Bill Wolston, local historian and reporter for INSIGHT 7's "90 Seconds of Local History" segment, passed away on January 25, 2015, at age 88. Bill was an exceptional man, and a true Dakota County treasure.
Bill brought local history to life on Town Square Television for 15 years, producing more than 200 local history segments for our news magazine, INSIGHT 7. These segments were also packaged together into their own 18-episode show, Looking Back at Local History. He was the president of the Dakota County Historical Society's board of directors for over two decades, and for several years, he put out two quarterly newsletters: Society Happenings, for the Dakota County Historical Society, and the Little Historian for its Mendota Heights-West St. Paul chapter. Bill instigated partnerships that led to many important community history projects, including The Era of the South St. Paul Stockyards documentary, and the coverage of Dakota County Fair Chatauqua productions. In 2010 the Dakota County Historical Society and Town Square Television partnered to host a Tribute event honoring Bill. You can watch the video from the tribute event here.
His past local history stories can be viewed online and on Town Square Television's channels. A box set of the show, Looking Back at Local History, is also available for purchase on our Order Shows page, and at the Dakota County Historical Society's Lawshe Memorial Museum in South St. Paul, and LeDuc Historic Estate in Hastings.
Click here to read the Bill's obituary from the Pioneer Press.
Click here to read the Bill's obituary from the South West Review