The 1960's
When the City Was the Stage
Public parks were still a big option in decade two, with six of the ten hunts occurring in more open areas. But hunters had a great deal more to think about in the 60s. No, I'm not talking about the political, musical, and generational changes so evident of the times. We'll leave that for a Time/Life Presents... series. Thoughts of medallion hunters were on the implications of a quick repeat of Harriet Island (1960 and 1966) and of hiding the booty near Rondo Street in the early half of the decade and off of I-35E in the later one. Interstate culture was upon the Twin Cities, and with the added bustle, the medallion would soon be relegated to the public park system.
| Year | General Location | Pinpointed location | How it was concealed |
| 1970s | |||
| 1969 | Interstae 35E at Victoria Street | On the bridge of the then-future highway intersection | Frozen rocks |
| 1968 | Highland Park | Near three oak trees up the hill from the intersection of Lexington Pkwy, Montreal Ave., and W. 7th, St. | A piece of plasterboard |
| 1967 | Minnesota State Fairgrounds | Between the Judging Arena and the KTCA booth | A horseshoe |
| 1966 | Harriet Island park | Between the baseball ddiamonds | An old-fashioned clothes iron |
| 1965 | Como Park | 100 paces east of the Larry Ho plaque | A block of printer's lead |
| 1964 | Beaver Lake Park | Near the intersection of Edgewater Blvd. and Geranium Avenue | A gold colored brick |
| 1963 | Between Farrington and Louis Sts. and Rondo and Carroll Aves. | On the ground near a hollow stump | Loosly tossed in the snow |
| 1962 | Mississippi River Freeway | Near a survey marker for the soon-to-be Interstate 35E | Hard-packed snow |
| 1961 | Highland Park | Near the ballfields at Montreal and Edgecumbe | A clump of grass |
| 1960 | Harriet Island Park | In the woods in the west end of the park | In the heel of a boot |
| 1950s | |||
During the 1990’s, the St Paul Pioneer Press opened online discussion forums. These forums were called Water Coolers. The forums had discussion topics related to sports, politics, news, and current events. Each year, the Pioneer Planet – the online section of the Pioneer Press – opened a discussion forum as a media for hunters to discuss the clues for the Winter Carnival Medallion Hunt.
During the earlier years, one might find a few hundred posts during the hunt. As more hunters had computers, those numbers jumped. From 1997 to 1998, the number of posts increased from the hundreds to the 5-digit thousands. It was during the 1998 hunt the Cooler Crew was born.
The community spirit and teamwork displayed in the Pioneer Press Medallion Hunt thread was inspiring. The group of hunters found themselves at the end of a hunt not wanting to let go of new friendships and the camaraderie found on the Water Cooler board. The idea emerged to do what anyone would do in the middle of winter in Minnesota. A picnic in Cherokee was planned - the first Rehash Bash!
