Minnesota Historical Society
Formation | 1849 |
---|---|
Headquarters | Saint Paul, Minnesota,U.S. |
Website | www |
TheMinnesota Historical Society(MNHS) is anonprofiteducationalandcultural institutiondedicated to preserving the history of theU.S. stateofMinnesota.It was founded by theterritoriallegislaturein 1849, almost a decade beforestatehood.The Society is named in theMinnesota Constitution.It is headquartered in theMinnesota History Centerindowntown Saint Paul.
Although its focus is onMinnesota history,it is not constrained by it. Its work on theNorth American fur tradehas been recognized in Canada as well.[1]
MNHS holds a collection of nearly 550,000 books, 37,000 maps, 250,000 photographs, 225,000 historical artifacts,[2]950,000 archaeological items,[3]38,000 cubic feet (1,100 m3) of manuscripts,[4]45,000 cubic feet (1,300 m3) of government records, 5,500 paintings, prints and drawings; and 1,300 moving image items.[citation needed]
Since 2011,MNopedia:The Minnesota Encyclopedia,has been an online "resource for reliable information about significant people, places, events, and things in Minnesota history." The work is funded through aLegacy Amendment Arts and Cultural Heritage Fundgrant and administered by the Minnesota Historical Society.[5]TheMinnesota Historical Society Press(MNHS Press) publishes books on the history and culture of Minnesota and the Upper Midwest with the goal of advancing research, supporting education, and sharing diverse perspectives on Minnesota history.[6]MNHS Press is the oldest publishing company in the state of Minnesota and the largest historical society press in the nation, with more than 500 books in print. MNHS Press also produces the quarterly magazine,Minnesota History (journal).
History
[edit]The Minnesota Historical Society was established on October 20, 1849, as the fifth act of theMinnesota Territorial Legislature.[7]: 294 The Society was established earlier than was common for historical societies in other states. As Territorial Governor,Alexander Ramseyrecommended saving every newspaper published in theMinnesota Territory.Ramsey stated "the preservation by a community, of materials for the composition of its history, when a future time shall require it to be written, is a task not without its uses; and, when early commenced, easily accomplished."[7]: 295 Charles K. Smith,the first Secretary of the Minnesota Territory, drew up the act and following the Society's charter, Smith and 18 other incorporators formally organized the Society on November 15, 1849.[7]: 296
Upon organization, the Society had no headquarters. The Society initially used the Territorial Secretary's office, hotel rooms, and store lofts. In 1855, the Society was granted a room in theMinnesota State Capitol.Enabled by an 1856 amendment to the Society's charter allowing the Society to own unlimited property, the Society began acapital campaignto fund the construction of its own building.[7]: 299 .
Daniel A. Robertson,former editor and proprietor of theMinnesota Democratserved as chairman of the building committee. Robertson raised $1,500 via the sale of sixty-two lifetime memberships to the Society in order to fund the acquisition of two lots to serve as the site of a building to house the society. On the expectation that fundraising would continue at a similar place, plans were made to begin a two-year building construction[7]: 300 On June 24, 1856, the Society held a gala with invitations sent to scientific and literary guests from across the nation to celebrate the laying of the cornerstone of the building. The gala was reported in thePioneer and Democratas the "grandest gala day in the history of our city". Two weeks later, the building committee had exhausted their funds and passed a resolution to assess annual members five dollars in order to pay for the protection of the building foundation against winter frosts at the cost of $100.[7]: 301 The society approved a search for an architect who could draft a structure that could be built for $15,000 or less. Following the protection of the foundation, work on the building ceased as thePanic of 1857resulted in the impoverishment of many formerly wealthy Minnesotans.[7]: 301
The Society would continue to operate out of the Capitol until the Minnesota State Legislature appropriated $500,000 for the construction of a fireproof historical building via an act passed in 1913 and amended in 1915. The building was completed in 1917 and the Society finished the process of moving its collections on March 1, 1918.[7]: 317 The building currently serves as theMinnesota Judicial Center.[8]The Society moved to its current location, theMinnesota History Center,in 1992.
State historic sites
[edit]The Minnesota Historical Society operates 31 historic sites and museums, 26 of which are open to the public. MNHS manages 16 sites directly and 7 in partnerships where the society maintains the resources and provides funding. 6 sites are being held for preservation but are closed to public access, and five are self-guided sites with interpretive signage.[9][3]Seven of the sites areNational Historic Landmarksand 16 others are on theNational Register of Historic Places(NRHP). Seven sites lie withinMinnesota state parks,and three are elements of theMississippi National River and Recreation Area.[10]
Site name | Image | Location | Era of features | Year added to MNHS | Management[3] | Remarks |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alexander Ramsey House | St. Paul | 1872–1964 | 1964 | Direct | Home of Minnesota governor and U.S. CongressmanAlexander Ramseywith original furnishings.[11]NRHP | |
Birch Coulee Battlefield | Morton | September 2, 1862 | 1976 | Self-guided | Site of theBattle of Birch Coulee,the deadliest battle for U.S. troops in theDakota War of 1862.[12]NRHP. | |
Charles Lindbergh House and Museum | Charles A. Lindbergh State Park | 1906–1920 | 1969 | Direct | House of U.S. CongressmanCharles August Lindberghand his son, aviatorCharles Lindbergh.[13]National Historic Landmark[14] | |
Comstock House | Moorhead | 1882 | 1964 | Partnership | Restored home of U.S. Congressman and businessmanSolomon Comstockwith its original furnishings.[15]NRHP | |
Folsom House | Taylors Falls | 1854–1968 | 1968 | Partnership | Restored home of businessman, politician, and historianW.H.C. Folsomwith its original furnishings.[16]NRHPcontributing property | |
Forest History Center | Grand Rapids | 1900–1934 | 1975 | Direct | Recreated logging camp and exhibits on humankind's relationship with Minnesota's forests.[17] | |
Fort Renville | Lac qui Parle State Park | 1822–1846 | 1973[18] | Preservation | Location of a fur trading post established byJoseph Renville.[19] | |
Fort Ridgely | Fort Ridgely State Park | 1853–1867 | 1969 | Self-guided | Fort built to keep the peace around a Dakota reservation, but attacked twice during theDakota War of 1862.[20]NRHP | |
Grand Mound | International Falls | 200BCE–1400 | 1970 | Preservation | Fiveburial moundsinclude the largest prehistoric structure remaining in the Upper Midwest, 25 feet (7.6 m) high and 100 feet (30 m) in diameter.[21]National Historic Landmark[22] | |
Harkin Store | New Ulm | 1870–1901 | 1973 | Direct | General storefirst built in the 1870s with much of the original inventory still on display.[23]NRHP | |
Historic Forestville | Forestville Mystery Cave State Park | 1853–1899 | 1978 | Direct | The remains of the once-bustling 19th century town of Forestville, which became a ghost town after the railroad passed it by.[24]NRHP | |
Historic Fort Snelling | Fort Snelling State Park | 1820–1946 | 1969 | Direct | Portions of the fort have been restored to their original frontier appearance, while later additions served as barracks for soldiers training duringWorld War II.[25]ANational Historic Landmark[26]and part of theMississippi National River and Recreation Area.[10] | |
James J. Hill House | St. Paul | 1891–1921 | 1978 | Direct | Mansion of railroad magnateJames J. Hill.[27]National Historic Landmark[28] | |
Jeffers Petroglyphs | Jeffers | 3000 BCE–1750 | 1966 | Direct | Exposed rocks bear ancientNative Americanpetroglyphs.[29]NRHP | |
Lac qui Parle Mission | Montevideo | 1835–1854 | 1973[18] | Partnership | Reconstructed wooden church where missionaries worked to convert theDakota.[30]NRHP | |
Lower Sioux Agency | Lower Sioux Indian Reservation | 1853– | 1967 | Partnership | Museum depicting the lives ofDakotapeople before and after theDakota War of 1862.[31]NRHP | |
Marine Mill | Marine on St. Croix | 1839–1895 | 1972 | Self Guided | Ruins of Minnesota's first commercialsawmill.[32]NRHP | |
Mill City Museum | Minneapolis | 1874–1965 | 2002 | Direct | Museum of the flour milling industry that built Minneapolis, within the ruins of the Washburn "A" Mill,[33]aNational Historic Landmark.[34]Part of theMississippi National River and Recreation Area.[10] | |
Mille Lacs Indian Museum | Mille Lacs Indian Reservation | Prehistory–present | 1959 | Direct | Museum of the history and culture of theMille Lacs Band of Ojibwe.[35] | |
Minnehaha Depot | Minneapolis | 1875–1963 | 1964 | Partnership | Former train station nearMinnehaha Fallswith "gingerbread"Victorian architecture.Operated by theMinnesota Transportation Museum.[36] | |
Minnesota History Center | St. Paul | Prehistory–present | Direct | Minnesota Historical Society's headquarters, with permanent exhibits about Minnesota, changing exhibits about national history, and a library.[37] | ||
Minnesota State Capitol | St. Paul | 1905–present | 1969 | Direct | Tours and exhibits of the state's seat of government.[38]NRHP | |
Morrison Mounds | Battle Lake | 690 BCE[39] | 1968[21] | Preservation | Includes the oldestburial moundin Minnesota.[40]NRHP | |
Oliver Kelley Farm | Elk River | 1850–1901 | 1961 | Direct | Frontier farmstead ofOliver Hudson Kelley,one of the founders ofthe National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry.[41]National Historic Landmark[42] | |
Sibley Historic Site | Mendota | 1838–1910 | 1996 | Partnership | Homes ofHenry Hastings Sibley,Minnesota's first state governor, and fur traderJean-Baptiste Faribault.[43]NRHPand part of theMississippi National River and Recreation Area.[10] | |
Snake River Fur Post | Pine City | 1804 | 1965 | Direct | RecreatedNorth West Companytrading postandOjibweencampment.[44]NRHP | |
Split Rock Lighthouse | Split Rock Lighthouse State Park | 1910–1969 | 1976 | Direct | ClifftoplighthouseonLake Superiorrestored to its 1920s appearance.[45]National Historic Landmark[22] | |
Stumne Mounds | Pine City | 1968[21] | Preservation | Group of linearburial moundsnear theSnake River.[39]NRHP | ||
Traverse des Sioux | St. Peter | Prehistory–1869 | 1981 | Self Guided | Site of a riverford,the signing of theTreaty of Traverse des Sioux,and a former town.[46]NRHP | |
Upper Sioux Agency | Upper Sioux Agency State Park | 1854–1862 | 1969[47] | Preservation | Location of a federal agency established to convertDakotasto a Euro-American farming lifestyle, but destroyed in theDakota War of 1862.[19]NRHP | |
W.W. Mayo House | Le Sueur | 1859– | 1970 | Partnership | Home built byWilliam Worrall Mayo,founder of theMayo Clinic,and later home ofCarson Nesbit Cosgrove,founder of theGreen Giantfood company.[48]NRHP |
Document depositories
[edit]- "Journals (Minnesota history v1-4; Collections, Biennial reports, Annals etc) and other documents of the Minnesota Historical Society".Minnesota Historical Society /Internet Archive.RetrievedNovember 24,2012.
These publications are described in more detail in anonlineformat (without the downloadable document formats available above), at the MHC's own Digital History Books page.[49]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^"The story of the Canadian fur trade owes a great debt... for research and general popularization, to the Minnesota Historical Society."Morse, Eric (1979).Fur Trade Routes of Canada.Minoqua, WI: NorthWord Press. p. 74.ISBN1-55971-045-4.
- ^"Artifact Collection".Minnesota Historical Society.RetrievedJuly 21,2011.
- ^abc"Historic sites and museums: MNHS.ORG".October 7, 2012. Archived fromthe originalon October 7, 2012.RetrievedJanuary 7,2022.
- ^"Manuscripts Collection".Minnesota Historical Society.RetrievedJuly 21,2011.
- ^"MNopedia: Minnesota Encyclopedia".Minnesota Historical Society.RetrievedJanuary 2,2018.
- ^"Minnesota Historical Society Press".MNHS Press.
- ^abcdefghiBerthel, Mary Wheelhouse; Cater, Dean Harold (December 1949)."The Minnesota Historical Society: Highlight of a Century".Minnesota History.30(4): 293–330.JSTOR20175482.RetrievedJuly 23,2022.
- ^abEl-Hai, Jack."A Brief History of the Minnesota Historical Society".Minnesota Historical Society.RetrievedJuly 24,2022.
- ^"2021 Minnesota Statutes:138.662 HISTORIC SITES".Office of the Revisor of Statutes:Minnesota Legislature.2021.RetrievedJanuary 9,2022.
- ^abcdNational Park Service (February 16, 2011)."Mississippi National River and Recreation Area: Plan Your Visit".U.S. Department of the Interior.RetrievedMarch 25,2011.
- ^"Alexander Ramsey".Minnesota Historical Society.RetrievedAugust 16,2007.
- ^"Birch Coulee Battlefield".Minnesota Historical Society.RetrievedAugust 16,2007.
- ^"Charles A. Lindbergh House".Minnesota Historical Society. Archived fromthe originalon April 11, 2008.RetrievedAugust 16,2007.
- ^"Lindbergh, Charles A. Sr., House".National Park Service. Archived fromthe originalon June 6, 2011.RetrievedJuly 21,2011.
- ^"Comstock House".Minnesota Historical Society.RetrievedAugust 16,2007.
- ^"Folsom House".Minnesota Historical Society.RetrievedAugust 16,2007.
- ^"Forest History Center".Minnesota Historical Society.RetrievedAugust 16,2007.
- ^abMeyer, Roy W. (1991).Everyone's Country Estate: A History of Minnesota's State Parks.St. Paul, Minn.: Minnesota Historical Society Press.ISBN0-87351-266-9.
- ^ab"Minnesota River Valley Scenic Byway: Discovery Sites".Minnesota River Valley Scenic Byway Alliance.RetrievedJuly 21,2011.
- ^"Fort Ridgely".Minnesota Historical Society.RetrievedAugust 16,2007.
- ^abc"Report to the Minnesota Legislature on the Future of the Grand Mound State Historic Site, Koochiching County"(PDF).Minnesota Historical Society. January 31, 2007. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on March 4, 2016.RetrievedMay 26,2022.
- ^ab"Listing of National Historic Landmarks by State: Minnesota"(PDF).National Historic Landmarks Survey.National Park Service.RetrievedJuly 21,2011.
- ^"Harkin Store".Minnesota Historical Society.RetrievedAugust 16,2007.
- ^"Historic Forestville".Minnesota Historical Society.RetrievedAugust 16,2007.
- ^"Historic Fort Snelling".Minnesota Historical Society.RetrievedAugust 16,2007.
- ^"Fort Snelling".National Park Service. Archived fromthe originalon March 13, 2008.RetrievedJuly 21,2011.
- ^"James J. Hill House".Minnesota Historical Society.RetrievedAugust 16,2007.
- ^"Hill, James J., House".National Park Service. Archived fromthe originalon June 6, 2011.RetrievedJuly 21,2011.
- ^"Jeffers Petroglyphs".Minnesota Historical Society.RetrievedAugust 16,2007.
- ^"Lac qui Parle Mission".Minnesota Historical Society.RetrievedAugust 16,2007.
- ^"Lower Sioux Agency".Minnesota Historical Society.RetrievedAugust 16,2007.
- ^"Marine Mill".Minnesota Historical Society.RetrievedAugust 16,2007.
- ^"Mill City Museum".Minnesota Historical Society.RetrievedAugust 16,2007.
- ^"Washburn A Mill Complex".National Park Service. Archived fromthe originalon June 6, 2011.RetrievedJuly 21,2011.
- ^"Mille Lacs Indian Museum".Minnesota Historical Society.RetrievedAugust 16,2007.
- ^"Minnehaha Depot".Minnesota Historical Society.RetrievedAugust 16,2007.
- ^"Minnesota History Center".Minnesota Historical Society.RetrievedAugust 16,2007.
- ^"Minnesota State Capitol".Minnesota Historical Society.RetrievedAugust 16,2007.
- ^abJohnson, Elden (1988).Prehistoric Peoples of Minnesota.Minnesota Historical Society Press.ISBN978-0-87351-223-7.
- ^"TimePieces: Mounds".Minnesota Historical Society. Archived fromthe originalon November 9, 2004.RetrievedJuly 21,2011.
- ^"Oliver H. Kelley Farm".Minnesota Historical Society.RetrievedAugust 16,2007.
- ^"Kelley, Oliver H., Homestead".National Park Service. Archived fromthe originalon June 6, 2011.RetrievedJuly 21,2011.
- ^"Sibley House Historic Site".Minnesota Historical Society.RetrievedAugust 16,2007.
- ^"North West Company Post".Minnesota Historical Society.RetrievedAugust 16,2007.
- ^"Split Rock Lighthouse".Minnesota Historical Society.RetrievedAugust 16,2007.
- ^"Traverse des Sioux".Minnesota Historical Society.RetrievedAugust 16,2007.
- ^"Upper Sioux Agency State Park"(PDF).Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. June 2011. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on March 26, 2012.RetrievedMay 26,2022.
- ^"W.W. Mayo House".Minnesota Historical Society. Archived fromthe originalon September 24, 2007.RetrievedAugust 16,2007.
- ^"Digital History Books".Minnesota History Center.Archived fromthe originalon April 3, 2013.RetrievedNovember 24,2012.
External links
[edit]- Minnesota Historical Society
- MNOpedia- A Minnesota Encyclopedia operated by the Minnesota Historical Society
- This article incorporates text fromMNopedia,which islicensedunder theCreative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.