When the big airplanes fly over and the loud booms rock the pictures on our walls, it is a reminder that Camp Ripley is just across the bridge from town. Personally, I feel very safe when I see the planes and hear the artillery fire. Camp Ripley is a 53,000-acre military and civilian training facility operated by the Minnesota National Guard. Also on the grounds is the site of Fort Ripley, a military post established in 1848—the second ever built in Minnesota—to keep the peace among the Dakota, Ojibwe, and Ho-Chunk people. These acres are also a wildlife refuge and are known for their extensive deer, wolf, and eagle studies. Camp Ripley is actively tracking Golden Eagle #54 that was released from Camp Ripley and has been tracked by GPS to some of most northern parts of Canada.