Local History News: May 10, 2023

Field Note

Heritage Preservation, Planning, and Outreach staff member Ryan Maciej presented "Building Vocabulary and Funding Programs" at the Buildings on Main Street Conference this year at the Winona County History Center in Winona, MN. This was one of many breakout sessions during this three-day conference focused on providing tools and resources for those interested in downtown revitalization.

HISTORY MATTERS

History Matters: Show Your Support for History
The 2023 legislative session is winding down, and now is the time to make sure your voice is heard. This is an important year for history, with funding for several initiatives under consideration. Let state lawmakers know you support funding for statewide history projects through the Legacy Amendment, preservation of MNHS historic sites statewide, and funding for operations of the Minnesota Historical Society. Visit mnhs.org/historymatters for an easy way to contact lawmakers and remind them that history matters. Thank you for advocating for history! 

Heritage Preservation Grants

Spotlighted Project: Planning for Redesign of Pine City City Hall Exhibit Lighting
The grantee looked for ways to expand their ability to share history with the public, and being able to use the hallway at the city hall as a display space was a huge step forward toward that goal. Working with the city to turn the hallway space into a museum gallery, they focused on a grant to hire a consultant who understands how lighting works and the needs of both the public and the historic objects on display.

A lighting plan was completed to help light historical displays and pictures representing Pine City's history on the main floor of the building. With the acquisition of this plan, they now have a chance to better develop a space to share artifacts and pictures of Pine City history with community members and visitors.
Recipient: Pine City Area History Association
Funded Amount: $7,200
Project Details

Grants Office Webinar: Environmental Monitoring in Museums
May 18 - Online: 2 - 3 pm (CT). Temperature, humidity, and UV? Before you can apply for a grant to improve your museum environment, it's important to understand what its current conditions are. Learn how to use a data logger, write an environmental monitoring plan, and what to do with all of the data you will find. Hear advice about grants to support monitoring work. Improve your museum space. Presented by Megan Narvey, Outreach Conservator. 
Join online: meet.google.com/zwx-krei-com 
Join by phone: ‪(US) +1 386-361-3086‬ PIN: ‪420 891 978‬#

From the Blog

This week's blog post is from Minnesota Brown. Have a blog? Let us know!

Final Goodman Show Marks New Era on the Iron Range
This year, the Goodman Auditorium in Virginia, MN, will become a memory. A new era arises.

The merger of the Virginia and Eveleth-Gilbert districts produced Rock Ridge High School and its modern state-of-the-art auditorium. The new school replaces a lot of storied architecture in these towns, including one of the classic high school theaters built on the Mesabi Iron Range a century ago.

Built in 1917 and later named for Dr. Charles and Esther Goodman, the Goodman Auditorium represents an important part of Virginia’s past. Charles Goodman was one of the town’s first doctors, who volunteered for service in World War I only to be sent home to coordinate the response to the 1918 influenza pandemic. Esther was an accomplished musician and humanitarian. Together, they contributed much of their time and money to serving the poor and building the community arts scene. Continue Reading »

More MN Blog posts

• Association of Children's Museums' annual conference recap - Museum Notes
• Pope County Photographers: John Ericks - Pope County Historical Society
• Fanlight #4 - Beltrami County Historical Society
• Chronicling historical medical artifacts, part 2 - U of MN Libraries
• What’s in a Name? The Importance of Equitable Place Naming Practices for Communities - 106 Group
• Crystal Lake Heights - Robbinsdale Historical Society
• Minneapolis Mayor Under Fire - Hennepin History Museum

From the Tube

This week's post is from Blue Earth County Historical Society. Have a video channel or podcast? Let us know!

Women in Medicine
Learn more about three doctors at the turn of the twentieth century. Photo of Helen Hughes Hielscher.
Listen to podcast »

More MN Tube posts

• A Panel Discussion with Workers Who Have Organized Minnesota’s Leading Cultural Institutions - East Side Freedom Library
• The Lake Benton Mound: Revisiting an Alpha Site - Council for Minnesota Archaeology
• A Story in Bottles: Historic Glass Bottle Recovered from Archaeology Dig - Nienow Cultural Consultants
• Bohemian Hall, Paint, Prairie, Trunk - Freeborn County Historical Museum
• Association of Midwest Museums Essential Questions - Anoka County Historical Society
• Stories from the Blacksmith Shop at Sätergläntan Lecture - American Swedish Institute
• What is a Wacipi (Powwow)? - White Bear Lake Area Historical Society
• Ludwig Draeger: Immigrant Stories - Immigration History Research Center at the U of MN
• The Tiny City that Almost Wasn’t - MinneCulture

Job Opportunities

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

MNHS

• Historian II - Kellogg Center
• Archaeologist II - Kellogg Center
• Archaeologist III - Kellogg Center
• Program Facilitator II - Split Rock Lighthouse
• Museum Guide - Mill City Museum
• Museum Supervisor - Mill City Museum

LOCAL

• Executive Director - Duluth Children's Museum, Duluth, MN
• Music Museum Guide - Schubert Club, St. Paul, MN
• Gallery Guards – Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, MN
• Summer STEM Educator - The Works Museum, Bloomington, MN

REGIONAL

• Museum Aide, Education - Kenosha Public Museum and the Dinosaur Discovery Museum, Kenosha, WI
• Museum Store/Visitor Services Associate - Kenosha Public Museum and the Dinosaur Discovery Museum, Kenosha, WI
• Museum Guide - Chazen Museum of Art, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
• Preparator - Chazen Museum of Art, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
• Facilities Coordinator - Chazen Museum of Art, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
• Executive Director - Museum of Visual Materials, Sioux Falls, SD
• Docent/Tour Guide - Edel Blacksmith Shop, Historical Society of Marshall County, Haverhill, IA

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

• Museum Administrator - McHenry County Historical Society & Museum, Union, IL
• Custodial Specialist - Museum of the Grand Prairie, Mahomet, IL
• Museum Manager - Engine House/Log Cabin, Skokie Park District, Skokie, IL
• Museum Administrator - McHenry County Historical Society, Union, IL
• Director of Exhibits - Discovery Center Museum, Rockford, IL
• Collections and Community Engagement Manager - Historic New Harmony, University of Southern Indiana, New Harmony, IN
• Vice President, Exhibits & Programs - Minnetrista Museum & Gardens, Muncie, IN
• Indianapolis Preservation Coordinator - Indiana Landmarks, Indianapolis, IN
• Archives and Outreach Librarian - Strafford Library, Columbia College, Columbia, MO
• Registrar and Collections Manager - American Jazz Museum, Kansas City, MO
• Exhibits Manager - History Nebraska, Lincoln, NE
• Professional Development Coordinator - American Association for State and Local History, Nashville, TN
• Historian - Montana Historical Society, Helena, MT
• Capitol Curator & Museum Registrar - Idaho State Historical Society, Boise, ID
• Development Officer - Orillia Museum of Art and History, Orillia, ON

INTERNSHIPS/VOLUNTEERS/FELLOWSHIPS

• Digitization Intern - Ohio Humanities, Columbus, OH

Additional Job Postings in the Field »

Do History Here

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

Schubert Club at 140: Concerts, Collections, Community
May 11 - Stillwater: 8 pm. Historic Warden’s House Museum - Barry Kempton, Artistic & Executive Director of the Schubert Club, will give an illustrated talk about Minnesota’s oldest arts organization, its programs and guest musicians over the years, and its Music Museum featuring keyboard instruments, composer letters, and the “Music Makers Zone.” Learn more »

Young Historians
May 13 - Mankato: 10 am to 12 pm. Blue Earth History Center - Young Historians is a hands-on history workshop open to all ages. Each month, a new topic geared to elementary-age historians is presented with opportunities to interact and discuss. This month's topic is World War II and the 1940s. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Doors Open Minneapolis
May 13 & 14 - Minneapolis: 10 am to 5 pm. Rethos - Doors Open Minneapolis is your chance to explore the buildings that tell our city’s story. From theaters to business hubs, sacred spaces to private clubs, sports complexes to engineering wonders, historical gems to not-even-open-yet buildings, Doors Open Minneapolis will give you a behind-the-scenes look at dozens of exciting venues. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Presentation: St. Cloud Area Genealogists – “Five Types of German Genealogy Documents and What You Can Find in Each” 
May 16 - St. Cloud: 7 pm. Stearns History Museum - Genealogist Katherine Schober will address what genealogists should be looking for in their research that will lead them to German records. She will discuss what German records are available, what you can expect to find in them, and most importantly, where to find them. Cost: Free members/$10 nonmembers. Learn more »

Presentations: Tuesday with a Scholar
May 16 through June 27 - Online: Ramsey County Library - In this nine-event online series join scholars from area colleges and elsewhere as they share their specialized knowledge and enthusiasm. It's like hearing your favorite college professors again, without worrying about writing papers or taking finals. Cost: Free. Learn more »

• May 16 - Diverse Stories from Minnesota’s Past
• May 23 - When a Nation Grows Old: The Implications of Global Demographics
• May 30 - Culture Wars in the Classroom
• June 6 - A Minnesota Meteor: What Can it Tell Us?
• June 13 - Vanishing Minnesota
• June 20 - A Look at the Minnesota Legislature 2023
• June 27 - A Look at the Supreme Court Term 2022-23

Presentation: Uncovering Racial Covenants in Stearns County
May 17 - St. Cloud: 6:30 pm. Stearns History Museum - Honors students from the College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University have spent the last semester researching this neglected topic. Join as they share their findings, the details of the research process, and the reasons for raising awareness about this topic. Cost: Free. Learn more »

History Book Club: American Midnight
May 17 - Online: 1 to 2 pm (CT). Roseville History Book Club - Join in for a discussion of American Midnight: The Great War, a Violent Peace, and Democracy's Forgotten Crisis by Adam Hochschild, an account of the crisis of post-World War I democracy. Cost: Free. Learn more »

The Hormel Strike of 1985-86
May 18 - Online: 7 pm (CT). Ramsey County Historical Society - In August 1985 the nation's attention turned to Austin, MN, where 1,700 meatpacking workers prepared to launch a strike against the George A. Hormel Company in what was widely seen as the most significant labor-management conflict since President Reagan had broken the Air Traffic Controllers' strike of 1981. Join Peter Rachleff for a new look at this historic test of organized labor---how did it shape the course of Minnesota history and what impact could it have on the emergence of a new labor movement? Cost: Free. Learn more »

Tour: Stories from the State Hospital, Fergus Falls State Hospital Complex
May 19 - Fergus Falls: 6 pm. Otter Tail County Historical Society - With no interior access allowed, the group will be touring the exterior. Walking around the massive complex, hear about stories and events that have largely been ignored. With its future hanging in the balance, it is important to keep the hospital’s history alive, both the good and bad. Meet at the westernmost part of the hospital and park in the Government Services parking lot. Cost: $10. Learn more »

Tour: Stillwater Historic House Tour
May 21 - Stillwater: 12 to 5 pm. Washington County Historical Society - This tour will have eight very distinct houses that span more than half a century. Houses on the tour include the 1853 Warden’s House Museum; two unique homes in Stillwater’s Dutchtown area; a couple on historic Pine Street and others that transport the visitor through Stillwater’s great architectural history. Cost: $25. Learn more »

An Archaeological Understanding of the Justus Ramsey House
May 31 - St. Paul: 7 to 8 pm. Nienow Cultural Consultants - Join archaeologists for an evening of discovery as they walk through their recent archaeological investigation of the Justus Ramsey site. Dr. Jeremy Nienow and Project Archaeologist Dr. Fred Sutherland will discuss the archival research they completed before their work, the events leading up to and on the day of their fieldwork, and the analysis of the cultural materials they uncovered - with a strong focus on the individuals who lived in the home in the early 20th century. Location: Waldmann Brewery. Cost: $18.  Learn more »

Continuing Education

Highlighted Museum: Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center consisting of the Col. James B. Ladd Museum and the Charles W. Nelson Library, operated by the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Society, Bloomington MN.

Native Nations and Local History Organizations Workshops
MNHS Local History Services is working with the MNHS Native American Initiatives to offer the workshop “Native Nations and Local History Organizations.” Focused on building an understanding that Minnesota shares borders with four Dakota and seven Ojibwe nations who are oftentimes overlooked or underrepresented in non-Native spaces, this training is intended to support the work of history organizations across the state. Participants will leave the session with a better understanding of how to talk about Native Nations in Minnesota.

Dates and Locations:

• Tuesday, May 30 from 10 am to 1 pm - Treaty Site History Center in St. Peter - Register »
• Wednesday, May 31 from 9 am to 12 pm - Becker County Museum in Detroit Lakes - Register »

NAGPRA Compliance and the Necessary Frictions of (Ir)reconciliation Webinar
May 11 - Online: 4 pm (CT). Crow Canyon Archaeological Center - Dr. Kathy Fine-Dare will examine NAGPRA compliance practices as they have been informed by sets of frictions and contradictions emanating from under-examined tropes of expertise, authenticity, and reconciliation. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Learning from Place: Bdote
May 13 - St. Paul: 8:30 am - 2:30 pm. Minnesota Humanities Center - K-12 educators will receive 5 clock hours. Learning from Place: Bdote 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. Location: Fort Snelling State Park. Cost: $75. Learn more »

Supporting Museum Missions through Tax Credits
May 16 - Online: 12 to 1:15 pm (CT). American Alliance of Museums - Come join experts in museums and tax credits to learn how to take advantage of tax credit programs to support your museum mission. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Introduction to Collection Management Policies
May 16 - Online: 3 pm (CT). Museum Study, LLC - Join John Simmons, author of "Things Great and Small: Collection Management Policies," to talk about a collections management policy (CMP) and why should all collecting institutions have one. This introductory webinar will explain how written collection management policies can improve the management of both small and large collections, the basic steps to follow when preparing policies, and the core issues that should be addressed. A list of useful resources for preparing a CMP will be provided. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Keeping History Above Water: Heritage Resilience in a Changing Climate
May 16 - Online: 2 to 3 pm (CT). American Association for State and Local History - An overview of the Keeping History Above Water (KHAW) conference and program series, founded by the Newport Restoration Foundation in 2016. The conference series focuses on discussions and conversations around protecting historic resources from the effects of climate change, specifically sea level rise. The conference is held in a different host city each year and brings together local preservationists, engineers, architects, and community members to contribute to the discussion. Cost: Free members/$15 nonmembers. Learn more »

Understanding and Serving People Over 60: Rethink Everything You Think You Know with Susan Wilner
May 16 - Online: 12 to 1 pm (CT).  Understand and serve this market by focusing on life stage, not age, and identifying the deep diversity of needs within the demographic. This webinar will help attendees: Reset our understanding of what an "old person" is; Help identify and overcome some of the barriers for reaching this population; Consider best practices of organizations that have shifted strategies to reflect the new demographics and achieved success. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Northeastern Minnesota - Meet the Grantmakers
May 24 - Online: 1 to 2:30 pm (CT). Minnesota Council of Nonprofits - Join for a conversation with Northeastern Minnesota grantmakers. It's a chance to check in with funders, catch them all in one place, get up-to-date information about grantmaking timelines and priorities, and hear what's happening in the region. There will also be a designated Q&A time to ask them grantmaking questions directly. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Change Management
May 24 - Online: 9 am to 11 pm. (CT). Propel Nonprofits - This workshop will provide tools and tips for leading organizational change consisting of setting goals and benchmarks, determining communications tactics, and considering the emotional and behavioral aspects of going through transitions. Cost: $50. Learn more »

CCAHA Collections Management Policy Toolkit
June 7 - Online: 10 am (CT). Connecting to Collections Care - Learn about the Collections Management Policy Toolkit, a free online tool that allows users to build a customized Collections Management Policy for their organization or collection. Cost: Free. Learn more »

TIPS & TOOLS

• Museums and YouTube: You’ll never believe these 3 tips to improve your channel - American Alliance of Museums

Additional Educational Opportunities »

Funding & Awards

Preservation and Access Education and Training
May 16 - (deadline): National Endowment for the Humanities - This program supports projects that develop and implement educational programs for professionals who preserve and provide access to humanities collections. Such materials include but are not limited to paper-based, photographic, archaeological, ethnographic, artistic, audiovisual, digitized, and born-digital collections. Learn more »

2023 Unsung Hero Awards - Nominate an Unsung Hero
May 21 - (Deadline): Minnesota Council of Nonprofits, in partnership with the McKnight Foundation, is accepting nominations for the Unsung Hero Awards. Four Minnesotans, two from the Twin Cities Metro and two from Greater Minnesota, will each receive $10,000 in recognition of the significant impact they have had on the State of Minnesota and its communities.
Learn more »

Media Projects
August 9 - (deadline): National Endowment for the Humanities - The Media Projects program supports the development, production, and distribution of radio programs, podcasts, documentary films, and documentary film series  that engage general audiences with humanities ideas in creative and appealing ways. Media Projects offers two levels of funding: Development and Production. Learn more »

Cultural Expression Grants
June 16 - (deadline): Minnesota State Arts Board - This pilot program supports activities that share, explore, pass on, express, or celebrate culture through the arts. Culture may be defined by a common ethnicity, tribal affiliation, geographic or regional identity, occupation, language, or recreation. Traditional and contemporary forms of cultural expression may be funded in this program. Funds could be used to support practicing a cultural art form; presenting cultural festivals, community celebrations, performances, media or exhibitions; offering demonstrations, etc. Funds could also be used to deepen or pass on cultural traditions through apprenticeships or documentation. Learn more »

TPS Regional Grant Program
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. Proposals are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year. Learn more »

News

Enter to Win Emergency Resources for MAYDAY 2023
Enter Foundation for Advancement in Conservation's drawing for some of their emergency resources, including the Emergency Response Salvage Wheel or a registration for a C2C Care course. Simply share with us what you or your institution has done to increase your emergency preparedness. Submit your activities using our MayDay 2023 Plans and Activities Form for a chance to win. Learn more »

History Center's stained glass gets a facelift
Winona Post - Eric Penic just couldn’t let it go. Every time he drove down Fourth Street and saw the rear of the Winona County History Center, he’d see it. Since being installed in 1985, the storm windows covering the Ruth Lucas Memorial Window — a set of stained glass windows depicting Winona history and landmarks — had yellowed to the point of becoming virtually opaque, obscuring the intricate artwork behind it and dimming its radiance inside the museum. Continue Reading »

Museum to reopen first floor
Pipestone County Star - After months of remodeling, the Pipestone County Museum is reopening its first floor and holding an open house reception for people to come see the updated space on Friday, May 5 from 4 to 6 pm. The first thing museum patrons will notice is a larger programming area. A storage room was removed to open up the room and a partial wall with a painting creates a barrier between the programming area and exhibit area. Continue Reading »

Minnesota museum repainting equipment - Great Northern 'streamliner' being recreated
Trains - The Minnesota Transportation Museum is moving ahead with plans to repaint several pieces of passenger equipment at its Jackson Street Roundhouse Museum in St. Paul. If plans come to fruition, MTM will achieve a long-time goal of assembling a Great Northern streamliner in Omaha orange and Pullman green. Continue Reading »

Featured Book The Story of Walnut Grove, Minnesota 1873-2022 by Daniel Peterson. Lulu Press.	Featured Article Minnesota History Minnesota Local History Activity in 1933 Volume 15, Issue 1, 1933	Featured Article MNopedia Children’s Preventorium of Ramsey County 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.

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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