Local History News: August 30, 2023

Field Note

On August 24 Megan Brakob Narvey, Outreach Conservator at the Minnesota Historical Society had a sizable turnout for her presentation, "Saving Your Stuff: how to care for art, heirlooms, and personal collections" at the Nicollet County Historical Society in St. Peter, MN. In her role through Local History Services, Megan advises organizations and individuals on how to take care of items that have historical and cultural importance. Attendees learned about the 10 agents of deterioration that pose a threat to items and walked away with practical tips & resources on how to preserve keepsakes for future generations.

Heritage Preservation Grants

Spotlighted Project: Transfer Collection Records Data to New Collections Management System
This project successfully transferred nearly 40,000 records of precious artifacts and captivating photographs from outdated software to an innovative online collections management program. For nearly three decades, the museum diligently recorded artifact details and photograph information on separate computers, using the same outdated software. However, this project merged the two files seamlessly, creating a unified database that is now easily accessible online. Remarkably, within a month of completing the transfer, the old software experienced a catastrophic failure, highlighting the fortunate timing of the project. By averting this disaster, the museum ensured the preservation of over thirty years' worth of records, safeguarding them for future use and making them available to anyone seeking to explore their rich history. With the implementation of the new online program, museum staff can now access records from any location, while selected records are also accessible to members and researchers online.
Recipient: Clearwater County Historical Society 
Funded Amount: $8,220
Project Details

SEPTEMBER Grants Open House
September 7 - 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 »

Small Grant Deadline
The next small grant deadline (requests of $10,000 or less) for the MHCHG program is Friday, October 13, 2023.

From the Blog

This week's blog post is from 106 Group. Have a blog? Let us know!

Please Touch – Designing Creative Tactiles to Communicate Key Messages
At 106 Group, we’ve learned that anyone can cast a mold and call it a day. Yet adding a tactile doesn’t inherently make your exhibit more accessible to all visitors. It needs to be intentionally created from your key messages—and tested with low to no vision visitors—to really make a difference. Check out our examples below to spark some new ideas for your next project.
Think About: The Big Picture
Tactiles help create a sense of context.
What details will help communicate the scene around the object you’re creating? Your site might have a remarkable geological feature like one known as “The Window” at Devils Tower National Monument in Wyoming. We could’ve focused the design only on the rectangular-shaped indentation. But through prototyping and testing, we learned it was important to also create raised lines and textures of Devils Tower itself—to recede “The Window” in its natural setting. Continue Reading »

More MN Blog posts

• Patricia Moran and the Crash of NWA Flight 293 - Northwest Airlines History Center
• MDL staff travels to Northwest Minnesota - MN Digital Library News
• Tomte Photography Show - Gammelgården Museum of Scandia
• James J. Hill film center stage at Hill Farm Historical Society’s Spring Dinner - Hill Farm Historical Society
• Medical supplies on the move - U of MN Libraries

From the Tube

This week's post is from the Minnesota State Law Library. Have a video channel or podcast? Let us know!

Slavery in Minnesota - Minnesota State Law Library
The presentation reviewed the legal history of racial issues in Minnesota dating back to pre-statehood days in the mid-19th century, including the infamous Dred Scott case arising in this state, which was one of the chief precipitants for the Civil War, through pioneering Minnesota laws regarding voting, public accommodations, housing, and civil rights, to contemporary issues of education and other matters. Watch Video »

More MN Tube posts

• Sherry Abts – The Ely Loon Ranger - Gunflint Trail Historical Society Chik-Wauk Museum
• Throwback Clip: Princess Cafe - Kensington Rune Stone by Mike Podulke - History Center of Olmsted County
• Thompson, Earl Clip Discrimination in the South - Minnesota Veterinary Museum
• The Frances McHie Scholarship, Nehita Onmubuya - African American Registry
• Pipestone Indian Training School - Pipestone County Historical Society
• 2023 Days of YesterYear at the Ralph Stoppel Farmstead - History Center of Olmsted County
• Remembering Tony Markham - Betsy-Tacy Society
• Alison Royer: Immigrant Stories - Immigration History Research Center, U of MN
• 24th Anniversary Celebration - Norway Lake Lutheran Historical Association

Job Opportunities

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

LOCAL

• Associate Director - Todd County Historical Society, Long Prairie, MN
• Grant Writer - Science Museum of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN
• Experience Development Manager - Minnesota Children's Museum, St. Paul, MN
• Exhibit Repair Technician - Minnesota Children's Museum, St. Paul, MN
• Retail Associate - Paisley Park, Chanhassen, MN

REGIONAL

• Operations Program Manager - Carrie Chapman Catt Home, Charles City, IA
• Events and Marketing Manager - Museum of Visual Materials, Sioux Falls, SD
• Maintenance Coordinator - Old World Wisconsin, Wisconsin Historical Society, Eagle, WI
• Museum Aide, Education  - Kenosha Public Museum and the Dinosaur Discovery Museum, Kenosha, WI
• Development and Membership Director - Jewish Museum Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI
• Back of House Associate - Taliesin Preservation, Spring Green, WI 

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

• Associate Conservator - The Newberry, Chicago, IL
• Associate Research Analyst (Main Street America) - National Main Street Center, Chicago, IL
• Senior Manager of Public Programs & Interpretation - Edith Farnsworth House, Plano, IL
• Library Division Chief - Archives and Special Collections, Chicago Public Library, Chicago, IL
• Barack H. Obama Presidential Library Director - National Archives and Records Administration, Hoffman Estates, IL
• Museum Technician I - Educator - Illinois History Fair/Natl History Day, Illinois State Museum, Springfield, IL
• Local History Librarian & Museum Coordinator - Thorntown Public Library, Thorntown, IN
• Museum Manager - Westerville History Museum, Westerville, OH
• Public Engagement and Learning Coordinator - Allen County Museum and Historical Society, Lima, OH
• Allen County Museum and Historical Society - Senior Registrar and Archivist, Lima, OH
• Shaker Historical Society - Education and Outreach Manager, Shaker Heights, OH
• Spring Hill Historic Home & Underground Railroad Site - Education and Outreach Coordinator, Massillon, OH
• Spring Hill Historic Home & Underground Railroad Site - Site Manager, Massillon, OH
• Assistant Education Curator - Tri-Cities Historical Museum, Grand Haven, MI
• Gift Planning Officer - Missouri Historical Society, St. Louis, MO
• Planned Giving Officer - Missouri Historical Society, St. Louis, MO
• Curator of Exhibitions and Educational Outreach - Center of Southwest Studies, Fort Lewis College, Durango, CO
• Executive Director - Texas Historical Commission, Austin, TX
• Curator - Canadian Museum for Human Rights, Winnipeg, MB    
• Digital Transformation Coordinator - Yukon & Historical Museums Association, Whitehorse, YT
• Executive Director - Stopping Stones: Memorials for Racial Healing, (Remote)

INTERNSHIPS/VOLUNTEERS/FELLOWSHIPS

• Board Members - Telling Queer History, Twin Cities Metro

Additional Job Postings in the Field »

Do History Here

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

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

Exhibit: How It Started, How It’s Going: Interactivity and High-Tech Culture
Now through Sept. 15 - Minneapolis: Elmer L. Andersen Library - Experts in human-computer interaction (HCI), virtual reality (VR), and digital graphics have dabbled across these overlapping fields for many years, but a new generation of users and high-tech culture mavens are integrating these technologies to take them to new and dizzying heights. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Meeting: Annual Member Meeting and Volunteer Appreciation Dinner 
September 7 @ 5 to 7 pm - Grand Marais: Cook County Historical Society - Featured speaker Tim Cochrane will give a presentation on the things he learned while writing and researching his new book "Making the Carry: The Lives of John and Tchi-Ki-Wis Linklater." He will also be sharing things he’d do differently if he were to write it over again. Learn more »

Event: Civil War Weekend at the LeDuc Historic Estate
September 9  and 10 @ 10 am to 5 pm - Hastings: Dakota County Historical Society - This year’s theme at the LeDuc Historic Estate is "Munitions & Technology" where visitors will learn about life during the Civil War, interact with reenactors, listen to live music, and explore Minnesota's involvement in the war. Cost: Free members/nonmembers $9. Learn more »

Presentation: ABCFM Dakota and Ojibwe Missions in the 1830s:  How similar were they?
September 11 @ 7 to 9 pm -  Minneapolis: Linden Hills History Study Group - In the 1830s, the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM) initiated a Protestant outreach to Native Americans. Despite already existing independent Dakota missions led by laymen Samuel and Gideon Pond, the ABCFM approved a plan for Rev. Jedediah D. Stevens' mission to Chief Maȟpíya Wičhášta and his village. Linda Bryan, a former social studies teacher and volunteer at historic sites, will provide a geographic timeline overview comparing the ABCFM's Dakota and Ojibwe missions. The presentation will take place at St. John’s Episcopal Church and is open to everyone. Cost: Free members/$5 nonmembers. Learn more »

Presentation History Cruise: The Historic Shores of Deephaven
September 17 @ 3 pm - Excelsior: Excelsior-Lake Minnetonka Historical Society - This presentation will be filled with the rich history of the boathouses, “castles,” and cottages located on Deephaven's historic shores - from Cottagewood to Chimo and beyond. This will be the final history cruise aboard the "Lady of the Lake." Cost: $22.50 member/$37.50 nonmembers. Learn more » 

Exhibit: Da Vinci: The Exhibition
September 17 through January 7, 2024 - Detroit Lakes: Becker County Museum - A large-scale traveling exhibition focused on Renaissance-era artist, inventor, and scholar Leonardo da Vinci will take museum visitors on a journey of innovation, creativity, science, and wonder. Learn more »

Continuing Education

Highlighted Museum: Cuyuna Range Museum, operated by the Cuyuna Iron Range Heritage Network, Crosby, MN.

Risk-based approaches to preventive conservation: Which to choose for my situation?
September 12 @ 3 pm (CT) - Online: Museum Study - Three risk assessment and management approaches to preventive conservation, including Quiskscan, ABC, and the Cultural Property Risk Analysis Model (CPRAM), have been developed over the past 35 years. This presentation provides a brief overview of each approach, highlighting their strengths and limitations. Institutions and collection care professionals can then determine which approach(es) will be most beneficial for their specific situation. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Disaster Resilience and Mitigation: Preparing for Next Time
September 12 @ 9 am (CT) - Online: Kentucky Humanities - Learn about mitigation activities that your organization can undertake, as well as funding and support organizations to help you in all stages of disasters. [One of four workshops. Recordings are available]. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Digitization Panel: Cassette Digitization
September 13 @ 3 pm (CT) - Online: Museums Alaska - Nikkita Shellikoff from the Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association will discuss their decision to digitize cassettes in-house, including the process, challenges, and strategies for a successful and cost-effective workflow. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Connecting with Universities and Students
September 18 @ 9 to 10 am (CT) - Online: Ohio Museums Association - Join Professor Megan Pellegrino to get suggestions on how to connect with Museum Studies or other related programs at a university – just in time for the new school year. Cost: Free. Learn more »

The Poison Book Project
September 20 @ 12 pm (CT) – Online: Connecting to Collections Care - This project investigates toxic metals in 19th-century Euro-American bookbindings found in small and mid-sized institutions. The webinar provides advice on identifying these books and health and safety recommendations for institutions with poison books in their collections. Cost: Free. Learn more »

TIPS & TOOLS

• Recent Projects in Women’s History - American Association for State and Local History

Additional Educational Opportunities »

Funding & Awards

Dangers & Opportunities of Technology: Perspectives from the Humanities
October 11 - (deadline): The National Endowment for the Humanities - This new grant program issues a direct call for new research that explores the relationship between technology and culture as well as technology’s dramatic impacts on society. Please note that “technology” will be interpreted broadly and that this grant encourages research into technologies not only from the modern or digital era but from any time period. Learn more »

Dan David Prize
October 11 - (deadline): Dan David Prize - World’s largest history prize, annually awarding 9 prizes of $300,000 each to early and mid-career scholars and practitioners in the historical disciplines, to acknowledge their outstanding achievements and support future work. Learn more »

NCPH 2024 Book Award
November 1 - (deadline): National Council on Public History - A $1,000 award for the best book about or growing out of public history published within the previous two calendar years (2021 and 2022). Learn more »

NCPH 2024 Robert Kelley Memorial Award
November 1 - (deadline): National Council on Public History - This $500 award honors distinguished achievements by individuals, institutions, or nonprofit or corporate entities for making history relevant to the individual lives of ordinary people outside of academia. Learn more »

Local History Publication Award
The Center for Archival Collections at Bowling Green State University is accepting submissions for the 2023 Local History Publication Awards beginning January 1, 2024. Works published between January 1, 2023, and December 31, 2023, will be considered in the Book and Article Categories for the Professional and Independent Divisions. The winners of each division will receive a $300 cash award and a plaque. Learn more »

News

Minnesota Heroes Day at the State Capitol
September 16 @ 10 am to 2 pm. - St. Paul: Visit the magnificently restored Capitol Building and honor Minnesota's military veterans, public safety officers, and citizens who sacrificed their lives to save others and protect our society. Representatives at the memorials on the Capitol grounds will share stories of sacrifice and the ultimate price paid by many Minnesotans. This event, sponsored by the Minnesota Medal of Honor Memorial, supports character development in youth and encourages attendees of all ages to join. Free tours of the Capitol building run on the hour for 45 minutes with the last tour at 2 pm. Families, our youth, and the general public are encouraged to attend; all information and handouts are free. Learn more »

Eden Prairie's ancient Red Rock returned to Dakota hands
Startribune — The red sandstone boulder in Eden Prairie was more than just a marker along an old Dakota trail between Shakopee and Lake Minnetonka. Left by ice age glaciers 10,000 years ago, the 4-by-3-foot rock became a sacred touchstone to the Dakota — connecting them to their creation story. As Eden Prairie grew from pioneer settlement to booming suburb, the Dakota people were forced west to reservations and the sacred Red Rock's spiritual side nearly vanished. Continue reading »

Minnesota Newspaper Museum worth a visit at State Fair
Northfield News — Although most State Fair devotees say they attend "The Great Minnesota Get-Together" every year for the rides, food and entertainment, there are some history buffs who prefer a small section of the 4-H building devoted to newspapers. The Minnesota State Fair Newspaper Museum, this year celebrating 36 years as a state fair attraction, replicates a 1930s-era newspaper office with print shop featuring a flatbed press. The building façade, with its awning and porch-like railing, was designed to resemble the Maynard News in west-central Minnesota. Continue reading »

Featured Book Lake Street Jimmy by James Bynum.	Featured Article Minnesota History Dinkytown Before Dylan: Gene Bluestein and the Minneapolis Folk Music Revival of the 1950s Volume 65, Issue 8, 2017	Featured Article MNopedia AIDS Conference Protest, St. Paul, 1987 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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