Hi Caleb and Crystal,
So happy that you posted here. The McGuire farm you bought was homesteaded by my great great grandparents, Frances McGuire and Anne Finley, both immigrated from Ireland at a young age. (I still call it the McGuire farm, even though I realize it's not a farm anymore...) After that their son, Patrick McGuire, and his wife Mary Mangan spent their life there. My grandpa, Mike McGuire, grew up in the house, but moved into Henderson when he married. His sibling took over the farm until later in life, then it was sold outside of the family.
My mom, Rosemary McGuire Tracy, grew up in Henderson but spent a lot of time at the McGuire farm (your property in Jessenland). Her mother's health was not good and her dad was busy with his mail route so she would stay with her grandparents there, especially in the summer. Mom died two years ago but I took her to the farm shortly before her death and she was so happy. It's such a beautiful spot. Mom was very happy that the house seems well-cared for and the property well-maintained.
My dad is from Green Isle and I grew up in Green Isle, and spent a good amount of time in town in Henderson visiting my grandpa Mike McGuire and my grandma Myranda Simmer. I now live in Tucson. There aren't any McGuires in the Sibley Co anymore, but in various places around the state, the closest being in Chaska and Montgomery. Side note: My dad's side, Tracy surname, is related to the Maddens of the area, so if there is any connection there we could be distantly related.
The McGuire name is well known in the history of the area. My grandma Mike was the mail carrier for Henderson and Jessenland for his entire life. His wife, Myranda, was a teacher in Henderson and on the school board. His son, Mick McGuire, had an attorney's office in Henderson and was a state representative for the area. His son, that Tom Graham mentioned, is also Mick McGuire, is the mayor of Montgomery, and he is on the board of directors for the Ney Nature Center that other posters have mentioned. My Mom, Rosemary, was a sauerkraut queen. My mom's other brother, Don McGuire, married a Henderson girl and moved to Lakeville, where he was a teacher, principal and superintendent. There is a school named after him in Lakeville.
If you make it out to Ney's, my uncle Mick McGuire has a memorial bench up at the top of the trail at a lookout, and the pollinator gardens around the red barn by the education building are in memory of my mom Rosemary.
My grandpa Mike loved nature and he also frequently took us to Rush River Park and High Island Creek Park so I recommend those places as well. I'm a visual artist and I understand that there is a flourishing artist community in Henderson now so Crystal will like that.
I do have old photos of the property. I have some posted on Facebook, if interested you can friend me here:
https://www.facebook.com/anntracy Otherwise if you want I can email you some when I have some time, just let me know.
I go to Minnesota for a month every summer and generally spend one day in Henderson/Green Isle area. IF you are comfortable with it, I would love to see the inside of the house sometime. I've never been inside. Hope your move-in goes quickly and smoothly. Again, thank you for posting and for buying and enjoying Jessenland and the McGuire farm.
