Recent State Archives Acquisitions: September 2007

Unique research topics are featured in this month’s additions to the State Archives collection.  The precedent setting legal case, Jane Hodgson v. State of Minnesota, is well documented in litigation files (bulk dated 1981-1989) received from the Attorney General’s office.  The case concerns the challenge to Minnesota’s 1981 parental notification law for abortions for underage women, the Minnesota Attorney General’s defense of the state’s position in the lawsuit, and documentation of the case to the U.S. Supreme Court.    

Documenting the state’s protection of the environment is represented in Health Department environmental quality review files (dated 1960s-1980s) regarding environmental monitoring of the nuclear power plants at Prairie Island and Monticello, the decommissioned nuclear power plant at Elk River, and the Allen S. King conventional power plant in Oak Park Heights.  The records include reports and related records from the power plants concerning environmental monitoring, radiation, operations, safety analysis, and accidents.  Also received with the acquisition were meeting minutes and agenda packets (dated 1957-1958) of the Minnesota Atomic Development Problems Committee, which was established by Governor Orville L. Freeman to survey problems that had arisen or seemed likely to arise in connection with the development and utilization of atomic energy within the state. 

Another collection useful for researching how the state protects the natural environment are subject files (dated 1977-1997) of the Air Quality Division of the Pollution Control Agency documenting the agency’s relations with the state legislature, the governor’s office, and the Environmental Protection Agency.  Topics include solid waste/hazardous waste incineration, stray voltage assessment, and PCBs in the food chain, Great Lakes toxic substance agreements, and a wide range of other air quality topics.

The Pine County District Court transferred selected records (dated 1911-1991) of the county court, district court, juvenile court, probate court that continue existing series, many of which are indexed by name, and will facilitate access to other Pine County court records in the State Archives collection.  This acquisition strengthens the State Archives already strong collection of court records, which continue to be widely used by Library patrons.

Hospitals owned and operated by government entities (usually cities and counties) are fairly rare in Minnesota.  The district was also known as the Minnewaska Hospital District, and operated the Minnewaska Hospital located in Starbuck.  The hospital district was established in 1973 as a government corporation, and was officially dissolved in 2006.  The acquisition also includes meeting minutes, and selected legal and financial records of three other entities (Minnewaska Joint Venture, Minnewaska Hospital Foundation, Minnewaska Hospital Association) that were primarily created as fund-raising bodies for the hospital district, and meeting minutes (1967-1978, 2001) of the Starbuck Ambulance Service. 

Back to Recent Acquisitions.

December 3, 2007