MNHS staff visited the Duluth Armory, home of the Armory Arts and Music Center, on May 20. Staff were there to hear about the progress on a funded grant project to repair and preserve a section of the roof. The grant work included the installation of additional roof trusses to comply with modern codes, repairs to the exterior membrane, and adding insulation to the roof deck.
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 18, 2025. This is a required part of the large grant application process. Contact the Grants Office with questions.
JUNE Grants Open House
June 5 - Online: The Grants Office will hold a virtual Grants Office Open House using Google Meet from 2 to 3:30 pm in order to provide additional grants support to our communities. We encourage people to RSVP to Gillian with a short summary of what you want to talk about and she will try to ensure that someone helpful will be available. Learn more »
Grants Office YouTube Playlist »
This week's blog post is from the Nicollet County Historical Society. Have a blog? Let us know!
Greenlawn Cemetery: Origins of Greenlawn Cemetery
Nestled near the historic community of Traverse des Sioux, Greenlawn Cemetery, also known as Old Traverse Cemetery, was the first platted cemetery in Nicollet County. But it’s far from the oldest place where people were laid to rest.
Long before towns were established or plats were drawn, Native American burial mounds dotted the region. Some still exist today, but many have been lost to time, erosion, and agricultural activity. Continue Reading »
This week's post is from the Douglas County Historical Society. Have a video channel or podcast? Let us know!
Heritage Preservation YouTube Playlist »
Minnesota Historical Society's Job Announcement, Internship, Fellowship, and Volunteer Opportunity pages.
Additional Job Postings in the Field »
Image used with permission. From the collections of the Hennepin County Library.
Submit your history organization's news and events to localhistorynews@mnhs.org.
The ABCs of Animals
May 19–Sept 30 @ 8:30 am to 4:30 pm - Minneapolis: Wangensteen Historical Library - Explore a new exhibit featuring rare and visually rich books on natural history and biology from the library’s collection. Curated by student Caylee Cook ’25. Cost: Free. Learn more »
Glensheen Beer Garden
June 4, 11, 18 & 25 @ 5 to 8 pm - Duluth: Glensheen - Enjoy free Wednesday nights with craft beverages, food trucks, and lakefront views at the historic Congdon estate. Featured brewers: Hoops, Castle Danger, Earth Rider/Ursa Minor, and Bent Paddle. Brew Talk starts at 6:30 pm. Location: Glensheen, Duluth. Cost: Free. Learn more »
Fix-It Clinic
June 6 @ 4 to 7 pm - Waite Park: Stearns History Museum & Reuse Minnesota - Bring your textiles, small appliances, electronics, and toys for repair by skilled volunteers, including woodworking help from the Central Minnesota Woodworkers Association. No pre-registration required; limit two items per household. Items accepted until 6:30 pm. Location: Paramount Center for the Arts. Cost: Free. Learn more »
Twin Cities Architecture
June 9 @ 7 to 9 pm - St. Paul: Rethos - Join historian and Rethos Executive Director Dr. Heidi Swank for an exploration of Minnesota’s midcentury modern era, examining how architecture and policy shaped communities, from iconic designs to the impacts of redlining and lost neighborhoods. Tickets: $10/$15. Snacks provided; beverages available for purchase. Location: Waldmann Brewery. Learn more »
African American Celebratory Interiors
June 13 & 14 @ 1 to 3 pm - Minneapolis: International Leadership Institute & Minnesota Historical Society - Join a panel of community knowledge keepers to honor African American women who transformed their homes into spaces of beauty, culture, and connection. Explore recreated dining tables from the 1920s, 1950s, and 1980s featuring vintage glassware, dishes, and linens from private collections. Share stories and food memories celebrating home gatherings, social clubs, and church luncheons. Location: Sabathani Community Center. Cost: Free. Learn more »
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Listings: History & Heritage Events | Historic Exhibits | Lectures & Workshops
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Highlighted Museum: Somali Museum of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN.
Lake Superior Libraries Symposium 2025
June 6 @ 8 am to 4:15 pm - Cloquet: Join library staff, administrators, trustees, and students from the Upper Midwest and beyond for the 13th annual Lake Superior Libraries Symposium themed “Embrace, Engage, Excel: Libraries & Their Communities.” The day features a keynote by American Library Association President-Elect Sam Helmick, 14 inspiring presentations, a catered taco bar lunch with social networking, and a Thursday evening pre-conference trivia and social event. Location: Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College. Cost: $70. Learn more »
Collections Management 200: Stewardship and Public Access
June 16 through August 10 - Online: American Association for State and Local History - Learn best practices for providing public and internal access to collections, developing policies, and meeting STEPS Collection Standards. Ideal for those who have completed Collection Management 100. Location: Online. Cost: $230 members/$330 nonmembers. Learn more »
Fundamentals of Nonprofit Budgeting
June 17 @ 9 am to 12 pm (CT) - Online: Propel Nonprofits - Learn to use budgeting as a storytelling tool for your organization’s plans and priorities. Propel’s 10-step process highlights board and staff engagement for effective budgeting. Cost: $95. Learn more »
Strengthening History Communication: Reframing the Value of History and Your Institution
June 25 @ 12 to 3 pm (CT) - Online: American Association for State and Local History - This virtual workshop helps history practitioners improve communication with public audiences, drawing on AASLH’s Reframing History project. Includes research insights, peer discussions, and hands-on messaging exercises. Location: Online. Cost: $100 members/$150 nonmembers. Learn more »
Deaccessioning History Collections
June 26 @ 2 to 3:15 pm (CT) - Online: American Association for State and Local History - Learn how the Valentine Museum refined its collection through a multi-year deaccessioning process. Discover practical strategies for planning, ranking, and communicating about deaccessioning to better serve your mission and community. Location: Online. Cost: $25 members/$45 nonmembers. Learn more »
Additional Educational Opportunities »
Cultural Expression Grant
Deadline – June 6: Minnesota State Arts Board - This pilot program funds activities that share, explore, or celebrate culture through the arts. Culture can be defined by ethnicity, tribal affiliation, geographic identity, or language. Both traditional and contemporary forms of cultural expression are eligible for support in this program. Applicants may request between $5,000 - $35,000. Learn more »
CSA Small Museum Collection Care Grant
Deadline – October 15: Costume Society of America – Awards $1,500 grants to assist small museums, historical societies, historic houses, and similar institutions with limited budgets and staff in caring for, conserving, or exhibiting costume and textile collections of historic or regional significance. Funds may be used for supplies, display items, consultant services, or projects that directly support collection care or use. Learn more »
CSA College and University Collection Care Grant
Deadline – October 15: Costume Society of America – Awards $1,500 grants to assist college and university costume and textile collections that receive little or no institutional financial support. Funding supports care, conservation, and the instructional mission of collections used for study in degree programs in apparel, textiles, or theatre. Eligible expenses include supplies, display items, consultant services, or other projects that directly foster the care or use of the collection. Learn more »
Additional Funding & Award Opportunities »
Vintage Museum Photo: Verndale Museum, New Ulm, MN. (1986). View photo on Instagram »
This new section features slides taken of Minnesota history museums from the 1970s through the 1990s by David Nystuen, the MNHS Field Services Coordinator, and other Field Services representatives during that time period.
Records added this month to the State Archives document rather unique functions and activities, and are welcome additions to the collection. In 2000 the state legislature commissioned the Electronic Real Estate Recording Task Force which was authorized to establish statewide standards for electronic real estate recording in Minnesota. The task force reported annually to the Minnesota State Legislature. In addition, the task force had the authority to appoint subcommittees. The task force's authority ended in 2008; its work was transferred to the Electronic Real Estate Recording Commission. State Archivist Shawn Rounds, as a permanent member of the Commission, transferred meeting files dated 2021-2024, which continue the existing set of records.
The Technology and Information Educational Services (TIES) was a consortium of 48 school districts that provided student and financial data processing services. It was originally established in 1967 as the Minnesota School Districts Data Processing Joint Board, and dissolved in 2018. Included in the donation of records (dated 1967-2018) are governance documents and building purchase documents. Learn more »
What materials are most difficult to work with?
As might be expected, we each encounter different challenges with different materials.
From the manuscripts side, bound materials tend to be the most time-consuming, as tight bindings require a more involved process to capture for digitization. Folded booklets, newsprint clippings, and fragments of pages are other common items that we find challenging, either because of the fragility or size (too large or too small) of the materials. Scrapbooks, with the various items affixed to pages in a variety of ways, also present a significant challenge in trying to capture without causing any damage to the physical items. Continue reading »
Published Media Content:
Stearns County’s story told one donation at a time
St. Cloud Live - For staff at the Stearns History Museum, history is a living, breathing thing that is always evolving. Not only that, it is something that is meant to be shared with everyone. Continue reading »
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Featured BookThe Scenic Route: Building Minnesota's North Shore by Arnold R. Alanen. University of Minnesota Press. |
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Featured Article
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Minnesota UnraveledLeon Belmont: Gender and Celebrity in Minneapolis in 1880 Episode 108 |
Minnesota History Organizations Directory• County, Chapters, and Local |
Minnesota Main Streets |
Preservation Specialists Directory |
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