Field Note

Heritage Preservation, Planning, and Outreach staff conducted a site visit for a grant-funded project to perform conservation work on an 1892 monument in Waconia’s City Square Park. The monument was erected in tribute to 559 soldiers from Carver County who died during the Civil War.

Heritage Preservation Grants

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 John Fulton and Melinda Hutchinson.
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 »

Learn about opportunities, project requirements, deadlines, and more to see how MNHS can help fund your construction project in this recorded webinar on the State Capital Projects Grants-in-Aid Program. Watch Video »

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 Northwest Airlines History Center. Have a blog? Let us know!

The “First” Northwest Logo
Charles Dickinson inaugurated service on Contract Air Mail Route 9 (CAM-9) on June 7, 1926 and terminated his service on September 30, 1926. The next day, October 1, 1926, Northwest Airways’ 84-year history took off. Col. Brittin’s previous work on behalf of the Detroit Ford Motor Company’s selection of St. Paul as Ford’s second automobile plant, coupled with Brittin’s semi-official position as the St. Paul manager (along with William Kidder) of Dickinson’s effort, enabled him to quickly secure the financial backing of Detroit businessmen to get Northwest Airways into the air so quickly. Continue reading »

More MN Blog posts

• Why Chaska? - Steve Mueller - Chaska Historical Society
• USS Essex - Trident Sciences
• Lake Minnetonka Historical Society collection now available in Minnesota Digital Library - Minitex News

From the Tube

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

More MN Tube posts

• Tell Me More: Notable Women of Brown County - Brown County Historical Society
• Episode 9: Tawnya Stewart - Hennepin History Museum
• Native Report: Gitigaanan Community Garden and Feast - CGEE Hamline
• Forgotten Hotels of Hennepin Avenue: 1890s Minneapolis, Minnesota - Lurid History
• Pipestone County Museum's Collection Process - Pipestone County Historical Society

Job Opportunities

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

MNHS

• Interpreter I - Jeffers Petroglyphs
• Financial Analyst - MN History Center 
• Newspapers Project Assistant - MN History Center  

LOCAL

• Museum Manager - Blue Earth County Historical Society, Mankato, MN
• Manager - Ely-Winton Historical Society, Ely, MN
• Title Collections Assistant (Two Openings) - Goodhue County Historical Society, Red Wing, MN
• Head of Information Systems - Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, MN
• Assistant/Associate Curator, Decorative Arts and Sculpture - Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, MN
• Security Specialist - Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, MN

REGIONAL

• Education and Community Program Director - Jewish Museum Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI
• VP of Marketing & Communications - Betty Brinn Children's Museum, Milwaukee, WI
• Acquisitions Registrar - Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, WI
• Development and Corporate Giving Officer - Wisconsin Historical Foundation, Madison, WI
• Animal Program Coordinator - Wisconsin Historical Society, Eagle, WI
• Lead Sales Associate - Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, WI
• Guest Services Associate - Manitowoc County Historical Society, Manitowoc, WI
• Executive Director - Grout Museum, Waterloo, IA
• Administrative Assistant - Grinnell College Museum of Art, Grinnell, IA
• Education Group Coordinator - National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium, Dubuque, IA

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

• Programs & Membership Manager - Chicago Cultural Alliance, Chicago, IL
• Assistant Curator - Block Museum, Northwestern University - Evanston, IL
• Museum Program & Education Coordinator - Arlington Heights Park District, Arlington Heights, IL
• NAGPRA Coordinator - Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL
• Museum Administrator - Ohio Glass Museum, Lancaster, OH
• Inventory Assistant, Archaeology - Mackinac State Historic Parks, Mackinaw City, MI
• Curator of Programs & Education - Port Huron Museums, Port Huron, MI
• Historical Collections Registration Support - Ruth Mott Foundation/Applewood, Flint, MI
• Vice President, Exhibition and Collection Strategies - Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, MI
• Membership Coordinator - Missouri Historical Society, St. Louis, MO
• Executive Director - The Fabric Workshop and Museum, Philadelphia, PA
• Archivist 2 - Historical & Museum Commission, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, PA
• Digital Oral History Archivist and Archives Educator - The 1947 Partition Archive, Berkeley, CA
• Senior Registrar (Senior Manager, Registration) - Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, ON
• Senior Manager, Entrepreneur & Small Business Support (MSA) - National Main Street Center, Remote

INTERNSHIPS/VOLUNTEERS/FELLOWSHIPS

• Smithsonian NMAAHC Summer 2024 Internships - National Museum of African American History and Culture, Washington, DC
• Collections Internship - Dr Pepper Museum, Waco, TX
• Museum and Nature Preserve Intern - Vaughan Woods & Historic Homestead, Hallowell, ME

Additional Job Postings in the Field »

Do History Here

Image used with permission. From the collections of the Milaca Area Historical Society.

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

Presentation: Resorts Revisited
January 22 @ 6 to 7 pm - Online: White Bear Lake Area Historical Society - Dive into White Bear’s Golden Resort Era (1870-1910), exploring why White Bear became Minnesota’s First Resort Town, who was coming to visit and what it would have been like to vacation “up north” in the late 19th century. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Presentation: Climbing the Family Tree: How to Start Your Genealogy Journey
January 25 @ 6 pm - Faribault: Rice County Historical Society - Have you ever wanted to start your genealogy but didn’t know how? What you look for? How you can find people? Where to begin? Join Rice County Historical Society Executive Director David Nichols as he discusses the steps, tips, and tricks to beginning your family genealogy. This program is beginner level introduction that will provide handouts and resources, and guidance on where to begin and how you can start climbing the family tree today. Cost: Free members/$5 nonmembers. For more information call 507-332-2121.

Annual Meeting
January 25 @ 4:30 pm - Albert Lea: Freeborn County Historical Museum - Members are invited to join us for our annual meeting and get the inside scoop on the Freeborn County Historical Museum, Library and Village and the Itasca Rock Garden.  Attendees will learn of the triumphs and struggles faced in 2023; hear what is on the horizon for 2024; meet the staff and board members of FCHM; and, have an opportunity to ask questions. For more information call 507-373-8003.

Event: Queer Connections - A Storytelling & Community Building Gathering
January 27 @ 1 to 4 pm - St. Paul: Telling Queer History - Partnering with Minnesota Deaf Queers to produce and present a community-building gathering that centers the lives and experiences of LGBTQIA+ Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing folks. At this gathering you’ll experience storytelling from four people with intersectional LGBTQIA+ identities. You’ll also have the opportunity to immerse yourself in communication and to build new understandings and relationships with our storytellers and other attendees. Location: Dendros Community Space. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Event: MN Writers Series: A Council of Dolls
January 27 @ 2 to 4 pm St. Paul: Minnesota Humanities - Join Author Mona Susan Power and event moderator Sheila O’Connor as they discuss topics from the brutal impacts of generational trauma and systemic racism to the healing powers of love, family, and hope. This event is presented in partnership with The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition, which works to understand and address the ongoing trauma created by U.S. Indian boarding school policies. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Continuing Education

Highlighted Museum:  Minnesota Air National Guard Museum, operated by
the Minnesota Air National Guard Historical Foundation, Inc., St. Paul, MN.
Photograph by Mark Moss, distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 license.

Anti-Discrimination Advocacy for Nonprofits
January 23 @ 9:30 to 11 am (CT) - St. Paul/Online: Minnesota Council of Nonprofits - In this workshop, participants will gain insights into effectively utilizing their voices and communication platforms to advocate for those experiencing discrimination. The presenter will introduce key terms and definitions to bridge cultural and bureaucratic communications with proactive next steps towards compassionate accountability for remedy. Cost: $50 members/$70 nonmembers. Learn more »

IMLS National Museum Survey Pilot Summary Findings Webinar
January 23 @ 1 to 2 pm (CT) - Online: Institute of Museum and Library Services - IMLS will release the results of its pilot National Museum Survey. Speakers will highlight how the successful completion of the pilot serves as the foundation for the first-ever annual federal survey to gather and share data about the essential work happening across the country in museums and cultural institutions. Set to launch in early 2025, the IMLS-sponsored NMS will create the first federal, free-of-charge, and publicly available database of credible statistics on museums and related institutions, allowing for new policy approaches to more efficiently invest in the infrastructure of the nation’s heritage. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Digitization Projects
January 29 @ 5 pm (CT) - Online: Backlog-Archivists & Historians - Unravel the essential aspects of planning, executing, and maximizing the impact of digitization initiatives. Whether you're a cultural institution, library, or business, discover the key strategies for navigating the digitization process effectively. From selecting the right materials to implementing cutting-edge technologies, the webinar will guide you through the intricacies of digitization projects, providing valuable insights, best practices, and success stories.  Cost: Free. Learn more »

New Year, New Perspectives
January 31 @ 1 to 2 pm (CT) - Online: National Trust for Historic Preservation - Join Preservation Leadership Forum for their first webinar of 2024! To kick off the new year, they will host a roundtable discussion with new leaders of local, state, and national preservation organizations. Cost: Free. Learn more » 

Exhibiting Your Collections
February 1 @ 1 to 3 pm (CT) - Online: Northeast Document Conservation Center - Now including an exhibition of 3-D objects and textiles! Cultural heritage organizations often look to their collections to create public exhibitions, but putting the spotlight on rare books and documents is inherently at odds with preservation. Exhibits, though, provide a powerful avenue for outreach and also present opportunities for collection advocacy. Preparing collections for safe exhibition ensures that these materials remain accessible into the future. This webinar will help you understand the risks of exhibition so that you can develop policies and guidelines to mitigate those risks. Selection for exhibition will be covered, along with space considerations, safe handling, and display methods. Cost: $95. Register »

Managing Cash Flow
February 1 @ 12 to 1 pm (CT) - Online: Propel Nonprofits - This webinar will help you anticipate and prepare for the ebb and flow of cash coming in and going out of your organization and identify ways to avoid and manage cash flow challenges. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Keeping Historic Houses & Museums Clean
February 5 - 4 week Online course: MuseumStudy - An unkempt museum or historic house is not appealing to the visitor nor is it healthy for the staff and collection. In this professional development course the instructor will lay a foundation as to how to clean objects and facilities safely. They will explore a variety of subjects, including health and safety for the staff and the objects, cleaning methods for a large variety of collection types common in art & cultural institutions and the importance of documenting what you do. Cost: $400. Learn more »

TIPS & TOOLS

• Why January is the most important time for donor retention - Classy

Additional Educational Opportunities »

Funding & Awards

AASLH Leadership in History Awards

Nominations are open and accepted until March 1, 2024.
Nominate accomplishments occurring within the eighteen months before the March 1 deadline (i.e., September 1, 2022 through March 1, 2024. Publications must be published within two years before January 1 of the year of the competition.

American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) bestows the Leadership in History Awards in recognition of excellence in the field of state and local history. Learn more »

AASLH recognizes EXCELLENCE in the following areas: 

• Exhibits
• Public and educational programming
• Special projects
• Publications
  • Publication Award Categories are: Best Large Press Local History Book; Best Small Press/Independent Author Local History Book; and Best History Practice Book Award.
• Multimedia
• Individual Achievement

Watch the presentation "What Are the Leadership in History Awards?"

Institutes for Advanced Topics in the Digital Humanities 02/15/2024
February 14 - (Deadline): National Endowment for the Humanities - This grant supports national or regional (multistate) training programs for scholars, humanities professionals, and advanced graduate students to broaden and extend their knowledge of digital humanities. Learn more »

Holly Maxson Conservation Grants, Lecture Grants, and Community Partnership Project Grants 
February 15, 2024 - (Deadline): The grants are designed to build awareness among students (middle school through undergraduate) about conservation and related fields and to encourage students to consider the field of conservation as a career path. A broad range of projects might be proposed, such as curriculum development, online resources, pilot projects within an institution, or video production. Learn more »

Publishing Historical Records in Collaborative Digital Editions Grants
February 15 -(Optional Draft)/May 8 - (Deadline): National Archives - Proposals sought to publish online editions of historical records. Projects may focus on broad historical movements in U.S. history, including any aspect of African American, Asian American, Hispanic American, and Native American history. Learn more »

News

Moratzka handing Gammelgården Director role to Rinkenberger
Country Messenger – After nearly 40 years serving as the Gammelgården Museum’s Director, Lynne Moratzka will be handing the reins to Ann Rinkenberger at the start of the new year. During their annual event Jan. 7 where awards will be given for top volunteers of the year, Moratzka will transition to Director Emerita of the museum, giving Rinkenberger the role of Director at that point. Continue reading »

Preserving what’s important to you
New Ulm Journal – Brown County Historical Society hosted a crash course on how to preserve collections, heirlooms, and other valuable items. Megan Brakob Narvey from the Minnesota Historical Society visited BCHS’s annex Thursday to offer tips and techniques for preserving items. Continue reading »

From New Ulm to Bataan: A fallen Medal of Honor recipient is remembered
StarTribune – As a teenager in the 1940s, Tom Groebner delivered the morning mail in his southern Minnesota hometown of New Ulm. "All the regular mail carriers were in the service, fighting in World War II," said Groebner, 96. "So the post office hired us high school kids during the summer." Continue reading »

What happened to Paul Wellstone's green campaign bus?
StarTribune – The Carleton College professor seemed to come out of nowhere in 1990, running his underdog U.S. Senate campaign out of a rickety green school bus that was prone to breaking down. DFLer Paul Wellstone ousted Republican Sen. Rudy Boschwitz in a stunning upset later that year, turning the bus into an enduring symbol of his populist brand of politics. Continue reading »

New exhibit recalls McLeod County's snowmobile history
Hutchinson Leader – Winter has finally arrived in full. What was one of the mildest starts to the season in history has come to an end. The lakes are frozen, the ground is white, and the temperature has plummeted. Like it or not, it’s safe to say that Mother Nature has finally awakened from her nap. I won’t lie. Although the weather the past month has been pleasant, I was beginning to worry. You see, this winter the McLeod County Historical Society, or MCHS, has decided to put up a nice snowmobile display in our front room. Continue reading »

Featured Book NEW EDITION: Bring Warm Clothes: Letters and Photos from Minnesota's Past by Peg Meier Minnesota Historical Society Press. Re-release Author Event Sunday, January 28 @ 12:30 to 2 pm Location: Subtext Books, St. Paul, MN	Featured Article Minnesota History Hapless hero: Frederick S. Hartman and the Winnipeg-to-St. Paul dog race Volume 42, Issue 8, 1971	Featured Article MNopedia Minnesota Indian Family Preservation Act (MIFPA) 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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