Field Note

MNHS staff visited the Paradise Center for the Arts in downtown Faribault for the Faribault Chamber of Commerce’s Downtown Summit 2026. During the event, MNHS staff presented an overview of Legacy Grants, Capital Grants, other funding opportunities, Historic Tax Credits, the National Register of Historic Places, and other adaptive-reuse tools.

Pictured are Summit attendees participating in the "Upstairs Downtown" Tour, which highlighted rehabilitated buildings in downtown Faribault. At each stop, building owners welcomed participants into upper-level spaces, many now used as residences, to share how the buildings have been restored and reused.

Heritage Preservation Grants

Spotlighted State Capital Grant Project: Minneapolis City Hall/Hennepin County Courthouse Clock Tower Face Replacement
The $100,000 grant helped make the clock tower restoration possible, contributing to $1,068,000 in matching funds for the project. The investment addressed urgent preservation concerns affecting one of Minneapolis’s most familiar landmarks. The 117-year-old cast-iron structures supporting the clock faces had cracked and corroded, while the aging 50-year-old porcelain faces showed visible rust and streaking from weather exposure. Located more than 300 feet above the ground, the clock faces and their supports also faced significant wind loads that increased the risk of structural failure.

Structural engineers inspected the tower in 2003 and 2012, leading to reinforcement work that reduced the immediate risk of catastrophic failure in high winds. A lasting solution, however, was still needed. The completed project replaced all four faces with cast-aluminum frames and heat-treated laminated glass panels, restoring a translucent appearance closer to the original design. New backlighting was installed and tested to illuminate the clock faces from within. The work improves the tower’s long-term stability while renewing its historic appearance for residents, workers, and visitors who rely on it as a defining part of the Minneapolis skyline.
Recipient: Municipal Building Commission
Amount Funded: $100,000

State Capital Grant Program
This grant opportunity supports capital preservation, restoration, rehabilitation, building systems, and accessibility projects at publicly owned historic properties. Sites must be National Register-listed or determined eligible for listing by SHPO, and applicants must provide a 1:1 match. The manual will be released in September 2026; pre-applications are due January 22, 2027. Learn more »

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, October 9, 2026. Contact the Grants Office with questions. 

SEPTEMBER Grants Open House
September 3 - 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 U of MN Libraries. Have a blog? Let us know!

Both positive and negative: a closer look at microfilm in 2026, and the IHRCA’s holdings
Microfilm is often touted as a thing of the past – has the average person even used it? Does anyone from Gen Z and Alpha even know what it is? While microfilm actually is very much a format of the past (microforms have been around since the mid-1800s!), it has still managed to keep one foot in the door of the present, especially for those working in libraries, archives, and museums. We’ll take a closer look as to why that is, with the holdings of the Immigration History Research Center Archives (IHRCA) as an example, and what the impact is on preservation and access to library and archival material.

The rise and fall (but not collapse) of microfilm
As mentioned above, the creation of microformats actually began in the mid 19th century. The rise and continued popularity of the format, at least on the staff side (more on that later), continued, spiking in the mid to late 20th century, and was especially popular for newspapers. By the 1970s, microfilm had become the preferred preservation format for microfilm. Continue Reading »

More MN Blog posts

• Wrestling out of Robbinsdale - Robbinsdale Historical Society
• Chapters in Time: Moravian Academy to ATMs - Chaska Historical Society
• James and Frances Hughes and the Architecture of Black Excellence in Minnesota - Ramsey County History
• The Steamer Clyde on the St. Croix - Washington County Historical Society 

From the Tube

This week's post is from the Martin County Historical Society. Have a video channel or podcast? Let us know!

More MN Tube posts

• The Lake Superior & Mississippi Railroad – Tracking the Original Line from Thomson to New Duluth - Minnesota Bricks
• Double feature: A Touch of Tweed-Jewish Garment Businesses, and Poetry Out Loud - U of MN Libraries
• Carver Stories: Oral History - Luanne Kloos - Carver on the Minnesota
• Mark Zimmer, aka The Barefoot Traveler – Traveling to and detailing the BWCA’s maintained areas - Gunflint Trail Historical Society Chik-Wauk Museum
• Jack and Lucy Imholte become members of the Stevens County History Museum Hall of Honor - Stevens County Historical Society
• Operation Relocation Part 8 - Anoka County Historical Society

Heritage Preservation YouTube Playlist »

Job Opportunities

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

MNHS

• Social Media Program Manager - MN History Center

LOCAL

• Community Engagement Coordinator - St. Louis County Historical Society, Duluth, MN

• Development Director - Hennepin History Museum, Minneapolis, MN

• Program Assistant - Rochester Art Center, Rochester, MN

• Associate Director of Learning and Engagement - Minnesota Museum of American Art, St. Paul, MN

• Director of Advancement Operations and Annual Giving - Hill Museum & Manuscript Library, St. Joseph, MN

• Advancement Associate - Hill Museum & Manuscript Library, St. Joseph, MN

• Chief Advancement Officer - Hill Museum & Manuscript Library, St. Joseph, MN

• Grants Manager - Lake Region Arts Council, Fergus Falls, MN

REGIONAL

• Museum Educator - African American Museum of Iowa, Cedar Rapids, IA

• Deputy Controller - Wisconsin Historical Society; Madison, Eagle, or Baraboo, WI

• Head of Archival Collections and Institutional Repository - Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI

• Interpreter - Welk Homestead State Historic Site, State Historical Society of North Dakota Strasburg, ND; Job ID: 3033537

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

• Conservator of Gilded Objects and Frames - The Conservation Center, Chicago, IL

• Objects Conservator - The Conservation Center, Chicago, IL

• Seasonal Museum Assistant - Joliet Area Historical Museum, Joliet, IL

• Weekend Guest Services Attendant - Batavia Depot Museum, Batavia Park District - Batavia, IL

• Executive Director - Historical Society of Montgomery County, Norristown, PA

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

• Indigenous Learning and Engagement Producer - Manitoba Museum, Winnipeg, MB

• Communications Advisor - Canadian Museum for Human Rights, Winnipeg, MB

• Local History Assistant - Bradford West Gwillimbury Public Library and Cultural Centre, Bradford ON

• Museum Events Coordinator - Grimsby Museum, Town of Grimsby, Grimsby, ON

• Supervisor, Museum & Heritage Programs - Cumberland Heritage Village Museum, Cumberland, Ottawa, ON

Additional Job Postings in the Field »

Do History Here

"Shorty" Dale Field. A minor league field was constructed at Skippy Field in 1959 and dedicated to Shorty Dale. 
Image used with permission. From the collections of the St. Louis Park Historical Society.

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

Celebration of the 250th Anniversary of Tadeusz Kościuszko’s Service to America
August 30 @ 11:45 am to 1:45 pm - Winona: Polish American Cultural Institute of Minnesota - Celebrate the anniversary of Tadeusz Kościuszko joining the Continental Army in 1776 with a social gathering and piano recital by Dr. Eric Brisson, chair of Winona State University’s Music Department. Learn more »

2026 Planked Trout Dinner
September 1 @ 5 to 7 pm - Grand Marais: Cook County Historical Society - Enjoy an open-fire Lake Superior planked trout dinner at North House Folk School while supporting the preservation and sharing of Cook County history. Dinner includes trout, wild rice, cheesy potatoes, coleslaw, rolls, and dessert. Cost: $30 members; $35 general public. Learn more »

The Story of Amelia Witherstine
September 2 @ 10 to 11 am - Rochester: History Center of Olmsted County - Local author Virginia Wright-Peterson explores the life and legacy of Amelia Witherstine, Rochester’s first woman elected to public office, in a presentation for adults ages 55 and older. Advance registration is required. Cost: Free; suggested $5 free-will donation. Learn more »

St. Paul – Learning from Place: Little Africa Plaza
September 3 @ 3 to 6 pm - St. Paul: Minnesota Humanities Center - Explore the Little Africa cultural corridor with community leaders and culture bearers, an injera cooking demonstration and food samples, and a visit to the African Museum, Art and Culture Center. Presented in collaboration with African Economic Development Solutions. Cost: $35. Learn more »

Battle of Birch Coulee Presentation & Tour by Jerry Weldy
September 3 @ 6 to 7:30 pm - Morton: Renville County Historical Society - Join Jerry Weldy for a presentation and guided walking tour of the Birch Coulee Battlefield, featuring new research on the site and the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862. Bring a lawn chair or blanket; refreshments will be served, and benches are available along the trail. Cost: Free-will donation and an item for the Renville County Food Shelf. Learn more »

From Carnegie to Community: Our Public Library
September 3 @ 6 to 7 pm - St. Cloud: Stearns History Museum - Discover the public library’s evolution from a Carnegie library into today’s community space, including a behind-the-scenes look at original materials documenting its transformation. Cost: Free members; $5 general public. Learn more »

Mayo Clinic Lecture Series: Always More to Learn: The Spirit of Education at Mayo Clinic
September 3 @ 7 to 8:30 pm - Rochester: History Center of Olmsted County - Dr. Chris Boes explores how curiosity, collaboration, and a commitment to patients foster a culture of continuous learning at Mayo Clinic and shape the future of medicine. Cost: Free members; $5 non-members. Learn more » 

Charting a New Course: How Duluth Harnessed the “Spirit of ’76”
September 3 @ 6 pm - Duluth: St. Louis County Historical Society - Discover how Duluth transformed economic challenges of the early 1970s into a Bicentennial-era boom, with ethnic festivals and civic initiatives that spurred lasting community development, including the renovation of the St. Louis County Depot. Presented by Dr. Thomas Saylor, Professor of History Emeritus at Concordia University, St. Paul, who will examine how local leadership leveraged the 1976 Bicentennial to drive regional success. Learn more »

Sweden’s Election is Upon Us: Who’s Running and Why? with Alexander Fooy
September 3 @ 6:30 to 8 pm - Minneapolis: American Swedish Institute - Alexander Fooy examines Sweden’s eight parliamentary parties, the two blocs they have formed, their priorities, and the issues shaping the upcoming national election. Cost: $20 members; $25 general public. Learn more » 

Minnesota State Fair: Hmong Textile Demonstrations
September 7 @ 9 am to 7 pm - St. Paul: Hmong Museum - Visit Hmong Museum’s booth in the Minnesota State Fair Creative Arts Building for demonstrations of Hmong textiles, including paj ntaub making and backstrap weaving. Learn more »

Genealogy Assistance Day
September 8 @ 10 am to 2 pm - Faribault: Rice County Historical Society - Meet one-on-one with a genealogist for a 50-minute appointment to investigate your family tree, address research roadblocks, and piece together your family history. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Generations Journal Office Hours Webinar
September 10 @ 6 to 8 pm - Online: Minnesota Genealogical Society - Receive individualized feedback from experienced Generations journal editors on a genealogy article submission during a private 15–20 minute Zoom breakout-room session. Submit articles by September 3; space is limited to 10 submissions. Learn more »

History Unearthed: The Archaeological Discovery of Mary Jackman Colburn’s Homestead and Her Contributions to the Minnesota Suffrage Movement
September 10 @ 7 pm - Golden Valley: Golden Valley Historical Society - Archaeologist Dr. Michelle Terrell discusses the archaeological discovery of Mary Jackman Colburn’s homestead and the pioneering physician, suffragist, and spiritualist’s role in Minnesota’s women’s suffrage movement. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Research Plans: A “Hands-On” Workshop
September 12 @ 10 to 11:30 am - Mendota Heights: Minnesota Genealogical Society - Certified Genealogist Paula Stuart Warren leads a participatory workshop on analyzing sources, identifying information gaps, setting research goals, and building step-by-step genealogy research plans. Cost: $30 MGS members; $40 general public. Learn more »

Circle of Heritage: Romanian Folk Dances
September 13, 20, and 27 @ 1 to 3 pm - St. Paul: Heritage Organization of Romanian Americans in Minnesota - Explore a temporary exhibit on the origins, regional styles, customs, traditional attire, and community role of Romanian folk dance. Suitable for all ages. Location: Landmark Center, room 319. Cost: Free. Learn more »

The Skally Line Band and Historical Storytelling
September 15 @ 5:30 to 7:30 pm - Cloquet: Carlton County Historical Society - The Skally Line performs early American stringband music rooted in Minnesota history, pairing each song with the historical story that inspired it. Light refreshments will be provided. Cost: Free. Learn more »

“Dear Jacob: A Mother’s Journey of Hope” Program by Patty Wetterling and Joy Baker
September 19 @ 2 to 4 pm - Marshall: Lyon County Historical Society - Patty Wetterling and Joy Baker discuss their book, Dear Jacob: A Mother’s Journey of Hope, exploring Jacob Wetterling’s disappearance, the decades-long search, community resilience, and the power of persistence. Cost: Free. Learn more »

MALHM History Hike
September 19 @ 11 am to 3 pm - Askov: Minnesota Alliance of Local History Museums - Join an inaugural history-focused outing featuring a museum tour at Pine County Historical Society, lunch at the Little Mermaid Cafe, and a 2.6-mile Hiking Club Trail hike at Banning State Park. Cost: Free; attendees pay their own $5 museum admission and lunch. 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: Knife River Heritage & Cultural Center and Leif Erikson Viking Ship, Knife River, MN.

MALHM Emergency Response Workshop
September 14 @ 10 am to 3 pm - Glensheen, Duluth: Minnesota Alliance of Local History Museums - Join the MALHM Mutual Assistance Team for an emergency response workshop at Glensheen! Learn about wet salvage techniques, mold, and more. Space will be limited - reserve your spot today. Cost: $35 members; $45 non-members. Learn more »

Museum Learning Hub Free Recorded Webinars: Managing Digitization Projects
These free recorded webinars from Museum Learning Hub guide museum staff through planning, carrying out, and sustaining digitization projects, from defining goals and managing budgets to metadata, imaging standards, workflows, and long-term digital preservation.

• Intro Session: Get Inspired! - Learn from museum staff who planned and completed digitization projects that made their collections available online, including their goals, budgets, partnerships, and technology choices.

• Technical Workshop 1: Digitization: Strategy and Purpose - Explore how to define your project’s purpose, audience, and access goals, and learn how metadata helps people find and use digital collections.

• Technical Workshop 2: How to Build a Digitization Project - Learn how to plan a digitization project, set priorities and goals, decide whether to work in-house or with a vendor, and prepare for long-term needs.

• Technical Workshop 3: Imaging Standards and Logistics in Digitization Projects - Learn how to choose equipment, set up workspaces, apply imaging standards, conduct quality checks, preserve files, and expand your digitization work over time.

TIPS & TOOLS

• Section 106 Under Threat - National Trust for Historic Preservation

UPCOMING EVENTS & CONFERENCES

Additional Educational Opportunities »

Funding & Awards

Foundation Invests in Conservation and Historic Preservation
Deadline - Ongoing: Daniel K. Thorne Foundation - Provides grants to U.S. organizations working to protect and sustain the diversity of the natural and built environment, with priority for efforts preserving imperiled elements of those environments and venture-philanthropy initiatives. The Foundation does not fund endowments, capital campaigns, scholarships, annual appeals, or individuals. Learn more »

The Thoma Foundation Conservation Grant
Deadline - Ongoing: Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation - Supports projects at various stages of development, from early planning and individual studies to advanced implementation, that preserve historical artworks and safeguard viceregal heritage. Learn more »

The Thoma Scholarship Program
Deadline - Ongoing: Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation - Provides substantial financial support to help students minimize debt while completing a four-year undergraduate degree. The scholarship covers tuition, fees, room and board, books, an international study-abroad experience, and other education-related expenses. Learn more »

Additional Funding & Award Opportunities »

News

Vintage Museum Photo: Oliver Faribault log cabin, Shakopee, MN (1972). Part of "Murphy's Landing" (now "The Landing"). 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.

MN Digital Newspaper Hub - August 2026 content update
A content update to the Minnesota Digital Newspaper Hub today added 5,916 new issues and 67,877 new newspaper pages.

New publicly available titles & date spans:

• Stillwater evening gazette (Stillwater, Minn.) 1961-1963 added

• Stillwater weekly gazette (Stillwater, Minn.) 1961-1963

• Hibbing daily tribune (Hibbing, Minn.) 1922-1923 added

• Hibbing daily news and the Mesaba ore (Hibbing, Minn.) 1920-1922

• Striker's news (Hibbing, Minn.) 1916

• Gopher labor journal (Hibbing, Minn.) 1920

• Tribune-herald (Chisholm, Minn.) 1910-1923

• Isanti County press. Swedish ed. (Cambridge, Minn.) 1876

• Härolden (Duluth, Minn.) 1923-1924

• Nordens väktare (Duluth, Minn.) 1911-1914

• Upplysningens tidehvarf (Grove City, Minn.) 1883

• Nya pressen (Lindstrom, Minn.) 1903

• Rothuggaren (Litchfield, Minn.) 1881-1885

• Facklan (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1918

• Odalmannen (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1912

• Vestern-Amerikanen (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1912-1914

• Western American (Minneapolis, Minn.; St. Paul, Minn.) 1914

• Folkvännen (Moorhead, Minn.; Fargo, N.D.) 1891

• Fria ordet (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896

• Gittit (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1900-1908

• Svenska roman bladet (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1896-1921

New issues for the years 2024-2025 were also added to several existing current newspaper titles, available to view only in the MNHS Library. 

Kurash Casey brings joy, expertise to WCHS
Winona Post - The Winona County History Center was one of the first places Emily Kurash Casey visited when moving to Winona in 2013. Now, more than a decade later, Kurash Casey is drawing on her years of experience with nonprofits, historic preservation, and community building to lead the Winona County Historical Society (WCHS) as its new executive director. Continue reading »

Step back in time at Cass County Museum
Pilot-Independent - Rainy day? Fish ain’t bitin’? Step back in time...
Head into Walker to view Cass County’s rich history and tour the Huset Pioneer School at the museum on Minnesota Avenue. Cass County was established in 1897 and has a long, colorful history of fur trading, exploration and settlement. Continue reading »

A Minnesota wildlife museum that's been closed for decades donates its taxidermy pieces to four universities
Alexandria Echo Press — As he has done for the past three years or more, Brady Manteufel drives past the Bagley Wildlife Museum almost every day during his work hours. In all that time, he’s never stopped to inquire about what’s inside the decades-old building that has been closed since at least the 1990s. But he would notice the old signs that still announced that more than 700 taxidermy specimens were on display and wondered what, if anything, was still inside the now defunct museum. Continue reading »

Preserving the story of Wood Lake Battlefield
New Ulm Journal - Wednesday, as part of the Brown County Historical Society’s (BCHS) U.S.-Dakota War remembrance week, the museum hosted a presentation on one of the final battles of the conflict, Wood Lake. The Battle of Wood Lake took place a month after the two Battles of New Ulm and the start of the U.S.- Dakota conflict on Sept. 23, 1862. The battle occurred in Yellow Medicine County, a few miles south of Granite Falls. Continue reading »

Featured Book The Home of the Drowned, by Elin Anna Labba University of Minnesota Press. Author Event Date: September 17 @ 7 pm Location: American Swedish Institute, Minneapolis, MN	Featured Article Minnesota History Out of the Attic, or, What Price Memorabilia? A Minnesota couple's World War II letters  Volume 53, Issue 2, 1992	Featured Article MNopedia Mataafa Storm, 1905 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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