New York Mills Talking Trail: Small Town, Big Life

By Heather Rule

New York Mills has its own Talking Trail with 17 different talking points, a couple of them broken up into two parts.

It’s a piece of history within New York Mills that is a bit of a hidden gem.

“Getting it to people’s forefront of their minds, that it’s something to do,” said Julie Roberts, New York Mills city clerk. “It’s something unique to the area.”

Added Betsy Roder, Executive Director of the New York Mills Regional Cultural Center: “It’s a way to learn more about the history of New York Mills. It’s just another thing to do when you’re coming to town.”

Visitors stop at the New York Mills Regional Cultural Center, spend time there and ask: What else should we do since we’re spending the day here? The Talking Trail is a good answer, and a good way to spend some time exploring the city.

Residents and visitors can experience the Talking Trail in various ways. They can call the phone number listed on each sign for stops on the trail and take an audio tour of the history of New York Mills. Or they can download a free app (QR code on the website) and listen to the Talking Trail. The stops are also listed with audio files available on the website: https://www.talkingtrail.com/newyorkmills.

One stop along the Talking Trail is the Old Pickle Factory. The less-than-three-minute audio clip tells the story of New York Mills being a great place to grow cucumbers and create a major source of income for area farmers in the late 19th and early 20th century. For seven to eight weeks a year, cucumbers would grow and then be loaded into special cars and shipped to Omaha for final processing. New York Mills even had a Pickle Festival in the 1950s and 1960s.

Other stops along the Talking Trail include the Sculpture Park, Central Park, City Hall, Clover County, Whistle Stop B & B, New York Mills Schools, Old Creamery and more.

“Really what the Talking Trail is, is about the history of a place,” Roder said. “It’s a way to understand the history of New York Mills.”

For more information: https://www.talkingtrail.com/newyorkmills