- [Announcer] Funding for this program is provided in part by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the citizens of Minnesota.

(vibrant music) (upbeat music) - [Presenter] Coming up on the next "Off 90", we travel to Fairmont to visit the Red Rock Center for the Arts.

Then we head to Austin and visit the famous SPAM Museum.

And finally, we visit Winona to learn about Max Conrad.

It's all just ahead on the next "Off 90".

(upbeat music continues) (bright music) (bright music continues) (upbeat music) (vibrant music) - We're here at the Red Rock Center for the Arts, which is a facility, it's a historic facility that hosts visual art exhibits as well as performing arts here in Fairmont.

- This building was originally built in 1898 to be a Christian Science church.

In 1937, the Christian Church purchased it and they met here for many years.

- The building was saved just two weeks before it was being demolished.

And one of the reasons, they had a Carnegie Library in town, which was torn down and built a new library in the same spot.

So we didn't want that to happen to this building.

- We don't like to see these beautiful historic buildings disappear.

I think it's important for the younger generations to see and to value these beautiful buildings.

I grew up in this neighborhood and I played in the window wells and several of the kids who went to Central School played in the window wells.

That's how I came on to the project.

The architect projected this cost to come in at 1.2 million, but because there were volunteers who did all of the restoration work, we were able to come in at $600,000.

- To get a grant from the Minnesota Historical Society, we had to leave the building just exactly the way it was originally built.

Like all the stones the same, and the windows the same.

- And so Herrig Construction from Mountain Lake came in and numbered every stone when they took it down and put each stone back in its original place.

- So this organization, the facility, is critically important to the cultural life here in Fairmont and Martin County, a large area, because there are very few places where local artists can come and engage, or students and adults to come and take art classes and engage in visual and performing arts in the way that they do within this facility.

And without facilities such as this one, life is much, much more boring.

So it really enhances the quality of life for all residents here in our area.

- The Red Rock is a unique space, because it is all inclusive to the community and surrounding areas in Fairmont, and we offer so much to the community.

We offer rentals here for weddings and events.

We also have dinner theaters, live music, gallery shows, artist shows, but also here in-house we have teachers who teach art classes.

I've often had people say that they love to see the art on the walls while they're at a different event.

It's a nice space for all kinds of people to enjoy.

- So the Red Rock Center for the Arts offers post-secondary scholarships for students that are pursuing art careers in either visual or performing arts.

- I really do think art is the backbone of any sort of education that you're going to go into.

Medical, science, math, art is a creative outlet and a foundation and creativity sparks more creativity, which then again, just turns into something beautiful.

This space for viewing art is an incredible asset to Fairmont, and it's nice to be so tangible to local artists.

An artist or musician, young or old, high school student could come in here and present to Blake about holding a show and he would be all about it, because we want it to be accessible for any stage of the process that you're in.

- There are many challenges keeping a historic facility and an arts facility in a small rural area alive, and one of those is obviously funding to ensure that we have the appropriate funding, not just for programming, but also for operating and for capital expenditures as well.

So that's one significant piece, but also just engagement and donations and sponsorships.

Being in a smaller area like this, there's a lot of support here and there's all sorts of grants that we can apply for to assist with our programming and general operating and capital expenditures.

But that's always the most difficult thing is, is finding the money to make sure that we can have the impact in the community that this community deserves for this facility to have.

I think the future for the Red Rock Center for the Arts is incredibly bright.

There are so many local artists and engaged people, volunteers, performers who have been here, who really, truly love the space, and they've given countless hours, countless performances, and supported the facility in many different ways, that there's nowhere to go but up.

People want this facility to be used.

In fact, if it weren't for the community, this facility wouldn't exist.

And so because we are built by the community and we serve the community, we will continue to serve and be for the community for generations to come.

- When people walk through the doors here, I want them to look up in the amazing space and just be like, "Wow, this is really cool."

While this is an old building, and it's still here, because there was so many people that cared, if you care for things, they last a long time.

- [Sandy] I think when people come in here, they're in awe of these beautiful stain-glass windows.

It's so beautiful when the sun shines through the windows.

The acoustics are wonderful for performing arts.

It's just a wonderful place to come and be entertained for an evening.

(upbeat music) (bright music) - I'm Stephanie Kibler, manager of the SPAM Museum in Austin, Minnesota.

(upbeat funky music) (upbeat funky music continues) (upbeat funky music continues) (upbeat funky music continues) The SPAM Museum averages about 10,000 visitors a year.

We are approaching our 100,000th visitor in 2027.

- Well, we were trying to plan a unique spring break experience.

We didn't have a lot of time to prepare, and we just kind of got in the car and started heading out West.

Mount Rushmore has always been on our bucket list, and we decided it was time to just go get that one done.

We started off in Michigan.

We've driven close to 700 miles to get here, and probably about the same amount of distance yet on the second half of our trip.

But this is a great layover and a good stop for us.

- The SPAM Museum gets visitors from all around the world, the U.S.

of course, Hawaii is a popular visiting site, Philippines, the UK.

- Well, I think my kids are having a blast at the SPAM packaging factory station over there.

I've got a wide age range in my family, 8-year-old all the way up to 18-year-old.

All four of them were over there together, packing SPAM, and racing each other.

So anytime you can get your entire family to engage on an activity like that, it's kind of a win.

- The SPAM Museum offers a lot of interactives as well as video clips.

You can download recipes and send them to yourself.

We have a plant exhibit where you can actually see how fast you can make a can of SPAM.

We have a global market, so you can see the different countries that the SPAM products are located in.

During World War II, SPAM became a major part of feeding the troops, not just U.S.

troops, but the other allied troops as well.

- Pounds of SPAM and SPAM products were sent overseas to the military.

Not only did they have the rations that the military provided, they also had SPAM, and it was so much of a relief for the soldiers.

They said, "You've never experienced SPAM until you've had it on the point of a knitting needle in a foxhole."

That's how they had their SPAM.

It started with the war of 1898, continued through World War I, World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam War, Persian Gulf War, Desert Storm, still continues today.

They send SPAM products to our military.

In fact, Hormel was so important, the government made it a war plant.

They had to put up a huge fence all the way around the plant here in Austin.

They would take pictures of the employees and they all had to be fingerprinted, and it got put on a button.

You had to wear that button to get into the plant, you had to wear that button to get out, because the government didn't want anybody coming in and trying to sabotage Hormel and all they did for the military.

- SPAM has 11 varieties, so there's a little something for everyone.

My favorite is the Bacon SPAM.

- You know, it's funny you ask.

I don't, but all of a sudden, now that I've tasted some of the samples here, I think Korean barbecue is now my favorite.

But it's been quite a while since I've even eaten SPAM, maybe since I was a kid.

And I think that's gonna change.

This is pretty cool.

I think fried SPAM is the only variety I've had.

My grandma would slice it, throw it in a pan, and just serve it on a plate to us, and that's how we ate it.

But I can see now there's a lot more options, a lot more variety.

And I need to expand my culinary palate.

- One of the biggest questions we get from people, "What is in a can of SPAM?"

They take the pork shoulder meat, they take the ham, and they meld that together.

Then they add the salt, the water, the potato starch, the sugar, and the sodium nitrite.

That is what is in a can of SPAM along with the flavoring.

That's it.

So people are kind of amazed sometimes, because they didn't realize that's the ingredients in a can of SPAM.

- We do get a lot of questions on the "Monty Python" song and other parody songs, many of which are on screens throughout the museum.

(audience laughs) - Could I have egg, bacon, SPAM and sausage without the SPAM?

- Ugh!

- What do you mean, "Ugh"?

I don't like SPAM.

♪ SPAM, SPAM, SPAM, SPAM, ♪ ♪ SPAM, SPAM, SPAM, SPAM ♪ ♪ Spamity SPAM, wonderful SPAM ♪ ♪ Spamity SPAM ♪ - Shut up, shut up!

Shut up, shut up!

- The iconic blue and yellow can has been celebrated here in Austin, Minnesota for 89 years, as well as around the world.

In 2027, we are looking forward to celebrating the 90th year of SPAM.

Most of our visitors who come here are very passionate about SPAM.

Everybody has a SPAM story, and if you're looking for something to take home with you, the SPAM gift shop has a plethora of fun, quirky items, as well as all the flavors of SPAM.

- You know, I would just say, hey, it's a quirky fun stop.

Anybody should put it on your itinerary, if you got an option.

You know, when you're on a family vacation, the goal is always to make memories and put smiles on faces.

And the SPAM Museum has done just that.

From the moment we pulled in the parking lot, you couldn't wipe the smile off your face.

Just saying the name kind of, you know, makes you chuckle a little bit.

But reserve parking spots for SPAM fans, reserve EV chargers for SPAM fans, you know, iconic American brand, bright colors, you know, fun exhibits for the kids.

But you know what, what more can you ask for?

Amazing family stop, everybody should do it.

- Come and visit us seven days a week.

We have free admission for everyone.

♪ SPAM, SPAM, SPAM, SPAM ♪ (fireworks explode) (bright music) (blues music) (plane engine roars) - Well, good morning and welcome to Max Conrad Field and the fixed base operation here at WinAir.

Max Conrad Field is the municipal airport for the city of Winona.

It's the second airport for the city.

This airport was constructed in 1948 and has been extended about two or three times since its original.

The airport is fully instrument-rated.

We are lit at night.

During the day we have a corporate jets coming in here all the time.

We have charter airplanes that come in the time.

And of course we have flight training here, which was Max's signature operation in the world.

The original airport, for those of you that are not maybe familiar, was on Old Highway 61, nowadays, where the Zesto ice cream parlor is.

And it went towards the Bluffs at that time, and that's where Max Conrad started his flight school and his flying career.

Max was there for an extended period of time until 1948.

Max and the airplane came into the world at nearly the same time.

Max would be just shy of a year old when the Wright brothers made their first flight at Kitty Hawk in December, 1903.

Max would first take to the air about 25 years later.

- [Narrator] "January 20th, 1928.

Have been very restless and dissatisfied of late with the way I'm drifting along, not getting any place.

For the past few months I've had a desire to get into the aviation game.

And tomorrow morning I shall go into the bank, borrow $4,000 and leave Sunday night for Chicago, have made tentative arrangements with a pilot down there to teach me flying.

If I take to it as I hope to, I shall buy a plane and put in about 50 hours cross country flying, so that I can get my commercial pilot's license."

- [Reporter] "Max Conrad Jr.

son of Mr.

and Mrs.

Max Conrad, will arrive in Winona this afternoon in a new airplane he purchased in Wichita, Kansas.

Mr.

Conrad will be the second man in the city to own and fly an airplane.

But always interested in mechanics, Max Conrad abandoned a mechanical and electrical engineering course at the University of Minnesota a year ago to take up the newer study of aeronautics."

- [Narrator] "June 30th, 1928.

Boy, today was a big day, made about 25 flights and took passengers up each time, some of which paid their $2 and 50 cents, made about $40.

Not bad for the first payday.

Haven't been able to get my mother and father up yet though.

I've promised to take my father on a trip to his other stores in Eau Claire and Duluth and Rochester.

That will be big stuff for the fur business.

Everything went fine today.

I may like the way my plane flies and handles.

The only trouble I've had is that darn oil leak, which I can't seem to completely remedy."

(blues music) - [Reporter] "Winona Republican Herald, September 7th, 1928.

A new record for speedy delivery is believed to have been set by the Conrad Fur company.

A particular woman customer requested a particular type of fur coat at the Conrad Fur Store in Rochester, Tuesday, but it was not in stock.

However, the Winona division of the company did have it.

While the customer waited, a long distance call was put into Winona.

'We will have it you in 20 minutes,' Max Conrad Sr.

told his employees in his Rochester store.

Max Conrad Jr.

jumped on a motorcycle and rode to the flying field with the coat.

He took off in his airplane and 20 minutes later arrived at the Graham Airport in Rochester with the coat.

The customer with a wait of less than one half hour had received a coat from 50 miles away.

Winona Republican Herald, December 29th, 1928, Max Conrad is slightly hurt and his plane damaged when a wingtip struck a haystack during takeoff from a Prairie Island landing strip in Winona."

- [Harold] I was born here in Winona and lived in Winona for most of my life.

I graduated high school in 1927.

I met Max when we were playing handball at the YMCA and then went flying with him.

I went with him on barnstorming trips.

At the time, there weren't too many airplanes around, so Max would be kept busy for most of the day at these county fairs like St.

Charles and Colfax, Wisconsin and other places.

Max would be flying most of the day, fly, then land, take some more passengers, go up, come down and go up again.

Those of us who went with him would fly the airplane over and back to those fairs we went to.

But Max would take all the passengers, 'cause the rest of us didn't have our licenses yet.

- You know, he is done a lot.

There's so much things he's done.

There's a great book out there about his wife who was Beatrice Biesanz, Biesanz Stone Quarry.

The two of them were married together and it was just a great, great thing.

And she was there for him all the time.

- [Betty] I think the life and exploits of Max Conrad, my husband, contains enough material to make a series of radio programs of interest to people of all ages.

As a human likable personality, Max has lots of real fans.

First always his 10 children, three sons and seven daughters.

Always he has loved children and he plays with them and gives them the attention they need so badly these days.

His Christmas day airplane rides were and still are, standard procedure every Christmas afternoon 'til dark.

Early in his flying days, the Curb Stone Club formed boys and girls who would wait in front of his house sitting on the curb stone until their hero would emerge and give him a ride to the airport and then work and free instruction.

How many learned to fly this way?

Probably a hundred or more.

There's more than a slight reminder of old times in the saga of Max Conrad, the 47-year-old pilot who has just flown the country to establish a new nonstop transcontinental time record for very light airplanes.

Even today, when citizens have long since stopped craning their necks at every passing plane, Mr.

Conrad's feat still ranks as pretty impressive.

This was Max's coast to coast unofficial record set last May.

His Piper Pacer is about as small as the plane can get nowadays, and he made his flight on $35 worth of gasoline, a package of Graham crackers and a harmonica, equipment well within the comprehension of the ordinary citizen.

The other qualities went into his feat, the skill, the courage, the technical know-how are of course a little more difficult to get.

To Mr.

Conrad, who has already flown the Atlantic both ways in his tiny plane, his newest flight may not seem like anything special.

When he stepped to the ground at LaGuardia Field, after 23 hours and 4 minutes in the air, he merely yawned.

- Another thing that he did was he did the Paul Revere ride, in which he took an airplane and went from to capital to capital of the lower 48 states.

And he had a gift I think that was designed for him to present to the government, state government in each of those states.

He also was doing a pole to pole flight that originated from here.

- [Max] Well, I've gone around the world a number of times, but not north and south.

- [Interviewer] Pole to pole?

- [Max] Yeah, and I did try it last year and I went a long ways, but didn't get down to the South Pole.

There were a whole bunch of things went bad last year, and I think I'm better prepared this time and I'm going a better route.

I think I have a better fighting chance.

- He was gonna go to the South Pole first and then the North Pole.

He landed at the South Pole, but on the takeoff of going to the North Pole, they had an issue.

They had an issue with the airplane and it got damaged, and at that time, the government would not allow that to be, you know, repaired and to take off.

So Max had to abandon his goal of going.

But Max's biggest signature operation in the world was his long distance flying, especially with the Piper Aircraft company.

Bill Piper and Max were very, very, very close friends, and Max still holds long distance flight records that no one has done in even this new modern era.

And there's no question that he inspired a lot of people to do the flying.

(up-tempo blues music) Max Conrad passed away in his sleep in the bunkhouse at the Piper Aircraft Factory on April 3rd, 1979.

He logged more than 50,000 flight hours in his lifetime and flew across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans nearly 200 times.

And in 1992, he was inducted into the Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame.

The Winona Municipal Airport was renamed in his honor in 1961 and nearly 15,000 people turned out for the ceremony to honor Max that day.

I met Max multiple times, had great visits with him when I first met him.

Matter of fact, I was sitting here and all of a sudden he pulled up, he flew in and from Chicago to get his driver's license renewed.

Max was well-known throughout the industry and gave a lot.

He gave a lot back.

A gentleman, a true gentle gentleman.

(upbeat music) (upbeat music continues) (upbeat music continues) (upbeat music continues) (bright music) - [Announcer] Funding for this program is provided in part by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the citizens of Minnesota.

(bird cries) - All right, this is where it all started.

It started with John and Susannah Hormel.

Their parents immigrated from Germany in 1833, okay?

They ended up having 12 kids.

- Wow.

- One of them was George Hormel.

George is the founder of the Hormel Company, and that is George right up there with his wife, Lillian, who was a teacher here in Austin.

And they had one son, Jay, who eventually took over the company when George decided to retire.

This was downtown Austin, when George decided to start his business.

The SPAM Museum that we are in right now, it was located about right here.

And the building that George had his provision market in is about right there.

But this is a main street.

See the canopies, the horse-drawn wagons and things like that.

Okay, the provisioned market was such a booming business right away, because George was a master butcher and people found out that he made an excellent product.

So they were traveling 50 and 75 miles to buy his dry sausage, everything that he had in his provision market, which is pictured right back here.

This is what the inside of the market looked like, okay?

You would come in and buy it right off the hook.

They didn't have cars and trucks that went 75 miles an hour.

They traveled horse and buggy.

So it took 'em a while to get to the market.

So you really wanted to buy that stuff back in those days.