Field Note

During a 2023 visit, staff from the Northfield Historical Society toured the archive storage areas of the Minnesota History Center in St. Paul, MN to evaluate their own storage needs.

Heritage Preservation Grants

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

Grants Office Webinar: Is Food an Allowable Expense? + New Grant Features
January 18 @ 2 to 3 pm (CT) - Online: As you fill out a proposed grant’s budget, you think, “Is that fundable?” This question comes up with marketing, landscaping and many other things. How do you know what you can and cannot do with a grant? If an expense needs to be reasonable and justified, how do you make that judgment call? We'll talk about that. We will also talk about some new grant program features in the new year. Presented by Grants Specialists Melinda Hutchinson and John Fulton.
Join online: meet.google.com/zwx-krei-com
Join by phone: ‪(US) +1 386-361-3086‬ PIN: ‪420 891 978‬#

State Capital Projects Grants-in-Aid
This grant program supports historic preservation construction projects for publicly owned buildings in Minnesota. Eligible properties must be either listed in the National Register of Historic Places or determined to be eligible for listing by the Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office. The mandatory pre-application is due Friday, January 26, 2024, and the final application deadline is Friday, March 8, 2024. The pre-application process is a requirement of this grant program. Learn more »

Heritage Partnership Program Grant 
Heritage Partnership Program grants build the capacity of two or more eligible organizations to work together on their shared goals for Minnesota’s history. The mandatory pre-application is due Friday, January 26, 2024, and the final application deadline is Friday, March 8, 2024. The pre-application process is a requirement of this grant program. For more information contact John. Learn more »

From the Blog

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

Collections Carousel: The Early 20th Century at Schwanke’s Hotel and Saloon in Randall, Minnesota
On December 16, 1910, Jack Miller entered the August Schwanke Hotel and Saloon in Randall, Minnesota and ordered a brandy for which he paid 50 cents. That wasn’t the only time Jack visited Schwanke’s Saloon. Jack was a frequent visitor along with numerous other Morrison County residents or hotel guests, like Charles Hawkinson who ordered two beers on January 19, 1910 and Jack Kingsley who ordered three treats on November 11, 1910. Thankfully, August kept this bar tab ledger from his days running the hotel and saloon and passed it down to his family. The ledger was donated to the Morrison County Historical Society in 2017 by DeWayne Schwanke, August Sr.’s grandson. Continue Reading »

More MN Blog posts

• Notes from the President - Danish American Center
• Our favorite stories of 2023 from the Libraries - U of MN Libraries
• Historic Airports Q&A - 106 Group
• HCSCC Begins Process of Claiming Abandoned Loaned Objects - Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County
• West Newton: Town and Township - Sleepy Eye Area Historical Society

From the Tube

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

More MN Tube posts

• Luciadagen at Gammelgården Museum of Scandia - Gammelgården Museum
• Toys from the Museum's Collection - Pipestone County Museum
• Poetry and embracing your creative voice with Heid E. Erdrich - Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community
• Episode 8: Jim Rock - Hennepin History Museum
• A look back at 2023! - History Center of Olmsted County
• The Lost Renner Farm - A Once Beautiful Minnesota Family Farm that is Vanishing with Time - Minnesota Bricks
• Spirits Dancing by Travis Novitsky Book Launch - Bell Museum
• Native Report: Reclaiming a Cemetery at Wisconsin Point - CGEE Hamline
• A School for All - KFAI's MinneCulture
• Cesar Mendez: Immigrant Stories - Immigration History Research Center, U of MN
• The Revolution Will Be Postmarked: Protest and Organization in the Robert Bly papers - U of MN Libraries

Job Opportunities

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

MNHS

• Program Supervisor - Historic Forestville
• Sales Assistant I - Split Rock Lighthouse  
• Network Security Specialist - MN History Center
• Finance Project Manager - MN History Center
• Benefits Specialist - MN History Center
• Community Engagement Specialist - MN History Center
• Program Supervisor - Ramsey & Hill Houses

LOCAL

• Request for Proposals, historical research & interpretive writing for signage - Ney Nature Center, Le Sueur, MN
• Site Supervisor - Dakota County Historical Society, Mendota, MN
• Museum Director - Murray County Historical Society, Slayton, MN
• Cultural Resource Historian - Minnesota Dept. of Transportation, St. Paul, MN
• President and Executive Director - Public Art Saint Paul, St. Paul, MN
• Administrative Coordinator - Alliance Francaise Mpls/St. Paul, Minneapolis, MN
• Puppeteer Teaching Artist - Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theater, Minneapolis, MN

REGIONAL

• Guest Service Staff Associate - Manitowoc County Historical Society, Manitowoc, WI
• Executive Director - Children's Museum of La Crosse, La Crosse, WI
• Development and Corporate Giving Officer -  Wisconsin Historical Foundation, Madison, WI
• Public Records Accessioner - Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, WI
• Acquisitions Registrar - Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, WI
• Interpretive Manager - Heritage Hill State Historical Park,  Green Bay, WI
• Technology and Online Resources Librarian - Black Hills State University, Rapid City, SD
• Museum Technician - Mount Rushmore, National Park Service, Keystone, SD

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

• Associate Conservator - The Newberry, Chicago, IL
• Site Superintendent III - Multiple sites, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Keithsburg, IL
• Museum Curator - Indiana University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Bloomington, IN
• Registration Support Contractor - Ruth Mott Foundation, Flint, MI
• Education and Outreach Manager - Shaker Historical Society, Shaker Heights, OH
• Administrative Database Manager - Grand Rapids Public Museum, Grand Rapids, MI
• Development Manager - Grand Rapids Public Museum, Grand Rapids, MI
• Marketing Manager - Grand Rapids Public Museum, Grand Rapids, MI
• Historic Sites Building & Grounds Supervisor - Muskegon Historic Sites of the Lakeshore Museum Center, Muskegon, MI 
• Archivist 2 - Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, PA
• Collections Associate - Senator John Heinz History Center, Pittsburgh, PA
• Archival Technician - Lebanon Valley College, Annville, PA
• Director of Communications - Museum of the American Revolution, Philadelphia, PA
• Archivist  - Archives - Michigan History Center, MI Department Natural Resources, Lansing, MI
• Digital Archives Specialist - Jesuit Archives & Research Center, St. Louis, MO
• Architectural Historian - Missouri State Historic Preservation Office, Jefferson City, MO
• Archivist - Missouri Historical Society, St. Louis, MO
• Curator of Indigenous Collections - Missouri Historical Society, St. Louis, MO
• Conservator, Head of Paintings Conservation Lab - Ford Conservation Center, Omaha, NE
• Archivist - Mexican American Civil Rights Institute, San Antonio, TX
• Administrative Coordinator, Design and Production - Canadian Museum for Human Rights,    Winnipeg, MB
• Director, Facilities and Protection Services - Canadian Museum for Human Rights,    Winnipeg, MB
• Interpretive Program Developer - Canadian Museum for Human Rights, Winnipeg, MB
• Senior Manager, Registration (Museum Collections & Registration) - Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, ON

INTERNSHIPS/VOLUNTEERS/FELLOWSHIPS

• Board of Trustees - Blue Earth County Historical Society, Mankato, MN
• Public Relations Intern - Red Lake Regional Heritage Centre, Red Lake, ON

Additional Job Postings in the Field »

Do History Here

Image used with permission. From the collections of the Hennepin County Library.

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

Presentation: Anoka State Hospital
January 13 @ 1 pm (CT) - Online: Anoka County Historical Society - Over 120 years ago, the first male occupants arrived at the newly constructed State Asylum for the Insane following a battle for the Anoka location. Its history looms large in local lore and this program promises to tease fact from fiction. See blueprints of the innovative cottage system for institutional care, hear about the farm on-site, and discuss the site's relationship with the city. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Volunteer Transcription Session Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. National Day of Service
January 15 @ 12 to 1 pm (CT) - Online:  Mapping Prejudice - Looking for a flexible way to participate in the National Day of Service honoring Dr. Martin Luther King? Mapping Prejudice is hosting a special online transcription session in collaboration with the University of Minnesota Libraries. Learn more/Registration » 

Indian Wars Everywhere
January 18 @ 7 to 8 pm (CT) - Online: Ramsey County Historical Society - Join Stefan Aune as he delves into his book, "Indian Wars Everywhere," exploring the pervasive influence of references to the Indian Wars in American military history. This influence spans from Black Hawk helicopters to the use of "Geronimo" by paratroopers. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Presentation: Bishop Henry Benjamin Whipple
January 18 - Northfield - Cannon Valley Civil War Roundtable - David Nichols, Executive Director of Rice County Historical Society, will present on Bishop Henry Benjamin Whipple, the first Episcopal bishop of Minnesota known for his humanitarian work with Dakota and Ojibwe tribes and efforts to reform the U.S. Indian administration system. Notably, he opposed death sentences for 303 Dakota individuals after the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862. Location: Northfield Township Town Hall. For information call Dan Peterson at 507-459-3140.

Presentation: Murder on Elm Street: A True-Life Crime Story
January 18 @ 7 pm - Albert Lea: Freeborn County Historical Museum - On Thanksgiving Day in 2012, in Little Falls, Minnesota, two teenage cousins illegally entered a residence on Elm Street, setting off a chilling true-life story. Unbeknownst to them, the retired homeowner had devised a sinister trap to deal with any intruders. Retired detective Jeremy Luberts will recount the case that had a profound impact on his life and sparked a nationwide debate over just how far people can go to protect their own homes. Cost: FREE members/$5 nonmembers.  Learn more »

Presentation: Brown Bag History - Darrell Kingbird
January 18 @ 12 pm - Bemidji: Beltrami County History Center - Spiritual leader, drummer, singer, and announcer Darrell Kingbird of Ponemah will share his lifelong expertise and passion for sharing and performing Ojibwe music and member of the Kingbird Singers. Darrell is the first speaker in their “Keeping Time: Beltrami County’s Music History” theme. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Presentation: Stories of Anglo-Dakota Women Straddling Cultures in the Early Nineteenth Century
January 22 @ 7 pm - Minneapolis: Linden Hills History Study Group - Dr. Jane Lamm Carroll examines the experiences of four bicultural granddaughters of Chief Cloudman, who grew up near Lake Harriet; and of another Anglo-Dakota, Daybreak Woman, who was born and raised in a Mdewakanton band at a trading post on the Minnesota River. Compared to their peers, how did these women of mixed parentage identify, socialize, and navigate language, culture, marriage, family life, and aging? Were they comfortable or at ease in the Anglo-American or the Dakota communities? Location: St. John’s Episcopal Church. Cost: Free members/$5 nonmembers. Learn more »

Presentation: A Toast to the Fallen – the History of the Last Man’s Club
January 23 @ 7 pm - Stillwater: Washington County Heritage Center - Attend a program by Civil War historian and collector Mike Frain on the "Last Man's Club of Company B." This organization was formed by 34 surviving veterans of Company B, First Minnesota Regiment, who wanted to preserve the memories of the First Minnesota. They held an annual banquet on the anniversary of the First Battle of Bull Run. In joining the “Last Man’s Club,” each veteran promised that, if he were the organization’s last surviving member, he would drink a bottle of burgundy wine in his comrades’ honor. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Continuing Education

Highlighted Museum: Minnehaha Depot, operated by the Minnesota Transportation Museum, Minneapolis, MN.
Photograph by McGhiever, distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 license.

Minnesota Grantmakers 2024
January 17 & 18 - Virtual Workshop: Minnesota Council of Nonprofits - This workshop explores information on Minnesota's active private, community, and corporate foundations that fund nonprofits. Gain insight into trends, staffing, program shifts, and financial outlooks of grantmakers. Learn about significant changes in Minnesota's funding community within the larger contexts of financial and cultural shifts impacting the nonprofit sector's funding opportunities. Cost: $135 members/$175 nonmembers. Learn more »

Web Archiving
January 22 @ 5 pm (CT) - Online: Backlog-Archivists & Historians - Delve into the intriguing world of web archiving, exploring its history, current practices, and its relevance for small archival organizations. Discover the evolution of web archiving, unravel its significance as an archival practice, and gain insights into why it matters for smaller institutions. We will explore whether web archiving should be a concern, discussing its practical applications and potential impact on preserving cultural heritage.  Cost: Free. Learn more »

Deconstruction Tax Deductions: Environmentally Friendly Tax Policy
January 23 @ 10 to 11 am (CT) - Online: Rethos - The differences between deconstruction and demolition of old buildings. Commercial buyers who plan to remodel, flip, or remove a structure can benefit financially from deconstruction through tax deductions. Deconstruction does not only have financial implications but also is incredibly beneficial to the environment as it reduces construction waste from landfills. With new state and federal funding, and new waste ordinances, now is the time for Realtors to learn the financial implications of deconstruction. Cost: Free to general public. Learn more »

Rock On! Storing Your Geological Materials
January 24 @ 12 to 1 pm (CT) - Online: Connecting to Collections Care - Too often geological materials do not receive the care they merit because of an assumption that they are “just rocks” and therefore always stable. In this webinar, they will go over some of the types of geological materials often encountered in collections; typical risks to them; typical risks from them; and storage solutions that work for protecting them and their users. Cost: Free. Learn more »

60 Ideas in 60 Minutes: Museum Philanthropy and Membership after a Pandemic
January 24 @ 1 to 2 pm (CT) - Online: American Alliance of Museums - Diversifying revenue sources and forming long-term philanthropic partnerships are crucial for building museum resilience. Philanthropy and membership programs play a vital role in ensuring the sustainability of museums. In a fast-paced webinar, national museum development leaders will share insights on fundraising and membership programs that secure the future of their institutions. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Managing Previously Unmanaged Collections online course 
Beginning February 5 - Online course: Museum Studies - This 4-week course helps you to get a grip on your unmanaged collection by developing a plan to tackle it, defining achievable goals by creating logical exits, and finding ways to keep the project going even if you are limited in time, staff and money. Cost: $400. Learn more »

TIPS & TOOLS

• Creating an ADA-compliant exhibit space: Exhibit signage & labels - Gaylord Archival
• Mickey Mouse and many other beloved creations, including Peter Pan and ‘Mack the Knife,’ are now in the public domain (sort of) - Smithsonian Magazine

Additional Educational Opportunities »

Funding & Awards

Minnesota History Awards program Nominations accepted until January 15, 2024.
January 15 - (Deadline): Nominate projects accomplished from July 1, 2022 to October 1, 2023 for the 2024 Minnesota History Awards program.

Since 2009, the Minnesota Alliance of Local History Museums has taken the opportunity at its Annual Meeting to recognize exceptional history work carried out by local history organizations in the state. This includes a formal nomination process with review by a panel of local history peers to determine which nominations will receive an award. Over the years, award categories have been modified, added, or removed. This time, there are two distinct history award programs: the Minnesota History Awards and the Lifetime Achievement Awards. Learn more »

Award Categories:

• Behind the Scenes
• Collections
• Civic Engagement & Public Celebrations
• Publications
• Interpretive Programs
• Lifetime Achievement

Operating Support grant program
January 19 - (Deadline): Minnesota State Arts Board - Operating Support provides general support to high-quality, established arts organizations that produce, present, or exhibit works of art; to organizations that provide a broad range of services to practicing artists; and to community arts schools and conservatories that make arts learning available to Minnesotans of all ages and abilities. Learn more »

AACRN Grant Deadline Extended
The Association of African American Museums and the African American Civil Rights Network have extended the deadline for their grant program through January 31, 2024. Learn more »

Libraries Transform Communities Engagement Grant
February 1 - (Deadline): American Library Association - This annual grant recognizes, promotes, and supports innovative and meaningful community engagement efforts in libraries. Each year, the grant will focus on supporting a community engagement project with a specific theme. For the 2023-2024 cycle, libraries are invited to submit applications for a community engagement project that focuses on community empowerment. Learn more »

Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grants Program
February 22 - (Deadline): National Park Service - supports the rehabilitation of historic properties and fosters the economic development of rural communities through subgrants. This program funds physical preservation projects for historic sites, including architectural and engineering services through subgrants to communities determined rural by the US Bureau of the Census. This program funds preservation projects for historic sites, including architectural and engineering services and physical building preservation through subgrants to rural communities (non-urban cities with populations under 50,000). Learn more »

Mosaic Scholarship
February 28 - (Deadline): Society of American Archivists - The Mosaic Scholarship provides financial and mentoring support to students of color pursuing graduate education in archival science, encourages students to pursue a career as an archivist, and promotes the diversification of the American archives profession. Learn more »

Collections Assessment for Preservation Program
February 28 - (Deadline): American Institute for Conservation - The program is designed to help small and mid-sized museums receive prioritized recommendations for improving the care of their collections. A CAP assessment is a study of all the institution’s collections, buildings, and building systems as well as its policies and procedures relating to collections care. Learn more »

A free information session about the CAP program will be held via Zoom on Wednesday, January 17 @ 1 pm (CT). Register now »

NAGPRA Consultation/Documentation Grants & Repatriation Grants
March 11, 2024 - (Deadline): Consultation/Documentation Grants support the efforts of museums, Indian Tribes, and Native Hawaiian organizations in consulting and documenting NAGPRA-related human remains and cultural items in non-Federal collections.
May 9, 2025 - (Deadline): Repatriation Grants defray costs associated with the packaging, transportation, contamination removal, and/or storage of NAGPRA-related human remains and cultural items. Grants are available to museums, Indian Tribes, and Native Hawaiian organizations. Learn more »

Wells Fargo Grants
Deadlines vary, next cycle in February 2024: Wells Fargo Foundation - Wells Fargo welcomes applications year-round from qualified nonprofits and educational institutions. Review the site to determine if any of the regions and priorities are a good fit. Then, check out the various program deadlines under 'How To Apply.' Deadlines and grant amounts vary greatly among programs. Learn more »

News

Drumroll, please! The winner of the state competition is…
Association of Midwest Museums - Minnesota, we’ll be heading your way this spring!
For our 95th anniversary, the AMM Board challenged #ProudMuseumPeople across the region to a state competition in support of Midwest Museums through gifts to the AMM Annual Fund. The winning state with the highest number of contributions would be the location of a spring in-person museum mixer.

It was a close competition – Michigan made a comeback, with Illinois and Wisconsin close behind, but Minnesota held the lead! Continue reading »

MN Digital Newspaper Hub - December content update

• Stillwater daily gazette (Stillwater, Minn.) 1919-1922 added
• Mora times (Mora, Minn.) 1882-1884
• Kanabec County times (Mora, Minn.) 1889-1929 added
• Twin Cities Ordnance news (New Brighton, Minn.) 1942-1945
• St. Cloud register (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1949-1955
• St. Cloud visitor (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1955-2006

Featured Book Dreaming Our Futures: Ojibwe and Očhéthi Šakówiŋ Artists and Knowledge Keepers, Editors - Brenda J. Child and Howard Oransky. Minnesota Historical Society Press. Book Launch Event Date: Wednesday, January 17 @ 7 pm Location: Milkweed Books, Minneapolis, MN	Featured Article Minnesota History Woman's rights movement  Volume 42, Issue 6, 1971	Featured Article MNopedia African American Suffrage in Minnesota, 1868 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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