MNHS ANNOUNCES LATEST CULTURAL AND HISTORIC RESOURCES GRANT RECIPEIENTS

ST. PAUL (June 11, 2015) – The Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) announces the most recent recipients of close to $762,000 in funding from two grant programs funded by the Legacy Amendment’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. Both grant programs collectively preserve, conserve and enhance access to Minnesota’s cultural heritage. Awards were approved by the MNHS Executive Council on May 28, 2015.

Six Heritage Partnership Awards totaling $415,140 were awarded. The Heritage Partnership Program supports the creation and development of sustainable, history-based partnerships throughout the state.

Forty-four Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Small Grants totaling $346,419 in 23 counties were awarded from the April 2015 deadline round. Small grants of up to $10,000 each are awarded quarterly to help non-profit and educational organizations, government units and tribal organizations preserve and share Minnesota history.

“The latest grants rounds set new records for the most applications received in a single round,” said Carolyn Veeser-Egbide, MNHS grants manager. “It is exciting to see Minnesotans enthusiastic about preserving history and know that future generations are being given a wonderful legacy.”

All grants are competitive and are awarded according to program guidelines and criteria and professional standards.

Heritage Partnership Awards

Heritage Preservation Commission Training Program, $66,500

Partner Organizations: City of Stillwater, City of Eden Prairie, Eden Prairie Heritage Preservation Commission; City of Mankato, Mankato Heritage Preservation Commission

Program Purpose: To contract with qualified professionals to create multi-module, educational training materials to introduce preservation commissioners, staff and appointed members to historic preservation concepts, terminology, and principles.

McLeod County Historical Organizations Partnership Development, $47,653

Partner Organizations: McLeod County Historical Society, Historic Hutchinson, Glencoe Preservation Society

Program Purpose: McLeod County Historical Organizations Partnership Development: To develop a lasting partnership among historical organizations in McLeod County to strengthen their community impact.

Planning for Post-Secondary Preservation Education, $76,100

Partner Organizations: Preservation Alliance of Minnesota and Minnesota State University - Mankato

Program Purpose: To develop a partnership between historic preservationists and university faculty to integrate preservation curriculum into existing educational programs.

Planning How to Consistently Publish and Distribute the Stories of Minnesota African American Leaders and Writers, $90,000

Partner Organizations: Arcata Press and Minnesota Humanities Center

Program Purpose: To develop a partnership that will formulate a strategic plan for the publication of Minnesota African American authors.

Southern Minnesota History Co-op Marketing Plan, $40,000

Partner Organizations: Goodhue County Historical Society, Nicollet County Historical Society, Northfield Historical Society, Rice County Historical Society, Waseca County Historical Society

Program Purpose: To develop a marketing plan for the Southern Minnesota History Co-op.

Steele County Great War Centennial and Federated Inventory Program, $94,887

Partner Organizations: Steele County Historical Society, Minnesota State Public School Orphanage Museum, Owatonna High School Museum, Little Theater of Owatonna, Medford Historical League

Inventory only partners: Aurora Township, Berlin Township, Blooming Prairie Township, Clinton Falls Township, Deerfield Township, Havana Township, Lemond Township, Medford Township, Meriden Township, Owatonna Township, Summit Township

Program Purpose: To form a partnership in order to provide services to, and help coordinate preservation of, historic resources for the various historical organizations around Steele County.

Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Small Grant Recipients

Recipients of small grants (up to $10,000) from the April 2015 cycle are listed by county, in alphabetical order below.

Anoka County, Great Lakes Shipwreck Preservation Society, $7,605

Shipwreck Harriet B National Register Evaluation: To hire qualified consultants to evaluate the Shipwreck Harriet B for possible inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.

Blue Earth County, City of Mankato, $7,000

North Front Street Commercial District Design Guidelines: To hire a qualified consultant to create historic preservation design guidelines for the North Front Street Commercial District.

Blue Earth County, Minnesota State University, Mankato (Department of Anthropology), $8,770

Cambria Phase Faunal Cataloguing: To provide better organization of archaeological collections, allowing for greater public access to historic resources.

Chippewa County, City of Maynard, $5,500

Maynard State Bank National Register Evaluation: To hire qualified consultants to evaluate the Maynard State Bank for possible inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.

Chisago County, Chisago County Historical Society, $10,000

Acquire Microfilm Reader/Printer/Scanner: To purchase a microfilm reader/printer/scanner to make microfilmed records more accessible to the public.

Clay County, Minnesota State University Moorhead, $4,200

Preparing Student Research on Early Moorhead for Public Exhibit: To prepare student research for an upcoming traveling exhibit on early Moorhead history.

Clay County, St. John the Divine Episcopal Church, $9,500

Condition Assessment, St. John the Divine Episcopal Church: To hire a qualified architect to conduct a condition assessment of St. John the Divine Episcopal Church, Moorhead, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Crow Wing County, Crow Wing County Historical Society, $9,347

Acquire Old Crow Wing Historical Records on Microfilm: To add 74 rolls of microfilmed Bureau of Indian Affairs records to make primary records more accessible to the public.

Goodhue County, Goodhue County Historical Society, $9,340

Museum Lighting Evaluation & Redesign: To hire a qualified museum lighting professional to develop a museum lighting plan.

Hennepin County, AIM Interpretive Center, $10,000

Conceptual and Interpretive Plan for Thunder Before the Storm Lodge: To hire a qualified consultant to write an interpretive plan for the American Indian Movement Interpretive Center.

Hennepin County, The Bakken Museum, $10,000

Inventing for Health, Minnesota’s Biomedical Revolution Exhibit Plan: To hire a qualified consultant to write an exhibit plan for an exhibit on Minnesota's biomedical history.

Hennepin County, Edina Historical Society, $10,000

Edina Historical Society Interpretive Plan: To hire a qualified consultant to write an interpretive plan for the Edina Historical Society.

Hennepin County, Excelsior-Lake Minnetonka Historical Society, $5,220

Museum Security Enhancements: To hire qualified technicians to install a security system to protect the collections from theft or fire.

Hennepin County, Farmer Labor Education Committee, $10,000

Farmer-Labor Movement Film Project: To hire qualified consultants to write a treatment plan for a documentary on the history of the Farmer-Labor Party in Minnesota.

Hennepin County, Hennepin History Museum, $8,000

HVAC Evaluation for Hennepin History Museum: To hire a qualified and experienced Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) engineer to evaluate how well the current system controls the museum environment.

Hennepin County, Honoring All Veterans Memorial, Inc., $5,200

Richfield, MN Civil War Sharpshooter Marker: To update and install a historical marker to honor a Civil War soldier from Richfield who died at the Battle of Gettysburg.

Hennepin County, Lundstrum Center for the Performing Arts, $10,000

Dorothy Lundstrum's Legacy, North Minneapolis to the Bright Lights Oral History: To document in 15 oral history interviews the history of Dorothy Lundstrom and her North Minneapolis dance studio.

Hennepin County, Minnesota Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians, $9,290

Minnesota Architects, Modern Masters Video Project: To document in eight oral history interviews the history of modern masters in Minnesota architecture.

Hennepin County, Seward Neighborhood Group, $9,253

Milwaukee Avenue Historic District Sign: To design, produce, and install a historical marker in the Milwaukee Avenue Historic District of Minneapolis.

Hennepin County, St. Louis Park Historical Society, $10,000

Acquire Microfilm Reader/Printer/Scanner and Computer: To purchase a microfilm reader/printer/scanner and computer to make microfilmed records more accessible to the public.

Kandiyohi County, Kandiyohi County Historical Society, $2,500

Engine 2523 Conservation Assessment and Long Range Preservation Plan: To hire professional conservators to assess a historically significant collections piece and write a long range preservation plan.

Lac qui Parle County, Lac qui Parle County Historical Society, $8,500

HVAC Systems Evaluation: To hire a qualified consultant to perform an assessment of Lac qui Parle Historical Society's heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system.

Lake County, Two Harbors Community Radio, $5,000

Two Harbors Media Memories Oral History Project: To document in 15 oral history interviews the history of radio, television and movies in Two Harbors.

Morrison County, Morrison County Historical Society, $940

Scholarship to DOCOMOMO Symposium: To provide professional development in Modernism architecture for two staff members at the national DOCOMOMO conference in Minnesota, June 4-7, 2015.

Murray County, Murray County Historical Society, $9,627

Murray County Town Ball Oral History Project: To document in 12 oral history interviews the history of town ball in Murray County.

Norman County, Norman County Historical Society, $9,669

Preserving the Aalgaard Negative Archive: To digitize a collection of photo negatives, allowing for greater public access to this historic resource.

Pine County, Pine County Historical Society, $9,646

Inventory of Collections, Phase 2: To provide better organization of the museum collections, allowing for greater public access to the community’s historic resources.

Pine County, Pine City Library Foundation, $9,385

Acquire Microfilm Reader/Printer/Scanner: To purchase a microfilm reader/printer/scanner to make microfilmed records more accessible to the public.

Ramsey County, League of Women Voters St. Paul Education Fund, $5,500

League of Women Voters St. Paul Oral History: To document in up to 10 oral history interviews the history of the League of Women Voters St. Paul.

Ramsey County, Minnesota Legislative Reference Library, $5,000

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and Legislative Reference Library Collaborative State Document Digitization Project: To digitize a collection of state documents, allowing for greater public access to these historic resources.

Ramsey County, Minnesota State Fair Foundation, $5,085

Microfilming Historic Minnesota State Fair Scrapbooks: To microfilm historic Minnesota State Fair scrapbooks to make these primary records more accessible to the public.

Redwood County, Redwood Falls Public Library (Plum Creek Library System), $8,399

Microfilming Newspapers For Archival Preservation: To microfilm Redwood Gazette newspapers to make primary records more accessible to the public.

Rice County, Carleton College, $9,902

Research for a History of the Presidency of John Nason at Carleton College: To hire a qualified historian to complete primary source research on the history of John Nason's presidency at Carleton College.

Rice County, Northfield Public Library, $6,650

Design Work for History of the Northfield Public Library: To hire qualified professionals to produce a manuscript on the history of the Northfield Public Library.

Rice County, Rice County Historical Society, $10,000

Hidden in Plain Sight II: Transcribing and Analyzing Letters to Uncover Evangeline Whipple's History: To hire a qualified historian to conduct primary source research on the history of Evangeline Whipple.

Sherburne County, Sherburne County Historical Society, $4,603

Sherburne County Quilt Documentation Research: To document quilts in Sherburne County, allowing for greater public access to these historic resources.

St. Louis County, Duluth Bethel Society, Inc., $7,000

Duluth Bethel Society National Register Evaluation: To hire qualified consultants to evaluate the Duluth Bethel Society building for possible inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.

St. Louis County, Virginia Public Library, $9,385

Acquire Microfilm Reader/Printer/Scanner: To purchase a microfilm reader/printer/scanner to make microfilmed records more accessible to the public.

Stearns County, Sinclair Lewis Foundation, $10,000

Historic Structure Report for the Sinclair Lewis Boyhood Home and Carriage House: To hire a qualified consultant to develop a Historic Structure Report that will help preserve the Sinclair Lewis Boyhood Home, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Stearns County, St. Cloud State University, $9,867

Fort or Folly: Using Remote Sensing and Archaeology to Locate the Dakota Conflict-Era Fort Fair Haven: To hire a qualified archaeologist to conduct a survey in an attempt to locate Fort Fair Haven.

Washington County, Washington County Historical Society, $6,952

Audience Analysis: To hire a qualified consultant to conduct an audience analysis for Washington County Historical Society.

Washington County: Arcola Mills Historic Foundation, $5,784

Arcola Mills Artist Colony National Register Evaluation: To hire qualified consultants to evaluate the John and Martin Mower House and Arcola Mill Site for possible inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.

Winona County, Saint Mary's University of Minnesota, $8,800

Using Technology to Reevaluate Historic Locations of the Lost Fort L’Huillier: To hire a qualified archaeologist to conduct a survey in an attempt to locate the lost Fort L'Huillier.

Winona County, Winona County Historical Society, $10,000

Acquire Microfilm Reader/Printer/Scanner: To purchase a microfilm reader/printer/scanner to make microfilmed records more accessible to the public.

About Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants

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.

The Minnesota Historical Society received a legislative appropriation of $11.2 million for the 2014-2015 biennium for the Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants: $5,525,000 for FY 2014 and $5,565,000 for FY 2015.

Grants are available for history and historic preservation projects in three tiers. Small grants of $10,000 or less are awarded quarterly. The next two small grants deadlines (tentative, pending funding) are July 10, 2015, and October 9, 2015.

Applications for large ($10,001 and up) grants will be awarded in two cycles, one for each fiscal year. All grants are administered through a competitive process using professional standards and criteria. The next large grant deadlines (tentative, pending funding) are pre-application, due on July 31, 2015, and final application, due on September 25, 2015.

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

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.

The Minnesota Historical Society is supported in part by its Premier Partners: Xcel Energy and Explore Minnesota Tourism.