Field Note

Engagement meets outreach as Minnesota Historical Society staff attended the April 2024 Annual Minnesota Alliance of Local History Museums (MALHM) Conference in Duluth, MN. Museum and history professionals around the state came together for a few days of great sessions and networking. Pictured above is the MNHS table set up in the exhibitors' hall.

Heritage Preservation Grants

Large Grant Deadline
Pre-applications for the Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants large grant round (requests over $10,000) will be due Friday, May 31, 2024. This is a required part of the large grant application process. Contact the Grants Office with questions.

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

Grants Office Webinar: First Steps Towards a Grant
May 16, 2024 - 2 to 3 pm (CT) - Online: 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 Grants Associate Gillian Maguire
meet.google.com/zwx-krei-com, Phone in: (‪US‬)‪+1 386-361-3086‬

Grants Office YouTube Playlist »

From the Blog

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

Carl & Lena (Fenske) Laumer
Carl Laumer was born October 30, 1865 in Brandenburg, Germany to Ernest and Hennretta (Kuehn) Laumer. His father Ernest was born on October 6, 1835. His mother Hennretta was born on May 6, 1843. They lived in the area of Berlin, Germany. Ernest Laumer was in the real estate business. Due to the many wars, this Laumer family decided to come to the United States in 1883. At the age of 18, Carl Laumer, along with four sisters and his parents sailed the Atlantic Ocean for a new environment. Continue Reading »

More MN Blog posts

• Highlights from the Minnesota Alliance of Local History Museums Conference - Minnesota Digital Library News
• May Friday History: Minnehaha Park - Kraus-Anderson
• Brandon High School Graduation Class 1914 -- 1918? - Brandon History Center
• Latest News From DAC - Danish American Center
• The CUB Credit for the reuse of vacant and underutilized buildings - Rethos
• Looking Back: Electricity experiment on farms 100 years ago - Goodhue County Historical Society
• An ode to Pops - Minnesota Brown
• New Pages for Northwest Cargo - Northwest Airlines History Center
• The Travels of Adam Olearius: Introducing a StoryMap by Emmey Harris - U of MN Libraries

From the Tube

This week's post is from Winona Public Library. Have a video channel or podcast? Let us know!

More MN Tube posts

• Lunch and a Bite of History: Saving Your Stuff, presented by the Minnesota Historical Society - Brown County Historical Society
• BookEnds Online Edition: Rick Hilles - Wadena County Historical Society
• Black Love, Black Critique, Dr. Cheryl Chatman - African American Registry
• Native Nations 101 Presentation with the Native Governance Center - White Bear Lake Area Historical Society
• Bus ride - Phyllis Wheatley Community Center
• The Artifact Collection - U of MN Libraries
• In the Museum's Collection - Pipestone County Museum

Heritage Preservation YouTube Playlist »

Job Opportunities

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

MNHS

• Public Programs Associate - MN History Center
• Director, MNHS Press - MN History Center
• Setup Assistant - MN History Center
• Interpreter I - Ramsey and Hill Houses
• Interpreter I - Mille Lacs Indian Museum & Trading Post
• Site Guide I - Historic Forestville
• Museum Guide - Mill City Museum

LOCAL

• Environmental Review Manager - Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office, St. Paul, MN
• Museum and Store Clerk - The Watkins Company, Winona, MN
• Director of Public Engagement and Science Learning - Bell Museum, St. Paul, MN
• Development Director - Great River Children's Museum, St. Cloud, MN
• STEM Summer Camp Assistant - The Works, St. Paul, MN
• Summer STEM Educator - The Works, Minneapolis, MN
• Publishing and Authorship Librarian - Kathryn A. Martin Library, University of Minnesota, Duluth, MN
• Minnesota GreenCorps Members - Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (58 member positions), Statewide

REGIONAL

• Director of Museum - Oshkosh Public Museum (City of Oshkosh), Oshkosh, WI
• Site Director - Madeline Island Museum - State of Wisconsin, La Pointe, WI
• Education Coordinator - Manitowoc County Historical Society, Manitowoc, WI
• Capital Projects Project Manager - Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, WI
• Administrative Assistant - South Dakota Hall of Fame, Chamberlain, SD
• Executive Director - Grout Museum District, Waterloo, IA
• Collections Manager - Mahaska County Historical Society, Oskaloosa, IA
• Built Environment Reviewer - Iowa State Historic Preservation Office, Des Moines, IA
• Education Program Manager - National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium, Dubuque, IA
• AV Preservation - Iowa State University Parks Library, Ames, IA
• Digital University Archivist - Des Moines University, West Des Moines, IA

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

• Senior Program Officer - Richard H. Driehaus Museum, Chicago, IL
• Repatriation Specialist - Field Museum, Chicago, IL 
• Historic Preservation Specialist - Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Chicago, IL
• Volunteer Coordinator - Midway Village Museum, Rockford, IL
• Museum Coordinator - Trailside Museum of Natural History, University of Nebraska-Lincoln,  Crawford, NE
• Oral Historian - Indiana State Library and Historical Bureau, Indianapolis, IN
• Scenic Fabricator - Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites, Indianapolis, IN
• Education Coordinator - Fort Wayne History Center, Fort Wayne, IN
• Programs Assistant - Organization of American Historians, Bloomington, IN
• Ohio History Service Corps Members - Ohio History Connection, Statewide
• Associate Director & Operations Manager - The Ohio Museum Complex, Ohio University, Athens, OH
• Museum Interpreter - Kalamazoo Valley Museum, Kalamazoo, MI
• Executive Assistant to the CEO/Board Liaison - Detroit Historical Society, Detroit, MI
• Exhibits Graphic Arts Designer - Michigan History Center, Lansing, MI
• Features Editor, HSM Publications - Historical Society of Michigan, Lansing, MI 
• Curator of Collections & Exhibitions - Michigan Maritime Museum, South Haven, MI
• Executive Director - Historic Rock Ford, Lancaster, PA
• Museum Curator 1 - The State Museum of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, PA
• Preventive Conservation Librarian - University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
• Architectural Historian - History Nebraska, Lincoln, NE
• Archives Technician - National Archives and Records Administration, Lees Summit, MO
• Assistant/Associate Curator, American Art - The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO
• Historic Sites Conservation Technician - Royal Alberta Museum, Edmonton, AB

Additional Job Postings in the Field »

Do History Here

Image used with permission. From the collections of the Beltrami County Historical Society.

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

Presentation: FAQs about Minnesota's New State Flag & Seal
May 8 - 6:30 pm - Lakefield: Jackson County Historical Society - In 2023 the Minnesota Legislature authorized the creation of the State Emblems Redesign Commission (SERC) and charged the Commission with the task of redesigning the Minnesota state flag and state seal. Over the course of four months, the Commission—with significant input from the public—produced these new state emblems. Anita Gaul, vice-chair of the Commission, will share an insider’s view of the redesign process and answer the Frequently Asked Questions about the process and the final products,  Cost: Free. Learn more »

Presentation: The Impact of John Mitchell and Five Other Pioneering Black Executives of the 1970s
May 9 @ 7 pm - Golden Valley: Golden Valley Historical Society - Anthony R. Scott, president of Minnesota’s Black Community Project, will highlight Mitchell and five additional Black executives who made a difference in then-termed Affirmative Action efforts fifty years ago. They are Jeanne Cooper, publisher of the Twin Cities Observer; Bill English, Control Data; Joe Johnson and Louis Moore, Multifoods, and Lafayette Jones, Pillsbury. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Presentation: "Growing Up Wright" with author Lonnie Lovness
May 8 @ 7 pm - Stillwater: Washington County Heritage Center - Local resident Lonnie Lovness will present the story of her parents Don and Virginia Lovness, who built two Frank Lloyd Wright-designed homes by hand just west of Stillwater. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Presentation: First Prison Warden’s Descendant Speaks on His Legacy
May 10 @ 7 pm - Stillwater: Warden's House Museum - Learn about the life and times of the Delanos before, during, and after Francis Roach Delano was appointed the first Warden at the MN territorial prison (1853-1858).  Tom Delano, great-great grandson of Warden Francis Delano will be giving a presentation about F. R. and Calista Delano. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Presentation: Saving Your Stuff
May 16 @ 7 pm - South St. Paul: Lawshe Memorial Museum - Attendees will learn about the "ten agents of deterioration" and how to preserve and protect the things you value from Megan Brakob Narvey the Outreach Conservator at the Minnesota Historical Society. There will be an open question and answer session after the program. Additional recommendations on resources will be provided to attendees throughout the presentation. Co-sponsored by the Dakota County Historical Society and the Hastings Area Historical Society. Cost: Donation. Learn more »

Why We Left: Untold Stories and Songs of America’s First Immigrants
May 16 @ 7 to 8:30 pm - Online: Ramsey County Historical Society - Joanna Brooks's ancestors, early emigrants from England to North America, endured hardships and sought a better life. Brooks explores why poor English subjects left their homeland for such challenges, delving into obscure American history. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Presentation: Minnesota Railroads
May 16 @ 7 pm - Albert Lea: Freeborn County Historical Museum - Steve Glischinski will be presenting about Railroads. Steve Glischinski began taking photographs of railroads in 1970, at the age of thirteen. Since then, his photographs of railroads in action have been published in many books and magazines. Cost: Free members/$5 nonmembers. For more information call 507-373-8003.

Presentation: Archaeology at Fort Snelling's Upper Post
May 17 @ 6 pm - Mendota: Sibley Historic Site - Over the past five years, Nienow Cultural Consultants, led by Dr. Jeremy Nienow, conducted archaeological efforts at Fort Snelling’s Upper Post for a major restoration project converting former military buildings into affordable housing. Nienow discusses several discoveries including uncovering lost artifacts and building foundations at the Fort. Cost: $15 members/$20 nonmembers. Learn more »

Event: Big Red Barn Folk Arts & Crafters Fair 
May 18 @ 10 am to 4 pm - Maplewood: Maplewood Area Historical Society - The area’s largest folk arts and crafts gathering from MN and WI with over 100 booths. Welcoming over 2,500 attendees at the Bruentrup Heritage Farm. Learn more » 

Tour Stillwater Historic Homes Tour
May 19 @ 12 to 5 pm - Stillwater: Washington County Historical Society - This tour will have nine very distinct sites that span more than one hundred years. Houses on the tour include the 1853 Warden’s House Museum, a unique home in Stillwater’s Dutchtown area, the newly renovated Historic Courthouse, two lumberman mansions on North Fourth Street, an 1850 home of a former prison warden and Stillwater Mayor, and a mid-century home designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Author Presentation: Dear Jacob, Program and Book Signing
May 20 @ 5 pm, book signing/6 to 7:30 pm, program - Owatonna: Steele County Historical Society -  In partnership with the Owatonna Public Library, SCHS welcomes Patty Wetterling and Joy Baker. In 1989, the Wetterling family faced a parent's greatest fear, the abduction of a child. The abduction of Jacob Wetterling had an immediate and lasting national impact and lead to an increase in child safety and abduction awareness. Jacob’s story and similar childhood hardships are featured in their new exhibit, "Childhood in Steele County." Cost: Free. Learn more »

River Cruise: 'Musical Chairs' & Celebrating Over a Century of Municipal Music
May 30 - The City of Winona built a bandshell in the Classical Revival style in Lake Park near the north shore of Lake Winona in 1924. A century later, it still is host to concerts by the Winona Municipal Band and others. In celebration, band member Ruth Bures has recently published “Musical Chairs,” a book chronicling the story of band director Orville Reese. Enjoy some live music and hear stories from her new book. Experience the vibrant tapestry of history, nature, culture, and arts against the picturesque backdrop of the Mississippi River.
Cost: $35 members/$45 nonmembers. Learn more » 

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

Continuing Education

Highlighted Museum: Northwest Airlines History Center, Bloomington, MN.

New Policies for New Problems and other topics in the new, revised third edition of Things Great and Small: Collection Management Policies
May 14 @ 3 pm (CT) - Online: Museum Study - In this webinar, John E. Simmons will discuss how good collection management policies can help museums address these issues and other topics in the new, revised third edition of Things Great and Small: Collection Management Policies. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Legal Issues in Collections Care: Abandoned Property
May 16 @ 11 am (CT) - Online: Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts - Sarah Kapellusch, Registrar at the Wisconsin Veterans Museum, discusses what is abandoned property, when is something abandoned, how to identify your own abandoned property, and what to do with it once it’s been identified as such. Cost: Free. Learn more »

How to Cultivate Local Government Support 
May 20 @ 1 pm - Online: GrantStation - Learn the benefits of partnering with local and state governments; the steps you need to take to partner with local and state governments; how to use your organization’s deep knowledge of community needs, reach, and existing relationships; and, common obstacles and possible solutions. Cost: $39. Learn more »

Grantseeking Solo: Secure Awards with Limited Staff
May 22 @ 1 pm (CT) - Online: GrantStation - For most nonprofit employees, versatility is not just an asset, it's a necessity. This is especially true if you work for a small to medium-sized nonprofit. Very likely, your role extends far beyond your job title. During this webinar, GrantStation President Alice Ruhnke will share practical strategies to generate additional funding requests for nonprofit organizations with limited staff. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Powwow Prep
May 22 @ 6 pm (CT) - Online: Wisconsin Historical Society - Learn more about powwows and what to do when you attend one. Becky Taylor and Thomas Cain, Lac Courte Oreilles tribal members, are providing this introduction to powwows webinar. Combined, they have about 80 years of experience on the powwow trail. During this webinar, they will teach powwow etiquette--what to do and what not to do. Learn how powwows are organized and some fun things to do while attending. Becky and friends will demonstrate dances while Thomas provides live singing and drumming. Cost: Free. Learn more »

TIPS & TOOLS

• Unexplored Topics in State and Local History - AASLH

Additional Educational Opportunities »

Funding & Awards

Core Grants Program
May 15 - (New applicants deadline) | June 30 - (Previously funded applicants deadline): Needmor Fund - These grants provides general operating support to groups engaged in the work of community organizing around social justice. Learn more »

Teaching with Primary Sources Regional Grant Program
May 21 - (Deadline): Library of Congress - The Teaching with Primary Sources Regional program promotes the widespread, sustained and effective use of primary sources from the Library of Congress in K-12 classrooms by increasing access to the TPS program. Learn more »

Digital Humanities Advancement Grants
June 13 - (Deadline): Institute of Museum and Library Services and National Endowment for the Humanities - Supports innovative, experimental, and/or computationally challenging digital projects at different stages of their lifecycles, from early start-up phases through implementation and sustainability. Learn more »

Assistive Technology Grants
Rolling Deadline - Rural Technology Fund - This Fund provides grants for Rural Technology Education projects and Assistive Technology projects. They review and award grants every 30-60 days, with no specific deadlines. Rural Technology Fund provides funding for Assistive Technology equipment to increase accessibility for students with disabilities in public schools and libraries. These donations include equipment and software that promote student inclusion and participation. Projects funded include laptops or tablets to utilize speech-to-text, text-to-speech, word processing, magnification, audiobooks, and other accessibility features. Learn more »

Additional Funding Opportunities »

News

What's New in MNHS Archival Cataloging - April 2024
Newly added accessions this month include the Agriculture and Rural Life Oral History Project Interviews; the Capitol Area Library Consortium Records; the Freshwater Society Records; and the Paul Anders Ogren Legislative Correspondence. 

Other collections with additions or added digital content include the Blue Cross-Blue Shield of Minnesota Records; the Jonathan Carver Papers; the Faribault State School and Hospital Private Diaries; the Governor Alexander Ramsey Gubernatorial Records; the KSTP-AM World War II Sound Recordings; the Lyon County Independent School District No. 411 (Balaton) Records; the Mike Lynch Papers; several additions to the MNHS Institutional Archives; the Stearns County, Probate Court, Probate Case Files, and Index; the Steele County, Probate Court, Probate Case Files; the Transportation Department, Published Records, and Reports; the Unity Church Records; the Waseca County, Probate Court, Case Files; and the Watonwan County, Madelia Records.
Learn more »

New Hires at the Dakota County Historical Society

Historical society faces uphill fight to preserve Richfield’s oldest home
Finance-Commerce – In 1852, six years before Minnesota became a state, Riley Bartholomew claimed 19 acres of land near what is now 70th Street and Lyndale Avenue in Richfield. Settling into what was then farm country, he built a wood-framed house on the property for himself, his wife, Fanny, and the couple’s six children. Continue reading »

'Undercover' for decades, western Minnesota log cabin to get a new life
West Central Tribune – There are very few authentic, pioneer log cabins remaining to be found in the Minnesota farm country these days, but this one was. “My cousin and his family have had it for about 75 years,” Paul Ostlie, a dentist and private historian told the Chippewa County Historical Society board of directors at an April 8 gathering. “They did not know it was a cabin until a piece of siding fell off.” Continue reading »

Remains of Minnesota sailor killed at Pearl Harbor to return home
KSTP News – ...The White Bear Lake Area Historical Society helped DPAA in finding details about Gusie’s life. “We are here to provide that detailed information that a lot of times completes the story,” Dan Jones with White Bear Lake Area Historical Society said. “It’s an honor for us.” Watch Video »

'We want to bring it to life': SMSU Natural History Museum set for renovation
Marshall Independent – After spring semester the Natural History Museum at Southwest Minnesota State University will never be the same. Instead it will be new and improved through a $45,936 grant. It was received from the worldwide David B. Jones Foundation. Continue reading »

Superintendent speaks out after time capsule from 1920 found in old high school
ABC News – ...During the press conference to unveil the capsule, Owatonna High School Principal Kory Kath said the documents would be turned over to the Steele County Historical Society, to help preserve the contents. Elstad told "GMA" the historical society will be partnering with the school's museum and the district office to potentially share the contents to be put on display... Watch video »

Civil War history enthusiasts gather in Litchfield, Minnesota, for annual symposium
West Central Tribune – The Twin Cities Civil War Round Table conducted its annual Civil War Symposium at the Litchfield Opera House on April 27, 2024. A large crowd took in several presentations on Civil War history as well as visiting the historic Litchfield G.A.R. Hall. Continue reading »

Volunteers keeping the past alive at History Center of Olmsted County
KIMT News – National Volunteer Week recognizes the impact volunteers have on their community. The History Center of Olmsted County relies heavily on volunteers to operate. KIMT News 3 spoke with Linda Willihnganz, board member and a volunteer at the history center. She says they have around 50 volunteers keeping the center running, plus a few more during the summer. Continue reading »

Wanted: Twin Cities partner to house museum for one of North America’s best bicycle collections
MinnPost – Big museums garner the lion’s share of headlines, but the best tourists know that small, obscure museums make a city worth exploring. It’s exciting to share an opportunity lurking in the Twin Cities, a chance to partner with a quaint museum that could really turn your main street, cultural district or post-industrial facility into a small-scale destination for the curious. Continue reading »

Featured Book How the Birds Got Their Songs (Bilingual edition) by Marcus Ammesmaki (Adapter), Travis Zimmerman (Author), Sam Zimmerman (Illustrator) Minnesota Historical Society Press. Book Launch Date: May 18 @ 10:30 am to 12 pm.  Location: Red Balloon Bookshop,  St. Paul, MN	Featured Article Minnesota History The Historian in the Archives: Limitations of Primary Source Materials Volume 47, Issue 6, 1981	Featured Article MNopedia Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox statues, Bemidji 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.

Subscribe to Local History News
Use Local History News as part of your online tools to stay connected to your colleagues while working from home. Know someone who could benefit from this newsletter?
Have them sign up »