The Defeat of Jesse James Days Committee is proud to announce that Earl Weinmann has been selected as the 2026 recipient of the Joseph Lee Heywood Distinguished Service Award, the community’s highest recognition for exemplary service to the Northfield community.
The award presentation will be presented during the 2026 Joseph Lee Heywood Distinguished Serve Award Banquet on Wednesday, September 9, as one of the official kick-off events for the 2026 Defeat of Jesse James Days (DJJD) Celebration. This year’s celebration will mark the 150th anniversary of the historic 1876 bank raid.
Named in honor of Joseph Lee Heywood, who gave his life defending the First National Bank of Northfield, the award recognizes an individual whose life reflects Heywood’s enduring legacy of courage, integrity, and selfless commitment to community. Weinmann is the 44 th recipient of the award.
For nearly three decades, Weinmann has been one of Northfield’s most influential educators, historians, and civic volunteers. He served as a Social Studies teacher in Northfield Public Schools for close to 30 years, where he became widely known for bringing local history to life through experiential learning, civic engagement, and youth leadership.
Beyond the classroom, Weinmann’s impact has been transformative. Since the early 1990s, he has volunteered extensively with the Northfield History Center and Bank Museum, becoming widely regarded as one of the foremost experts on the James–Younger Gang and the 1876 raid. Since 1998, he has trained and led both the Adult Posse and Junior Posse, preparing more than 1,300 Northfield students to serve as tour guides and ambassadors for the community—an effort consistently praised by visitors from around the globe.
Weinmann led the innovative SCOPE (Student Community Outreach Program Experience) program, which engaged middle school students in in-depth historical research and production. That work resulted in a school museum, multiple community- defining publications, and the first comprehensive general history of Northfield.
In retirement, Weinmann’s spirit of service has only continued. In 2025, he launched Weinmann’s Weenies, a small business whose profits are donated entirely to local charities, including the Northfield Food Shelf, the Riverwalk Market Fair, and youth programs at the Northfield History Center.
Weinmann’s contributions have been recognized on other occasions, including being named Northfield Teacher of the Year, a finalist for Education Minnesota Teacher of the Year, a two-time Northfield Historical Society Volunteer of the Year, and recipient of the Northfield Healthy Community Initiative’s “Making a Difference” Award. “
As we commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Defeat of Jesse James, there is no one more fitting to receive the Joseph Lee Heywood Distinguished Service Award than Earl Weinmann,” said Galen Malecha, General Chair of the Defeat of Jesse James Days Celebration Committee. “Earl has devoted countless hours to preserving Northfield’s history and empowering young people. His decades of service reflect the same integrity and devotion to community that Joseph Lee Heywood himself embodied.”
For those who wish to attend the Joseph Lee Heywood Distinguished Service Award Banquet in September, details will be updated this summer and can be found on djjd.org – RSVPs are appreciated.
The Defeat of Jesse James Days Heywood Selection Committee is always looking for new nominations. The form along with submission instructions can be found at djjd.org
Mission Statement of the Heywood Committee: To honor a Northfield citizen who we feel exemplifies the commitment to public service, which Heywood lived. It is an award that reminds us of our past and our promise to improve ourselves and our community for the future. An award that each of us would someday hope to be considered worthy of receiving.
