The Minnesota Historical Society Reaches 1,000 Legacy Grant Milestone

ST. PAUL (March 13, 2013) – The Minnesota Historical Society has awarded 64 new Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants of up to $7,000 each (listed by county below). This latest round of grants marks a 1,000-grant milestone since the grants, funded by the Legacy Amendment, began in 2009.

Grants are helping organizations in every Minnesota county preserve and share history, including Isanti County where an arson fire devastated the local historical society. Visit youtube.com/user/minnesotahistory to see a video about the damage and recovery efforts.

“This 1,000-grant milestone is significant. It means that Minnesotans are building a lasting legacy now for future generations by preserving what makes our state a great place to live,” said David Grabitske, manager of outreach services for the Minnesota Historical Society. “While a lot has been accomplished in just three years, the demand for the grants for the cause of history and historic preservation remains strong and enthusiastic.”

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 amendment supports efforts to preserve Minnesota land, water and legacy, including Minnesota history and cultural heritage.

January Small Grant Recipients:

All grants are administered according to professional standards and criteria. Below is the latest round of Small Grant recipients, listed in alphabetical order by county.

Aitkin County, McGrath Historical Committee, Inc., $1,315

Museum Accessibility Improvements: To increase accessibility to exhibits and historical resources within the museum by constructing an entrance ramp and skirting.

Big Stone County, Pioneerland Library System, $1,283

Bringing Minnesota History to the Big Stone County Libraries: To add 57 standard Minnesota history titles to broaden public accessibility.

Carver County, Carver County Historical Society, $7,000

Wooden Structure Restoration of the Peterson North Barn: To begin restoration of the North Barn on the Andrew Peterson Farmstead, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Carver County, Chaska Historical Society, $7,000

Chaska Historical Society: Exhibit Development: To hire a qualified professional to research the effect of changing technologies on Chaska residents, preparatory to designing and installing an exhibit.

Cass County, Heritage Group North, Inc., $5,521

Glen A. Glover Glass Plate Negative Digital Conversion Project: To scan and digitize 118 glass plate negatives for greater public accessibility.

Chisago County, Chisago County Historical Society, $4,753

Long Range Conservation Plan: To hire a qualified professional to write a long range conservation plan for the museum's collections.

Chisago County, Taylors Falls Historical Society, $2,985

Displaying Recently Archived Collections in Taylors Falls Historical Society Visitor Center: To research and develop an exhibit about the history of the Taylors Falls area.

Clay County, Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County, $3,200

Bergquist Cabin Historic Structures Report: To hire a qualified professional to prepare a Historic Structures Report for the John Bergquist House, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Clearwater County, Clearwater County Historical Society, $1,800

Minnesota Museum Bookshelf: To add 49 standard Minnesota museum administration titles to broaden public accessibility.

Crow Wing County, City of Brainerd, $3,434

Brainerd Historical Markers: To develop historical markers to facilitate public access to stories significant to the Brainerd community.

Dakota County, Dakota City Heritage Village, $6,570

Develop a Disaster Plan: To hire a qualified professional to write a historic site disaster plan.

Dakota County, India Association of Minnesota, $7,000

Oral History & Digitization for Ragamala Dance Company: To document in oral history interviews the history of the Ragamala Dance Company.

Grant County, Grant County Historical Society, $6,400

HVAC Evaluation: To hire a qualified professional to evaluate the heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems in the county museum building.

Hennepin County, AirSpace Minnesota, $7,000

Annotated Innovation Story Timeline Research & Development: To research innovation and invention throughout the history of Minnesota's aviation industry.

Hennepin County, Alliance Francaise of the Twin Cities, $7,000

Historic Structures Report, Phase One: To hire a consultant to develop the first phase of a Historic Structures Report for the Alliance Francaise building, part of the Minneapolis Warehouse Historic District, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Hennepin County, Eighth Air Force Historical Society, Inc. - Minnesota Chapter, $3,827

Oral History Transcription of World War II Veterans' Experiences: To transcribe 12 oral history interviews to provide public access to World War II veterans' experiences.

Hennepin County, Minnesota Air National Guard Historical Foundation, $3,650

Minnesota Aviation Innovators Exhibit: Production. To fabricate and install an exhibit on innovators in Minnesota aviation.

Hennepin County, Minnesota African American Museum & Cultural Center, $7,000

Acquisition of Microfilm Reader/Printer/Scanner: To make accessible primary records through a new microfilm reader/printer.

Hennepin County, Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center, $466

Minnesota History Bookshelf: To add 19 standard Minnesota history titles to broaden public accessibility.

Hennepin County, Mindekirken Foundation, $4,000

Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church National Register Evaluation: To hire a qualified historian to evaluate the Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church (Mindekirken) for possible inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.

Hennepin County, Preserve Minneapolis, $7,000

Mobile Historical Website, Phase I: To set up the Preserve Minneapolis website with updated technology to support the Old Highland Neighborhood Association walking tours.

Hennepin County, Regents of the University of Minnesota (Institute for Advanced Study), $6,974

Oral Histories of Intellectual and Cultural Leaders of Minnesota (2000-2012): To document in 20 interviews the history of Minnesota's arts and cultural leaders.

Hennepin County, Regents of the University of Minnesota (Institute on Community Integration), $6,925

Transition from School to Work for MN’s Youth With Disabilities: An Oral History. To document in 8 interviews the policies that reduced unemployment rates among Minnesota's youth with disabilities.

Hennepin County, Richfield Historical Society, $1,200

Interactive Agriculture and Food Outreach Program: To develop a hands-on outreach program series to share Richfield's history of foodway skills.

Hubbard County, Kabekona Lake Association, $2,050

Preserving Kabekona Lake's Heritage and History: To hire a qualified professional to advise on preserving the institutional history of a northern lake community.

Jackson County, Jackson County, $7,000

Comprehensive Investigation of the Jackson County Courtroom Ceiling, Stenciling and Plasterwork: To hire a qualified professional to develop a treatment plan for the Jackson County Courthouse stenciling and plasterwork.

Kandiyohi County, Kandiyohi County Historical Society, $3,845

Microfilm Kandiyohi County Township Records: To microfilm and make accessible public records for six Kandiyohi County townships.

Kandiyohi County, Willmar Design Center, $7,000

Downtown Willmar Historic District National Register Evaluation: To hire a qualified historian to evaluate the downtown Willmar historic district for possible inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.

Lac qui Parle County, Lac qui Parle County Historical Society, $5,080

Disaster Plan Development for Lac qui Parle County Museum: To hire a qualified professional to develop a disaster plan for the Lac qui Parle County Historical Society.

Lake County, Arts on Superior, $7,000

Two Harbors MNopedia Entries: To create 17 entries on Two Harbors history for the MNopedia project for online research.

Lyon County, Lyon County Historical Society, $570

Minnesota Museum Bookshelf: To add 22 standard Minnesota history titles to broaden public accessibility through well-rounded interpretation.

Lyon County, Lyon County Historical Society, $5,900

Camden Vase Display Case and Interpretive Signs: To hire a qualified professional to fabricate an appropriate display and exhibit labels for a significant collections piece.

Mahnomen County, Mahnomen County Historical Society, $1,555

Minnesota Museum Bookshelf: To add 44 standard Minnesota museum administration titles to broaden staff development.

Martin County, Martin County Historical Society, $4,022

MCHS Disaster Planning Project: To hire a qualified professional to develop a comprehensive disaster plan.

Mower County, Mower County Historical Society, $1,078

Mower County During World War II Exhibit Research Project: To research and develop a new exhibit on Mower County during World War II.

Mower County, Mower County Historical Society, $6,922

Acquisition of Austin Daily Herald Microfilm Copies Phase 1: To acquire microfilm copies of the Austin Daily Herald newspaper through 2007.

Nobles County, Nobles County Historical Society, $4,330

Vertical File Inventory and Cataloging Project: To hire a qualified professional to process and make accessible archival materials.

Otter Tail County, Prospect House Museum, $4,221

StEPs Program Assessment: To hire a qualified professional to begin the American Association for State and Local History's StEPs self-assessment program.

Pine County, Pine County Historical Society, $6,500

Evaluation of Air Conditioning/Ventilation System and Monitoring System: To hire a qualified professional to perform an evaluation of the museum's HVAC system.

Pipestone County, City of Pipestone, $830

Minnesota Historic Preservation Bookshelf Starter Kit: To add 47 standard Minnesota historic preservation titles to broaden public accessibility.

Ramsey County, Cathedral Heritage Foundation, $5,152

General Preservation Assessment Survey: To hire a qualified museum professional to conduct a preservation assessment survey on works of art in the Cathedral's collections.

Ramsey County, City of St. Paul, $7,000

Structural Assessment and Work Plan for Pattern Shop at Jackson Street Shops: To hire a qualified professional to complete a structural assessment and work plan.

Ramsey County, Concordia University (Library), $5,285

General Preservation Assessment Survey: To hire a qualified professional to conduct a preservation assessment survey of an art collection.

Ramsey County, Luther Seminary Library, $7,000

Microfilm/fiche Reader/Printer/Scanner: To make accessible primary records through a new microfilm reader/printer.

Ramsey County, Minnesota Legislative Reference Library, $7,000

Digital Access to Historical Documents and Finding Aids from the Office of the Secretary of State (1900-1990): To make accessible to the public documents from the Minnesota Secretary of State's Office, 1900-1990.

Ramsey County, Minnesota Museum of American Art, $5,346

General Preservation Assessment Survey: To hire a qualified professional to conduct a general preservation needs assessment survey and long range collections preservation plan.

Ramsey County, Park Press Inc., $2,000

Demographic Change in St. Anthony Park, Como Park, Falcon Heights, and Lauderdale: To conduct research for a series of articles on the history of demographic changes in Ramsey County.

Ramsey County, The Performance Lab, $7,000

Minnesota Dance Pioneers Oral History Project: To document in three interviews the history of modern dance educators in the 1960s.

Ramsey County, Twin City Model Railroad Museum, $7,000

Signage for "Marketing a Heritage" Gallery: To fabricate and install interpretive panels for the Toy Train Division gallery.

Ramsey County, White Bear Lake Area Historical Society, $4,000

White Bear Town Hall National Register Evaluation: To hire a qualified historian to evaluate the 1885 White Bear Town Hall for possible inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.

Renville County, Sacred Heart Area Historical Society, $3,677

Sacred Heart Public School National Register Evaluation: To hire a qualified historian to evaluate the Sacred Heart Public School for possible inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.

Rice County, Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf, $1,500

Sesquicentennial History of the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf: To research and develop a history of the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf.

Rice County, Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf, $7,000

MSAD Portable Museum Exhibit: To develop a portable exhibit for campus buildings and the school museum.

Rice County, Northfield Historical Society, $7,000

Item Level Assessment of the NHS Collection: To conduct an item-level conditions assessment of the museum collections.

Roseau County, Greenbush Public Library, $460

Greenbush Public Library Historic Photo Display: To prepare an exhibit marking the 50-year history of the Greenbush Public Library.

Roseau County, Greenbush Public Library, $512

Minnesota History Book Shelf: To add 22 standard Minnesota history titles to broaden public accessibility.

Roseau County, Roseau County Historical Society, $7,000

RCHS Cataloging Project: To hire a qualified professional to accession and catalog archives and documents in the collections.

Scott County, Scott County Historical Society, $4,178

Microfilm Scott County Newspapers: To microfilm two years of Scott County newspapers to broaden public accessibility.

St. Louis County, Armory Arts and Music Center, $7,000

Partial Re-roofing and Roof Repair: To restore the roof of the Duluth Armory, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

St. Louis County, Dorothy Molter Foundation and Museum, $6,833

Development of Collections Management Policy & Procedures and Collections Plan: To hire a qualified professional to develop policies and procedures for museum collections management.

St. Louis County, Minnesota Discovery Center, $7,000

Collections Inventory, Phase III: To begin the next phase of a complete collections inventory, making the collections more accessible to the public.

St. Louis County, North Star Foundation of the Mesaba Range Incorporated, $4,700

Mesaba Park Expanded Oral History Project, To document in 10 interviews additional historical information related to Mesaba Co-op Park.

Wabasha County, National Eagle Center, $7,000

National Eagle Center: Interpretive Exhibit Plan for Mississippi Flyway Exhibit: To research and develop an exhibit exploring the relationship between the natural world and human activity in the Minnesota portion of the Mississippi flyway.

Waseca County, Minnesota Agricultural Interpretive Center, $7,000

Farmamerica Collections Management Policy and Procedures: To hire a qualified professional to develop a set of collections management policies and procedures.

Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants

The Minnesota Historical Society received a 2011 legislative appropriation to award a total of $10.5 million in Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants during the 2012 and 2013 fiscal years. The grants provide an unprecedented opportunity for non-profit and educational organizations, government units and tribal organizations to preserve and share the state’s history and cultural heritage.

Grants are available for history and historic preservation projects in three tiers: Small Grants of $7,000 or less, Mid-Size Grants between $7,001 and $50,000, and Large Grants of more than $50,001. For more information on the Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants program, including application deadlines, visit legacy.mnhs.org/grants.

About the Minnesota Historical Society

The Minnesota Historical Society is a non-profit educational and cultural institution established in 1849. The Society 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, the Society preserves our past, shares our state’s stories and connects people with history.