Speakers

Storyteller Larry Johnson

now available for presentations at schools and other organizations

In 1849 John and Helen Stevens built a small frame house where the downtown Minneapolis Post Office is now located, across the river from St. Anthony Main (then St. Anthony Village).  In and around that house, they organized the city of Minneapolis, Hennepin County, the first Minneapols school, and early support systems for agriculture and gardening in the area.

In 1896 thousands of school children (with a little help from some horse teams) pulled the house from Cedar-Riverside (where it had been moved, rented, and then abandoned) to Minnehaha Park in an official act of historic preservation.

Now, Larry Johnson, Stevens' House storyteller and tour guide, is able to bring this exciting history to your school or group.  Depending on time and age of the group, program can include:

     -- The fascinating history of the Stevens' House and family.
     -- Telling ALMINA PULLS HARDER THAN THE HORSES, a historically accurate, fictional tale of how
        thousands of Minneapols school children pulled the house across town to preserve it.
     -- A math/science/phys.ed activity where children actually calculate their own horsepower
     -- Learning to play some of the old time games and toys common at the time of the Stevens' work          
        here.

Larry Johnson is listed to do ENVIRONMENTAL STORYTELLING programs with Eco Education at www.ecoeducation.org.
He taught storytelling/video/environment as a specialist for over 20 years in the Minneapols schools.  Before that he used storytelling to teach outdoor education as a camp director, and then with the GETTING WELL PROCESS by starting the first participatory patient TV channel at Minneapols Children's Hospital.  He has taught and told stories at Cousin Camp, with his13 grandchildren, as well as at the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta, the Kennedy Center, the State Fair, Sweden and Norway, and many, many more. 

To book a program, call 612-747-3904, or email topstory7@comcast.net  Program fees are similar to other historical presentations -- e.g. 1st Presentation of the day . . . $250   2nd . . . $125   3rd . . . $75   Additional . . . $50
Nearby schools can coordinate programs on the same day to lower the cost for each school.  20 % of each fee goes into the general fund for operation of the Stevens' House activities.