The Minnesota Historical Society Builds Our State's Legacy with 58 Grants Awarded Across Minnesota

Dozens of organizations across Minnesota just got a boost in their work to preserve and share our state's history thanks to 58 new Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants awarded by the Minnesota Historical Society. The grants, which can be up to $10,000, are listed by county below.

"Demand for Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage grants remains high as we kick off a new biennium. The grants help give history-minded organizations the support they need to carry out valuable projects that will benefit Minnesotans now and well into the future," said David Grabitske, manager of outreach services for the Minnesota Historical Society.

About Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants

The Minnesota Historical Society has received a legislative appropriation of $11.2 million for the 2014-2015 biennium for the Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants program. 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.

Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants are made possible by the Legacy Amendment’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, which supports efforts to preserve Minnesota’s land, water and legacy, including state history and cultural heritage. Grants are available for history and historic preservation projects in three tiers: Small or Structured Grants of $10,000 or less, Mid-Size Grants between $10,001 and $50,000, and Large Grants of more than $50,001.

Information about grant projects can be found at http://www.mnhs.org/legacy. Visit legacy.mnhs.org/grants/deadlines for application deadlines for the 2014-2015 biennium. The Grants Manual is available at legacy.mnhs.org/grants. Applications are accepted only through the Society’s grants portal at grants.mnhs.org.

Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grant Recipients

Each Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grant project will preserve and enhance Minnesota’s cultural and historical resources. The grants are awarded according to professional standards and criteria.

Anoka County, Anoka County Historical Society

Anoka State Hospital Oral History Project, $4782

To document in 20 interviews the history of Anoka State Hospital.

Brown County, Brown County

Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Study, $6000

To hire a qualified and experienced HVAC engineer to evaluate the current system preparatory to better control of the Brown County Historical Society museum environment.

Cass County, Heritage Group North, Inc.

Pine River Depot Museum Historic Preservation & Minnesota History Bookshelves, $1835

To add 68 standard Minnesota historic preservation and history titles to broaden public accessibility.

Cass County, Heritage Group North, Inc.

Pine River Depot Museum Minnesota Museum Bookshelf, $1799

To add 49 standard Minnesota museum titles to broaden public accessibility.

Chippewa County, City of Montevideo

Montevideo Carnegie Library Building Assessment Project, $6950

To hire a qualified historian to conduct a conditions assessment of the Montevideo Carnegie Library, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Clay County, Heritage Education Commission

Veterans’ Oral History Transcription, $8100

To transcribe 75 oral histories from World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War veterans to provide better public access.

Clay County, Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County

Bergquist Cabin Outdoor Interpretation, $2500

To fabricate and install a historical marker that provides public access to the story of the John Bergquist House, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Dakota County, Caponi Art Park

Development of a Collections Plan, $3080

To hire a consultant to help write a collections plan in order to improve collections care and management.

Fillmore County, City of Lanesboro

Historic Preservation Training at the 2013 Preserve Minnesota Conference, $9590

To provide supplemental training opportunities at the 2013 Preserve Minnesota conference.

Goodhue County, Florence Township

Florence Town Hall Exterior Assessment, $8000

To hire a qualified professional to write an exterior building assessment of the Florence Town Hall, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Grant County, Grant County

Grant County Courthouse Decorative Elements Original Stencils Reproduction and Preservation, $7920

To reproduce original stencil patterns from the Grant County Courthouse, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Hennepin County, AirSpace Minnesota

AirSpace Minnesota: Oral History Project, $7250

To document in 6-8 interviews the history of individuals who have been underrepresented in Minnesota's aviation and aerospace industry.

Hennepin County, Augsburg Fairview Academy

Native American Resource Library, $252

To add 11 standard American Indian history titles to broaden public accessibility.

Hennepin County, Hennepin History Museum

HIV/AIDS Healthcare Providers Oral History Project, $10,000

To document in 10 interviews the history of HIV/AIDS treatment in the Twin Cities.

Houston County, City of Hokah

Hokah City Hall National Register Nomination, $4000

To hire a qualified historian to complete the nomination to the National Register of Historic Places for Hokah City Hall.

Houston County, Giants of the Earth Heritage Center

Spring Grove Research and Exhibit Design, $7000

To research, develop themes for, and design an exhibit on the history of Spring Grove, 1850-1900.

Houston County, Houston County

Houston County Courthouse Historic Structure Report, $10,000

To hire a qualified consultant to write a historic structure report for the Houston County Courthouse, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Hubbard County, Hubbard County Historical Society

Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) System Evaluation, $6300

To hire a qualified and experienced HVAC engineer to evaluate current system preparatory to better control of the Hubbard County Historical Society museum environment.

Itasca County, Itasca County Historical Society

Asbestos Abatement for Archival Storage, $6150

To hire a contractor for asbestos abatement in the museum's archival storage area.

Lake County, Lake County Historical Society

Depot Window Restoration Project Phase 1, $7650

To hire a contractor to repair four original windows in the Duluth & Iron Range Railroad Depot, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Mille Lacs County, Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe

Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Archives Assessment and Preservation Plan, $5361

To hire professional conservators to assess historically significant collections and write a long range preservation plan.

Morrison County, City of Royalton

Royalton Banner Microfilm Acquisition, $4245

To add 58 rolls of microfilmed newspapers to broaden public accessibility to primary records.

Nobles County, Nobles County Historical Society

Three-dimensional Artifact Cataloging Project, $9955

To gain intellectual and physical control of historic objects held in public trust.

Olmsted County, Olmsted County Historical Society

Comprehensive Inventory and Cataloging Project, Vault A, $8790

To add 90 rolls of microfilmed newspapers to broaden public accessibility to primary records.

Olmsted County, Olmsted County Historical Society

Purchase Olmsted County Newspapers on Microfilm, $8129

To gain intellectual and physical control of historic objects held in public trust.

Pipestone County, Pipestone County Historical Society

Old City Hall Rehabilitation Phase II, $10,000

To hire a historic architect to assess the restoration needs for the historic Pipestone City Hall, listed in the National Register of Historic Places and current home of the Pipestone County Museum.

Ramsey County, City of Maplewood

Maplewood Historic Context Study, $9500

To hire a qualified historian to conduct a historic context study for the City of Maplewood.

Ramsey County, Hamline Church United Methodist

Conditions Report for Hamline Church, $10,000

To hire a qualified professional to write a conditions assessment of Hamline Methodist Episcopal Church, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Ramsey County, HAND in HAND Productions

Saint Paul Police Oral History Project Phase 8, $10,000

To document in 2-4 interviews the history of the Saint Paul Police Department.

Ramsey County, Heritage Organization of Romanian Americans in Minnesota

Romanian Immigration to the Twin Cities Documentary Video, $10,000

To create a documentary about the experiences of Romanian immigrants in Minnesota.

Ramsey County, Maplewood Area Historical Society

Maplewood Fire Department Oral History, Phase 1, $10,000

To document in oral history interviews the history of the Maplewood Fire Department.

Ramsey County, Maritime Heritage Minnesota

Lake Waconia Nautical Archaeology 1, $4003

To determine the nature of objects discovered through marine archaeology research in Lake Minnetonka.

Ramsey County, Maritime Heritage Minnesota

Lake Minnetonka Nautical Archaeology 2, $9245

To determine the nature of objects discovered through marine archaeology research in Lake Waconia.

Ramsey County, Minnesota Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers

Annotated Timeline, $10,000

To prepare for the 2014 centennial of the organization through research and writing on the contributions to Minnesota engineering history.

Ramsey County, Minnesota Transportation Museum

Jackson Street Roundhouse Interpretive Plan, $10,000

To complete an interpretive plan for the museum in order to make more effective use of limited resources to better serve the public.

Ramsey County, North Star Museum of Boy Scouting and Girl Scouting

"My 3000 Mile Hike to San Francisco" Research Project, $7130

To research context for a manuscript by then 16-year-old Leon Blehart about a 1915 hike from St. Paul to San Francisco.

Ramsey County, Ramsey County Historical Society

General Preservation Assessment Survey and Long Range Conservation Plan, $5626

To hire professional conservators to assess historically significant collections and write a long range preservation plan.

Rice County, Independent School District #659

History of the Northfield Minnesota Public Schools, $9000

To hire a consultant to research and prepare materials for a history of Northfield public schools.

Rice County, Northfield Historical Society

Civic Organizations Digitization and Transcription, $9976

To digitize documents from 36 Northfield¬area civic organizations and make them publicly accessible via the Northfield History Collaborative.

Rice County, Northfield Historical Society

Processing NHS Collections Backlog, $9912

To gain intellectual and physical control of historic objects held in public trust.

Rice County, Rice County Historical Society

Hidden in Plain Sight: Recovering Evangeline Marrs Whipple’s Minnesota Story Through Archival Research, $9800

To research and compile resources documenting the 14 years that influential philanthropist Evangeline Marrs Whipple spent in Minnesota.

St. Louis County, City of Duluth

I-35 Duluth Area Construction Oral History Project, $4900

To document in 10 interviews the history of the development of Interstate 35 through Duluth.

St. Louis County, City of Ely

Ely Community Center Reuse Study, $10,000

To hire a qualified historian to conduct a reuse study for the Ely Community Center, a WPA-era building.

St. Louis County, Dorothy Molter Foundation and Museum

Photography Collection Cataloging, $9594

To gain intellectual and physical control of historic photographs held in public trust.

St. Louis County, Proctor Area Historical Society

Collections Management Policy and Procedures, $7000

To hire a qualified professional to assess historically significant collections and write a collections management policy.

Stearns County, Stearns History Museum and Research Center

Collections Storage and Rehousing, $7946

To improve care and management of archival and small three-dimensional collections through proper storage.

Steele County, Steele County Historical Society

Collections Project for Preservation and Interpretation, $6772

To improve care and management of collections through proper storage.

Steele County, Steele County Historical Society

StEPs Workbook, $4144

To grow the capacity of the organization to preserve and interpret history through a national training standard.

Todd County, Todd County Historical Society

Acquire Primary Resources on Microfilm, $9954

To add 83 rolls of microfilmed newspapers to broaden public accessibility to primary records.

Traverse County, Taylor Township

Roof Restoration District #44 School, $10,000

To use historically appropriate materials to repair the roof of the District No. 44 School, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Wabasha County, Wabasha County Historical Society

Reads Landing Museum Interpretive Plan, $10,000

To hire a qualified consultant to create an interpretive plan for exhibits at the historical society's Reads Landing Schoolhouse museum building.

Wadena County, Menahga Area Historical Society

Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Evaluation, $6500

To hire a qualified and experienced HVAC engineer to evaluate current system preparatory to better control of the Menahga Area Museum environment.

Waseca County, City of Waseca

Downtown Waseca Design Guidelines, $5500

To hire a qualified consultant to create historic preservation design guidelines for the City of Waseca.

Washington County, Afton Historical Society and Museum

Cataloging 1110 items into PastPerfect Database, $9990

To improve collections care and management through proper storage.

Winona County, Polish Cultural Institute

Collections Inventory Preparation, $9997

To gain intellectual and physical control of historic objects held in public trust using PastPerfect Museum Software.

Wright County, City of Cokato

Cokato Museum Door Replacement Project, $10,000

To improve public accessibility at the Cokato Historical Society and better comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Wright County, City of Rockford

Off-site Archival Storage of the Ames-Florida-Stork House Collections, $8936

To provide appropriate storage materials for archival collections.

Wright County, Cokato Historical Society

Akerlund Glass Plate Negative Scanning, Phase VI, $10,000

To scan glass plate negatives from the museum's collection for better public access to the images.

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.