1855 Season 5

    1855 has always committed to being a community-focused process. Local artists contribute to the graphic design and music of the series, several episodes were created in collaboration with middle-school students to encourage their interest in local history, and non-profits such as the Faribault Foundation (our fiscal agent), the Faribault Diversity Coalition, the Paradise Center for the Arts, and the Rice County Historical Society have become trusted partners and supporters. Further, by retelling local history, 1855 seeks to encourage regional pride and community values. In one example, a stage play retelling of several local history stories titled “A Celebration of Faribault,” local musicians, actors, and the wider community came together to celebrate the life of town founder Alexander Faribault alongside other historical icons. That show was described as an “inspirational, impactful, meaningful, informative, powerful show that has fully engaged and amazed,” with one audience member writing on Facebook that “every child enrolled in Minnesota history and every teacher of the course must see this.”

    Since that live show, the reach of 1855 has expanded dramatically and we have grown beyond Faribault. Our most recent video, about the founder of a neighboring community, was shared by our more than 1,500 core fans on Facebook for more than 36,000 Facebook views, in addition to views on local television and YouTube. With the demand for videos increasing, the pressure to put out higher-quality content increases as well--increasing the cost of production. In addition, both hosts have graduated high school, also making production more costly. This comes as 1855 increasingly expands to tell stories on a state-wide level. 

    Supporters of 1855 will be thanked as part of episodes they’ve sponsored, highlighting their commitment to supporting arts and culture to an audience of tens of thousands, and will help us grow even further and tell stories in an increasingly professional and creative manner.
Our fundraising goal is to raise $15,000 by May 6th to pay for production costs, transportation, and the recruitment of further local artists for a new season of the video series. Any donation size is welcome, and appreciated.

Logan Ledman

Sam Temple

Showrunners, 1855

What is 1855?

1855 is a television series airing on Faribault Community Television. It is currently expanding to regional syndication. The episodes are produced by Logan Ledman and Sam Temple, and are hosted on FCTV’s television channel. Each episode covers a different topic relating to local history. Previous topics have included aviation heroine Liz Strohfus, bank raid hero Joseph Lee Heywood, and a comprehensive retelling of the ethnographic history of Faribault. The series is promoted to an internet following on YouTube, Vimeo, and Facebook; a following that has shown continual growth. Much of the support has been attracted by the media in which 1855 has been featured--the hosts have spoken with the Faribault Daily News, KDHL Radio, have been shared by the Minnesota Prairie Roots blog, and have been praised by the Minnesota Historical Society. Both hosts have received the Unsung Hero of Faribault award and were featured in an expansive article in the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Most recently, the hosts were profiled by Twin Cities PBS for a feature in Minnesota Originals, and co-host Sam Temple was named Faribault’s Citizen of the Year in 2019.