Legacy Amendment Provides $288,000+ in Small Grants to Support History Projects Statewide

The Minnesota Historical Society is pleased to announce the newest recipients of 33 Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Small Grants ($10,000 and less), totaling $288,631 in 19 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 Sept. 10, 2020.

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 July 2020 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.

American Swedish Institute, Minneapolis, $10,000

Visby Window in the Turnblad Mansion Condition Assessment: To hire a qualified consultant to conduct a condition assessment of the Visby Window in the Turnblad Mansion, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Anoka County Historical Society, Anoka, $7,788

Multi-Generational Oral History Project: To document in 18 oral history interviews the history of multiple generations of the same families working for Federal Cartridge.

Beltrami County, Bemidji, $3,755

“A Brief History of Beltrami County”: To hire qualified professionals to publish a book on the history of Beltrami County.

Bird Island Cultural Centre, Bird Island, $10,000

Tinnes-Baker House Condition Assessment: To hire a qualified architect to conduct a condition assessment of the Tinnes-Baker House, eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.

Brown County Historical Society, New Ulm, $9,989

Acquire New Archives and Textiles Storage Shelving: To improve collections care and management through proper storage.

City of Frazee, Frazee, $10,000

Wannigan Park Phase I Survey: To hire a qualified archaeologist to conduct a Phase I survey of Wannigan Park.

City of Henning, Henning, $9,375

Lewis House and Medical Office National Register Nomination: To hire a qualified historian to complete the National Register of Historic Places nomination for the Lewis House and Medical Office.

City of Hugo, Hugo, $10,000

Hopkins Schoolhouse Conditions Assessment: To hire a qualified architect to conduct a conditions assessment of the Hopkins Schoolhouse, eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.

City of Lake Lillian, Lake Lillian, $2,895

Acquire Lake Lillian Newspapers on Microfilm: To add 32 rolls of microfilmed newspapers to make primary records more accessible to the public.

City of Plymouth, Plymouth, $3,750

Collection Storage Plan: To hire professionals to assess and write a collections plan for a historically significant collection to make this resource more accessible to the public.

City of Rochester, Rochester, $9,550

Silver Lake Power Plant National Register Evaluation: To hire qualified consultants to evaluate the 1947 Silver Lake Power Plant in Rochester, MN for possible inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.

City of Winona, Winona, $5,000

Latsch Island Wagon Bridge National Register Evaluation: To hire a qualified historian to complete an evaluation to determine National Register of Historic Places eligibility for the Latsch Island Wagon Bridge.

Cold Spring Area Historical Society, Cold Spring, $7,200

Evaluation of Building Mechanical System (HVAC): To hire a qualified and experienced HVAC engineer to evaluate how well the current system controls the museum environment.

Crossroads Panorama, Richfield, $9,975

“Lest We Forget - The Contributions of Minneapolis' African American Baby Boomers”: To hire a qualified historian to conduct primary source research on the history of African American Baby Boomers in Minneapolis.

East Side Freedom Library, St. Paul, $9,999

Documenting Dances: Presentations on Immigrant and Refugee Dance Artists in the Twin Cities: To document a series of cultural heritage presentations by immigrant and refugee dance artists.

Edina Morningside Community Church, Edina, $9,052

Inventory of Archive Photographs: To provide better organization of archival materials, allowing for greater public access.

Heritage Group North, Inc, Pine River, $8,485

Pine River Backus High School Yearbook Digitization: To digitize a collection of high school yearbooks from 1936-2019, allowing for greater public access.

Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County, Moorhead, $7,527

Connecting with Native American Scholars: To consult with American Indian scholars regarding research and writing about the Dakota, Ojibwe, and Metis history in Clay County for an upcoming exhibit.

Kandiyohi County Historical Society, Willmar, $10,000

Sperry House Conditions Assessment: To hire a qualified architect to conduct a conditions assessment of the Albert H. & Jennie C. Sperry House, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Lake Lillian Public Library, Lake Lillian, $10,000

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

Le Sueur County Historical Society, Le Center, $10,000

Construction Drawings for the Elysian School Roof: To hire a qualified consultant to develop architectural drawings for the roof of the Elysian School, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Maritime Heritage Minnesota, St. Paul, $9,947

MN Suburban Lakes Maritime Archaeology: To conduct marine archaeology investigations of anomalies found in Lakes Minnewashta, Lotus, & Crystal, & underwater archaeological reconnaissance on wrecks & anomalies in Forest Lake.

Minnesota Air National Guard Historical Foundation, St. Paul, $8,217

A History of the 109th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron: To hire qualified professionals to publish a book on the history of the 109th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, Minnesota Air National Guard.

Minnesota Media Arts, St. Paul, $9,925

Digital Conversion of Cable Arts Consortium Video Collection 1983-1991: To digitize a collection of archival audio recordings, allowing for greater public access.

Nobles County Historical Society, Worthington, $9,201

Acquisition of Nobles County Newspapers on Microfilm: To add 113 rolls of microfilmed newspapers to make primary records more accessible to the public.

Northfield Historical Society, Northfield, $10,000

Scriver Block Condition Assessment: To hire a qualified architect to conduct a condition assessment of the First National Bank of Northfield/Scriver Block, listed in the National Register of Historic Places and home of the Northfield Historical Society.

Regents of the University of Minnesota (School of Medicine), St. Paul, $7,950

Minnesota Neurology Oral History Project: To document in 10 oral history interviews the history of neurology in the State of Minnesota.

The Council for Minnesotans of African Heritage, St. Paul, $10,000

Oral History of The Council for Minnesotans of African Heritage: To document in 10 oral history interviews the history of The Council for Minnesotans of African Heritage.

Twin City Model Railroad Museum, St. Paul, $10,000

TCMRM Interpretive Plan Update: To hire a qualified consultant to revise and update the interpretive plan for the Twin City Model Railroad Museum.

Warroad Heritage Center, Warroad, $9,879

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

Westonka Historical Society, Mound, $9,525

Inventory of Museum: To provide better organization of the museum collections, allowing for greater public access.

Wiccan Church of Minnesota, Minneapolis, $10,000

Development of the Minnesota Pagan Oral History Methodology and Template: To document in 12 oral history interviews the history of the Wiccan Church of Minnesota.

Winona County Historical Society, Winona, $9,647

Exhibit Strategic Plan for Re-imagining the Permanent Exhibits: To hire a qualified consultant to write an exhibit plan for Winona County History Center.

About Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants

The Minnesota Historical Society received a legislative appropriation of $12.85 million for the 2020-2021 biennium for the Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage (“Legacy”) Grants: $5,846,000 for FY2020 and $7,004,000 for FY2021.

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 January 8, 2021 and April 9, 2021. Large grants of more than $10,000 are offered once a year. All grants are administered through a competitive process based on program guidelines, and professional standards and criteria.

For more information on the Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants program, including application deadlines, visit http://www.mnhs.org/preservation/legacy-grants.

About the Minnesota Historical Society

The Minnesota Historical Society is a nonprofit 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 publishing. Using the power of history to transform lives, MNHS preserves our past, shares our state’s stories and connects people with history. Visit us at mnhs.org