What's New
NHPRC Grant
The Minnesota Historical Society is the recipient of a Basic Project grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) which will significantly support the cataloging of the Society's unprocessed archival collections. The project targets 4,600 cubic feet of government records and manuscript collections.
In February we cataloged Sarah Mason's research papers on Chinese in Minnesota and an addition to Kenneth Tilsen's papers regarding Rene Huratdo's immigration case. In March we plan to add the records of Inter-Race, a consulting firm dedicated to promoting cultural diversity, the papers of Thomas Hughes, a Mankato lawyer and historian, and to begin concentrating on county court and tax records.
Members of the NHPRC team have been working diligently to make the recently acquired Governor Pawlenty records available for use. The Governor personally met with Government Records Specialist Charles Rodgers during the acquisitions process to hand deliver his veto pen. Visit our Governors Page for more information about Minnesota Governors.
Learn more about the National Historical Publications and Records Commission and how its strategic plan helps support non-Federal institutions like the Minnesota Historical Society through grants.
New and Revised Finding Aids - February 2011
| Name/Abstract | File No. |
|---|---|
| Ancient Order of Hibernians of Minnesota. Ladies Auxiliary: An Inventory of its Records | 00843 |
| Board minutes, constitutions and bylaws, state convention proceedings, photographs, news clippings, correspondence, brochures and other printed items, song books, scrapbooks, and other records of the ladies auxiliary of an Irish Catholic fraternal organization whose members must be Roman Catholic and either Irish born or of Irish descent. | |
| Becker County: Lake Park: An Inventory of Its City Records | gr00209 |
| Records documenting the administration and activities of the city. | |
| Sheldon Brooks: An Inventory of His Papers | P2304 |
| Diaries and letters of a farmer and doctor who migrated with his family from upstate New York to southeastern Minnesota in 1856. Brooks settled at Beaver, Minnesota, and later operated a grain warehouse at nearby Minneiska. Includes a diary kept by a young son, reminiscences penned by his sister, and family genealogical information. | |
| Church Women United of the Saint Paul Area: An Inventory of its Organization Records | 00841 |
| Executive board files, directories, clippings, and events files of the St. Paul chapter of an ecumenical movement of Christian women organized for the purpose of witnessing to their unity and faith in Jesus Christ through worship, study, action, celebration and global relationships. | |
| Commerce Department: Insurance Division: An Inventory of Its Examination Reports of Domestic Insurance Companies | gr00181 |
| Examination (audit) reports done by the Commerce Department's Insurance Division. Also present are charter, financial, contract, and membership data for the Modern Life Insurance Company (Winona). | |
| Commerce Department: Insurance Division: An Inventory of Its Insurance Companies' Annual Financial Statements | gr00182 |
| Annual financial statements of insurance companies, township mutuals, mutual hail and cyclone companies, and assessment, life, fraternal, and casualty companies. | |
| Governor: Pawlenty, Tim: An Inventory of His Administrative Rules Files. | gr00214 |
| Governor's Office copy of administrative rules promulgated by state government agencies. Includes the rule, preliminary proposals, and related correspondence. | |
| Governor: Pawlenty, Tim: An Inventory of His Agency and Board Files. | gr00216 |
| Files documenting the interaction of the Governor's Office and the state's executive departments, major boards and commissions, and other permanent agencies. They focus on departmental operations, policies, major administrative initiatives, and special programs. | |
| Governor: Pawlenty, Tim: An Inventory of His Appointment Files. | gr00215 |
| Appointment files of Governor Pawlenty's administration; some of the appointments began in the administrations of Governors Arne Carlson and Jesse Ventura. The records include notices of appointment, applications for service, and resumes. | |
| Governor: Pawlenty, Tim: An Inventory of His Correspondence Files. | gr00217 |
| Governor Pawlenty's correspondence with state officials and legislators, other governors, federal officials and congressional members, and foreign governments and consuls. | |
| Governor: Pawlenty, Tim: An Inventory of His Daily Schedules. | gr00224 |
| Listing of the Governor's meetings, appearances, conferences, and other events on an hour by hour basis. | |
| Governor: Pawlenty, Tim: An Inventory of His Governor's Office Photographs | gr00213 |
| Contains primarily digital views of Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty at various state events, meeting with troops and their families, signing bills, working with state and national legislators, speaking with students, greeting Minnesotans, visiting with foreign dignitaries, and taking trips both domestic and international. Views of Mary Pawlenty at various state events, meeting with troops and their families, with charitable organizations, speaking with students, greeting Minnesotans, and trips with the Governor are also included. | |
| Governor: Pawlenty, Tim: An Inventory of His Legal Counsel Files. | gr00218 |
| Records of the Governor's Office legal counsel; dealing with Native American tribal issues and litigations. | |
| Governor: Pawlenty, Tim: An Inventory of His Operations Files. | gr00222 |
| Files kept by the Governor's Office documenting responses to data practices requests and gift dispositions. | |
| Governor: Pawlenty, Tim: An Inventory of His Press Releases. | gr00225 |
| Press releases issued by the Governor's Office to the news media. | |
| Governor: Pawlenty, Tim: An Inventory of His Resolution and Chapter Files. | gr00221 |
| Documents directly relating to bills that were either signed or vetoed by the governor; each file generally begins with a letter from Governor Pawlenty to the Speaker of the House or the President of the Senate stating that he received the bill, signed or vetoed it, and passed it on to the Secretary of State, with a copy of the bill and related memoranda confirming its disposition. | |
| Governor: Pawlenty, Tim: An Inventory of His Sound Recordings. | gr00226 |
| Sound recordings documenting a wide variety of issues dealt with during the Pawlenty administration. The majority are recordings of Governor Pawlenty's weekly morning talk show, Good Morning Minnesota, on WCCO. | |
| Governor: Pawlenty, Tim: An Inventory of His State of the State Addresses. | gr00223 |
| Pawlenty's annual State of the State addresses. Also his June 2, 2009 speech announcing he would not run for a third term. | |
| Governor: Pawlenty, Tim: An Inventory of His Subject Files. | gr00219 |
| Correspondence, reports, legislation, print and near-print items, and other materials covering a wide variety of topics relating to public policy issues, Governor's Office administration, state agencies, legislation, and budget. | |
| Governor: Van Sant, Samuel R.: An Inventory of His Gubernatorial Records | gov029 |
| General correspondence, materials relating to pardon matters, letters regarding Pharmacy Board appointments, and proclamations. | |
| Governor: Ventura, Jesse: An Inventory of His Communications Office Records. | vent15 |
| Mainly materials collected by the office to document the Governor and Lieutenant Governor's public personae, through articles written about them; interviews and speeches given by them; and appearances at promotional and ceremonial events. | |
| Health Department: An Inventory of Its Birth Records of Persons Born Outside Minnesota | gr00193 |
| Records documenting births of children of Minnesota military personnel serving outside of Minnesota, of families living in Minnesota but the births took place in nearby Canadian cities, of American citizens living abroad, and when no birth record was filed at the time of birth. | |
| Anita C. Hill: An Inventory of Her Papers | 00838 |
| Correspondence, subject files, oral history interview transcripts and audiocassettes, and other papers of an irregularly-ordained pastor at St. Paul Reformation Lutheran Church, a St. Paul, Minnesota congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, focusing upon her ministry to and work with gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender persons, her struggle for addition to the clergy roster of the ELCA, and to the struggle within the ELCA with sexuality and social questions and issues. | |
| Itasca County: Attorney: An Inventory of Its Registers of Criminal Actions | gr00211 |
| Registers of criminal actions; may include date of docket, title of cause, nature of criminal accusation, court, witnesses, disposition of cause, nature and extent of punishment, costs, and fines. | |
| Itasca County: District Court: An Inventory of Its Registers of Civil Actions | gr00212 |
| Registers of actions covering civil case files 1-17163. | |
| Izaak Walton League of America. Minnesota Division: An Inventory of Its Records | 00402 |
| Minutes, correspondence, financial records, subject files, convention files, chapter files, printed material, and newspaper clippings relating to an organization concerned with the conservation of natural resources. | |
| Janney, Semple, Hill & Co.: An Inventory of Its Corporate Records | 00848 |
| Letterpress books, employee's time and wage books, price books, pricing department memoranda books on employees, summaries of expenses and sales, and miscellaneous correspondence and financial records of this wholesale hardware firm managed by Thomas B. Janney, Frank B. Semple, and Horace M. Hill. Also included are photographs taken by Ralph Laird, an employee of Janney, Semple, & Hill hired to take pictures of client stores throughout the central part of the United States. | |
| Lake of the Woods County: Assessor: An Inventory of Its Assessment Rolls and Tax Lists | gr00196 |
| Combined assessment rolls and tax lists for the civil subdivisions of Lake of the Woods County for the years 1930, 1931, 1940, 1941, 1950, 1951, 1960, 1961, 1971-1972, and 1980-1981. | |
| Frank and Hildred Long: An Inventory of Their Papers | P1883 |
| Typescript and manuscript correspondence (1938-1945), typescript and manuscript family histories, genealogical charts, legal documents (1940), pamphlets, photographs (undated and 1898), and diaries (1934-1948) documenting this Detroit Lakes (Minn.) couple’s life during World War II and their family history. | |
| Sarah R. Mason: An Inventory of her Research Papers on Chinese in Minnesota. | 00840 |
| Research papers on Chinese, Hmong, and other Asians in Minnesota of Sarah R. Mason, an independent scholar who taught American history in Minnesota and at Zhung Shan University in south China, where she spent her childhood. | |
| Metropolitan Council: An Inventory of Its Metropolitan 911 Program Records | gr00195 |
| Records of the Metropolitan 911 Program, a technical assistance project to assist the metropolitan area in planning for and maintaining a 911 emergency telephone service. | |
| Minnesota Environmental Control Citizens Association: An Inventory of Its Records | 00820 |
| Administrative files (including bylaws, meeting minutes, financial information, member directories, and newsletters), subject files, visual materials, and task force files of an environmental citizens' action group, also known as MECCA, organized in 1968. The collection also includes meeting minutes, financial reports, tax forms, and a few select topical files of the Midwest Environmental Education & Research Association that were kept by Robert F. Nelson, a founding member of MECCA. | |
| Joan Mondale: An Inventory of Her Personal Papers | 00054 |
| Speech and trip files, correspondence files, subject files, clippings, calendars, and sound and visual materials documenting Mrs. Walter Mondale's activities as the wife of a politician and diplomat, and as an advocate for, and promoter of, the arts. | |
| Natural Resources Department: Commissioner's Office: An Inventory of Its Alexander (Commissioner Joseph N.) Files. | gr00183 |
| Files of Alexander documenting his tenure with the Department of Natural Resources, including his service as Special Assistant, Assistant Commissioner, Acting Commissioner, and Commissioner. The files pertain to all aspects of departmental administration and natural resources management issues. There are also materials documenting his private life before and after his government work. | |
| Otter Tail County: Fergus Falls: An Inventory of Its Justice and Municipal Dockets | gr00210 |
| Civil and criminal dockets summarizing the justice and municipal courts' proceedings. | |
| Pine County: District Court: An Inventory of Its Indictment and Information Records | gr00197 |
| Records of indictments filed with the district court containing a summary of the alleged crime. | |
| Pine County: District Court: An Inventory of Its Judgment Records | gr00198 |
| Judgment records for Pine County. | |
| Pine County: District Court: An Inventory of Its Minutes | gr00199 |
| Includes court minutes for Kanabec County, 1873-circa 1881. | |
| Pine County: District Court: An Inventory of Its Record of Oaths and Bonds | gr00200 |
| Oaths and bonds recorded for both county and local officials. | |
| Pine County: Juvenile Court: An Inventory of Its Juvenile Court Records | gr00201 |
| Petitions, findings, orders, and related documents for delinquency and dependency (destitution) cases. | |
| Pine County: Probate Court: An Inventory of Its Final Decrees of Distribution | gr00075 |
| Order books (1893-1927) and final decree records (1927-circa 1983). | |
| Pine County: Probate Court: An Inventory of Its Miscellaneous Order Books | gr00202 |
| Include final decrees of distribution. | |
| Pine County: Probate Court: An Inventory of Its Will Records | gr00203 |
| Copies or transcriptions of the complete texts of wills probated by the courts, accompanied by certifications of authenticity and of filing signed by witnesses and clerks of court. | |
| Ray O. Pleasant: An Inventory of His Papers | 00836 |
| Political files of Ray O. Pleasant, an African American Independent Republican member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from the 39th District, 1972-1980. | |
| Public Safety Department: Criminal Apprehension Bureau: An Inventory of Its Criminal Justice Information System Records | gr00194 |
| Correspondence, subject files, crime statistics, and newsletters documenting the bureau's activities in criminal justice information and crime statistics | |
| Public Utilities Commission: An Inventory of Its Records | gr00207 |
| Records documenting the activities of this commission whose mission is to create and maintain a regulatory environment that ensures safe, reliable and efficient utility services at fair and reasonable rates. | |
| St. Paul American Indian Center: An Inventory of Its Records | 00849 |
| Bylaws, meeting minutes and reports, financial materials, correspondence, subject files, proposals, grant applications, scrapbooks and related materials of a nonprofit St. Paul-based American Indian advocacy and support organization serving the entire Native community in the city as well as the general population of the Frogtown and North End neighborhoods. | |
| St. Paul Area YMCA (Minn.): An Inventory of Its Records | 00847 |
| Minutes, constitution and by-laws, annual meeting materials, financial and committee records, correspondence, transcripts of newspaper articles, subject files, branch files, camp files, photographs, and scrapbooks containing information on the St. Paul (Minn.) area YMCA's many programs and activities for youths and adults. | |
| State University Board: An Inventory of Its Newspaper Clippings | gr00208 |
| Newspaper clippings largely from Minnesota newspapers, dealing with budgets, enrollments, state university faculty, junior colleges, the University of Minnesota, and other topics of interest to the State University Board. | |
| Stillwater State Prison: An Inventory of Its Commitment Papers | gr00205 |
| Files containing the legal document (mittimus) committing a convict to prison, often accompanied by other legal and procedural documents. These may include copies of the minutes of conviction, sentencing, and commitment proceedings; trial transcript; lists of jurors and witnesses; transfer document from a county jail or other facility to the Stillwater prison; and/or petitions, orders, judgment rolls, and other legal or court documents. | |
| Kenneth E. Tilsen: An Inventory of His Papers | 00470 |
| Legal files for selected cases documenting Tilsen's career as an attorney in St. Paul, Minnesota, including press releases and clippings, correspondence, pleadings, briefs, orders, affidavits, interrogatories, depositions, trial and hearing transcripts, exhibits, reports, research files, notes, and other related documents. | |
| United States. President's Quetico-Superior Committee. An Inventory of Its Records | 00079 |
| Correspondence, minutes (1934-74), printed materials, newspaper clippings, newsletters and news releases (1947-73), maps (1938-1950s), and legal files documenting the many activities of a committee established on June 30, 1934, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Executive Order No. 6783, to deal directly with U.S. government agencies in matters relating to conservation, preservation, and use of wilderness lands in northeastern Minnesota. | |
| University Baptist Church (Minneapolis, Minn.): An Inventory of Its Records | 00839 |
| Historical materials, constitutions, and bylaws; correspondence and related papers; meeting minutes; subject files; financial records; women's organizations; youth groups; and materials including church newsletters, bulletins, photographs, and related items. | |
| Alan W. Weinblatt: An Inventory of his Legislative Reapportionment Case Files | 00842 |
| Legal case files of a St. Paul attorney pertaining to three lawsuits in which he represented the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party in cases involving the reapportionment of Minnesota state legislative districts and Minnesota Congressional districts: Beens v. Erdahl, 1971; LaComb v. Growe, 1981; and Cotlow v. Growe, 1991. | |
| Chester S. Wilson: An Inventory of His Papers | 00837 |
| Correspondence, minutes, reports, speeches, background files, photographs, and newspaper clippings related to the career of Minnesota lawyer and environmental activist primarily focused on soil conservation, water pollution, and outdoor recreation resources. | |
