Local History Services has its own historical marker! Sort of… A rest stop on northbound Interstate 35, just south of Duluth, features an interpretive marker about William E. Culkin. He was a legislator, newspaper editor, and, for a few years in the 1920s, a staff member of the Minnesota Historical Society’s relatively new field services. While his time in field services is not remarked upon in the marker, current Local History Services staff like to visit the marker when they can.
Small Grant Deadline
The next small grant deadline (requests of $10,000 or less) for the MHCHG program is Friday, January 10, 2025.
DECEMBER Grants Open House
December 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 Meeker County Historical Society. Have a blog? Let us know!
Civil War Veterans
As you might know, the G.A.R. Hall in Litchfield was built by and for local Civil War veterans. In the museum’s collection is a photo of some of the last surviving Civil War veterans in the area. It was taken in 1930 and includes Enoch Eastman, Albert DeLong, and Rueben Wheeler. Besides the Civil War, the men had other things in common. They were all born in the eastern United States and came to Minnesota before the Civil War. After the war, they remained in the area, were longtime members of Litchfield’s G.A.R. Post, lived to see old age, and were buried in Ripley Cemetery. Here’s a bit of their stories. Continue Reading »
This week's post is from the Minnesota Alliance for Heritage Response. Have a video channel or podcast? Let us know!
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Minnesota Historical Society's Job Announcement, Internship, Fellowship, and Volunteer Opportunity pages.
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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.
Caboose and Cocoa at the Depot
November 29 @ 4 to 6 pm - Bemidji: Beltrami County History Center - Celebrate the holiday season with fun activities for all ages, including free caboose tours, complimentary cocoa, and coloring pages for kids. Explore the beautifully decorated 1948 Great Northern steel cupola caboose. Visitors are encouraged to park at the depot and take a short walk downtown to enjoy the Night We Light festivities. It’s a wonderful opportunity to embrace the season and celebrate the community's rich history. Cost: Free. Learn more »
Historical Holiday Light Tour
December 2 & 9 @ 6 to 8:30 pm - Bemidji: Beltrami County Historical Society - Enjoy beautifully decorated homes and hear fascinating neighborhood histories from local author Cecelia McKeig. Relax and enjoy the lights—Bemidji Bus Lines will handle the driving. The tour begins and ends at the Beltrami County History Center, where guests can warm up with hot cocoa afterwards. Cost: $12. Learn more »
Kandi Kane Lane
December 2, 2024 through January 3, 2025 - Kandiyohi County Historical Society - The museum will feature holiday decorations with a candy cane theme. A kids' corner will be set up with holiday activities for children to enjoy and take home. Take part in a Holiday Scavenger Hunt. Learn more »
Veterans Coffee
December 3 @ 1:30 pm - Marshall: Lyon County Museum - The monthly coffee is open to all veterans. Enjoy coffee, water, juice, and treats while visiting with fellow veterans in the ice cream shop at the museum. Cost: Free. Learn more »
St. Nikolaustag on the Farm
December 7 @ 11 am to 4 pm - Maplewood: Maplewood Area Historical Society - Come to this family event featuring St. Nikolaus, festive caroling, handmade crafts, and guided tours of the Historic German-American Farmhouse, all in the beautifully decorated 1905 Big Red Barn. Enjoy delicious food, hot apple cider, and fun activities like hayrides, pop-up exhibits, and kids' crafts! Learn more »
Christmas at the Creamery
December 7 @ 1 pm - Dodge Center: Dodge County Historical Society - Come to the Wasioja Creamery for a Christmas experience in a historical, cozy environment on two stories of this amazing building. Admire the Christmas trees and other decorations, listen to live music with the Wildwood Flowers, visit with 101-year-old Richard Staub about his World War II experiences and his life in Dodge County, enjoy refreshments, purchase baked goods to take home, chat with friends and neighbors, and soak in the holiday ambiance. Learn more »
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Listings: History & Heritage Events | Historic Exhibits | Lectures & Workshops
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Highlighted Museum: Red River History Museum, operated by the Norman County Historical Society, Shelly, MN.
The American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) announced that beginning in 2025, the History Leadership Institute (HLI), a key professional development program for mid-career history professionals, will be hosted by the Minnesota Historical Society in Minneapolis, Minnesota, after two decades at the Indiana Historical Society. Established in 1959, HLI helps participants develop essential skills and connections through an immersive curriculum that addresses pressing issues in the field. AASLH President John R. Dichtl emphasized the transformative nature of HLI, while Minnesota Historical Society CEO Kent Whitworth expressed excitement for the partnership. This move aims to enhance innovation and collaboration in training future leaders of the history profession. Learn more »
Free to Minnesota Residents. Funds provided by the State of Minnesota from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the Minnesota Historical Society. Learn more »
Looking Ahead with a Long-Range Preservation Plan
January 9, 16, and 23, 2025 @ 10:30 am to 12 pm (CT) - Online: Midwest Art Conservation Center - A Long-Range Preservation Plan (LRPP) will help your institution to prioritize preservation needs and develop concrete goals for the short-, medium-, and long-term. In this 3-session online course participants will draft their own LRPP and learn how to use it to achieve conservation treatment goals and to submit competitive grant proposals for state and federal funding. The course will also focus on key concepts of preventive conservation and how to assess preservation goals at your institution. This workshop includes group participation activities and a recommended 4-6 hours of independent work time outside of class. Cost: FREE Minnesota residents/$400 Non-Minnesota residents.
Write (or Re-Write) Your Emergency Plan
February 12, 19, and 26, 2025 @ 10:30 am to 12 pm (CT) - Online: Midwest Art Conservation Center - This online course will cover the fundamentals of Emergency Preparedness, explain the essential components of an Emergency Plan, and walk participants through the steps to develop a plan for their own organizations. Provisions for both major and minor emergencies will be discussed, as well as how to address a disaster within a larger emergency. Participants will work with a plan template and will customize it for their own needs and risk factors. Each participant will be required to complete an institutional risk assessment questionnaire (time estimate 2-4 hours) and work on their own institution’s plan (time estimate 4-6 hours) between the sessions. They will conclude with a draft of their new Emergency Plan to share with their institution and board. Cost: FREE Minnesota residents/$400 Non-Minnesota residents.
Additional Educational Opportunities »
It's History Awards Season - SUBMIT YOUR NOMINATIONS!As you reflect on 2024, consider what great history projects you and your colleagues have accomplished. Consider nominating notable history work for either a Minnesota History Award or an AASLH Leadership in History Award. Great work deserves recognition; recognition inspires and informs others. |
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MINNESOTA History AwardsNominations are open and accepted until January 15, 2025. Since 2009, the Minnesota Alliance of Local History Museums has recognized outstanding history work by local organizations at its Annual Meeting. A formal nomination process is conducted and reviewed by a panel of peers to determine award recipients. There are two award programs: the Minnesota History Awards and the Lifetime Achievement Awards. Award Categories:
Minnesota History Awards Webinar |
AASLH Leadership in History AwardsNominations are open and accepted until March 1, 2025. American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) bestows the Leadership in History Awards in recognition of excellence in the field of state and local history. AASLH recognizes EXCELLENCE in the following areas:
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Albert Lea Tribune — The Freeborn County Historical Museum, Library and Village earlier this month announced it has undergone a change in name that the museum’s leaders hope will better reflect its mission and the new energy found there. The organization will now be known as the History Center of Freeborn County. Executive Director Stephanie Kibler said the board and staff wanted to create a place that was more inclusive and more approachable to the community, describing the organization’s previous name as “tedious” and “stuffy.” Continue reading »
Window into Yesterday - “What the historical society can offer you and how you may help”
The Ely Echo — Our new executive director at the Ely-Winton Historical Society, Kelsey Cooke, joins us from West Virginia. With a BA degree in historic preservation and public history Kelsey has committed her professional career to interpretation of heritage and history and to connecting people to places and stories in meaningful way. Professional experience as a park ranger at New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Park, and as a board member at a historic landmarks commission all help to inform Kelsey’s approach. She has a strong foundation in historical research, archival management, and public engagement. Continue reading »
Instead of being static, history evolves as facts are added, adjusted
Mankato Free Press — There is an intriguing page on Facebook titled “Mankato Memories.” Once you start reading some of the posts, you understand why it’s “Memories” and not “Facts.” History, like beauty, is often in the eye of the beholder, it seems, because memories vary. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons that Kyle Ward, the director of social studies education at Minnesota State University, loves teaching students interested in becoming history teachers themselves. But it’s also why he saw the need to write the book “History in the Making: An Absorbing Look at How American History has Changed in the Telling over the Last 200 Years.” Because there is another history quote — “History is written by the victors,” often attributed to Winston Churchill — that indicates the truth within recorded history may not be easily proven. Continue reading »
Local historian to be featured in PBS program on POWs in WWII-era Owatonna
HomeTownSource — After years educating people on the local level, historian Jerry Ganfield is set to share an overlooked piece of Owatonna history on a wider stage. Ganfield, longtime member and treasurer for the Steele County Historical Society, sat down Friday morning for an interview with documentarians Susan Marks and Matt Ehling, who are producing a program on the history of German prisoners of war in Minnesota for Pioneer PBS. The documentary is set to air sometime next year on area PBS stations. Watch video »
Mica Anders Helping Reconnect Black Families to Their Histories
Stop, Look & Listen — In this week's episode of Stop, Look and Listen, host LeTroy Gardner sits down with Mica Anders, the 2023 Minnesota Genealogical Society Pioneer Award recipient and founder of Anders Genealogical Services. Known as the 'history detective,' Micah shares her journey from a visual arts background to becoming a renowned genealogist, focusing on African American and Midwestern U.S. histories. Watch video »
Cyrus M. Running: Manternach Memorial Mural
Prairie Public — Former students and friends of Cyrus M. Running come together to restore his final large mural, and preserve his legacy along the way. In collaboration with the Rourke Art Museum in Moorhead, MN, the restoration efforts of the Manternach Memorial Mural also highlight the reach Running had through his work at Concordia College in Moorhead and in the Fargo-Moorhead area. Watch video »
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Featured BookHistory in the Making: An Absorbing Look at How American History Has Changed in the Telling over the Last 200 Years, by Kyle Ward The New Press. |
Featured Article
The Vital Role of Public History: An Interview with Chantel Rodriguez |
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Minnesota History Organizations Directory• County, Chapters, and Local |
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Preservation Specialists Directory |
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