Field Note

On April 1, MNHS staff visited Charles Thompson Memorial Hall in St. Paul to check on the progress of a grant-funded project to restore the front steps and porch of the National Register of Historic Places building. Constructed in 1916, the building was a gathering hub for St. Paul’s deaf community and was designed by deaf architect Olof Hanson. The deaf community still uses the Hall for its original purpose. No fools were made during the site visit.

Heritage Preservation Grants

Grant Recipient - Promotion Help
Publicizing Your Historical and Cultural Heritage Grant
Promoting your project raises awareness of your work while generating support and anticipation for the completed project. This is exciting news--people in your community want to know about your work and feel connected to it as it progresses. We have provided some publicity ideas you can use and some tips for the best approach.
Publicizing Your Historical and Cultural Heritage Grant PR Packet »

Included in the document:

• Pitching your story to local media
• Promoting your grant using your organization’s own channels
• Hosting promotional events
• Press release template
• And more...

Large Grant Deadline
Pre-applications for the Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants large grant round (requests over $10,000) will be due Friday, May 31, 2024. This is a required part of the large grant application process. Contact the Grants Office with questions.

Small Grant Deadline
The next small grant deadline (requests of $10,000 or less) for the MHCHG program is Friday, April 12, 2024.

Grants Office Webinar: MnSHIP is Here, Come Learn About It
April 18 @ 2 to 3 pm (CT) - Online: An important new tool to understand historic structures is live and available. If you research or generate research on historic properties in MN, you need to know about The Minnesota Statewide Historic Inventory Portal (MnSHIP). MnSHIP enables in-depth research, access to historic inventory data, and novel ways to enter new historic inventory data into the system. There is so much to learn about and accomplish with MnSHIP. Join this webinar by one of the driving forces behind this years-long effort. Presented by the MN State Historic Preservation Office’s National Register Architectural Historian Ginny Way.
Join online: meet.google.com/zwx-krei-com
Join by phone: ‪(US) +1 386-361-3086‬ PIN: ‪420 891 978‬#

From the Blog

This week's blog post is from Scott County Historical Society. Have a blog? Let us know!

The Solar Eclipse of 1954
Total solar eclipses are always an amazing and memorable phenomenon to witness, and millions travel to see them. Some of you are most likely traveling to see the one coming soon on April 8th. However, Scott County residents and many other Minnesotans did not have to travel at all to see the one that happened on June 30th, 1954, and perhaps some of you remember that one.

That day, the Moon's shadow started its race across the globe in Nebraska, where the Sun rose dark. Indeed, all who were living in the American part of the path had to get up early to see the eclipse at totality (that is, when the Moon covered the entire Sun). The Moon’s shadow moved northeast across parts of South Dakota and Iowa before entering Minnesota. Continue reading »

More MN Blog posts

• Sinbad the Sailor served several sentences - Washington County Historical Society
• National Library Week 2024: Ready, Set, Library! - U of MN Libraries
• Beyer & Berbrich Saloon - Nicollet County Historical Society
• De'myth'tifying Minnesota - MN Brown
• Our Friends at MDL: Explore Hennepin County History Online with the Minnesota Digital Library - Hennepin History Museum
• Harpo Lemmage’s Gas Station circa 1950 - Rockford Area Historical Society
• Brandon Fire Department 135th Anniversary - Brandon History Center 

From the Tube

This week's post is from Lake Superior Railroad Museum. Have a video channel or podcast? Let us know!

More MN Tube posts

• "AND IN THIS CORNER, from PARTS UNKNOWN" with wrestling historian George Schire - Washington County Historical Society
• Tip of the Trail - Gunflint Trail Historical Society Chik-Wauk Museum
• Clifford Hitterdal in the Meuse Argonne Offensive World War I - Historical & Cultural Society of Clay County
• Female Racers of History: Rapid-Fire - Legacy of the Lakes
• The Milwaukee Road: Roundhouse Grounds at Montevideo Minnesota - Minnesota Bricks
• Great Episodes: Horses in the Basement - Gibbs Farm
• Our Town’s Story: Crystal - City of Crystal/Crystal Historical Society

Job Opportunities

Minnesota Historical Society's Job Announcement, Internship, Fellowship, and Volunteer Opportunity pages.

MNHS

• Senior Project Manager - MN History Center

LOCAL

• Events and Marketing Manager - Ramsey County Historical Society
• Museum and Store Clerk - The Watkins Company, Winona, MN
• Archaeological Field Technicians - 106 Group, St. Paul, MN
• Development Manager - Minnesota Museum of American Art, St. Paul, MN
• Executive Director - Hallie Q. Brown Community Center, St. Paul, MN
• Planetarium Technical Coordinator - Bell Museum, St. Paul, MN
• Associate Curator of American Paintings - Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, MN
• Development Director - Great River Children's Museum, St. Cloud, MN

REGIONAL

• Community Outreach Coordinator - African American Museum of Iowa, Cedar Rapids, IA
• Museum Educator - African American Museum of Iowa, Cedar Rapids, IA
• Membership & Development Coordinator - West Des Moines Historical Society, West Des Moines, IA
• Special Projects Coordinator - Sioux City Art Center, Sioux City, IA
• Administrative Assistant - German American Heritage Center and Museum, Davenport, IA 
• Membership and Public Programs Coordinator - Luxembourg American Cultural Society, Inc, Belgium, WI
• Facilities Management Specialist - Villa Louis Historic Site, Wisconsin Historical Society, Prairie du Chien, WI
• Executive Director - Superior Public Museums - Fairlawn, S.S. Meteor, Old Firehouse & Police Museums, Superior, WI
• Advancement Coordinator- North American Bison Discovery Center, Jamestown, ND

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

• Museum Educator - Midway Village Museum, Rockford, IL
• Director - Wood Library-Museum of Anesthesiology, Schaumburg, IL
• Designer & Creative Content Manager - National Public Housing Museum, Chicago, IL
• Facilitator, Visitor Experience - Indiana Historical Society, Indianapolis, IN
• Associate Director of Experience & Education - Minnetrista Museum & Gardens, Muncie, IN
• Collections Specialist and Preparator - Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center, Cincinnati, OH
• Executive Director - Ashtabula Maritime & Surface Transportation Museum, Ashtabula, OH
• University Archivist and Special Collections Librarian - Denison University, Granville, OH
• Executive Administrator - Air Zoo, Kalamazoo, MI
• Development Director - Michigan History Foundation, Lansing, MI
• Chief Executive Officer - Motown Museum, Detroit, MI
• Director - Marilyn Horne Museum & Exhibit Center, Bradford, PA
• Executive Director - Historic Rock Ford, Lancaster, PA
• Curatorial Assistant, African Art & European Arts - The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO
• Architectural Historian - Missouri State Historic Preservation Office, Jefferson City, MO
• Program Director & Deputy - Missouri State Historic Preservation Office, Jefferson City, MO
• Oral History Specialist - Museum of History and Industry, Seattle, WA
• Archival Assistant – Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre, Southampton, ON
• Association Managing Director - Coalition of State Museum Associations, Remote

INTERNSHIPS/VOLUNTEERS/FELLOWSHIPS

• Events and Marketing Intern - Ramsey County Historical Society
• Internship - Sanford Museum, Cherokee, IA
• Museum Education Assistant Internship - State Historical Museum of Iowa, Des Moines, IA
• Kress Fellow, Conservation - Indiana Historical Society, Indianapolis, IN
• Museum Education Internship - International Women’s Air & Space Museum, Cleveland, OH
• Standards and Ethics Committee Nominees - American Association for State and Local History

Additional Job Postings in the Field »

Do History Here

Image used with permission. From the collections of the St. Louis County Historical Society.

Submit your history organization's news and events to localhistorynews@mnhs.org.

Exhibit Opening: Widespread Impact of Gun Violence Explored in New Exhibition by MAAHMG Artist-in-Residence Nikki McComb
April 11 @ 5:30 to 7:30 pm - Minneapolis: Minnesota African American Heritage Museum and Gallery – Minnesota African American Heritage Museum and Gallery - Come explore the new exhibition, "Full Circle, The Ricochet of Gun Violence," with works from artist Nikki McComb created during her artist residency with MAAHMG. The exhibition runs through June 1. Learn more »

Event: Basswood Grove
April 11 @ 6:30 to 8 pm - Afton: Denmark Township Historical Society - Community event to share memories of Basswood Grove. Location: New Whistling Well Apple Barn. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Annual Meeting - Cokato Historical Society, Women on the farm
April 16 @ 6:30 pm - Cokato: Cokato Historical Society - Travel back in American history with the featured presenter at the Cokato Historical Society Annual Meeting, Doug Ohman as he shares the incredible story of the role of women on the farm and how women have made a positive impact from the earliest frontier days to the current trends in agricultural business. Ohman will also share examples of Minnesota women farmers from yesterday and today. Cost: Free. Learn more » 

Event: Movie Night at the History Center
April 16 @ 6 pm - Anoka: Anoka County Historical Society - Break out the Chex mix and snacks and settle in for a cozy movie night at the museum. Watch a series of video yearbooks from local Anoka County High Schools from the 1990s for our first night. The music, clothing, and hairstyles are iconic. Other movie nights will include vintage high school football games, and county home movies. First come first serve on the bean-bag chair. Cost: $5. Learn more »

Annual Meeting: Kandiyohi County Historical Society, 1980s Farm Crisis in West Central Minnesota
April 18 @ 5:30 to 8 pm - Wilmar: Kandiyohi County Historical Society - Following the meal and meeting Jim Roe will present on the 1980s Farm Crisis in West Central Minnesota. In 2022, the West Central Minnesota Historical Association received a grant to hire a consultant, Jim Roe, to work on research and an interpretive plan for the 1980s farm crisis. Jim Roe will present his findings from his research and what connections came out of his research. Cost: $25 members/$25 nonmembers. Learn more » 

Roundtable: The Most Controversial, Overlooked, “Fighting” Union General
April 18 @ 7 pm - Northfield: Cannon Valley Civil War Roundtable - The presenter will be Carl Carlberg who will be portraying Major General George Meade. Meade defeated the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia led by General Robert E. Lee at the Battle of Gettysburg. Location: Northfield Townhall. For more information email dnl1.peterson@gmail.com.

Tour: Woodbury's Heritage Walk Comes to life at Valley Creek Park
April 26 @ 3pm - Woodbury: Woodbury Heritage Society - See the Heritage Walk come to life as the interpretive signs are revealed. A loop trail weaves through a planted pine forest and oak savanna. Along the way, eight stories introduce Woodbury’s past, connect us with today, and inspire our shared future. Keep your phone handy to scan QR codes and find out more about sights and sounds along the trail. Location: Valley Creek Park. Learn more »

Event: Celebrating Washington County’s 175th birthday
April 28 @ 12 to 4 pm - Stillwater: Washington County Historical Society - Washington County was formed on October 24, 1849 and the WCHS founded in 1934, is celebrating its 90th year and will host an open house offering free admission to the Warden's House Museum, the state's second oldest continuously operating house museum to celebrate. Learn more »

Event: Statehood Day - Historic Dinner and Cocktail Hour at the Bruentrup Heritage Farm
May 11 @ 5 to 9 pm – Maplewood Area Historical Society - Join in the celebration of Minnesota’s 166th Statehood Day by stepping back in time to the 19th Century with the Maplewood Area Historical Society and the Living History Society of Minnesota. Experience a delightful Cocktail Hour with 19th-century cooking demonstrations, engaging tours, and fun games. Indulge in an authentic 19th-century sit-down celebration dinner in the Big Red Barn, and be entertained by the Living History Society of Minnesota with their "History of Minnesota" theatrical presentation. Cap off the evening with an 1858 Spring Hop Barn Dance. Cost: $75. Learn more »

Workshop: Intro to Masonry - Materials, Methods and Maintenance
May 18 @ 9 am to 1 pm - St. Cloud: Stearns History Museum - Learn about masonry at this hands-on, information-packed workshop taught by John Beaty, design reviewer for the Minnesota Historical Society. An expert in the repair of historic masonry, John will share his knowledge and expertise with workshop attendees, covering everything from the ins and outs of masonry to how to identify problem areas and what to do about them. Geared for both residential and commercial property owners, this workshop is bound to be full of information and lots of fun. Location: Rainbow Wellness Collective. Cost: members $20/nonmembers $30. Learn more »

50 in 50: Celebrating 50 Years of Wonder
Now through December 31 - Chaska: Andersen Horticultural Library - Explore the hidden gems and curiosities in the Andersen Horticultural Library’s extensive collection of rare books and artifacts. Discover something new from these captivating pieces of nature’s history at the largest horticultural library in the Upper Midwest. Location: Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Learn more »

Exhibit: Dear Community: Mail, Correspondence, and Postal Activism in LGBTQ History
Now through May 17 - Minneapolis: Elmer L. Andersen Library, First floor gallery - This exhibit examines how the use of mail by LGBTQ people has subverted the postal service through challenging obscenity laws, and the reliance on anonymity and discretion leading up to the Gay Liberation Movement of the 1970s. Pulling materials from across the Tretter Collection in GLBT Studies, the exhibit incorporates love letters, personal ads, mail order catalogs and reader-written periodicals from the 1950s through today. Learn more »

Explore Minnesota - State of MN's Tourism website
Listings: History & Heritage Events | Historic Exhibits | Lectures & Workshops
Submit an event »

Continuing Education

Highlighted Museum: North Shore Commercial Fishing Museum, operated by the Tofte Historical Society, Tofte MN.
Photograph by Mehendri Solon, distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 license.

Museums Today: NAGPRA Compliance, Meaningful Collaboration, and Transparency in Exhibitions
April 17 @ 5 to 6 pm (CT) - Online: George Washington University Museum/Textile Museum - Cat Shteynberg, assistant director and curator of exhibitions at the McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture, will present their 2023 exhibition, “The Repatriation of Archaeology and Native Peoples of Tennessee.” Here, over 300 unprovenanced and/or NAGPRA-protected items were removed from a longstanding permanent gallery. Employing Stephen Lubar’s notion of “exhibiting emptiness,” the museum transformed the space into dialogue on repatriation in collaboration with Native partners and the University of Tennessee’s Office of Repatriation. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Community Archives Workshop 
April 19 @ 10 am to 12 pm (CT) - Minneapolis, in-person and online: Liberal Arts Engagement Hub - The Liberal Arts Engagement Hub hosts this workshop to explore how we interact with and care for archival materials in our daily lives and in our domestic spaces. Whether in our homes, in our community spaces, or online, we all hold materials that have the power to amplify or silence our histories. Come discuss with three archivists - Ego Ahaiwe Sowinski, Ellen Holt-Werle, and Aiden Bettine - how you can make an impact with your own materials. Location: Pillsbury Hall, University of MN. Registration required »

Climate and Weather History as Local History
April 24 @ - 2 to 3 pm (CT) - Online: American Association for State and Local History - Interested in exploring how local history museums can play a role in addressing climate change? Presenters will delve into the significance of local weather observations and records, shedding light on how museums can educate visitors about weather patterns and the climate crisis. Explore strategies for interpreting these valuable local records and engaging with the pressing issue of climate change. Cost: $25 members/$45 non-members. Learn more »

Dreaming of AI: A Crash Landing into AI in Collections Management
May 2 @ 10 am (CT) - Online: Balboa Park Online Collaborative - Amy Adams, Collections Information & Access Manager at the National Museum of the Royal Navy, will discuss the museum's early use of AI technologies in collections management, highlighting past trials, current efforts, and initial findings. Learn more »

Midwest Archives Conference Annual Meeting
May 2 through 4 - Des Moines, IA: Midwest Archives Conference - The conference theme this year is "Sowing Seeds of Change," a nod to Iowa’s historic role in agriculture. It also acknowledges that archival work is evolving and changing, requiring archivists to adapt and implement new approaches to the work. Learn more »

Agricultural History Society Annual Meeting
June 5 through 8 - Las Cruces, NM: Agricultural History Society - The conference theme this year is Borderlands, Marginal Spaces, and Agriculture In-Between. Examine how humans have interacted with boundaries and in-between spaces in agricultural history and engage with scholarship that might inform contemporary debates around borders. Learn more »

2024 Queer History Conference 
June 10 through 13 - Fullerton, CA: Committee on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender History (Affiliate of the American Historical Association) - The Conference will showcase dozens of panels with scholars working on the study of the queer past. Location: California State University Fullerton. Learn more »

TIPS & TOOLS

• When a colleague dies - Museum Human 
• AI for Nonprofits: A Comprehensive Guide to Enhancing Fundraising Communications - Donor Perfect

Additional Educational Opportunities »

Funding & Awards

Iowa Research Grants
April 15 - (Deadline): State Historical Society of Iowa - Up to ten research stipends of $1,500 each to support original research related to the history of Iowa or Iowa and the Midwest. Preference will be given to applicants proposing to pursue previously neglected topics or new approaches to or interpretations of previously treated topics. SHSI invites applicants from a variety of backgrounds, including academic and public historians, graduate students, and independent researchers and writers. Learn more »

Publication Awards
May 1 - (Deadline): Disability History Association - Accepting applicants for their Publication Awards for the following: Outstanding Book Award and Outstanding Article or Book Chapter Award. Learn more »

Swedish Emigrant Institute in Växjö Fellowship
May 15 - (Deadline): The fellowship is intended for scholarly research at the Swedish Emigrant Institute, which holds Sweden’s largest archival collection of sources and literature pertaining to the Swedish migration to North America, 1850 – 1930. The applicant, who can be based anywhere in the world, must hold a PhD or be enrolled in a PhD program at the time of the deadline of the application. Learn more »

Digital Projects for the Public
June 12 - (Deadline): These grants support projects that interpret and analyze humanities content in primarily digital platforms and formats, such as websites, mobile applications and tours, interactive touch screens and kiosks, games, and virtual environments. Learn more »

Blandin Foundation Grants for Rural Minnesota                
Rolling Deadline: The Blandin Foundation, a private foundation based in Grand Rapids, MN, is the largest Minnesota-based foundation serving only rural communities. Start by visiting the About Grants page for details on eligibility and how to submit an inquiry if your project aligns with the Foundation’s focus areas. Learn more »

Community Innovation Grants          
Rolling Deadline: The Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation - creates grant partnerships with organizations that generate transformational results in human and social services, education, and health and medicine. Grantees must serve the people and communities in the seven-county Twin Cities region. Requests to serve counties that fall outside of these are by invitation only. The Foundation seeks proposals that focus on the areas of Human and Social Services, Education, Health, and Medicine. Learn more »

Foundation of the American Institute for Conservation (FAIC) Grants and Scholarships
Grants and scholarships are available in several categories including Professional Development, Conservation, Outreach, and Emergency Preparedness & Response. Learn more »

Early American Art and Heritage Projects Supported
Rolling Deadline: Americana Foundation - American Heritage program area supports projects and programs throughout the United States that seek to broaden the inclusivity of early American art and the early American historical narrative to "tell the full story of" the American experience. Learn more »

News

Minnesota Alliance of Local History Museums Announces 2024 History Award Winners
The Minnesota Alliance of Local History Museums will be recognizing ten outstanding local history projects with the Minnesota History Award at their upcoming Annual Meeting and Conference on April 25, 2024, at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center (DECC) in Duluth, MN. This marks the fourteenth year of these esteemed awards, celebrating projects completed in 2023. List of 2024 Minnesota History Awards recipients »

MN State Archives Collection
Records added this month to the MN State Archives collection will be valuable for a variety of research topics particularly to document key functions of the state government, and for family and local history research.

1. Legislature. House Regulated Industries and Energy Committee records, dated 1993-1996, regarding nuclear waste storage at Prairie Island nuclear power plant; Senate Governmental Operations Committee records dated 1987-1990, concerning the state's investments in Northern Ireland;
2. Minnesota Statewide Independent Living Council annual reports dated 2021-2022.
3. Winona County. Governance and student records, dated 1895-1970, of seven Winona County rural school districts nos. 4/2545, 17/2558, 39/2573, 65/2591, 72/2596, 79/2603 and 86/2609.

Ely-Winton Historical Society Hires New Manager
Hometown Focus — EWHS announced the hiring of Adam Kovall as the society’s new manager. Kovall, who started the first week of March, brings a professional resume that includes executive leadership, and a proven track record in the field of data science. Continue reading »

Justus Ramsey House to be rebuilt in the Transportation Museum, proposes new bill
WCCO — A push to preserve one of the oldest houses in the state is in full swing. A bill has been proposed to move the Justus Ramsey house in St. Paul to preserve its historic relevance to the state of Minnesota, especially the African American Community. The bill, titled HF 3517, is asking for $500,000 dollars to move Justice Ramsey House to the Minnesota Transportation Museum. Watch Video »

Winona County History Center's $2 million campaign aims to enhance visitor experience and preserve collections
Winona Daily News — Through a more than $2 million capital campaign, Winona County History Center is looking to provide an improved experience for guests while also working to ensure its collections survive for years to come. The capital campaign — which has a goal of $2.3 million — will allow the center to upgrade its heating and air conditioning systems and exhibits. Continue reading »

Sandstone History and Art Center finishes major renovation
Pine County News — The Center, located at 402 Main Avenue, has received a major renovation that includes updated electrical, new tin ceiling tiles, new lighting, new restroom fixtures and updated plumbing. Those who visit the Center will also notice the lighting elements inside the display cases are now working. Continue reading »

Featured Book Standing at the Grave: A Family's journey from the Grand Duchy of Posen to the Prairies of North Dakota by Gary Heyn. Wisdom Editions. Author Presentation Date: May 9 @ 7 pm Location: Olmsted History Center Rochester, MN	Featured Article Minnesota History The Noxious Weed Volume 39, Issue 1, 1964	Featured Article MNopedia Northland / Mesaba Transportation Company Featured MNopedia Article
Minnesota History Organizations Directory  • County, Chapters, and Local • Statewide/Topical Historical • Regional History Coalitions • Professional Organizations	Minnesota Main Streets Reinvigorate your community's commercial district.	Preservation Specialists Directory Look up products or services.

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