Local History News: August 2, 2023

Field Note

Local History Services' Todd Mahon, state history services manager,  was out visiting board members from the Bloomington Historical Society to talk about solutions and strategies for cataloging their collection, including storage of the digital media and collection management systems. 

Heritage Preservation Grants

Spotlighted Project: Digital Conversion of Photographic Negatives from 1954-1956
The Worthington Globe newspaper is a regional paper long-serving the counties in southwestern Minnesota. The once-daily newspaper now only publishes twice a week. As the Globe consolidated, its large collection of photographic negatives was moved to various locations. The ownership at the Globe recognized something needed to be done to preserve the regional history contained in the photographic negatives and approached the NCHS. The Globe has signed a release form donating the thousands of negatives and granting the use of the images. As part of a phased grant project, negatives from the years 1954 to 1956 were cataloged and scanned in-house for this grant. The original negatives were then placed into archival storage. Digitization not only helps preserve the images on the negatives but also daylights images for easy access and sharing that otherwise would have remained hidden from view.
Recipient: Nobles County Historical Society
Funded amount: $9,360
Project Detail

August Grants Open House
August 3 - Online: The Grants Office will hold a virtual Grants Office Open House using Google Meet from 2 to 3:30 pm in order to provide additional grants support to our communities. We encourage people to RSVP to Gillian with a short summary of what you want to talk about and she will try to ensure that someone helpful will be available. Learn more »

From the Blog

This week's blog post is from the Minnesota Archaeological Society. Have a blog? Let us know!

Guest blog: New Discoveries Bring the Kensington Runes Closer to Öhman
Mats G. Larsson--archaeologist, historian, and author--has discovered new connections between the finder of the Kensington stone and the Kölsjön region where several inscriptions in Kensington-style runes have been found. The research by Mats G. Larsson and a local teacher, Anna Björk, have led to even more of these inscriptions. Larsson has recently published a book with the Swedish title “Kensington 1898, runfyndet som gäckade världen,” Kensington 1898, the Runic Find that Mocked the World.

Larsson says “Occasionally a researcher discovers completely different and even more exciting information than the one he or she sets out to find. This has happened to me several times in the past, and now in the heat of summer in Hälsingland it happened again. Continue Reading »

More MN Blog posts

• The Man on Our Logo - Dodge County Historical Society 
• American Swedish Institute Elects New Members to its Board of Trustees - American Swedish Institute
• 4-H Clubs of Renville County: 1975 - Renville County Historical Society
• Gideon Ives: a Service-oriented Man - Nicollet County Historical Society

From the Tube

This week's post is from Brown County Historical Society. Have a video channel or podcast? Let us know!

Gut Heil! New Ulm as a Turner Town
Daniel Hoisington describes the history of the New Ulm Turnverein. Hoisington is the National Historian for the American Turner Society. Hoisington is also a writer and provides museum consultation services. Watch Video »

More MN Tube posts

• Concerts on the Pier - Glensheen Historic Estate
• Italians on Saint Paul’s East Side - Ramsey County Historical Society
• Making the Carry: The Lives of John and Tchi-Ki-Wis Linklater - Gunflint Trail Historical Society Chik-Wauk Museum
• Events and Renovations at Meinders Community Library - Pipestone County Museum
• O&SCVR 30th Anniversary Celebration - Minnesota Transportation Museum
• Richard Sorenson - Anoka County Historical Society
• Robert Holmstrom - The Eighth Air Force Historical Society of Minnesota
• The Brickyard Ruins - Fertile, Minnesota - Minnesota Bricks
• Preserving While Presenting - History Center of Olmsted County
• Hometime: Betsy's House, Episode 2: Restoration (Part 1 of 2) - Betsy-Tacy Society
• Identification of Mislabeled Photograph of Fort Snelling’s 1878 Soldier’s Barracks at NARA - Council for Minnesota Archaeology
• Barnyard Days - Otter Tail County Historical Society

Job Opportunities

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

MNHS

• Historic Properties Project Manager - MN History Center

LOCAL

• Executive Director - Minnesota Transportation Museum, St. Paul, MN
• Executive Director - Bell Museum, St. Paul, MN
• Museum Educator - Bell Museum, St. Paul, MN
• Schoolyard Ecology Educator - Bell Museum, St. Paul, MN
• Facilities Service Technician - Minnesota Children's Museum, St. Paul, MN
• Library Acquisitions Associate - St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN
• Store Inventory Manager - The American Swedish Institute, Minneapolis, MN
• Executive Assistant - African American Leadership Forum, Minneapolis, MN
• Public Engagement and Learning Coordinator - Weisman Art Museum at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN

REGIONAL

• Interpreter - Chateau de Morès State Historic Site, State Historical Society of North Dakota, Medora, ND
• Site Supervisor - Chateau de Morès State Historic Site, State Historical Society of North Dakota, Medora, ND
• Director of Education & Guest Experience - Children's Museum of South Dakota, Brookings, SD
• Executive Director - Journey Museum & Learning Center, Rapid City, SD
• Museum Education Guide - Wisconsin Veterans Museum, Madison, WI
• Weekend Store Operations Associate - Wisconsin Veterans Museum, Madison, WI
• Collections Specialist - Chazen Museum of Art, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
• Museum Store/Visitor Services Associate - City of Kenosha, Kenosha, WI
• Museum Curator - Milwaukee County Historical Society, Milwaukee, WI
• Director of Youth & Family Programs - Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, WI
• Head of Interpretation - Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, WI

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

• Pattee Executive Director - Warren County History Museum, Monmouth, IL
• Exhibit Developer - Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites, Indianapolis, IN
• Visitor Experience Associate - National Museum of the Great Lakes, Toledo, OH
• Director of Facilities & Operations - Henry Ford Estate, Dearborn, MI
• Collections Manager & Archivist - Fair Lane: Home of Clara & Henry Ford, Dearborn, MI
• Museum Specialist - Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
• Visitor and Community Engagement Manager - Bytown Museum, Ottawa, ON
• Publications & Events Manager - Museums Moving Forward, Remote

INTERNSHIPS/VOLUNTEERS/FELLOWSHIPS

• DEI Fellow for Digital Imaging - Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, MN
• The Rosemary Furtak Intern in Library Studies - Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, MN
• Costume Design & Props Intern - Minnesota Children's Museum, St. Paul, MN
• Social Media Marketing Intern - Minnesota Children's Museum, St. Paul, MN
• Exhibit Fabrication Intern - Minnesota Children's Museum, St. Paul, MN

Additional Job Postings in the Field »

Do History Here

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

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

Exhibit: Meet the Artist - David F. Clobes
August 5 @ 1 pm - Mankato: Blue Earth County Historical Society - David Clobes is a talented photographer who has this knack for turning everyday life into mesmerizing art. He finds beauty and joy in the simplest things and captures them in a way that makes you appreciate the wonders all around us, even in our own backyards. This exhibit showcases only a few of the many photographs David has taken over his 40-year, award-winning career. For more information call 507-345-5566.

Presentation: The History of WACOSA at 60
August 9 @ 9 to 10 am - St. Cloud: Stearns History Museum - Learn the History of WACOSA as they celebrate 60 years. From a grassroots organization, WACOSA has grown dramatically over the years, serving over 650 adults with disabilities having one or more cognitive and/or physical challenges. Cost: Free members/$7 nonmembers. Learn more »

Presentation: Artists Talk with Tomas Alvarez and Whitney Terrill
August 10 @ 6 to 8 pm - Minneapolis: Minnesota African American Heritage Museum and Gallery - Tomas Alvarez and Whitney Terrill will share their experience and observations they learned through their Artist Residency at Belwin Conservancy. The artists spent a month at Belwin creating in nature. Learn more »

Event: Declassified: Southeast Asian Diaspora Weekend in the Twin Cities
August 11 through 13: East Side Freedom Library - The weekend will kick off with a welcome reception hosted by the East Side Freedom Library on Friday. The event will continue with theater, storytelling, and community conversation on Saturday and Sunday. Learn more »

• August 11: Welcome Reception
• August 12: History Panel Discussion and The Kung Fu Zombies Saga: Shaman Warrior vs. Cannibals
• August 13: Community Conversation: Storytelling & Art as Activism

Event: Albert Woolson: Last Civil War Soldier
August 12 @ 11 am to 1 pm - Duluth: St. Louis County Historical Society - Military Honors at Park Hill Cemetery followed by a wreath-laying event/reception at Albert Woolson’s statue at the Duluth Depot. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Presentation: Photography in the Valley and Around the World with Rhett Arens
August 10 @ 7 to 8 pm (CT) - Online: Washington County Heritage Center - Rhett Arens is a photographer who has had the good fortune to travel extensively, visiting 60+ countries over the last thirty years. Rhett finds that photography often triggers a give-and-take moment when strangers meet. It becomes an opportunity to exchange stories and find common ground. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Author Presentation: We Are What We Drink: The Temperance Battle in Minnesota
August 17 @ 7 to 8:30 pm - St. Paul: Germanic-American Institute - Focusing on St. Paul and the German and Irish immigrant communities, Professor Sabine N. Meyer’s book examines the ever-shifting ways that ethnicity, gender, class, religion, and place interacted with each other during Minnesota’s bitter temperance battle from the mid-19th to the early 20th centuries. Her deconstruction of German and Irish positioning on temperance provides a rarely told interethnic history. At the same time, she shows how women engaged in temperance work as a way to form public identities. Cost: $15 member/$20 nonmember. Learn more »

History Cruise: River Jazz with H3O
August 17 @ 4 to 5:30 pm & 6 to 7:30 pm - Winona: Winona County Historical Society - H3O Jazz Trio features a father and his two sons. Now in their tenth year, the trio began playing together when the younger son, Max, was only 14 years old. Along with older brother Hans on drums and vibes and dad Eric on the piano, the group was asked to play for a private pool party and haven’t stopped since! H3O Jazz Trio performs a wide variety of jazz styles including original music. Cost: $35 members/$45 nonmembers. Learn more »

Presentation: Birds of Washington County
August 17 @ 7 pm - Scandia: Hay Lake School Museum - Kyle Te Poel will be speaking on the birds of Washington County. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Barbie Scavenger Hunt
Now through August 18 - Albert Lea: Freeborn County Historical Museum - Stop by and say, “Hi Barbie!” You will be able to get free admission to the museum if you bring your Barbie or Ken doll, or come dressed as one. While you visit, take pictures in their life-size Barbie doll box, and complete a Barbie scavenger hunt through the museum. For more information call 507-373-8003.

Continuing Education

Highlighted Museum: Nelimark Homestead Museum, Embarrass, MN.
Photograph by McGhiever, distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 license.

Preserve MN Minnesota Historic Preservation Conference
Mark your calendars now for Minnesota's Annual Statewide Historic Preservation Conference, to be held September 27-29, 2023 at the Mankato Civic Center in historic downtown Mankato, MN. Preserve Minnesota is the largest annual gathering of the Minnesota preservation community. Join historians, architects, planners, public officials, property owners, preservation commission members, and citizen advocates from all across the state in Mankato for this annual two-day event. You'll come away inspired and equipped to help make preservation succeed in your community. Keynote address, “People's Right to Place: Building a More Relevant and Just Preservation Movement,” by  Bonnie McDonald, Landmarks Illinois president & CEO. McDonald was awarded a 2020 James Marston Fitch Charitable Foundation Mid-Career Fellowship to help bring the field’s challenges, and solutions, to the forefront through The Relevancy Project. Learn more »

North Star Genealogy Conference 
October 27 & 28: Minnesota Genealogical Society - Attend this day packed with sessions led by renowned professional genealogists, speakers, and researchers, plus featured speakers Dr. Michael Lacopo and Kimberly Powell. This conference provides education on methods of genealogical research, social activities with other individuals with genealogy interests, and a place to research ancestors. Location: Eagan Community Center, Eagan, MN. Cost: $150 members/$190 nonmembers. Learn more »

Midwest Open Air Museums Spring 2024 Conference
Midwest Open Air Museums Coordinating Council will hold their Spring 2024 Conference March 21-23, 2024 at Bishop Hill, IL. The theme is "Seeking Utopia: A Look at How Innovations and Traditions Help Some Utopias Thrive." Learn more »

Small Museum Association Annual Conference: Telling Tough Stories
February 19-21, 2024 - Richmond, VA: The stories that museums tell aren't always cut and dry. History museums have to confront contentious and politically divisive topics. Science and technology museums must explain complex concepts in layman's terms. What are the best ways to approach tough stories? And how can we do so clearly, concisely, and fairly? The annual Small Museum Association conference attracts more than 300 museum professionals, board members, and volunteers from a wide variety of small museums. They attend sessions on topics ranging from collections and education to staffing and board issues. Cost: $225. SUPER Early Bird Registration Ends August 31. Learn more »

Online Course: Museum Collections Documentation and Data Cleaning
On-demand: Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI) and the Canadian Heritage Information Network (CHIN) - Provides essential museum documentation information for museum staff with all levels of knowledge. It begins with an introductory overview and ends with specific documentation issues. Learners can take the modules in order or choose a module or two that fits their needs. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Online Course: Introduction to Museum Endowments 
August 28 through September 24: American Association for State and Local History - The establishment and management of endowment funds is a key source of institutional income and donor engagement for many museums. Many museum professionals and trustees, however, are less than confident in their understanding of the components of endowment funds, and how best to effectively manage such funds for internal and external purposes. This course is designed to introduce students to the structure, benefits, and challenges of endowment fund management, from basic terms and definitions to topics such as impact investing and best practices. Cost: $175 members/$275 nonmembers. Learn more »

Northern States Conservation Center August Online Courses

• Museum Storage Techniques - August 7 to September 1
• Museum Cleaning Basics - August 7 to September 1
• Museum Management - August 7 to September 8
  
  

TIPS & TOOLS

• 5 considerations for choosing the right crate - Association of Midwest Museums
• New Standards Document for Museums with Native American Collections - School for Advanced Research and the American Alliance of Museums

Additional Educational Opportunities »

Funding & Awards

Preserving Black Churches Grant Program
August 23 - (deadline): National Trust for Historic Preservation - Grants are available to help historic Black churches and congregations reimagine, redesign, and redeploy historic preservation to address the institutions’ needs and the cultural assets and stories they steward. Learn more »

National Leadership Grants for Libraries
September 20 - (deadline): Institute of Museum and Library Services - These grants address critical needs of the library and archives fields and have the potential to advance practice and strengthen library and archival services for the American public. Successful proposals will generate results such as new models, tools, research findings, services, practices, and/or alliances that can be widely used, adapted, scaled, or replicated to extend and leverage the benefits of federal investment. Learn more »

Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program
September 20 - (deadline): Institute of Museum and Library Services - This grant program supports the training and professional development of library and archives professionals; developing faculty and information leaders; and recruiting, educating, and retaining the next generation of library and archives professionals in order to develop a diverse library and archival workforce and meet the information needs of their communities. Learn more »

Site Preservation Grant
November 1 - (deadline): Archaeological Institute of America - for projects that directly preserve archaeological sites and also include public outreach and education components. Learn more »

News

Bakken Museum is a 2023 AMM Awards Recipient
The Association of Midwest Museums announced the recipients of the 2023 AMM Awards which included the Bakken Museum of Minneapolis, MN. They are the recipient of AMM's "Groundbreakers Award" which recognizes museums that have “broken ground” on DEAI work, pushing past boundaries, breaking conventions, and addressing oppressive structures and systems in the pursuit of a better, more equitable, inclusive, and sustainable future. Learn more »

Heidi Heinze New Warden’s House Museum Site Manager
The Washington County Historical Society is excited to announce the new Warden's House Museum Site Manager is Heidi Heinze of River Falls, WI. Heinze's background includes ten years as the site manager of the Octagon House Museum in Hudson, WI. She also has been on the River Falls Historic Preservation Commission for 13 years, many of them as commission chair. She earned a bachelor’s degree in American History of the University of Wisconsin – Madison and completed an internship with the Goodhue County Historical Society in Red Wing, MN. This is not the first time Heinze has been at the Warden’s House--she was a volunteer guide for several years before the pandemic closed the museum. Welcome!

MN Digital Newspaper Hub - July content update
A content update to the Minnesota Digital Newspaper Hub added 4,507 new issues and 40,496 new newspaper pages. Newly publicly available titles & date spans:

• Bayport herald (Bayport, Minn.) 1923-1941
• Community Reporter (St. Paul, Minn.) 1975-1980 added
• Stillwater daily gazette (Stillwater, Minn.) 1895-1901 added

Beltrami County Historical Society pushes to return sacred Indigenous artifacts to communities
MPR — In addition to preserving the area’s rich history, the Beltrami County Historical Society may now be making it. Recently a court granted the museum permission to break up arguably its most important collection — the John Morrison collection — so that culturally sensitive artifacts could be repatriated back to the Indigenous communities from where they originated. Continue reading »

Weyerhaeuser Museum Riverbank Restoration Project recommended for state funding
Brainerd Dispatch — The Morrison County Soil & Water Conservation District received support from the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources recently when it was selected for inclusion in their annual recommendations to the Minnesota Legislature on how to allocate proceeds from the state’s Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund. Continue reading »

First treaty rights museum in Minnesota to open in Park Rapids
Park Rapids Enterprise — In October 2022, Akiing purchased the historic Carnegie building, which most recently housed an Enbridge office, and has been working on renovations to prepare for its opening. The museum is tentatively planning to open Oct. 1, which is the two-year anniversary of when the Enbridge Line 3 pipeline project began operations. Continue reading »

St. Cloud Hosts International Rail Convention
KNSI — The Great Northern Railway Historical Society’s annual convention in St. Cloud this week drew attendees from across the country, and even the world. Member Barry Schreiber, who is also the president of the board of the St. Cloud Area Rail Legacy Museum, says over 100 people came for the five-day event. “We had about 130 people from all over the country that came to this convention. Convention goers came from New Jersey, Arizona, Washington state, Oregon, Montana, Illinois, Minnesota, and a variety of other destinations, including Malaysia,” he notes. Continue reading »

Featured Book Can't Nobody Make a Sweet Potato Pie Like Our Mama! by Rose McGee. Minnesota Historical Society Press. Book Release Event and Book Signing August 5 @ 1 to 3 pm Location: Minnesota Humanities Center	Featured Article Minnesota History Good times, eh? Minnesota's territorial newspapers Volume 56, Issue 4, 1998-99	Featured Article MNopedia Creation of Itasca State Park 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.

From the Heritage Preservation Department
Reminder: Due to COVID-19 all Heritage Preservation Department staff (Grants Office and Local History Services) are working remotely until further notice. If you need to connect with a specific staff member, please email them directly.

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