Local History News: February 15, 2023

Field Note

On Wednesday, January 25, Kent Whitworth (Executive Director and CEO), Avi Viswanathan (Director of Community Engagement), and David Kelliher (Director of Public Policy) testified before the House Legacy Finance Committee to share an update on how Minnesota’s history community has put Legacy dollars into action.  Watch House Legacy Finance Committee hearing »  (MNHS’s presentation begins at the 37:26 mark). 

History Matters Day Is March 6

Join us in speaking up for history on Monday, March 6 during History Matters Day at the Capitol. This is your chance to connect with legislators and share your perspective on why history matters.

Take the opportunity to thank our state’s elected leaders for their commitment to telling Minnesota’s stories and encourage their continued support for MNHS’s Operating Budget, Legacy Amendment funding, and Capital Budget.

For the first time, you can get involved with History Matters Day at the Capitol either virtually or in-person. The day will begin at 9 am for an information session and light refreshments in the L’Etoile du Nord Vault Room at the Minnesota State Capitol. Welcome remarks by MNHS CEO and Director Kent Whitworth and Director of Public Policy David Kelliher will also be streamed remotely via Zoom. In-person and remote meetings with legislators will take place throughout the day. Please register for History Matters Day at the Capitol by Tuesday, February 28. To learn more about how to get involved and advocate for Minnesota history, visit mnhs.org/historymatters.

Heritage Preservation Grants

Small Grant Deadline
The next small grant deadline (requests of $10,000 or less) for the MHCHG program is Friday, April 14, 2022.

Grants Office Webinar: First Steps Towards a Grant
February 16 - Online: 2 to 3 pm (CT): In this webinar, you will learn what you need to do to register for a grants portal login, how to apply, what the grant programs offer, what the programs can fund, and which resources are available for applicants. If you have never applied for a grant before or would like to hear about the basic process again, this webinar is for you. Presented by Gillian Maguire, Grants Associate. Learn more »

From the Blog

This week's blog post is from Minneapolis Park History. Have a blog? Let us know!

The Park Board that Operated an Airport
The Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport was once the site of the Snelling Racetrack, a two-mile concrete race track that was built to hold car races similar to the Indianapolis 500. It failed—and became an airport instead. The airport was developed and operated by the Minneapolis Park Board for nearly two decades.   Continue Reading »

More MN Blog posts

• Cameron Booth’s Love of Horses -  Hennepin History Museum
• File#BF062.1 Whiz Bang Magazine - Robbinsdale Historical Society
• New MDL Content: Minnesota Highway History from MnDOT - MN Digital Library
• I Thee Wed: Marriage Exhibit Comes to BCHS - Beltrami County Historical Society 

From the Tube

This week's post is from Gammelgården of Scandia. Have a video channel or podcast? Let us know!

Gammelgarden's Dala Horses 
This video is about four of the Dala horses outside at Gammelgarden. I hope you learn something new about them in the video! Please enjoy! Watch Video »

More MN Tube posts

• Black History Month Series: Joshua Welton - Paisley Park
• Object Collections Reveal 3: Grazing Muzzle - Freeborn County Historical Museum
• NEA Big Read Study Group No. 3: Immigration, Identity, and the Arts - East Side Freedom Library
• CAROLINE INGALLS: 13 Reflections from The Wilder Stage – EPISODE 01: Karen Larsen Sheie - Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum
• Bryan Ogun: Immigrant Stories - Immigration History Research Center, U of MN
• My Role as the Paul Robeson House Director, Frances Aulston - African American Registry

Job Opportunities

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

MNHS

• Native American Undergraduate Museum Fellowship (NAUMF) Program - MNHS
• Program Facilitator I - Forest History Center 

LOCAL

• RFP National Register Property Evaluation - Morrison County Historical Society, Little Falls, MN
• Executive Director - REOPENED - St. Louis County Historical Society, Duluth, MN
• Community Engagement Manager - Blue Earth County Historical Society, Mankato, MN
• Curator of Collections - Rice County Historical Society, Faribault, MN
• Request for Proposal - Working Drawings/Architectural Plans and Specifications for ADA accessibility/elevator and dry fire suppression system installation - Danebod Folk School, Tyler, MN
• Community Event Coordinator - Bell Museum, St. Paul, MN
• KAYSC Design Team Instructor - Science Museum of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN
• Curator - Givens Collection of African American Literature and Culture, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Campus Libraries, Twin Cities Metro, MN
• Digital Marketing & Communications Coordinator - Norway House, Minneapolis, MN
• Manager of Guest Services and Administration - Hennepin History Museum, Minneapolis, MN
• Finance Project Manager - Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, MN
• Donor Relations Associate - Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, MN
• Senior Systems Administrator - Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, MN
• Application & Integrations Administrator - Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, MN
• Assistant Preparator - Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, MN
• Reference and Instruction Librarian for STEM - Carleton College, Northfield, MN
• Activate Rural Program Assistant - Department of Public Transformation, Granite Falls, MN
• Cook/Chef - Hormel Historic Home, Austin, MN
• Architectural Historian - USDA Forest Service, Cass Lake, MN
• Launch Team  - Giiwedinong Treaty Rights & Culture Museum, Park Rapids, MN

REGIONAL

• Fort Totten State Historic Site Interpreter - State of North Dakota, Devils Lake, ND
• Weekend Interpreter - Camp Hancock State Historic Site, State of North Dakota, Bismarck, ND
• Seasonal Educator - Great Plains Zoo & Delbridge Museum of Natural History, Sioux Falls, SD
• Guest Experience Associate - Great Plains Zoo & Delbridge Museum of Natural History, Sioux Falls, SD
• Project Manager, Events - Harley-Davidson Museum, Harley-Davidson Motor Company, Milwaukee, WI
• Director of Marketing and Membership - Putnam Museum and Science Center, Davenport, IA

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

• Specialist, Education and Engagement - Indiana Historical Society, Indianapolis, IN
• Collections Assistant - Indiana Geological and Water Survey, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN 
• Executive Director - Muncie Downtown Development, Muncie, IN
• Museum Educator - Westcott House Foundation, Springfield, OH
• Cultural Resource Specialist - Missouri State Historic Preservation Office, Jefferson City, MO
• Architectural Historian - Missouri State Historic Preservation Office, Jefferson City, MO
• DEAI Projects Coordinator - History Nebraska, Lincoln, NE
• National Register Coordinator - History Nebraska, Lincoln, NE
• Museum Operations Specialist - History Nebraska, Lincoln, NE
• Visitor Services Coordinator - Chimney Rock, History Nebraska, Bayard, NE
• Development & Marketing Coordinator - American Association for State and Local history, Nashville, TN 
• Program Interpreter Level II - Children's Museum, Winnipeg, MB
• Learning Facilitator - Manitoba Museum, Winnipeg, MB
• Curatorial Assistant - Watson's Mill & Dickinson House, Manotick, ON
• Head Curator - Textile Museum of Canada, Toronto, ON

INTERNSHIPS/VOLUNTEERS/FELLOWSHIPS

• Paleontology Museum Collections Internship - Department of Mineral Resources Geological Survey, State of North Dakota, Bismarck, ND
• Leadership for Change Internship - Smithsonian and its Smithsonian Affiliates, Washington, D.C.

Additional Job Postings in the Field »

Do History Here

Image used with permission. From the collections of the Montgomery Minnesota Historical Society.

Be sure to check with each organization for COVID-19 updates and safety measures for in-person events.

Presentation: The Stories Whiteness Tells Itself 
TODAY, February 15 - St. Paul & Online: 7 pm (CT). Hamline Midway Library - Author David Mura will discuss his newest book The Stories Whiteness Tells Itself: Racial Myths and Our American Narratives. From the country’s founding through the summer of Black Lives Matter in 2020, David Mura unmasks how white stories about race attempt to erase the brutality of the past and underpin systemic racism in the present. Mura shows how deeply we need to change our racial narratives to dissolve the myth of Whiteness and fully acknowledge the experiences of Black Americans. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Presentation: 1T1T - Bears
TODAY. February 15 - Pine Island: 6:30 pm. Pine Island History Center - Come listen to an Oxbow Park naturalist at on a lesson about bears. You will learn about the Minnesota resident black bear along with other species found throughout the world. Artifacts will also be included. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Bishop Whipple in the US-Dakota War 
February 16 - Faribault: 7 pm. Rice County Historical Society - The US-Dakota War saw the expulsion of the Dakota from Minnesota for generations, and resulted from long growing tensions between settlers and native Dakota peoples. Bishop Whipple had long been an advocate for the Native populations of Minnesota and preached for peace between settlers and Native peoples. When the war broke out, Whipple found himself torn and pulled from both sides. Labeled a sympathizer by many, he nevertheless rose to the occasion to aid those in need on both sides. Even after hostilities ended, Whipple continued to rally for the Dakota. This presentation will discuss the actions and advocacy of Bishop Whipple in the time surrounding the war. It will look at Whipple’s religious background, his actions during the conflict, and his later support for the Dakota at the state and national levels. Cost: Free members/$5 nonmembers. Learn more »

Presentation: Body Finder John Jeremy
February 16 - Stillwater: 7 pm. Washington County Heritage Center - The Jeremy family had a side business of finding persons who had drowned in a body of water. The patriarch of the family, John Jeremy, started this unusual business in the 1870s, and three generations of Jeremys carried on the tradition until the 1950s. The family of the missing victim would contact John Jeremy, a contract was drawn up between the parties, and an amount for finding the body was determined. John would then go on to the body of water, alone, usually at night, without anyone else besides maybe his son, to look for the body. In the morning, he would have the body with him. What made the business even more unusual was how successful it was–when other search parties came up empty, John Jeremy and family were able to make the discovery. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Presentation: Major Micheal Cook
February 16 - Northfield: 7 to 9 pm. Cannon Valley Civil War Roundtable - Darryl Sannes of the Twin Cities speaks about Major Micheal Cook. He was buried in Faribault, MN and Cook County is named after him. Location: Northfield Township Hall. For more information call 507-459-3140.

Presentation: Reflections on the Black Liberation Movement in Minnesota: A Conversation with Dr. Yohuru Williams
February 16 - Minneapolis: 5:30 to 7 pm. Minnesota African American Heritage Museum and Gallery - Dr. Yohuru Williams will present an engaging discussion that explores the Black Liberation Movement, its catalysts, and its leaders in Minnesota. Also, the connection between events in 1975 and the racial reckoning of 2020, and the goals, strategies, and challenges for Black self-determination. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Workshop: 12 Ancestors in 12 Months Workshop
February 16 - Little Falls: 6:45 pm. Morrison County Genealogy Society - The goal with this workshop is to develop the habit of writing/recording family history discoveries and getting them into a format that can be shared.  Location: Little Falls Carnegie Library. Cost: Free. Email for more information. Learn more »

Genealogy: Minnesota Digital Newspaper Hub at Lawshe
February 16 - South St. Paul: 7 pm. Dakota County Historical Society - The Minnesota Digital Newspaper Hub is a valuable research tool that is free to use and offers full-text searching capabilities. In this presentation, attendees will learn how to efficiently search and use the Minnesota Digital Newspaper Hub. Attendees will also briefly learn about newspaper digitization at the Minnesota Historical Society. Cost: $5 members/$10 nonmembers. Learn more »

Workshop: African American Genealogy Workshop
February 18 - Online: 11 am to 12 pm (CT). Hennepin History Museum - Many people think Ancestry.com is limited when it comes to African American genealogy, but as more databases become accessible, Ancestry.com has added them to its catalog of resources. It takes a little bit of time to find where to look but we will give you some guidance on how to navigate Ancestry.com, Familysearch.org, and the National Archives to find your African American ancestors. Cost: Free. Learn more »  

Presentation: Hmong 101 - Folk Arts Tradition
February 18 - Online: 11 am (CT). Sherburne History Center & Stearns History Museum -  Folk Arts Traditions covers the rich and varied forms of Hmong art, including the Qeej, an instrument widely known as a cultural symbol of Hmong identity used in funeral ceremonies and weddings, the Ncas and two-string violin instruments, sung poetry, and both traditional and modern Hmong embroidery and their meanings. Part of the Hmong Cultural Center’s groundbreaking Hmong 101 workshops and webinars. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Jim Crow in Blue Earth County: Researching Housing Discrimination in Mankato’s History
February 18 - Mankato: 1 pm. Blue Earth County Historical Society - Dr. Angela Jill Cooley and History major Olivia Johnson, both of Minnesota State University, Mankato, will discuss the Mapping Mankato project to document racial discrimination in Mankato. Where did racial discrimination exist in Mankato? What form did it take? How do we research this history? What contemporary impacts might this history have? This community project helps shed light on an unfortunate and little-known aspect of Blue Earth County’s history. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Presentation: All Ears: Incorporating Oral History in Your Genealogical Research
February 21 - St. Cloud & Online: 7 pm (CT). Stearns History Museum - After conducting interviews for nearly two decades, Genealogist Brendon Duffy will share tips for how to prepare for, conduct, record, and preserve an oral history interview. Most importantly, he will discuss how they can be useful to you in your genealogical research. Some unique oral history resources will also be explored. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Presentation: Jessie Brown and the Corsair, a story of Heroism from the Korean War
February 21 - Superior, WI: 6:30 pm. Richard I Bong Veterans Historical Center - When Jesse Brown, The Navy's first black aviator, was shot down over North Korea, his wingman Tom Hudner did the unthinkable to save him. He crashed his own plane into the same mountain to aid Brown's escape. Learn more »

Drafting a Maintenance Plan
February 23 - St. Paul:  6:30 to 8 pm. Rethos - The best way to prevent unexpected and expensive rehab projects is proactive maintenance. In this class, you’ll learn what home maintenance tasks you should do on a seasonal or annual basis. Architect Todd Grover will host Q&A sessions and help build a maintenance plan for your old home. This class will arm you with a manageable checklist, resources, and a maintenance schedule. Cost: $0 to $10.  Learn more »

Panel Discussion: Rondo Brothers of Moorhead
February 27 - Moorhead: 7 pm. Minnesota State University Moorhead - The Rondo Brothers — Russel T. Balenger, Readus W. Fletcher, Carl Griffin, and Lewis Scott — all from the Rondo neighborhood AND Black MSUM alumni, will speak at the Roland Dille Center for the Arts Gaede Stage. They will discuss exploring the following themes: The historic significance of the Rondo neighborhood and the impact of the I-94 construction on families and the community; personal experiences at Moorhead State and the Fargo-Moorhead community; and career, service, and activism after Moorhead. Cost: $5. Learn more »

Continuing Education

Highlighted Museum: Historic Mayowood Mansion, Rochester, Minnesota, operated by the History Center of Olmstead County and the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN.
Photograph by Jonathunder, distributed under a GNU Free Documentation License.

A Discussion of Cold Storage Theory and Practice for Photographic and Paper-based Records 
February 16 -Online: 12 to 1 pm (CT). Connecting to Collections Care - Storing photographic films, prints, and other paper-based records at low temperature invites the inevitable risk/benefit analysis. What preservation goals can be achieved? How physically safe are the materials? How hard is it to implement? How much does it cost? How restricted is access to the collection? There can be positive answers for all these questions even for small institutions with limited staff and financial resources. One can start small and scale cold storage projects over time if basic concepts are understood. Cost: Free. Learn more »

A to Z of Human Resources: HR Compliance
February 21 - Online: 9 to 11 am (CT). Minnesota Council of Nonprofits - Small and medium-sized nonprofits typically don’t have the resources to create a human resources department with an experienced HR professional. The job of HR may be done by the executive director, the chief financial officer, a manager, or administrative staff – wherever there is a little capacity or a little interest. If this is you, the A to Z of Human Resources series can help. This workshop is one session of a three-part HR training series. Cost: $45 members/$ 65 nonmembers. Learn more »

Treasurer/Finance Committee: Right People, Right Roles
February 22 - Online: 9 am to 12 pm (CT). Propel Nonprofits - Were you just elected board treasurer or to the finance committee, and you’re not sure what to do?  Or are you an executive director or board chair with a new board treasurer who needs some finance confidence to carry out their role? This session is geared toward helping new treasurers and finance committee members (or current ones looking for a refresher) be successful in their role. Cost: $75. Learn more »

Social Media Best Practices for the History-Focused Organization
February 22 - Online: 10 am (CT). Texas Historical Commission - In this webinar, you'll learn concrete strategies for improving your institution's social media presence, including easily upgrading your graphic design, ideas for the types of posts that succeed with history-oriented audiences, and a resource list aimed at low-cost, easy-to-use tools for heritage professionals and volunteers. Cost: Free. Learn more »

How to Measure Museum Social Impact: From Participant Recruitment to Retention
February 23 - Online: 11 am (CT). American Alliance of Museums & Visitor Studies Association - As the national Measurement of Museum Social Impact (MOMSI) study comes to a close, come learn how study sites navigated visitor participation in the project. Hear from three different organizations–a rural museum, an art museum, and a zoo–on their successes and challenges in all steps of the project, from recruitment to participant retention. No study is perfect, but the recommendations we have just might help you on your next evaluation project. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Creating Successful Traveling Exhibitions online course 
Starts March 6 - Online Course: Museum Study, LLC - Ever wanted to know how to develop a traveling exhibition? If so, Creating Successful Traveling Exhibitions is for you. This four-week class will be focused on providing you with the nuts and bolts on how to develop and tour traveling exhibitions. We will be delving into all stages of the traveling exhibit development process and tips and strategies will be provided to build sustainable frameworks for these types of exhibitions. Cost: $400. Learn more »

TIPS & TOOLS

• Life After Twitter: a plan for museums and heritage organizations - Museums + Heritage 

Additional Educational Opportunities »

Funding & Awards

Awards for Excellence
February 28 - (Deadline): The Society of American Archivists annually recognizes leaders and achievers in the field of archives. SAA's twenty different recognitions offer a variety of professional acknowledgment and financial assistance through an awards competition, student scholarships, and the naming of Fellows. Learn more »

Culture & Tourism
February 28 - (Deadline): MN Department of Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation - Culture & Tourism grants assist communities and nonprofits by supporting strong arts, culture, history, and recreational activities. The goal of the program is to enhance the quality of life in the region and attract visitors. Learn more »

Recordings at Risk Grants
April 19 - (Deadline): Council on Library and Information Resources - Funding is available to support the preservation of rare and unique audio, audiovisual, and other time-based media of high scholarly value through digital reformatting. Learn more »

Research and Development Grants
May 16 - (Deadline): National Endowment for the Humanities - This grant program supports projects that address major challenges in preserving or providing access to humanities collections and resources. These challenges include the need to find better ways to preserve materials of critical importance to the nation’s cultural heritage—from fragile artifacts and manuscripts to analog recordings and digital assets subject to technological obsolescence—and to develop advanced modes of organizing, searching, discovering, and using such materials. Learn more »

Digital Humanities Advancement Grants
June 15 - (Deadline): National Endowment for the Humanities - Funding supports innovative, experimental, and/or computationally challenging digital projects, and/or research that examines the history, criticism, ethics, and philosophy of digital culture or technology and its impact on society. Learn more »

National Trust Community Investment Corporation New Markets Tax Credits
National Trust Community Investment Corporation, a tax credit syndicator, operates by forming a legal partnership with a developer of historic real estate that results in NTCIC making an equity investment in the project in exchange for receiving rights to the federal tax credits generated by the rehabilitation of the property. This is similar to what can be done with state historic tax credits. Combining state and/or federal historic tax credits with the federal New Markets Tax Credit is also a possibility if the project is located in a low-income census tract. Learn more »

News

New Executive Director
Museum Curator Dave Nichols will take over as Rice County Historical Society executive director when longtime executive director Susan Garwood retires on February 17. Dave received his Master’s degree in History and Museum Studies from Minnesota State University, Mankato. He worked for Steele and Goodhue County Historical Societies before becoming the Curator at Scott County Historical Society in 2018. He joined Rice County Historical Society as its Curator/Assistant to the Executive Director in March 2020. There will be a farewell celebration for Sue on February 15 (today!), from 3 to 7 pm at the museum. Learn more »

Annual National Visitation Survey for History Organizations 
The American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) Public History Research Lab invites you to complete the annual “National Visitation Survey for History Organizations.” The survey closes on March 15.

Each year, AASLH uses responses to this survey to produce the National Visitation Report, the history community’s only field-wide assessment of in-person engagement with museums, historic sites, and related organizations. By annually measuring year-to-year attendance changes at institutions of all types and sizes, this research effort provides organizations across the country with meaningful insights about field-wide trends and a benchmark for contextualizing their own numbers.

Your response is critical to this effort. The more responses they receive, the more accurate our analysis can be, particularly when it comes to investigating trends for different budget sizes, regions, and institution types.

Featured Book The Big Leaf Leap by Molly Beth Griffin, Illustrated by Meleck Davis. Minnesota Historical Society Press.	Featured Article Minnesota History Perfume: A Prohibition-era Mystery. Volume 64, Issue 8, 2015-16	Featured Article MNopedia Sabathanites Drum Corps 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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