Legacy Amendment Supports $241,168 in Small Grants to History Organizations Throughout Minnesota

ST. PAUL, Minn. (May 12, 2025) – The Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) is pleased to announce the newest recipients of 28 Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Small Grants ($10,000 and less), totaling $241,168 in 17 counties.

Small grants are awarded quarterly to help nonprofits, educational organizations, government units, and federally recognized Tribes to preserve and share Minnesota history. This cycle of awards was approved by the MNHS Executive Council on March 20, 2025.

Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants are made possible by the Legacy Amendment's Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the vote of Minnesotans on Nov. 4, 2008. The Legacy Amendment supports efforts to preserve Minnesota land, water, and legacy, including Minnesota history and cultural heritage.

Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Small Grant Recipients

Recipients of small grants ($10,000 and less) from the fiscal year 2025 January small grants cycle are listed in alphabetical order below. Each project will preserve and enhance Minnesota’s cultural and historical resources. All grants are competitive and awarded according to program guidelines and criteria, as well as professional standards.

Carlton County Historical Society, Cloquet, $9,996

To improve collections care and management through an updated collections management system.

City of Rochester, Rochester, $6,685

To contract with qualified professionals to prepare construction documents for the preservation of the 1924 Plummer House Carriage House, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

City of White Bear Lake, White Bear Lake, $10,000

To hire a qualified historian to conduct primary source research on the history of law enforcement in the City of White Bear Lake.

Dodge County, Mantorville, $10,000

To hire a qualified archaeologist to conduct a survey of the Wasioja Town Square, part of the Wasioja Historic District listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County, Moorhead, $10,000

To contract with qualified professionals to prepare construction documents for the preservation of the 1892 District No. 3 School (Rollag Woodland School), listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Lac qui Parle County Historical Society, Madison, $8,357

To document in five oral history interviews Dakota speakers discussing Dakota Wičohaŋ (ways of life), plants and medicines of the Dakota People, and Dakota family values.

Lyon County Historical Society, Marshall, $10,000 

To hire a qualified consultant to research the early history of the Lyon County area in preparation for a future exhibit.

Manidoo Ogitigaan, Bemidji, $10,000

To document in eight oral history interviews the experiences of Ojibwe elders and first language speakers of Ojibwemowin to increase language preservation.

Minnesota Masonic Historical Society and Museum, Bloomington, $3,275

To purchase materials to assemble a Disaster Response Kit that will be used to respond to museum collections emergencies.

Murray County Historical Society, Slayton, $3,044

To add 35 rolls of microfilmed local newspapers to the historical society's holdings, making primary records more accessible to the public.

Nicollet County Historical Society, St. Peter, $9,925

To improve collections care and management through an updated collections management system.

Nobles County Historical Society, Worthington, $9,675

To improve collections care and management through an updated collections management system.

Pope County Historical Society, Glenwood, $4,120

To provide professional development for two staff members at the national American Institute for Conservation conference in Minneapolis, May 27-31, 2025.

Pope County Historical Society, Glenwood, $10,000

To digitize part of a large collection of newspaper photo negatives (1966-1970), allowing for greater public access to this historic resource.

Ramsey County Historical Society, St. Paul, $6,000

To document in up to six oral history interviews the history of Engineering Research Associates (ERA), a business formed in St. Paul in 1946.

Ramsey County Historical Society, St. Paul, $10,000

To contract with qualified professionals to prepare HVAC construction documents for collections storage spaces in the Landmark Center, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Regents of the University of Minnesota (Minnesota Veterinary History Museum), St. Paul, $9,974

To provide appropriate storage space and materials for museum collections.

Rochester Art Center, Rochester, $6,320 

To hire a qualified museum consultant to conduct a general preservation needs assessment survey and long range collections preservation plan.

Roseau County Historical Society, Roseau, $9,487

To hire a qualified consultant to create an archival collections storage plan for Roseau County Historical Society.

Scandia Heritage Alliance, Scandia, $10,000

To hire qualified consultants to research the history of men's fast-pitch softball in mid-20th century Scandia, in preparation for future programming.

Scandia Heritage Alliance, Scandia, $10,000

To hire qualified consultants to research the history of Indigenous people in the St. Croix Valley in preparation for future programming.

St. Charles Public Library, St. Charles, $9,995

To purchase a microfilm reader/printer/scanner to make microfilmed records more accessible to the public.

The Catholic Cemeteries, Mendota Heights, $9,944

To hire a qualified historian to complete the nomination to the National Register of Historic Places for Calvary Cemetery in St. Paul.

Twin Cities Cable Arts Consortium, Minneapolis, $9,975

To hire qualified consultants to research the history of community access television in Minnesota, in preparation for a future documentary film.

Unity Baptist Church, St. Paul, $10,000

To contract with qualified professionals to prepare construction documents for the preservation of the 1907 Unity Baptist Church (Woodland Park Baptist Church), listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Washington County Historical Society, Stillwater, $10,000

To hire a qualified consultant to research the history of Stillwater Area High School to celebrate the Stillwater Area School District's upcoming 150th anniversary.

White Bear Lake Area Historical Society, White Bear Lake, $4,397

To add 39 rolls of microfilmed newspapers (2006-2019) to make primary records more accessible to the public.

Woodbury Heritage Society, Woodbury, $9,999 

To provide better organization of the museum collections, allowing for greater public access to the community’s historic resources.

Grants are available for history and historic preservation projects in two funding tiers. Small grants of $10,000 or less are awarded quarterly. The next anticipated small grant application deadlines are July 11, 2025 and October 10, 2025. Large grants of more than $10,000 are offered once a year. A pre-application for large grants is required with the next anticipated deadline upcoming on July 18. All grants are administered through a competitive process using professional standards and criteria. Future deadlines for both small and large grants are pending approval of funding by the legislature and Governor.

For more information on the Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants program, including application deadlines, visit www.mnhs.org/preservation/legacy-grants. Applications are accepted only through the MNHS grants portal.

About the Minnesota Historical Society

The Minnesota Historical Society is a non-profit educational and cultural institution established in 1849. MNHS collects, preserves, and tells the story of Minnesota’s past through museum exhibits, libraries, and collections, historic sites, educational programs, and book publishing. Using the power of history to transform lives, MNHS preserves our past, shares our state’s stories, and connects people with history.