10 min read

Local History News: June 26, 2024

Joe Hoover Jun 26, 2024 4:10:00 PM

Field Note

The Minnesota Historical Society was ready with our table display for the start of the Itasca Pride festival in Grand Rapids on June 23. Visitors could explore information on MNHS' LGBTQ+ collections, books, and genealogy resources; and discover the ongoing efforts to enhance the Minnesota LGBTQ+ Digital History Map Project. This initiative, which currently features fifty-eight sites throughout the Twin Cities, is now expanding to include significant locations in Greater Minnesota, ensuring a more comprehensive representation of the state's LGBTQ+ history and heritage.

Heritage Preservation Grants

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

No July Grants Open House
July 2024 - Due to the 4th of July Holiday there will be no Open House for July. Learn more »

Grants Office YouTube Playlist »

From the Blog

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

Victorian era photos of three women and a man standing outside camping around a iron stove

Camp Brogg
Camp Brogg was a favorite camping site for Litchfield families. In 1896, fifteen young men from Litchfield drove their horses and wagons to the south shore of Lake Koronis to find an appropriate campsite. They pitched their tents on the site they found and returned year after year, naming their site Camp Brogg. Many people from Litchfield had their first exposure to Lake Koronis because of the generosity of the Broggies who encouraged others to share their campground. Continue Reading »

From the Tube

This week's post is from Kashubian Cultural Institute and Polish Museum. Have a video channel or podcast? Let us know!

Pauper Labor Bureaus and Contract Labor
This lecture goes over the establishment of Polish Pauper Labor Bureaus in the United States, and focuses on the story of Polish Labor in Minnesota, and Winona. It also covers the Land Grant system utilized by railroad companies to obtain farm labor from Polish populations. Watch Video »

Job Opportunities

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

MNHS

Interpreter II - Ramsey and Hill Houses
Historian II - Kellogg Center
Archaeologist I - Kellogg Center

LOCAL

Administrative & Development Manager - Douglas County Historical Society, Alexandria, MN
Project Digitization Archivist - St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN

REGIONAL

Executive Director-CEO - Figge Art Museum, Davenport, IA
Head of Preservation - Iowa State University, Ames, IA
Executive Director - Kenosha Public Museums, Kenosha, WI
Archivist - Wisconsin Veterans Museum, Madison, WI
Retail Inventory & Shipping Coordinator - Milwaukee Public Museum, Milwaukee, WI
Executive Director - Kenosha Public Museums, Kenosha, WI

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

Business/Administrative Associate - Spurlock Museum, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL
Specialist, Digitization - Indiana Historical Society, Indianapolis, IN
Executive Director - Putnam County Museum, Greencastle, IN
Curator of Black History - McKinley Presidential Library & Museum, Canton, OH
Museum Housekeeper - Oberlin Heritage Center, Oberlin, OH
Special Projects & Tour Assistant - Oberlin Heritage Center, Oberlin, OH
Manager of Property Protection (and Assistant Manager) - Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH
Ohio History Service Corps members - Ohio History Connection, AmeriCorps program, Statewide
Vice President of Advancement - York County History Center, York, PA
Director of Exhibitions - Susquehanna Art Museum, Harrisburg, PA
Maintenance Technician - Harold Warp Pioneer Village, Minden, NE
Office Administrator - Harold Warp Pioneer Village, Minden, NE
Curator of Collections/Program Director - Hastings Museum, Hastings, NE
Museum Educator - Hastings Museum, Hastings, NE
Temporary Archival Assistant - Charles M Schulz Museum and Research Center, Santa Rosa, CA
Senior Manager of Registration - Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, ON

INTERNSHIPS/VOLUNTEERS/FELLOWSHIPS

Kress Interpretive Fellow - Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo, OH

Additional Job Postings in the Field »

Do History Here

1959 color photo of group of 12 or so people standing on a pontoon boat in a lake with two women watching them from a dock
Image used with permission. From the collections of the Kandiyohi County Historical Society.

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

Traveling Exhibit: The Promise, The Promise Kept, The Promise Realized, The Promise Renewed: The History of the Erie Mining Company
The St. Louis County Historical Society traveling exhibit is now indefinitely on view at the Virginia, Minnesota courthouse. Learn more »

St. Louis County Historical Society has several traveling exhibits for groups or institutions. Learn more about their current offerings »

Group: Women's History Meeting
June 26 @ 5 to 6:30 pm - Cloquet: Carlton County Historical Society - Join a group of local women's history fans to plan future stories, events, presentations, and displays. The CCHS Women’s History Affinity Group hopes to enhance the understanding of women's role in local history and celebrate connections between their lives and ours. Learn more »

Exhibit: From Trails to Rails 1854-1867
June 27 @ 12 pm - Austin: Mower County Historical Society Local historian, educator, and
author Dean Ulland explores the railroad coming to Mower County. Ulland will discuss how the early days of the railroad transformed “From Trails to Rails 1854-1867.” Cost: Free. Learn more »

Presentation: Untold Stories of Black Baseball in Minnesota
June 28 @ 6 pm - Mendota: Sibley Historic Site - Historian Frank White will share stories of African American baseball players in Minnesota from the 1870s to the 1960s through artifacts, photos, and spoken histories that have been passed through the generations. While the stories tell of denial, hardship, and segregation, they are highlighted by athletes who persevered and were united by their love of the game. Hosted by the Dakota County Historical Society. Cost: $15 members/$20 members. Learn more »

Event: Jell-O Derby
June 28 @ 6 to 8 pm - Anoka: Anoka County Historical Society will race the cars you sponsor for an evening filled with silliness, laughter, and sticky entertainment. You need not be present to win, but it's always fun. Location: Blaine Aquatore Park, East Pavilion. Sponsor a car: $10. Learn more »

Tours: Weekend Walking Tours
Winona County Historical Society - Step back in time and explore the rich history of Winona with their re-envisioned weekend walking tours. Whether you're a history enthusiast or simply looking for a unique way to spend your weekend, these guided tours are perfect for families or individuals alike. From pioneers to architectural evolutions to spine-tingling tales, there's something for everyone to discover in Winona. Each tour lasts 60 minutes and begins and ends at the Winona County History Center. Cost: $6 members/$10 nonmembers. Learn more »

June 29 & 30, 10:30 am: People of the Past: Those Who Built and Worked in Downtown Winona with Lacey Korb
July 27 & 28, 10:30 am: From Fires to Floods: Downtown Disasters with Lacey Korb
August 10 & 11, 10:30 am: Then and Now: Second Street with Mary Alice Anderson
September 14 & 15, 10:30 am: Then and Now: Third Street with Mary Alice Anderson
October 26 & 27, 1 pm: Haunted History in Downtown Winona: Origins and Places of the Unexplained with Lacey Korb

Event: Stearns History Museum 40th Anniversary Celebration
June 29 @ 1 to 3 pm. Stearns History Museum - The event includes a program with proclamations from both the City of St. Cloud and Stearns County, the opening of a new exhibit "Home at Last: Building the Stearns History Museum." Cost: Free. Learn more »

Tour: Historic Downtown Henning Tour
July 11 @ 7 pm - Henning: Otter Tail County Historical Society - With the additions of Trinity Church and the Lewis House and Medical Office to the National Register of Historic Places, the City of Henning has recognized the importance of preserving its local heritage. While these are outstanding examples, there are others places in the community that, while often hidden, contribute to the town’s historical fabric. The tour is like a historical scavenger hunt as you seek out buildings, places, people and stories. Location: Start at the Landmark Center (a/k/a Lewis House). Learn more »

Group: Member Monthly Meetup
July 13 @ 1 to 4 pm - Minnesota Genealogy Center - Second Saturday is a monthly gathering of MGS members who like to talk genealogy. Shirleen Hoffman and Jeanne Bielke-Rodenbiker lead the discussion and everyone joins in. Whether you need research help or can help someone else, come for the afternoon or stop in for as long as you can. Learn more »

Class: Make a Traditional Hmong Woman’s Outfit
July 13 & 14 @ 9 am to 3 pm - St. Paul: Hmong Museum - Two-day class where you learn how to make your very own Hmong Woman’s Outfit! Kia Xiong from Xiongseams will be teaching how to measure, create a pattern, and make a box shirt and sev. This is an intermediate class. Students should have experience with using a sewing machine. Cost: $120. Learn more »

Presentation: The First and Last Carload of Iron Ore from the Paulson Mine
July 14 @ 2 pm - Cook County: Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center - Learn about the history of the Paulson Mine located in the western part of Cook County, Minnesota. The first and last carload only carried enough ore to make a small horseshoe, which will be on display at Chik-Wauk this summer. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Explore Minnesota - State of MN's Tourism website
Listings: History & Heritage Events | Historic Exhibits | Lectures & Workshops
Submit an event »

Continuing Education

Exterior of the Mille Lacs Lake Historical Society Museum
Highlighted Museum: Mille Lacs Lake Historical Society Museum, Isles, MN.

From Narrative to Action: Leveraging Storytelling for Success in Communications and Fundraising
June 27 @ 10 am to 12 pm (CT) -St. Paul/Online: Minnesota Council of Nonprofits - Storytelling plays a crucial role in driving awareness, garnering support, and inspiring action. However, for small communication teams within nonprofits, crafting compelling narratives can be a daunting challenge, especially when operating as a “department of one.” Simultaneously, leveraging the power of story-based marketing is key to driving donor engagement, securing support, and maximizing fundraising efforts. In this workshop, learn to harness the power of storytelling in communications and fundraising and explore strategies to collect, craft, distribute and effectively tell stories across multiple teams. Cost: $50 members/$70 nonmembers. Learn more »

Succession Planning for Cultural Institutions, Part One: Research Findings
July 10 @ 11 am (CT) - Online: Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts - During the session, Cultural sector professionals will share examples of tools that have been developed to support succession planning for collections care and management roles, including knowledge transfer guides, sample policies and communications templates, checklists for successful staff transitions, and a framework for internal advocacy for succession planning. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Preventing and Responding to Mold in Book and Paper Collections
July 11 @ 11:30 am to 12:30 pm (CT) - Online: Northeast Document Conservation Center - Mold can pose a serious threat to cultural heritage materials. In this 1-hour webinar, participants will learn how to assess and identify mold, how to safely clean moldy materials, and how to prevent future mold outbreaks through proactive preservation measures. Cost: $45. Learn more »

Dashboards: Making Your Data Work for You
July 17 @ 12 to 1 pm (CT) - Online: Learn how to make your data – from community impact to financial information – more digestible and useful for making decisions. In this webinar, they’ll discuss the purpose and use of dashboard reports, learn the components of useful dashboard reports, and share some examples. Cost: Free. Learn more »

What’s Your Damage
July 22 @ 5 pm (CT) _ Online: Backlog • Archivists & Historians - All memory workers encounter collections materials that are physically damaged or beset by mold or pests. Knowing how to identify problems and having a plan to respond quickly to them makes for better stewardship so that collections are usable into the future. This webinar will cover the identification of common problems that threaten collections, give some guidance on when to get professional conservators involved, and explain methods to better protect collections by preventing risks. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Condition Reporting and Art Handling
July 24 @ 9 am to 4:30 pm - Minneapolis: Midwest Art Conservation Center - Condition reporting is a central part of collections record keeping. This full-day workshop combines art handling training with an introduction to the basics of documentation for accession records, outgoing loans, and damage reports. The class will cover a wide range of materials and artifact types and introduce a selection of simple examination tools. Participants will practice handling on study collection materials and learn how to approach each item with objectivity and consistence for condition reporting. Location: Weisman Art Museum. Cost: $300. Learn more »

American Association for State and Local History Online Courses
Online Courses are typically between four to eight weeks long. They offer each student a chance to engage deeply with subject material over an extended period of time. Keep on track with regular video chats and other interactions with accessible faculty, and discuss the course material with classmates in online forums.

Collections Management 100 - Collection Development - August 26 to October 18
Best Practices For Inclusive Workspaces - August 26 to September 27

TIPS & TOOLS

What Works for Building Audiences? Let’s Review the Data. American Alliance of Museums

Additional Educational Opportunities »

Funding & Awards

Event Sponsorship
June 30, September 30, & December 31 - (Deadlines): PFund Foundation - Event sponsorships for events, gatherings, conferences, and convenings serving a primarily LGBTQ+ audience. Sponsorship amounts typically range from $500 to $1,000 and organizations are limited to receiving one sponsorship per year. Learn more »

Inspire! Grants for Small Museums
November 15 - (Deadline): Institute of Museum and Library Services - This grants program is designed to support small museums of all disciplines in project-based efforts to serve the public through exhibitions, educational/interpretive programs, digital learning resources, policy development and institutional planning, technology enhancements, professional development, community outreach, audience development, and/or collections management, curation, care, and conservation. Learn more »

Museums for America
November 15 - (Deadline): Institute of Museum and Library Services - The Museums for America program supports museums of all sizes and disciplines in strategic, project-based efforts to serve the public through exhibitions, educational/interpretive programs, digital learning resources, professional development, community debate and dialogue, audience-focused studies, and/or collections management, curation, care, and conservation. Learn more »

Additional Funding Opportunities »

News

Get to know the St. Paul museum dedicated to preserving Minnesota's railroad history
StarTribune — Built 117 years ago by railroad baron James J. Hill, the roundhouse was the hub of Hill's Great Northern Railroad empire, where locomotives were stored and repaired. Now, it's home to the Minnesota Transportation Museum, which bought the roundhouse in 1986 and opened a museum there in 1999. If you close your eyes, you can hear the clanging of tools and the voices of workers of long ago. Continue reading »

Judy Garland Museum Is Raising Money to Bid on Stolen Ruby Slippers
New York Times — The famed slippers, valued at $3.5 million, were stolen from the museum in Garland’s hometown in Minnesota in 2005 and recovered in 2018. Now, the museum hopes to buy them at an auction in December. Continue reading »

New leader looks to shore up Minnesota Discovery Center for future generations
Duluth Tribune — Char Conger, the Chisholm attraction's director since February, plans to build on the center's wide-ranging successes while making some much-needed infrastructure investments. Continue reading »

Where is the Rapidan Dam and what is its history?
WCCO News — ...When it opened in 1910, the dam doubled the power capacity of Mankato's electric system, according to the Blue Earth County Historical Society... Watch Video »

Bassett Creek Oral History Project Gathers Suburban Indigenous Stories
CCX Media - A collaboration of community partners produced what is thought to be the first gathering of suburban Indigenous oral histories in the United States or Canada in the Haha Wakpadan/Bassett Creek Oral History Project. Watch Video »


Featured Book The King of Skid Row: John Bacich and the Twilight Years of Old Minneapolis by James Eli Shiffer. Minnesota Historical Society Press.	Featured Article Minnesota History A Historic Mansion, the William G. LeDuc House Volume 37, Issue 5, 1961	Featured Article MNopedia Northwest Angle 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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