemetery that will provide one and a half times the electricity it needs for the building. When excess energy is produced, it will be sold to Alliant Energy. It was partially funded by a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture.

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