More about THE CHARMS’ early days - see earlier posts for further reference

[The Ravalons - Clockwise, starting with drummer:  Bob Sjostrans, Greg Seagram, Sid Winfield, Jack Reese, and Don Hunt]

You talked about a band where the following played in it at one time or another, but I am unsure of what band you were referring to that they were a part of (or if it may be more than one band - you were free-associating at the time so you may not have necessarily been meaning that they were all a part of one band, but some of one and some of another?). Anyways, they were:

- Maury Finney (sax)

- Allen Finney (? guitar)

- Don Hunt (you) (bass)

- Jack Reese (lead guitar)

- Bob Sjostrand (drums)

- Jim MacKay (drums)

- Sid Winfield (keyboard)

- Cheryl Locken (keyboard)

- Susan Jenson (keyboard)

- Marilyn Olson (keyboard)

Please clarify WHAT band each one was a part of, and approximately when.

See this post on the St. Vincent Memories blog about The Charms, and the line-up as they were characterized for purposes of their ‘hall of fame’ award in 2007 - 

https://56755.blogspot.com/2007/05/rockin-into-hall-of-fame.html - Except for the Finneys, none of the persons above are mentioned in the article, so it’s a bit confusing to me how any of them had been a part of The Charms history.  For instance, you mentioned that the the first concert that The Charms did was in St. Vincent, in the Quonset hut - do you remember what year?  Going by the article in the blog post, I’m guessing it had to be before 1961?

Also, who were the following bands?  Local bands?  Who were in them?

- Sabers

- Ravelons (Winnipeg?)

- ? & the Mysterians (Hallock?)

- Uglies (Hallock?)

Who played at Hootenanys (and where?)

Who played at minstrel shows (and where?…and when?)

To do further research on the above, and to write it up, your further clarifications will be invaluable.  Please respond in writing to this email with your answers.

NOTE:  Don also said that Jack Reese made his first electric guitar in shop class, and it had ‘pick ups’ on it that he made himself…

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Jack Reese told me the following

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The History of the St. Vincent Weather Station: 1880-1892

The St. Vincent weather station was established by the War Department circa 1880.  During the period of 1880 to July 1891, it was under the Office of the Chief Signal Officer, Division of Telegrams and Reports for the Benefit of Commerce and Agriculture. 

St. Vincent was one of the three stations that were instrumental in reporting conditions on June 16, 1887, the day a major tornado hit Grand Forks, ND/East Grand Forks, MN - “Reshaping the Tornado Belt”  

Beginning in July 1891, weather services were established under the new Weather Bureau, and taken from the War Department and becoming part of the Department of Agriculture. St. Vincent remained an active weather station within the Weather Bureau until around 1940. 

Initially, the St. Vincent Signal Station, under the U.S. Army, was manned by soldiers from Fort Pembina.  From 1891 forward, civilian federal employees under the Department of Agriculture took over.  Many observers worked in St. Vincent over the years - men with last names of Day, Frank, Baldwin, Cobb, and Ellis - among others.   

St. Vincent Signal Station daily barometric pressure, temperature, and wind speed readings, for September 1885.

[Click to enlarge and more easily read…]

Cover of July 1885 monthly report, for St. Vincent, Minn. Signal Station.

[Click to enlarge and more easily read…]

April 1885 Monthly Meteorological Report for St. Vincent, Minn. Signal Station.

Sources:

National Archives [War Department. Office of the Chief Signal Officer. Division of Telegrams and Reports for the Benefit of Commerce and Agriculture. St. Vincent (Minnesota) Weather Station. (Ca. 1883-07/01/1891)]