Legacy Amendment Supports $253,192 in Small Grants to History Organizations Throughout Minnesota

ST. PAUL, Minn. (April 3, 2023) – The Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) is pleased to announce the newest recipients of 28 Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Small Grants ($10,000 and less), totaling $253,192 in 16 counties.

Small grants are awarded quarterly to help nonprofits, educational organizations, government units and federally recognized tribes to preserve and share Minnesota history. This cycle of awards was approved by the MNHS Executive Council on March 17, 2023.

Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants are made possible by the Legacy Amendment's Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the vote of Minnesotans on Nov. 4, 2008. The Legacy Amendment supports efforts to preserve Minnesota land, water and legacy, including Minnesota history and cultural heritage.

Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Small Grant Recipients  
Recipients of small grants ($10,000 and less) from the fiscal year 2023 January small grants cycle are listed in alphabetical order below. Each project will preserve and enhance Minnesota’s cultural and historical resources. All grants are competitive and awarded according to program guidelines and criteria, as well as professional standards.

City of Grey Eagle, Grey Eagle, $10,000  
To hire a qualified architect to conduct a conditions assessment of the 1934 Grey Eagle Village Hall, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

City of Roseau, Roseau, $8,798  
To hire a qualified historian to complete an evaluation to determine eligibility for listing in the National Register of Historic Places for the 1949 Roseau Memorial Arena.

City of St. Cloud, St. Cloud, $10,000  
To hire a qualified consultant to produce updated historic preservation manuals for the City of St. Cloud.

City of Tower, Tower, $10,000  
To hire qualified professionals to replace the roof on the 1916 Duluth and Iron Range Railroad Company Passenger Station, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Dodge County, Wasioja, $10,000  
To hire qualified professionals to record audio narratives to accompany Dodge County's Wasioja Historic District's interpretive signage.

Face to Face Health & Counseling Service, Inc, St. Paul, $9,950  
To document in 7 oral history interviews the history of Face to Face Health and Counseling Service from the 1990s to present.

First Church of God in Christ, Minneapolis, $9,900  
To hire a qualified historian to complete the nomination to the National Register of Historic Places for the 1926 First Church of God in Christ.

Friends of Highland Arts, St. Paul, $8,190  
To hire qualified professionals to produce a script on the history of Jewish and Christian collaborations in St. Paul's Highland Park neighborhood.

Friends of Highland Arts, St. Paul, $9,600  
To hire a qualified historian to research and write the history of St. Paul's Highland Park neighborhood.

Grand Rapids Area Library, Grand Rapids, $8,513  
To purchase a microfilm reader/printer/scanner to make microfilmed records more accessible to the public.

Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County, Moorhead, $10,000  
To hire a qualified conservator to restore a significant museum collections piece: a 1934 painting from Moorhead artist Erik Ahlberg.

Hmong Museum, St. Paul, $10,000  
To improve collections care and management through an updated collections management system.

Jasper Area Historical Society, Jasper, $10,000  
To hire a qualified architect to conduct a conditions assessment of the 1889 Poorbaugh Block, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Macalester College, St. Paul, $5,140  
To digitize a collection of archival convocation and commencement audio recordings, allowing for greater public access to these historic resources.

Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, Onamia, $10,000  
To hire an individual trained in traditional Ojibwe moccasin making to conduct hands-on workshops that will teach this important historical cultural practice.

Minnesota Boat Club, St. Paul, $10,000  
To contract with qualified professionals to prepare construction documents for the preservation of the 1910 Minnesota Boat Club, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Morrison County Historical Society, Little Falls, $6,000  
To provide appropriate storage materials for two archival collections.

Murray County Historical Society, Slayton, $6,432  
To provide better organization of the museum collections, allowing for greater public access to the community’s historic resources.

Norwegian-American Historical Association, Northfield, $9,600  
To plan and research several Norwegian-American historical topics for a digital exhibit in preparation for several commemorations, including a 2025 conference on migration.

Positive Image, Brooklyn Park, $10,000  
To document in 12-17 oral history interviews the history of strong African American families and communities in Minnesota.

Reclaim Community, Jasper, $10,000  
To contract with qualified professionals to prepare construction documents for the preservation of the roof of the 1939 Jasper School, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Regents of the University of Minnesota (Institute on Community Integration), Minneapolis, $9,189  
To hire qualified professionals to publish a book on the history of special education teachers in Minnesota.

Saint Paul Neighborhood Network, St. Paul, $10,000  
To digitize a collection of videos of the Rondo neighborhood in St. Paul, allowing for greater public access to this historic resource.

The Association of Chinese Americans for Social Justice, Plymouth, $9,980  
To document in 20-30 oral history interviews the history of recent Chinese immigration to Minnesota.

True Directions, Inc., Mora, $1,900  
To hire a qualified consultant to research the history of the 1902 C.E. Williams House in Mora, MN, in preparation for a historical marker.

West Concord Historical Society, West Concord, $10,000  
To contract with qualified professionals to prepare construction documents for the roof of the 1936 addition to the West Concord High School, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and used as a community center.

Wheels Across the Prairie Museum, Tracy, $10,000  
To hire a qualified consultant to design an appropriate heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system for a museum collections space.

White Bear Lake Area Historical Society, White Bear Lake, $10,000  
To hire a qualified historian to research and write the history of the Sophie Wirth Camp (1911-1943) in White Bear Lake, MN.  

About Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants  
The Minnesota Historical Society received a legislative appropriation of $33.085 million for the 2022-2023 biennium, including funding for the Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage (“Legacy”) Grants: $5,892,000 for FY2022 and $7,000,000 for FY2023.

Grants are available for history and historic preservation projects in two funding tiers. Small grants of $10,000 or less are awarded quarterly. The next small grant application deadlines are April 14, 2023 and July 14, 2023. Large grants of more than $10,000 are offered once a year. All grants are administered through a competitive process using professional standards and criteria.

For more information on the Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants program, including application deadlines, visit www.mnhs.org/preservation/legacy-grants. Applications are accepted only through the MNHS grants portal.

About the Minnesota Historical Society  
The Minnesota Historical Society is a non-profit educational and cultural institution established in 1849. MNHS collects, preserves and tells the story of Minnesota’s past through museum exhibits, libraries and collections, historic sites, educational programs and book publishing. Using the power of history to transform lives, MNHS preserves our past, shares our state’s stories and connects people with history.

The Minnesota Historical Society is supported in part by its Premier Partner: Explore Minnesota Tourism.