Legacy Amendment Supports $214,476 in Small Grants to History Organizations Throughout Minnesota

For immediate release

Release dated: March 20, 2024

Media contacts: Nick Jungheim, 651-259-3060, nick.jungheim@mnhs.org or Allison Ortiz, 651-259-3051, allison.ortiz@mnhs.org

ST. PAUL, Minn (March 20, 2024) – The Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) is pleased to announce the newest recipients of 26 Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Small Grants ($10,000 and less), totaling $214,476 in 14 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 14, 2023.

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 2024 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.

Balaton Area Historical Society, Balaton, $8750

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

Beltrami County Historical Society, Bemidji, $7480

To digitize a collection of archival sports films, allowing for greater public access to these historic resources.

City of Bagley, Bagley, $10,000

To hire a qualified historian to complete an evaluation to determine eligibility for listing in the National Register of Historic Places for WPA-era structures located within the City of Bagley's Park system.

City of Eden Prairie, Eden Prairie, $6000

To design, produce, and install two interpretive markers in the City of Eden Prairie.

Eden Prairie Schools (ISD #272), Eden Prairie, $10,000    

To document through oral history interviews the history of Independent School District #272, Eden Prairie Schools.

Firefighter's Hall and Museum, Minneapolis, $10,000     

To hire a qualified historian to conduct research on the history of the Fire Department's commemorative badges, insignia, and ribbons.

Firefighter's Hall and Museum, Minneapolis, $9000

To hire a qualified and experienced HVAC engineer to evaluate how well the current system controls the museum environment.

Gammelgarden Museum, Scandia, $9969

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

Gammelgarden Museum, Scandia, $9010

To hire a qualified and experienced HVAC engineer to evaluate how well the current system controls the museum environment.

Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County, Moorhead, $9945

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

Luther Memorial Church, South St. Paul, $10,000

To hire a qualified historian to complete the nomination to the National Register of Historic Places for Luther Memorial Church in South St. Paul.

Mille Lacs County Historical Society, Princeton, $9735

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

Minnesota Discovery Center, Chisholm, $4000

To document in 10 oral history interviews the history of the 1977 Steelworkers' Strike in Northern Minnesota.

Minnetonka Historical Society, Minnetonka, $4540

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

Plainview Area History Center, Plainview, $2361

To add 29 rolls of microfilmed newspapers to make primary records more accessible to the public.

Project Get Outdoors, Inc., Wabasha, $10,000

To document in 10-15 oral history interviews the unwritten history of abolitionists in southeast Minnesota, as told by the descendants.

Red Wing Collectors Society Foundation, Red Wing, $10,000

To hire a qualified architect to conduct a structural assessment of the 1926 Harrop tunnel kiln, part of the Minnesota Stoneware Company and listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Regents of the University of Minnesota (College of Biological Sciences), St. Paul, $10,000

To document in 10 oral history interviews the history of the College of Biological Sciences.

Rushford Area Historical Society, Rushford, $3750

To document in 10-15 oral history interviews the history of businesses in the Rushford area.

St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Hastings, $10,000

To hire a qualified historian to complete an evaluation to determine eligibility for listing in the National Register of Historic Places for St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Hastings.

St. Paul Lutheran Church, Red Wing, $10,000

To hire a qualified architect to conduct a conditions assessment of St. Paul's Lutheran Church (Red Wing), listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

The Bakken Museum, Minneapolis, $6980

To produce an audio tour in English and Spanish of the West Winds Mansion.

Victoria Theater Arts Center, St. Paul, $10,000

To pair youth in Frogtown and Rondo with local elders to hear personal histories of growing up the community, and use them to construct digital historic neighborhood landmarks in Minecraft.

Washington County Historical Society, Stillwater, $10,000

To hire a qualified historian to research and write the history of wedding traditions in Washington County.

Winona County Historical Society, Winona, $3095

To add 38 rolls of microfilmed newspapers to make primary records more accessible to the public.

Winona County Historical Society, Winona, $9861

To digitize a collection of reel-to-reel audio recordings, circa 1955-1975, allowing for greater public access to these historic resources.

About Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants

The Minnesota Historical Society received a legislative appropriation of $36.981 million for the 2024-2025 biennium, including funding for the Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage (Legacy) Grants: $8,677,000 for FY2024 and $7,035,000 for FY2025.

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 small grant application deadlines are April 12 and July 12, 2024. Large grants of more than $10,000 are offered once a year. All grants are administered through a competitive process using professional standards and criteria.

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.