The Red Jacket Valley is located in Blue Earth County, the heart of southern Minnesota. With its wooded rolling hills and meandering rivers, this historic valley has endured many changes over the past 150 years.

Let your imagination wander back in time as the stories and pictures recreate an era when the first trains traveled through the countryside and school children played at the Indian Lake schoolhouse. The old pioneers have since passed on, but their stories are longing to be told.

Few of the original historic structures exist today. In some cases, our only reminder is a small marker on the side of the road or the crumbling remnants of an old bridge. This book is an attempt to preserve the rich history of the Red Jacket Valley, one of many historical regions of Minnesota's vast heritage.

Chapter titles include: History of the Red Jacket Valley, Fort L'Huillier, Gold, Red Jacket Mill, Red Jacket Trestle, Red Jacket Bridge, Red Jacket Trail, Red Jacket School, Indian Lake School, Indian Lake, Jones Ford, Kern's Bridge (Yaeger Bridge), and Skihaven (Mount Kato).