The Grants Office and Local History Services made a day trip to northern Minnesota on June 29 to visit with some of our grantees that have received funding from the Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants program. One stop was the Alex Seitaniemi Housebarn in St. Louis County near the city of Embarrass, the only example of a Finnish housebarn in Minnesota. Sisu Heritage is the grantee that helps care for the housebarn.
Grants Office Webinar: How to Use Grants Office Feedback
July 16 @ 2 to 3 pm (CT) - Online: The mission of the Grants Office is to fund as many good projects as possible. To help that to happen, we send back written comments for any unfunded small grant and for all the large pre-applications. These comments can help you rewrite an application with a better chance of success. Why do we send the comments that we send? How can you use these comments to rewrite? Presented by Grant Specialist, John Fulton.
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You bring the questions, we'll bring the answers. The MNHS Grants Office will be holding an in-person Grants Open House with our colleagues at the Judy Garland Museum in picturesque Grand Rapids, Minnesota on July 13 from 12:30 to 2:30 pm. Drop in to chat with our friendly grants and local history services specialists about your Minnesota history work, open grants, or project ideas. RSVPs are appreciated but not required. RSVP to Gillian, and please include a few notes about what you'd like to talk about.
Large Grant Deadline
Pre-applications for the Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants large grant round (requests over $10,000) will be due Friday, July 21, 2023. This is a required part of the large grant application process. Contact the Grants Office with questions.
Small Grant Deadline THIS FRIDAY
The next small grant deadline (requests of $10,000 or less) for the MHCHG program is Friday, July 14, 2023.
Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants Manual Revisions: Legacy Manual updated for fiscal years 2024-25
The Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants Manual version 8.0 has been posted.
This week's blog post is from Rethos. Have a blog? Let us know!
Doors Open Minneapolis 2023: City-Wide Celebration Returns!
On Mother’s Day weekend more than 15,000 visitors toured 87 unique venues across the city as Doors Open Minneapolis returned after its 2019 debut. Rethos’ Heritage Tourism Manager Kelly Fischer spent the preceding six months meticulously constructing this signature event, building on the solid foundation established by Scott Mayer, the former executive director of the nonprofit organization that produced the 2019 inaugural event. Mayer has since joined the Rethos board of directors and remains committed to ensuring that Doors Open Minneapolis gets better each year. Continue Reading »
This week's post is from the Gunflint Trail Historical Society Chik-Wauk Museum. Have a video channel or podcast? Let us know!
Evan Larson & Lane Johnson – Reconsidering Fire in the BWCAW
In this presentation, Evan & Lane will share how a network of tree-ring data and decades of archaeological work that span the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness have been contextualized with the rich cultural history and body of Indigenous Knowledge, also referred to as Traditional Ecological Knowledge, carried by Anishinaabeg communities connected to this landscape to offer a transformative perspective on the role of people in actively shaping what is often thought of as a pristine place. Watch Video »
Minnesota Historical Society's Job Announcement, Internship, Fellowship, and Volunteer Opportunity pages.
Digital Collections Intern - Bill Reid Centre, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC
MNHS Internship and Volunteer Opportunities
Additional Job Postings in the Field »
Image used with permission. From the collections of the Ramsey County Historical Society.
Submit your history organization's news and events to localhistorynews@mnhs.org.
Exhibit: Music & Memories: A Look Back at the Mankato Music Scene
Now through End of Year - Mankato: This exhibit celebrates the rich musical heritage of Mankato, paying homage to the influential artists, lost venues, and cherished memories that shaped the local community. For more information call 507-345-5566.
Presentation: Changing Times
July 15 @ 1 to 3 pm - St Peter: E. St. Julien Cox House - Explore the Progressive Era through the lives of two of the Cox daughters. Explore fashions of the era, flappers and prohibition, work roles, and the suffragette movement. Cost: Free members/$10 nonmembers. For more information call 507-934-2160.
Presentation - Critical Conversation - Stories I Didn’t Know
July 17 @ 6 to 8:30 pm. (CT) - Online: Minnesota Humanities Center - The award-winning documentary, “Stories I Didn’t Know,” follows the story of Saint Paul resident Rita Davern as she uncovers uneasy truths of her Irish ancestors and their ownership of Pike Island, sacred land to the Dakota people. Special screening of the film will be followed by a community conversation with Rita Davern, Ramona Kitto Stately, and Reuben Kitto Stately. Cost: Free. Learn more »
Cultural History of the Native American Anishinaabe Jingle Dress
July 19 @ 7 pm - Crosslake: Crosslake Area Historical Society - Presenter Adrienne Benjamin came from the Big Island community of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe. This program includes the stories and historical origins of the Jingle Dress. A live Jingle Dance will be performed accompanied by a traditional native drumming enactment. Learn more »
Presentation: Italians on Saint Paul’s East Side
July 20 @ 7 to 8 pm (CT) - Online: Ramsey County Historical Society - Italians have had a significant presence in St. Paul. Starting from a few immigrants in the 1850s, within five decades their numbers had risen substantially. Many settled in Railroad Island and Swede Hollow on the East Side. Join in for a retrospective look at their culture and their times. Cost: Free. Learn more »
Event: History Hunt in the Gardens
July 20 @ 10 am to 6 pm - St Cloud: Rethos - What could be more fun than a History Hunt in St. Cloud’s beautiful Munsinger and Clemens Gardens! Learn about the history of these nationally-known historic landscapes while taking the History Hunt challenge. This self-guided activity takes place during the Munsinger Clemens Botanical Society’s Art Fair in the Gardens. Cost: Free. Learn more »
Event: One Room School Days
July 20 and 27 @ 10 to 11:30 am - Paynesville: Paynesville Historical Society & the Stearns History Museum - Children will abandon all technology and experience an old-school lesson, play games outside, and get a taste of what everyday life was like for kids their age over 100 years ago. Cost: Children 7 to 12 - Free members/$5 nonmembers. Learn more »
Event: Fur Trade Weekend
July 22 & 23 @ 10 am to 5 pm - Mendota: Sibley Historic Site - Experience the Sibley Historic Site set in the 1830s when Mendota was the center of the fur trade. Visitors can walk the grounds and interact with fur trade reenactors, explore the houses of Henry Sibley and Jean-Baptiste Faribault, and enjoy live music and presentations on various topics related to life in the 1830s and the fur trade each day. Hosted by the Dakota County Historical Society. Cost: Free members/$8-$12 nonmembers. Learn more »
Presentation: Transformations in Wayzata
July 27 @ 7 pm - Wayzata: Wayzata Historical Society - explore the “old” and the “new” Wayzata. Board member Joanie Holst will guide attendees on a virtual “tour” of various sites and places across Wayzata that have changed over the past 170 years. Cost: Free. For more information call 952-473-3631.
History Cruise: The Narrows - Gateway to the Gilded Age
August 14 @ 6 to 8 pm - Excelsior: Excelsior-Lake Minnetonka Historical Society - Hear the fascinating history of “The Narrows” as we cruise by these man-made channels that allowed boats to travel between Upper and Lower Lake Gilded Age attractions like James J. Hill’s astonishing Hotel Lafayette. Narrated by historians from around Lake Minnetonka. Cost: $22.50 members/$37.50 nonmembers. Learn more »
Highlighted Museum: Moose Lake Area Historical Society and Fires of 1918 Museum, Moose Lake MN.
Fundamentals of Nonprofit Board Governance
July 13 @ 9 am to 12 pm (CT). Propel Nonprofits - Online: You will learn typical board responsibilities and explore the nuances of board authority and relationships. Participants take home Propel’s Nonprofit Board Governance workbook, which includes the Fiduciary Duties of Directors of Charitable Organizations. While this training is open to all, it is designed for those new to serving on a board or those who are contemplating joining a board. Cost: $75. Learn more »
Practical Leadership 2.0: Building Engaged Teams
July 18 @ 10 am to 12 pm (CT) - Online: Minnesota Council of Nonprofits - Many work environments are increasingly complex and uncertain, requiring high-functioning teams. Effective teamwork and collaboration needs to be cultivated and given regular attention. This workshop helps team leaders develop shared leadership among team members and provides concrete tools for improving collaboration between team members. Cost: $129 members/$169 nonmembers. Learn more »
Social Media
July 18 @ 2 to 3 pm (CT) - Online: National Trust for Historic Places - Join Kelly Paras, social media manager for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, as she fields questions about the power of social media to engage audiences in your work. Cost: Free. Learn more »
Cut Costs and Get Creative with Nonprofit Appeals
July 18 @ 2 pm (CT) - Online: Firespring - Fundraising, as we know it, has shifted in these uncertain times. But that doesn’t mean we should stop asking for support. As nonprofits, we’re no stranger to cutting costs and finding ways to be creative. You’ll discover: 10 secrets to cutting costs with printing and mailing; 5 surefire ways to invigorate your direct mail and; 4 strategies to maximize your impact. Cost: Free. Learn more »
Learning from Place: Bdote
July 18 @ 8:30 am to 2:30 pm - St. Paul: Minnesota Humanities Center - This is an immersive experience that brings participants to sites of great significance to Dakota people in the Twin Cities. Participants will learn from Dakota community members through stories and histories that have often been left out of our state’s history. This experience is open to the general public and is particularly beneficial for educators who want to include new perspectives in their history curriculum. Cost: $75. Learn more »
Glove, Actually: Confident Decision Making in Artifact Handling
July 19 @ 11 am (CT) - Online: Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts - This webinar walks you through the pros and cons of the most widely used types of gloves, the newest research on their environmental impact, and the types of objects that can be handled with each. This program is great for emerging professionals, but even if you have years of experience in the field, you may still have questions. Cost: Free. Learn more »
Writing a Preservation Plan
July 19 @ 11 am to 12 pm (CT) - Online: New England Museum Association - This webinar introduces participants to the key considerations of writing a preservation plan, an essential tool for coordinating preservation activities over time. Participants will learn about the steps of preservation planning, including assessment, prioritization, and the identification of resource needs. Learn more »
Art and Artifact Handling Short Course
July 20 @ 9 to 10 am - Minneapolis: Midwest Art Conservation Center - This short intensive is for collections managers, registrars, volunteers, student workers, and all staff that care for art and artifacts. The topic will focus on art handling and transporting within a single building. A hands-on exercise will include practicing with study collection materials. Location: Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Cost: $30. Learn more »
Online Museum Interpretation: It’s Not Going Away…Ever!
July 24 @ 9 to 10 am (CT) - Online: Ohio Museums Association - Learn how the Cincinnati Art Museum went from 0 to 90 in three days with their online offerings (thanks to COVID) and how they have created and enhanced programming three years on. Get tips and tricks for creating fun and exciting content on a shoestring, engaging museum staff as content creators, making it all accessible, and most importantly – being okay with things being “okay” (and not perfect). Cost: $10 members/$15 nonmembers. Learn more »
Laws and Collections Management online course
Starting July 31 - Online Course: Museum Study - This 4-week online course provides an accessible introduction to the ethical principles and legal aspects of managing museum collections by presenting the scope and significance of museum ethics and an introduction to national and international laws and regulations affecting museums. Cost: $400. Learn more »
Online Course: Basics of Archives
August 28 through October 1 - Online course: American Association for State and Local History - The Basics of Archives 5-week online course is designed to give organizations and individuals who are responsible for the care of historical records an introduction to the core aspects of managing and protecting historical records collections, using appropriate principles and best practices. Cost: $105 member/$205 nonmember. Learn more »
Additional Educational Opportunities »
Hometown Grants
T-Mobile - Applications are open for grants of up to $50,000 each to revitalize community spaces in towns with 50,000 people or less. Applications are open on a quarterly basis. Learn more »
Grants for Scandinavian Folk Arts and Cultural Traditions
American-Scandinavian Foundation offers a program to support Scandinavian folk arts and cultural traditions in the Upper Midwest. Learn more »
Public Engagement with Historical Records
August 15 - (draft) | November 2 - (deadline): National Archives and Records Administration - Funding for projects that promote access to America’s historical records to encourage understanding of our democracy, history, and culture. Learn more »
Scholarly Editions and Scholarly Translations
September 22 - (draft) | November 29 - (deadline): National Endowment for the Humanities - provides grants to organizations to support collaborative teams who are editing, annotating, and translating foundational humanities texts that are vital to scholarship but are currently inaccessible or only available in inadequate editions or translations. Learn more »
$1.5 million-plus renovation project launched at Le Sueur County Historical Society Museum
Le Sueur County News — For years, decrepit conditions have kept the Le Sueur County Historical Society Museum closed to the public, but repairs, which started in late June, aim to bring the red brick schoolhouse back to its former glory. Onlookers will notice the white, wooden paneling which surrounds the museum's bell tower has been stripped clean off as work begins to refurbish the gutters, soffits and roof tiles of the building. Continue Reading »
Monuments on the Landscape: Minnesota One-Room Schoolhouses
Lakeland PBS — They are slowly disappearing, but periodically you’ll spot one, sitting alone on a hill. A one room schoolhouse. Looking at it, you can’t help wonder what is its history…it’s story. This documentary explores some of those stories through the words and experiences of a professional photographer, those who are trying to preserve them, the teachers, and the students who were part of their history. Watch Video »
The Origin of Gilman, MN; How Did it Get Its Name?
WJON — Gilman is a town of 224 people located north of Foley where Highway 25 and County Road 3 intersect in Benton County. I talked with Mary Ostby from the Benton County Historical Society, Gilman City Councilman Andy Schommer and former Gilman City Councilman and longtime Gilman resident Randy Spiczka. Continue Reading »
Moorhead prepares to raise a monument to a long forgotten
MPR — The idea for a monument to honor Felix Battles germinated about five years ago at the Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County. “Felix Battles is somebody that we at the historical society we’ve been studying for about 30 years,” explained program director Markus Krueger. “But he never really got out of our archives. He’s got a fascinating story.” Continue Reading »
WHIZ BANG DAYS: History
Sun Newspapers — When the people of Robbinsdale wanted to create a multi-day summer festival in 1948, it was only natural to name it after the humorous, raunchy magazine that was printed in their town from 1919 to 1936. According to the Robbinsdale Historical Society and MNOpedia, Wilford Fawcett was born in Canada in 1885, moved to North Dakota and ran away from home at the age of 16 to serve as a private during the Philippine-American War. Continue Reading »
In ‘We Are Everywhere,’ A Podcaster Seeks To Build Archives Of Trans And BIPOC Queer Elders
Block Club Chicago — As a child, Frencia Stephenson would visit the Ramsey County Historical Society in their hometown of St. Paul, Minnesota to dive into the archives. Continue Reading »
Going Back in Time at The Polk County Museum in Crookston, Minnesota
The Adventure Closet — The Polk County Museum is full of local history along with homesteads and antique fire trucks and gear. Come explore this Crookston, Minnesota gem and learn along with us. Watch Video »
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Featured BookThe Spirit of the North Wind by Anthony Anselmo. Black Bears & Blueberries Publishing. Author Event
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Minnesota History Organizations Directory• County, Chapters, and Local |
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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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