Field Note

Staff and volunteers from organizations hosting the We Are Water MN traveling exhibit gathered on February 26 at the Oxbow Park and Zollman Zoo in Byron for the installation of the exhibit at its first stop of the current cohort tour. Pictured here are staff members from host sites learning how to host a Water Bar event as one of the possible activities while hosting the exhibit. 

Salary Survey

MNHS Local History Services and the Minnesota Alliance of Local History Museums are teaming up for a salary survey of state history organizations. Please(!) take this fifteen-minute survey. It will aid all of us in showing the range of salaries amongst our member organizations. It is helpful to have some basic financial information close by as the survey asks questions about budget and salaries.

Heritage Preservation Grants

Spotlighted Project: Hjemkomst Center Security Camera Installation
The Hjemkomst Center installed a security camera system to strengthen safety across the building and grounds. The project helps protect staff, visitors, museum collections, and the Hopperstad Stave Church replica. The Center is home to the Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County, the Fargo Moorhead Community Theatre, the Moorhead Senior Center, and City offices, so many groups share the space each day.

The camera system gives staff a way to monitor activity inside and outside the building, review incidents, and respond when concerns arise. It also supports police work when trespassing or theft occurs. Because the Center hosts museum visitors, public meetings, concerts, festivals, and senior programs, the project helps the City care for a site that serves the public and holds important local history.
Recipient: City of Moorhead
Amount Funded: $62,579 
Project Details

MNHS Announces January Round of Legacy Small Grants
Recipients received 20 Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Small Grants ($20,000 and less) totaling $276,946 in 17 counties. Learn more »

Large Grant Deadline
Pre-applications for the Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants large grant round (requests over $20,000) will be due Friday, May 22, 2026. This is a required part of the large grant application process. Contact the Grants Office with questions.

Small Grant Deadline
Applications for the Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants quarterly small grant round (requests of $20,000 and less) will be due Friday, July 10, 2026. Contact the Grants Office with questions. 

MAY Grants Open House
May 7 - Online: The Grants Office will hold a virtual Grants Office Open House using Google Meet from 2 to 3:30 pm in order to provide additional grants support to our communities. We encourage people to RSVP to Gillian with a short summary of what you want to talk about and she will try to ensure that someone helpful will be available. Learn more »

Grants Office YouTube Playlist »

From the Blog

This week's blog post is from the Nicollet County Historical Society. Have a blog? Let us know!

Why “Rock Bend”?
For many years, people have come to St. Peter each September to enjoy the Rock Bend Folk Festival’s music and sense of community. What many festivalgoers may not realize is that the name “Rock Bend” is rooted in the city’s earliest history.
To understand its meaning, we need to go back more than 160 years, to the period when this part of Minnesota was first opening to Euro-American settlement.

Before the provisions of the Treaty of Traverse des Sioux and the Treaty of Mendota took effect in 1853, it was illegal for settlers to claim land in much of southern Minnesota. That included the land along the Minnesota River where St. Peter and the Rock Bend Festival site would later develop.

In the autumn of 1853, William B. Dodd, often referred to as Captain Dodd, claimed land in what is now part of the City of St. Peter. Other claims in the same area were made by brothers Oliver Ames and William L. Ames. Continue Reading »

More MN Blog posts

• Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the Winona Newspaper Project - Winona County Historical Society
• Seeking Stories, Photos, and Artwork About Immigrants - Gammelgården Museum of Scandia
• A.A. & Birdie - Cass County Historical Society 
• Women Travelers in Russian Lands in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries - U of MN Libraries
• Friday History: Cooking Up History with Despatch Oven Co. - Kraus-Anderson
• New MDL content added to Fillmore County Historical Society - Minnesota Digital Library News

From the Tube

This week's post is from Docomomo US/MN & Golden Valley Historical Society. Have a video channel or podcast? Let us know!

More MN Tube posts

• Englewood Road and Crystal-Loon Lake Channel, Lake Crystal, MN - 1940, 1989, & 2026 Comparison - Lake Crystal Area Historical Society
• Rising to the Challenge: The Mayo Aero Medical Unit in World War II - History Center of Olmsted County
• Archives & Collections - Wright County Historical Society
• Gassman Coulee Railroad Trestle - Great Northern Railway, Minot, ND - Minnesota Bricks
• Soaring into the 60s - Robbinsdale Historical Society
• Colonial Hall & The Masonic Lodge - Anoka County Historical Society
• CCC Camps & Work - Dorothy Molter Museum

Heritage Preservation YouTube Playlist »

Job Opportunities

Minnesota Historical Society's Job Announcement, Internship, Fellowship, and Volunteer Opportunity pages.

MNHS

• Digitization Technician, Collections - MN History Center

LOCAL

• Public History & Engagement Specialist - Our Streets, Minneapolis, MN

• Reference & Instruction Librarian for STEM & Digital Scholarship - Carleton College, Northfield, MN

REGIONAL

• Conservator - Conrad Schmitt Studios - New Berlin, WI

• Attractions Director - Wisconsin History Center, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, WI

• Experience Associate - South Dakota Cultural Heritage Center, South Dakota State Historical Society, Pierre, SD

• Park Maintenance Technician - Fort Sisseton Historic State Park, Lake City, SD

• Art Center Director - Muscatine Art Center, Muscatine, IA

• Library Program Director - State Library of Iowa, Des Moines, IA

• Library Consultant - State Library of Iowa, Des Moines, IA

• Digital Stewardship Specialist - Rod Library, Cedar Falls, IA

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

• Connecting to Collections Care Coordinator - Foundation for Advancement in Conservation (FAIC) - Remote
• AIC/FAIC Learning Experience Designer - American Institute for Conservation (AIC) and Foundation for Advancement in Conservation (FAIC) - Remote

• Registrar of Historic Sites (Museum Technician II) - Illinois State Museum Research & Collections Center, Springfield, IL

• Museum Maintenance Technician - Indiana State Museum, Indianapolis, IN

• Director of K-12 Education - Indiana State Museum, Indianapolis, IN

• Intermittent Early Childhood Summer Program Assistant - Indiana State Museum, Indianapolis, IN

• Manager of Interpretation - Newfields, Indianapolis, IN

• Major & Planned Giving Officer - Saint Louis Art Museum, St. Louis, MO

• Collections Manager - Saint Louis Art Museum, St. Louis, MO

• Museum Educator - Jefferson Barracks museums, St. Louis, MO

• Director of Exhibitions - Missouri Historical Society, St. Louis, MO

• Endowed Curator of Fine Art and Research Professor - St. Louis Mercantile Library, St. Louis, MO

• Chief Executive Officer - Omaha Children's Museum, Omaha, NE

• Communication Director - Sheldon Museum of Art, Lincoln, NE

• Interpretive Staff Member - Lakeshore Museum Center, Muskegon, MI

• Visitor Experience Associate - Edsel and Eleanor Ford House, Grosse Pointe Shores, MI

• Administrative Assistant - Michigan History Foundation, Lansing, MI

• Marketing Specialist - Gilmore Car Museum, Hickory Corners, MI

• Development Manager - Holland Museum, Holland, MI

• Museum Operations & Visitor Experience Coordinator - Harbor Springs Area Historical Society, Harbor Springs, MI

• Digitization Specialist - William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

• Archivist - Peters Township Public Library, McMurray, PA

• Project Conservator - University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA

• Manuscripts Processor - Kenneth Spencer Research Library, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS

• Assistant Conservator - Manitoba Museum, Winnipeg, MB

• Digitization Technician - Museum of Atikokan, Atikokan, ON

• Exhibit Design Assistant - Oshawa Museum, Oshawa, ON

• Museum Curator - Wallaceburg & District Museum, Wallaceburg, ON

• Assistant Conservation Technician - Ingenium, Ottawa, ON

Additional Job Postings in the Field »

Do History Here

Threshing crew near Shakopee, 1910.
Image used with permission. From the collections of the Scott County Historical Society.

FAQ: How Can I Share My Event for the Local History News E-Newsletter?

Connecting Collections: A Finnish-U.S. Archival Collaboration
April 16 @ 10 to 11 am - Online: Immigration History Research Center - The Migration Institute of Finland and the University of Minnesota’s Immigration History Research Center Archives have collaborated to digitally connect the archives of Kaarle Hjalmar Lehtinen. In this webinar, the project team will introduce the collaboration and the connected and newly digitized Lehtinen collections. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Queer/ing Diaspora: Cacophonous Intimacies and Transpacific Entanglements in Kim Young-ha’s Black Flower
April 17 @ 4 to 5:30 pm - Minneapolis: Immigration History Research Center & Center for Race, Indigeneity, Disability, Gender & Sexuality Studies - By examining Black Flower, the talk explores transpacific entanglements of Korean colonial modernity, Japanese imperialism, settler colonialism, racial capitalism, and Mexican and Guatemalan national projects through the lens of “cacophonous intimacies.” Location: Pillsbury Hall Room 120. Cost: Free. Learn more »

America’s 250th Lecture Series: The Bill of Rights (Part 2): How They Came to Protect Our Civil Liberties
April 16 @ 6 to 8 pm - Dakota County: Dakota County Historical Society - This lecture explores how the Bill of Rights came to protect civil liberties and limit government interference in personal lives. Cost: $5 members/$10 general. Learn more »

Documentary Screening "Let's All Go to the Lobby"
April 16 @ 7 pm - Albert Lea: History Center of Freeborn County - Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Justin Atkinson presents his documentary on Filmack Studios, the company behind the iconic “Let’s All Go to the Lobby” concession ad, exploring its history as a cinema staple and movie theaters as community gathering places. Cost: Free members/$5 general. For more information email: director@lovehistory.org.

Cole Redhorse Taylor: Ledger Art Debut & Conversation
April 17 @ 6 to 8 pm - Winona: Winona County History Center - Art of the Rural hosts a community meal and conversation featuring Mdewakanton Dakota artist Cole Redhorse Taylor debuting a new ledger art piece inspired by a Winona County Historical Society ledger artwork being returned to the Dakota community, recognizing local intercultural efforts toward responsible relationships. Food served at 6 pm, followed by conversation at 6:30 pm. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Author Talk: Heather Fellin Tierney "If the Train Arrives"
April 18 @ 10 to 11 am - Buffalo: Wright County Historical Society - Author Heather Fellin Tierney discusses her literary/historical fiction novel about a neurodivergent ticket agent, a teenager seeking her past, and a teacher with regrets intersecting at a 1970 Wisconsin train station along the Hiawatha rail line, with readings, talk on her process, light refreshments, and book signings. Learn more »

Nordic Medicine from Trees Workshop with Gigi Risberg Stafne
April 18 @ 10 am to 3 pm - Minneapolis: American Swedish Institute - In the spirit of several Nordic folk medicine traditions, trees have long been sources of myth, magic, food, shelter, and medicine. Join herbalist Gigi Risberg Stafne to learn about eight common medicinal trees and shrubs found in Nordic healing arts traditions and the Upper Midwest, and to handcraft a tea, tincture, and sauna blend to take home. Cost: $80 members/$90 general. Learn more »

Reflections Series: “Going to Work: The New Deal in Minnesota” Program
April 21 @ 6:30 to 7:30 pm - Marshall: Lyon County Historical Society Museum - Historian and photographer Doug Ohman presents on the New Deal’s “3 Rs” (Relief, Recovery, Reform) in response to the Great Depression, exploring the legacy of programs like WPA, PWA, CCC, NYA, and VCC through stories and photos from Minnesota’s back roads, state parks, and urban settings. Cost: Free. Learn more »

GRAND OPENING - Gust Akerlund Photography Studio
April 21 @ 6:30 pm - Cokato: Cokato Historical Society - Museum Director Johanna Ellison presents the recent restoration of the historic Gust Akerlund Photography Studio, funded in part by a Legacy grant administered by the Minnesota Historical Society; includes a brief annual meeting, studio tour, and viewing of the new exhibit on toys and games through the 2000s. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Once Upon a Toy Box New Exhibit
Opening April 21 - Cokato: Cokato Museum - This playful journey through time celebrates toys, games, and dolls that shaped childhoods from generations past through the 2000s, featuring timeless classics and modern favorites to relive memories and spark intergenerational conversations. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Celebrating 150 Years of Ole Edvard Rølvaag
April 21 @ 3:30 pm - Online: Norwegian American Historical Association - This commemorative event honors the 150th anniversary of legendary Norwegian-American author and St. Olaf educator Ole Edvard Rølvaag, featuring research and insights from students of NORWEGIAN 373: America Fever on his life, the “fever” that brought him to America, and the St. Olaf Library named after him. Cost: Free. Learn more »

St. Peter State Hospital Museum Open House
April 23 @ 3:30 to 7:30 pm - St. Peter: St. Peter State Hospital Museum - Join the celebration of 160 years since Minnesota's first state hospital opened in 1866; take a self-guided tour of the historic "Old Center" building to explore artifacts, photos, and exhibits on patient and staff lives, with staff available to answer questions. Cost: Free. For more information email: dhs.sp.state.HospitalMuseum@state.mn.us.

Finnish Research
April 23 @ 4:30 to 7 pm - Lake County: Lake County Historical Society - Lynette Reini-Grandell presents her research and writing on historical fiction about Finnish immigrants in northern Minnesota from 1905 to 1918, developed in consultation with Ojibwe historian Staci Drouillard. Her novel-in-progress is loosely based on the lives of her Finnish grandparents and explores how people’s experiences and emotions intertwine with the land, along with Native American histories on the north shore. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Reading Without Words: Hidden Stories of Ethiopic Manuscripts
April 23 @ 3:30 to 5:30 pm - St. Paul: Minnesota Humanities Center - In this illustrated, hands-on workshop, Dr. Jeremy R. Brown brings the world of Ethiopic manuscripts to life, showing how close observation of images, materials, layouts, and decorations reveals how these books were created, used, and valued. Cost: Free. Learn more »

A Coat Dyed Black: A story of the Norwegian Resistance
April 23 @ 12 to 1 pm - Minneapolis: Norway House - Don Pugnetti, Jr. discusses his historical novel on Nazi Germany's WWII occupation of Norway, based on family stories and interviews with resistance fighters who stood against tyranny despite not seeing themselves as heroes. TPT host Karen Himle interviews him. Cost: Free (RSVP appreciated). Learn more »

Explore Minnesota - State of MN's Tourism website
Listings: Museums & Galleries | Culture & Heritage | Attractions & Entertainment
Register for an Account »

Continuing Education

Highlighted Museum: Lepak Larson House, operated by the Shoreview Historical Society, Shoreview, MN.

Community Media Preservation Project
April 20 @ 2:30 to 4 pm - Online & May 2 @ 8:30 am to 3:30 pm - in-person: Minnesota Media Arts and St. Paul Neighborhood Network - Free statewide webinar on community media preservation strategies, helping makers safeguard aging audiovisual recordings through a baseline survey, practical guidance, and sustainable archiving skills. SPNN and Minnesota Media Arts will show how preservation involves more than digitizing tapes; it also includes care, organization, stabilization, access, and sharing the voices that shape Minnesota’s cultural legacy. Choose to attend the online or in-person workshop. Cost: Free. Registration required. Learn more »

The Costs of Changing
April 21 @ 10 to 11 am (CT) - Online: Conserv – Jane Henderson hosts a discussion of the 2025 Studies in Conservation article by Joel Taylor and Caitlin Spangler-Bickell, exploring economic, logistical, and risk factors influencing museum loan specification revisions. Ideal for conservators and registrars navigating evolving standards, indemnity requirements, and institutional policies in outgoing loans. Cost: Not specified. Learn more »

Building Digital Resilience: Digital Protection Strategies for Archivists
April 28 @ 1:30 pm (CT) - Online: Society of American Archivists Diversity Committee – In today's precarious digital and political climate, learn proactive strategies to safeguard privacy, intellectual freedom, and underrepresented community stories in archives. Panelists Brian Evans (AAUP-Texas President) and Jessica Walton (CyberPeace Institute) address personal/professional risk assessment, adaptation to threats, and advocacy for archives, archivists, and communities. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Proposed Federal Voting Legislation and What it Means for Nonprofits
April 30 @ 9:30 to 10:15 am (CT) - Online: Minnesota Council of Nonprofits – Join Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon for insights on federal voting bills like the SAVE America Act, Voter Integrity Act, and MEGA Act, including their status, impacts on 2026 midterms, effects on nonprofits and democracy, plus the state's voting rights protection efforts. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Shoestring Digital Preservation
May 4 @ 5 pm (CT) - Online: Backlog Archivists – Discover realistic, budget-friendly steps for museums and archives to safeguard digital files, stabilize at-risk media, and establish sustainable workflows using simple tools and low-cost practices that meet professional standards. Perfect for resource-limited institutions seeking clear decision-making frameworks for long-term digital preservation. Cost: Not specified. Learn more »

Calculating True Program Costs
May 5 @ 12 to 1 pm (CT) - Online: Propel Nonprofits – Understanding full program costs beyond direct expenses is crucial for smart management, realistic budgeting, program design, and effective fundraising. This webinar introduces practical tools and methods to calculate true costs including indirect overhead, helping nonprofits make informed decisions and build sustainable financial models. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Leadership Succession Plans and Planning
May 7 @ 12 to 1 pm (CT) - Online: American Alliance of Museums – Explore essential strategies for museum leadership transitions, including creating succession policies, identifying key positions, building internal talent pipelines, board roles, interim leadership, and knowledge transfer to ensure continuity and organizational resilience. Cost: Free members/$40 nonmembers. Learn more »

Creating a Staff Safety Plan
May 21 @ 2 to 3:15 pm (CT) - Online: American Association for State and Local History – Drawing on AASLH and NCPH Gender Discrimination and Sexual Harassment Task Force research, this webinar offers recommendations for embedding staff safety in policies, budgets, and culture at museums, historical societies, and sites. Led by Bethany Hawkins, EVP/COO, attendees receive a customizable Staff Safety Plan template and resources to foster secure workplaces. Cost: $25 members/$45 nonmembers. Learn more »

UPCOMING EVENTS & CONFERENCES

Website | Register | Schedule at a Glance
Registration is NOW OPEN for NAPC's biennial conference FORUM! Happening this summer (July 22-26, 2026) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, FORUM is the only conference dedicated to the issues facing local preservation commissions. Early Bird Rate applies today through May 8, 2026.

TIPS & TOOLS

• Resources (forms, info sheets, brochures, etc.) - Southeastern Cemetery Consortium 
• Guides (how-to info and walkthroughs) - Southeastern Cemetery Consortium 

Additional Educational Opportunities »

Funding & Awards

Association of Midwest Museums 2026 Awards Program Nominations
Nominations Deadline - April 30, 2026: Association of Midwest Museums - Recognizes museum professionals and institutions in the Midwest for leadership, career achievement, best practices, and boundary‑pushing work that advances equity, community engagement, and innovation in the field. Learn more »

American Historical Association 2026 Awards
Nominations Deadline - May 15, 2026: American Historical Association - Recognizes distinguished historical work, including books, articles, films, and digital projects, as well as scholarly and professional contributions to the discipline of history. Learn more »

Dole Archives Research Fellowship and Travel Grants
Deadline - July 1, 2026: Robert & Elizabeth Dole Archives & Special Collections - Supports scholars using the Dole Archives for research projects related to Bob and Elizabeth Dole, U.S. politics, policy, and 20th‑century history; includes one $5,000 Research Fellowship and multiple travel grants up to $1,500. Learn more »

Additional Funding & Award Opportunities »

News

Vintage Museum Photo: Union Depot, Duluth, MN (1972). Today, the building houses two museums, Lake Superior Railroad Museum and St. Louis County Historical Society Museum. View additional photos on Instagram »
This section features slides taken of Minnesota history museums from the 1970s through the 1990s by David Nystuen, the MNHS Field Services Coordinator, and other Field Services representatives during that time period.

Call for Exhibit Hosts: We Are Water MN
The Minnesota Humanities Center and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency invite communities to apply to host the We Are Water MN traveling exhibition during its 2027–2028 tour. This immersive program strengthens connections between Minnesotans and the water that sustains us through local storytelling, exploration, and community events. Five host sites will be selected to help visitors understand how water is used, conserved, and protected. Host organizations may receive up to $10,000 for exhibit and event expenses. Applications are due May 31, 2026. Learn more & apply »

What's New in Archival Cataloging for March 2026
Newly added accessions this month include the Beltrami County: Liberty Township Records and Birth and Death Records; Isanti County various school records; the Hmong Oral Histories Project: Oral History Interviews; and the United States District Court: Transcript, Trial of Evelyn Frechette.

Collections with additions or added digital content this month include Isanti County various school records; the Redwood County Auditor Tax Lists and Records; and the Lawrence Taliaferro Papers.

In addition there are many newly encoded finding aids that are now available online for the first time. Learn more »

At a Difficult Time, a Minnesota Museum Offers Respite to Somalis
New York Times - Amina Shire looped blue and lavender yarn around the purple toe of her sock and pulled the ends to her lap. Demonstrating traditional Somali finger weaving for a small audience of Minnesotans, she swiftly rolled two strands together in an elegant spiral, again and again. Shire is affectionately known as one of the “grandmas,” a group of Somali elder master weavers who teach at the Somali Museum of Minnesota in Minneapolis. Continue reading »

Featured Book Our Sacred Land of Phežúta, Story by Tanaǧidaŋ To Wiŋ Tara Perron, Illustrations by Holly Young. Minnesota Historical Society Press. Book Launch Event Date: April 18 @ 10:30 am to 12 pm Location: Minnesota History Center	Featured Article Minnesota History The One Man Who Voted "Nay": The Story of John T. Bernard's Quarrel with American Foreign Policy, 1937-1939 Volume 43, Issue 3, 1972	Featured Article MNopedia Line 3 Oil Spill, Grand Rapids Featured MNopedia Article	Minnesota Unraveled A podcast series by the Minnesota Historical Society

Minnesota History Organizations Directory  • County, Chapters, and Local • Statewide/Topical Historical • Regional History Coalitions • Professional Organizations	Minnesota Main Streets Reinvigorate your community's commercial district.	2026 Exhibits To Go! MNHS Traveling Exhibits Now accepting applications.	Preservation Specialists Directory Look up products or services.

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