Horse Thief Detectives continue annual tradition for more than century and a half

The Waseca County Horse Thief Detectives (WCHTD) held their 161st annual get together on July 4, 2025, under the pavilion at the Northeast Park in Waseca. Also attending was an elected official, Waseca County Sheriff Jay Dulas who spoke in front of the medium sized crowd.

 

According to their website: The WCHTD were organized in southern Minnesota in 1864, after a gang was caught stealing horses from an isolated rural farm. Those thieves got away, but the new organization made sure history didn’t repeat itself. Over the next 20 years, the Waseca County Horse Thief Detectives proved its worth and put an end to horse stealing in their jurisdiction. Members could rest assured that a posse would be hot on the trail of thugs and bandits before they left the county! Today, the need for chasing horse thieves is obsolete, but tradition and respect for those pioneers of Waseca County has kept the organization alive and well.                                     

 

The Waseca County Horse Thief Detectives have held an annual meeting every year since the organization’s inception in 1864. Each year, the annual meeting is held on July 4, in Waseca, beginning with a potluck dinner at noon.

 

President of the WCHTD Scott Roemhildt spoke before lunch was served. Before he said anything he was asked, “Have you been to all of the meetings?” To which Roemhildt replied, “No, but I’ve been to a few of them.” He cleared his throat and said, “Usually I get up here and speak quickly so we all can eat, but I do have some bad news. Our vice president, Les Wells, is in the hospital from a fall. He is out of St. Mary’s and has since upgraded to St. Benedictine. He rarely misses a meeting, in fact he was asked about the last time he missed one and we learned he hasn’t missed a single meeting since he was in the Vietnam War, which ended in 1975, so you do the math.”

 

Roemhildt introduced Sheriff Jay Dulas, “Hello, on behalf of Waseca County I would like to thank the members of the WCHTD for keeping us safe all these years. I am happy to report no horses have been stolen for another year. I like to tell people that the Fourth is a time to celebrate and a time to remember.” Dulas said he had assigned extra deputies for the holiday to keep up with extra traffic and activities. “We even have a Sheriff’s Patrol out on the water to watch for unsafe boaters and jet skis and of course, those people who have had a little too much to drink during their celebration. Please be careful out there.” Dulas then departed, explaining he was scheduled to ride a horse during the Elysian parade.

 

One of the WCHTD’s newest members is Tom Claare, “I’m a new member, my good friend Mark Bliven’s great-great-grandfather pretty much started this thing. My wife and I just moved to Waseca County so we were talked into joining and we’re glad to be here.” On the menu was fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, stuffing, fruit salad and cake.