State Archives Collection
The Minnesota State Archives’ collection dates from the territorial period to the present, and while most of the collection is in paper form (over 70,000 cubic feet), the collection also includes photographs, microfilm, moving images, recorded audio, and terabytes of digital content.
Minnesota state and local government records are added frequently to the State Archives collection, which is available through the Gale Family Library. This page highlights recent acquisitions by the month they were added to the State Archives collection. Although the records were recently acquired, they may not be available yet in the MNHS Library and Archives Catalog. For assistance finding and accessing these records, please contact the staff of the Gale Family Library.
Recent acquisitions:
Records added this month to the State Archives collection will be valuable for a variety of research topics particularly to document key functions of the state government, and for family and local history research.
A former legislative staff member transferred records, dated 1993-1996, of the House Regulated Industries and Energy Committee concerning nuclear waste storage at the Prairie Island nuclear generating plant. Also, Senate Governmental Operations Committee records, dated 1987-1990, regarding a bill (Senate File No. 722) calling for the State of Minnesota not to invest in any corporation doing business in Northern Ireland that does not adopt the MacBride Principles, designed to require fair employment practices in business and industry. The records include committee proceedings and testimony, correspondence, reports, statements, bill drafts, background information and handwritten notes
Annual reports, dated 2021-2022, of the Minnesota Statewide Independent Living Council were added to the collection, and these are the first records of the Council received by the State Archives. The Council is composed of Minnesota citizens recruited from around the state and representing various ethnicity groups, ages, disabilities and backgrounds. Members are appointed by the Governor to serve a one-, two- or three-years term. The main responsibilities of the Council are to develop, monitor, review and evaluate a State Plan for Independent Living.
For many years the Winona County Historical Society has collaborated with the State Archives to transfer any school district records it receives to the State Archives. The county historical society transferred records, dated 1895-1970, of seven (now defunct) rural school districts: nos. 4/2545, 17/2558, 39/2573, 65/2591, 72/2596, 79/2603 and 86/2609 located in Dresbach, Homer, New Hartford, Rollingstone, Warren, and Wilson Townships. The school districts consolidated with the Winona and Lewiston independent school districts in the 1960s. Useful for family and local history research, the records include governance and student related information, and complement existing school district records preserved in the State Archives.
- Legislature. House Regulated Industries and Energy Committee records dated 1993-1996; Senate Governmental Operations Committee records dated 1987-1990. 1 box.
- Minnesota Statewide Independent Living Council annual reports dated 2021-2022. 1 folder.
- Winona County. Records, dated 1895-1970, of school district nos. 4/2545, 17/2558, 39/2573, 65/2591, 72/2596, 79/2603 and 86/2609. 3 boxes.
Local government records are a collecting strength of the State Archives and records added this month complement existing sets of records preserved in the collection, and are useful to document key functions and activities at the local government level.
Transferred from a manuscripts collection is a student handbook, dated 1960, for Independent School District No. 411 (Balaton) in Lyon County. During a State Archives volunteer project to re-house Ramsey County District Court criminal case files preserved in the State Archives, our volunteers discovered several district court land registration files that had been misfiled prior to transfer many years ago. The land registration case files, dated 1907-1908, include applications, judgments and decrees, findings and decisions, affidavits, certificates, abstracts of title, and related legal documents concerning real property in the City of St. Paul. The City of Madelia transferred resolutions (dated 1920-1959) and a village record book (dated 1898-1949) including deeds (copies), liquor license applications and bonds, building permits, agreements, election summary statements and village election minutes, ordinances and financial statements. The records complement other city records dating from 1873 preserved in the collection.
County state aid apportionment reports, dated 2007-2008, 2013-2020, issued by the Transportation Department were transferred from the MNHS serials unit, and complement the department’s published records and reports preserved in the State Archives. Minnesota counties receive formula-based state assistance for construction and maintenance of county highways within the state-aid system. The county state-aid highway system is a collection of key highways under county jurisdiction. It covers roughly 30,700 centerline miles throughout all Minnesota counties, composing over two-thirds of county highway miles.
- Lyon County. Independent School District No. 411 (Balaton). Student handbook dated 1960. 1 folder.
- Ramsey County. District Court. Land registration case files dated 1907-1908. 4 folders.
- Transportation Department. County state aid apportionment reports dated 2007-2008, 2013-2020. 1 box.
- Watonwan County. Madelia (village/city). Records dated 1898-1959. 1 box.
Background:
Records added this month primarily document important activities of state
government, such as the care of Minnesotans with developmental disabilities,
regulation of key healthcare industries, and oversight of important state
government functions. A member of the legal team that represented Patty Welsch
in the Welsch v. Noot lawsuit, donated seven photographs depicting the types of
restraint used with four persons at the Moose Lake and Brainerd State Hospitals.
Included with the photographs are extracts of the hearing transcripts (copies)
relating to the photographs. The photographs also contain information concerning
what happened to the people depicted in the photographs after the case was
dismissed in 1989. The Welsch Consent Decree was a landmark court case (dated
1972-1989) which led to major changes in the treatment of Minnesota’s
institutionalized citizens with developmental disabilities. The consent decree
lawsuit is well documented in the State Archives, and these exhibits are a valuable
complement.
The Human Services Department transferred records of the Faribault State
Hospital which closed in 1998. The records were held in storage by the
department, and only recently eligible for transfer to the State Archives. Included
are administrative files (committees and boards meeting minutes, subject files)
dated 1970-1998 of the chief executive officer; governing board minutes and
meeting files dated 1987-1998; hospital regulations dated circa 1976-1997;
published records and reports dated 1987-1997; and Human Services Department
published records and reports dated 1954-1998. The records complement existing
records of the state hospital dating from 1879.
Health Department staff transferred minutes and meeting files (dated 1983-2019)
of the Hearing Instrument Dispenser Advisory Council, the Olmstead Plan
Specialty Committee, the Mortuary Science Advisory Council, and the Speech
Language Pathology and Audiology Advisory Council. Received from the
Legislative Auditor are audit reports, dated 2023, of the Financial Audits Division;
program evaluation reports, dated 2023, of the Program Evaluation Division; and
investigation reports and reviews dated 2023-2024. The reports continue existing
sets of reports dating from 1972 preserved in the State Archives.
Hennepin County school districts are fairly well documented in the State Archives,
but there is little documentation for the Bloomington Ferry school district. The
school was established in 1862, and consolidated with Independent School District
No. 271 (Bloomington) in 1917. An individual donated a Bloomington Ferry
School Old Timers Association minute book dated 1974-1991 which includes
meeting minutes, lists of school pupils and teachers, and written reminisces. This
little gem is valuable for family and local history research.
- Attorney General. Public Welfare Division. Litigation file: Welsch v. Noot. Photo exhibits with hearing transcript excerpts dated May 1980. 1 folder.
- Faribault State Hospital. Records dated 1954-1998 (bulk dated 1983-1998). 15 boxes.
- Health Department. Various committees. Records dated 1983-2019. 1 box.
- Hennepin County. School District No. 14 (Bloomington Township). Bloomington Ferry School Old Timers Association minute book dated 1974-1991. 1 volume in folder.
- Legislative Auditor. Reports dated 2023-2024. 3 folders.
Background:
Key functions of Minnesota state and local government are documented in records added this month to the State Archives collection. Minnesota Management & Budget staff transferred position descriptions (dated 1976-1980) for former governors Rudy Perpich and Albert H. Quie. Information includes position purpose, reportability and dimensions; principal responsibilities, tasks and performance indicators; relationships, knowledges, skills, abilities, problem solving, and freedom to act. Minnesota Management & Budget (MMB). The documents help illustrate the sweeping statutory and constitutional authority and responsibilities the Minnesota governor holds.
Helena Township (Scott County) transferred clerk’s and treasurer’s books and registers of receipts and disbursements (dated 1873-2006), road records (undated, 1859-1942), and birth and death records (dated 1871-1953). These records are valuable to document township governance and finances, and the birth and death records are very useful for family history research.
Staff of the Secretary of State’s Office transferred Session Laws, dated 2023, that continue an existing set preserved in the State Archives dating from 1858. The Acts of the Minnesota Legislature, as passed in each year’s legislative session, include resolutions and concurrent resolutions of the Minnesota House of Representatives and the Minnesota Senate. Laws of a permanent nature are subsequently incorporated in the Minnesota Statutes that are coded laws. The Laws of Minnesota also include uncoded laws, including appropriations, proposed constitutional amendments, local laws, and effective date sections. While the statutes and laws are published and widely available, these are the true “archival” records and include the signatures of the House and Senate leadership, the Secretary of State, and the Governor.
November 2023 Acquisitions
- Personnel Department. Position description (dated 1976-1980) for former governors Rudy Perpich and Albert H. Quie. 1 folder.
- Scott County. Helena Township. Clerk’s and treasurer’s books and registers of receipts and disbursements (dated 1873-2006), road records (undated, 1859-1942), and birth and death records (dated 1871-1953). 6 boxes.
- Secretary of State. Session Laws dated 2023. 7 boxes.
Background:
Continuing a collecting strength of the State Archives, many local government records were added this month to the collection and will be valuable for local and family history research and to document the governance, policies and major activities of the local government entities.
Received from the Edina school district are superintendent’s reports to faculty (dated 1934-1947), board minutes and superintendent’s reports (dated 1936-2000), school district newsletters (dated 1989-1995), and enrollment statistics (dated 1950s-1970s). The minutes and superintendent’s reports continue existing records in the State Archives dating from 1917. Also, a school district record book (dated 1869-1897) for School District No. 17 which was the predecessor of the Edina independent school district. The St. Louis Park Historical Society donated records that complement other records donated by the historical society several months ago. Included in the donation are annual reports of the supervisor of elementary instruction (dated 1942-1948); include photographs and color illustrations by unnamed students. Also, high school graduate follow-up surveys (dated 1953, 1960-1973, 1976).
The Steele County Auditor transferred a school district plat book dated 1880-1971. For each school district, includes a plat depicting the school district’s boundaries, plus each school district’s date of establishment, along with attachment, dissolving, reorganization and consolidation dates and related information. Wright County transferred board of commissioners’ records including board agenda packets (dated 1977-2011), board committees’ minutes (dated 1980-2011), resolutions (dated 1975-2009), and annual reports of several county departments (dated 1977-2010). Also, minister ordination credentials (dated 1957-1992) of the District Court which continue an existing set of records dating from 1881.
Finally, the state Human Services Department transferred bulletins dated 2017-2019. The bulletins continue an existing set, dating from 1937, concerning such topics as statutes, regulations, and operating procedures that affected services and programs administered by the department and the counties, particularly those involving administrative services, finances, personnel, information systems, and various aid programs, especially those dealing with children, disabled, aged, mentally ill, and chemically dependent. Digital copies were transferred and have been posted online via the Library catalog.
Acquisitions:
- Hennepin County. Independent School District No. 273 (Edina). Records dated 1869-2000. 29 boxes.
- Hennepin County. Independent School District No. 283 (St. Louis Park). Records dated 1942-1976. 3 folders.
- Human Services Department. Bulletins dated 2017-2019. 1 box and digital copies.
- Steele County. Auditor. School district plat book dated 1880-1971. 1 bound volume.
- Wright County. Board of Commissioners. Records dated 1957-2011. 40 boxes.
Background:
Local government records are a collecting strength of the State Archives
collection, and records added this month will be valuable for local and family
history research. Many of the records added to the collection are the result of the
ongoing and positive relationships State Archives staff have cultivated with
Minnesota government agencies over the years.
Beltrami County transferred assessment rolls (dated 2000) and tax lists (dated
2010) of the Auditor; extension committee meeting minutes (dated 2010-2020),
and minutes and agenda packets (dated 2012-2016) of the Board of
Commissioners. The records continue existing records series, dating from 1876,
preserved in the State Archives. Received from the Nicollet County Assessor are
assessment rolls for the sample years 1950-1951, 1960-1961, 1970, 1980-1981,
1990-1991, and 2000-2001; the 1971 year is not included. This is the first transfer
of the county’s assessment rolls to the State Archives. The Kerrick Township
Clerk (Pine County) transferred birth and death records dated 1913-1953 of the
township, and School District No. 125 (Kerrick) clerk’s register of receipts and
disbursements dated 1947-1953. Neither the township nor the school district are
represented in the State Archives collection.
The Public Safety Department commissioner’s office transferred legislative
mandate reports dated 2016-2017 that continue an existing series dating from
2009. The reports, mandated by the Minnesota Legislature, concern such topics as
auto theft prevention, emergency assistance to victims, fire safety, Minnesota
crime information, motor vehicle insurance coverage, permit to carry, pupil
transportation, response to accidents related to the transportation of high level
radioactive waste, and much more.
Acquisitions:
- Beltrami County. Assessment rolls (dated 2000) and tax lists (dated 2010) of the Auditor; extension committee meeting minutes (dated 2010-2020), and minutes and agenda packets (dated 2012-2016) of the Board of Commissioners. 17 boxes.
- Nicollet County. Assessor. Assessment rolls for the sample years 1950-1951, 1960-1961, 1970, 1980-1981, 1990-1991, and 2000-2001; the 1971 year is not included. 32 boxes and 38 loose oversize volumes.
- Pine County. Kerrick Township. Birth and death records dated 1913-1953 of the township, and School District No. 125 (Kerrick) clerk’s register of receipts and disbursements dated 1947-1953. 2 boxes.
- Public Safety Department. Commissioner’s Office. Legislative mandate reports dated 2016-2017. 4 expansion folders.
Background:
A variety of functions and topics are reflected in the records added this month to the State Archives. Additional records of the state Geographic Board were added to the existing set of Board records preserved in the State Archives. Included are index cards, dated circa 1920-1960s, regarding geographic place names for villages, townships, post offices, lakes, streams, resorts, islands, peninsulas and other geographic locations. Each index card may include the geographic name in use, approved geographic name, other names, type of feature, location, and comments. Also, index cards (dated circa 1930s) of the Minnesota Gazetteer project concerning village and post office names. The Board was established by the legislature in 1937 and consisted of the commissioner of conservation, the commissioner of state highways, and the director of the Minnesota Historical Society. Prior to the board's establishment, geographic names were changed by petitioning county boards. The functions of the Board were to determine the correct and most appropriate names of the lakes, streams, places, and other geographic features in the state and the spelling thereof; to pass upon and give names to unnamed geographic features in the state; and to cooperate with county boards in changing geographic names to eliminate duplication of names as far as possible. The Board also sponsored the Minnesota Gazetteer project which was designed to compile and publish a gazetteer of Minnesota place names and was carried out with WPA funds. It was never completed. The board was abolished by the legislature in 1971 and its functions transferred to the Natural Resources Department.
Senate staff transferred Senate bills dated 2019-2020 that continue an existing set dating from 1957. Documenting the Minnesota Legislature is a State Archives collecting priority, and these records continue our commitment to fulfilling that priority.
The State Demographer Office transferred records (dated 1972-2006) of former State Demographer Tom Gillaspy including correspondence, subject files and reports. Mr. Gillaspy was the Minnesota State Demographer for 32 years and retired in 2012. The records are a valuable addition to the State Archives, since the office is not well documented in the State Archives. The Office, established in 1974, is the main provider of demographic data and analysis for the state, provides yearly population estimates and long-term projections each decade, and analyzes and distributes data from the federal government and other sources to monitor key trends. For most of its existence, the Office was part of the state Planning Agency (now defunct), and is now located in the state Administration Department.
St. Paul public schools were operated by the City of St. Paul from 1856 to 1965 when the state legislature converted the St. Paul special school district into the present day Independent School District No. 625 (St. Paul). School district staff transferred a City of St. Paul Board of Education school building data volume dated 1950s-1960s, and a record of real estate abstracts compiled in the 1880s. Also, a City Planning Board school property book dated 1958 with 1960s updates, school property plats of existing properties and proposed expansion dated 1965, and a City Comptroller real estate record dated 1938-1939. The records complement other records of the city documenting the ownership, construction, renovation, and demolition of school properties in the city.
Acquisitions:
- Geographic Board. Index cards, dated circa 1920-1960s, regarding geographic place names for villages, townships, post offices, lakes, streams, resorts, islands, peninsulas and other geographic locations. Also includes index cards (dated circa 1930s) of the Minnesota Gazetteer project concerning village and post office names. 24 boxes.
- Legislature. Senate. Senate bills dated 2019-2020. 20 boxes.
- Planning Agency. State Demographer Office. Files of Tom Gillaspy, dated 1972-2006, including correspondence, subject files and reports. 1 box.
- Ramsey County. St. Paul (City). Various Offices. Records dated 1880s-1960s. 3 boxes.
Background:
A collecting strength of the State Archives are local government records, and records added to the collection this month are a welcome addition useful for family and local history research.
Over a year ago Mower County transferred their Board of Commissioners’ minute books, dated 1856-2021, but upon receipt State Archives staff noted a volume was not included in the transfer. After several inquiries to county staff, and over a year later, the missing volume of minutes (dated 1870-1879) was located and transferred to the State Archives.
With the assistance of Allison Broughton, MNHS Development & Membership Department, records of the Horace Mann Elementary School PTA (St. Paul) were donated to the State Archives. Included are scrapbooks that contain photographs, newspaper clippings, art work, certificates, awards, lists of students and teachers, correspondence, meeting minutes (scattered), and annual and periodic reports (scattered). Also, group photographs of the school’s classes, and of student and teacher activities. The records, dated 1931-2002 (bulk dated 1931-1960s), complement a set of the school’s records preserved in the archives.
MNHS Honorary Council member, Dennis Dvorak, donated a record book (dated May 1858-1870) for Cedar Lake Township in Scott County. Included in the record book are township meeting minutes, road establishment information (including petitions), lists of voters, township officer annual election results, state and county officer election results, and registers of dog licenses. The bound volume pre-dates a set of the township’s records preserved in the archives.
The City of St. James (Watonwan County) recently moved into a new city hall, and transferred a number of records (dated 1871-2022) including board of trustees and city council minutes, agenda packets, resolutions and ordinances. The board of trustees’ minute book begins in 1871 when the city was incorporated.
State government records are also included in this month’s acquisitions. Records concerning a unique topic, genetic engineering, were transferred by the Biotechnology Program of the Agriculture Department/Plant Protection Division. The records, dated 1989-2015, document setting up genetic engineering statutes and administrative rules, specifically Minnesota Statutes 18F and Minnesota Rules Chapter 4420. The statute and rules concern the establishment of permits for the release of certain genetically engineered agriculturally related organisms to protect humans and the environment from the potential for significant adverse effects of those releases. Included are correspondence, internal memoranda, reports, meeting minutes, and copies of proposed and final legislation.
Acquisitions:
- Agriculture Department. Plant Protection Division. Biotechnology Program. Establishment of genetic engineering statutes and administrative rules records dated 1989-2015. 3 folders.
- Mower County. Board of County Commissioners. Minute book dated 1870-1879. 1 bound volume.
- Ramsey County. Independent School District No. 625 (St. Paul). Horace Mann Elementary School PTA records dated 1931-2002 (bulk dated 1931-1960s). 4 boxes.
- Scott County. Cedar Lake Township. Record book dated May 1858-1870. 1 bound volume.
- Watonwan County. City of St. James. Records dated 1871-2022. 24 boxes.
Background:
A variety of Minnesota government functions and activities are documented in state and local government records added this month to the State Archives collection, and will be valuable for state, community and family history research. Received from the Minnesota Health Department are meeting minutes and agenda packets (dated June 2012-December 2018) of the State Trauma Advisory Council; speech files (dated July-December 2017) and subject files (dated 2011-2016) of Dr. Edward Ehlinger; and speech files (dated February 2018-March 2020) of Jan Malcolm. Dr. Ehlinger and Ms. Malcom were Health Department Commissioners, and some of Ms. Malcom’s 2020 speeches concern the department’s preparations in anticipation of the COVID-19 pandemic. The records continue existing records series preserved in the State Archives.
The St. Louis Park Historical Society donated records of Independent School District No. 283 (St. Louis Park) dated 1888-1965 and 2015. Included are board meeting minutes (dated 1888-1925), clerk’s and treasurer’s receipt and disbursement registers (dated 1900-1954), payroll registers (dated 1949-1965), selected student records (dated 1900-1933), and a poster (dated 2015) commemorating the 125th anniversary of the school district’s establishment. The school district is not well-documented in the collection, so the records are a valuable addition useful for community and family history research.
Received from the Transportation Department are bridge plans, dated 1926, for the Arrowhead Bridge, including the lift bridge or draw bridge located in the central span of the bridge. The Arrowhead Bridge connected the twin port cities of Duluth, Minnesota, and Superior, Wisconsin, and was named after the Arrowhead region of Minnesota. It opened in July 1927 and was built to offer a second harbor crossing at a time when the Interstate Bridge was reaching its capacity due to the advent of the automobile. It opened as a toll bridge, but the tolls were removed in 1963. The Arrowhead Bridge was built mostly as a wooden trestle, with wooden support piers driven into the muddy bottom of the Saint Louis Bay. The trestles started very near water level, and rose up to about 25 feet above water level to align with the central span. The central span consisted of a draw bridge (Scherzer Rolling Lift Bridge) with two steel spans that would tip up into the air, allowing room for ships to pass through the opening. The draw bridge was very simple in design, consisting of a truss that held the roadway, a pivot point, and a large weight. A small motor and several gears were enough to open and close the spans. The bridge also had an earthen causeway on the Duluth side, which was also the location of the toll booth. The bridge closed in 1984, and was replaced by the Richard I. Bong Memorial Bridge. The bridge plans complement an existing set of bridge plans, dated circa 1895-1973, preserved in the State Archives.
Added to Municipal Board records preserved in the State Archives are dockets, dated 1959-2008, concerning municipal annexations, consolidations, detachments, dissolutions, incorporations and Section 5 (incorporation or annexation of townships according to population) documents filed by cities and townships with the Board. The Sherburne County Recorder transferred birth and death returns (dated 1870-1909), and birth and death certificates (dated 1891-1934; bulk dated 1907-1910) submitted to the District Court; burial or removal permits (dated 1953-1981) issued by the District Court; burial or removal permits, dated 1911-1938, of Clear Lake Township; burial or removal permits, dated 1911-1922, of Lake Fremont (village); burial or removal permits, dated 1928-1939, of Palmer Township; maternity registers, dated 1942-1950, of the Brown Maternity Hospital located in Elk River. The Sherburne County Recorder is responsible for vital statistics records (birth, deaths, and marriages) but, previously, the Sherburne County District Court performed that function.
Acquisitions:
- Health Department. Meeting minutes and agenda packets (dated June 2012-December 2018) of the State Trauma Advisory Council; speech files (dated July-December 2017) and subject files (dated 2011-2016) of Dr. Edward Ehlinger; and speech files (dated February 2018-March 2020) of Jan Malcolm. 2 boxes.
- Hennepin County. Independent School District No. 283 (St. Louis Park). Records dated 1888-1965 and 2015. 11 boxes.
- Highway Department. Bridge Division. Bridge plans, dated 1926, for the Arrowhead Bridge, including the lift bridge or draw bridge located in the central span of the bridge. 2 rolls of plans.
- Municipal Board. Dockets dated 1959-2008. 1 box.
- Sherburne County. Records dated 1870-1981. 5 boxes.
Background:
A range of functions performed by state and local government agencies, and valuable for an array of research topics, are represented in records added this month to the State Archives. The Minnesota Data Practices Office transferred non-binding advisory opinions (dated 1993-2008, 2014-2018) on issues related to data practices or the Open Meeting law issued by the Commissioner of Administration. Received from the City of Chanhassen is a birth and death register dated 1900-1938 which complements a set of Chanhassen Township birth and death records dated 1870-1953.
State Archivist Shawn Rounds transferred a subject file concerning the Electronic Real Estate Recording Commission’s website (photocopies) dated 2008-2012; Rounds is a member of the Commission. The files complement an existing set of Commission records preserved in the State Archives dating from 2008. The Commission was established by the Legislature in 2008 to adopt standards to implement electronic recording of land records. These standards would allow Minnesota counties to implement electronic filing of real estate documents. Submitters would have the option of sending documents electronically to the county, resulting in a more secure transfer and faster turnaround then the current paper process.
Former Ombudsman for Corrections, Theartrice Williams, donated files dated 1972-1989. Included is correspondence, dated 1972-1983, primarily concerning Williams’ appointment in 1972 as Minnesota’s first Ombudsman, and his educational presentations and consulting activities. Also, a file with information concerning the 1989 reunion of the University of Minnesota African-American students who took over the ground floor of Morrill Hall in 1969 to protest the university’s neglect of African-American students. Minnesota’s Ombudsman for Corrections was first established in 1972 by Governor Wendell Anderson in Executive Order 14 as an independent agency in the executive branch, then by the legislature as an independent agency in 1973. Minnesota was the first state to create an ombudsman specifically for corrections and to give the office independent authority and in doing so established a standard for how to independently and justly investigate complaints. The office was eliminated by the legislature in 2003. In 2019, the Minnesota Legislature newly re-created the Office of the Ombuds for Corrections.
Ramsey County staff transferred Parks and Recreation Commission meeting minutes and agenda items dated 1990-2003. The Commission advises the Ramsey County Parks & Recreation Department and Ramsey County Board of Commissioners on matters related to the planning, development and operation of the county's parks, trails, open space and recreation facilities.
Received from the Tax Court are closed (completed) decision files dated 2017-2019, and closed (completed) property taxes files dated 2011-2021 (bulk dated 2015-2021). The files continue, or inter-file with, existing sets of records. The Minnesota Tax Court has existed since 1939, and is a specialized executive branch court specifically established by the Minnesota Legislature to hear only tax related cases. The Court’s mission is to provide timely and equitable disposition of appeals of orders issued by the Minnesota Commissioner of Revenue and local property tax valuations, classification, equalization and/or exemptions. All of the judges have expertise in the tax laws and apply that expertise in a manner to ensure that taxpayers are assessed only what they owe, and no more.
Acquisitions:
- Administration Department. Commissioner’s Office. Advisory opinions dated 1993-2008, 2014-2018. 3 boxes.
- Carver County. Chanhassen (village). Birth and death register dated 1900-1938. 1 bound volume.
- Legislature. Electronic Real Estate Recording Commission. 1 folder.
- Ombudsman for Corrections. Files of Theartrice Williams dated 1972-1989. 6 folders.
- Ramsey County. Parks and Recreation Commission. Meeting minutes and agenda items dated 1990-2003. 1 box.
- Tax Court. Tax Court. Closed (completed) decision files dated 2017-2019, and closed (completed) property taxes files dated 2011-2021 (bulk dated 2015-2021). 30 boxes.
Background:
Government records added this month to the State Archives collection document a number of important functions and activities, and will be valuable for various types of research. Staff of the Accountancy Board transferred meeting minutes, dated August 1960-December 2000, which continue an existing set of meeting minutes dating from 1909. The mission of the Board is to protect the public through the regulation of the practice of accounting by Certified Public Accountants, Registered Accounting Practitioners and others in Minnesota. The Board has nine members appointed by the Governor for four-year terms.
The state Agricultural Society transferred century farm applications, dated 2023, which continue an existing set of records. Dating from 1976, the century farm program was begun as a United States Bicentennial joint project between the State Fair and the Farmer magazine; later the Minnesota Farm Bureau became the co-sponsor. Include application forms for residents who wished to have their farms declared century farms, signifying that the farm had been in the same family for 100 or more years. The forms provide biographical and genealogical information and ownership history of the farm, and some include additional documentation and/or reminiscences. This new acquisition will be digitized by the Library & Archives Department digitization staff to join the set of records already digitized by our staff http://www2.mnhs.org/library/findaids/gr00094.xml.
Staff of the Architecture, Engineering, Land Surveying, Landscape Architecture, Geoscience and Interior Design Board transferred meeting minutes dated 1921-2000. The Board of Registration for Architects, Engineers and Land Surveyors was established in 1921. In subsequent years the Board changed its name and expanded to include Landscape Architecture, Geoscience and Interior Design professionals. The Board regulates the professions and enforces state statutes and rules in order to protect the health, safety and welfare of the public by ensuring that individuals meet the education, examination and experience for licensure or certification and maintain their records in good standing. The Board has 21 members appointed by the Governor for four-year terms. The regulated professionals are represented by 16 individuals, complemented by 5 members of the general public.
The Office of the Legislative Auditor (OLA) transferred reports, dated 2018-2023, including Financial Audits Division audit reports, Program Evaluation Division program evaluation reports, and investigation reports and reviews. The reports continue existing sets of reports dating from 1972. Throughout each year, the OLA examines the financial operations of state agencies and the performance of state-funded or state-authorized programs. The OLA conducts audits, evaluations, and investigations, and reports the results to the Minnesota Legislature, as well as to the officials responsible for the programs and organizations examined; the reports are available to the public.
With the assistance of Mower County Historical Society staff, records (dated circa1920-1967) of the Mower County Superintendent of Schools were transferred. The records include pupil, teacher and school district officer record cards, and selected subject files. In Minnesota the office of the county superintendent was established in 1851, while Minnesota was still a territory, and was abolished in 1970 after all rural common school districts had merged with independent school districts state-wide. The county superintendent oversaw the operations of the various school districts in the county, including examination and licensure of teachers, school inspection, curriculum planning, and planning of school facilities. While the State Archives preserves many records of individual Mower County school districts, the Mower County Superintendent of Schools is not well documented in the collection. These records provide concise summary information concerning pupils, teachers and school district officers county-wide, and are a valuable addition to the collection.
Acquisitions:
- Accountancy Board. Meeting minutes dated August 1960-December 2000. 2 boxes.
- Agricultural Society. Century farm applications dated 2023. 2 folders.
- Architecture, Engineering, Land Surveying, Landscape Architecture, Geoscience and Interior Design Board. Meeting minutes dated 1921-2000. 4 boxes.
- Legislative Auditor. Reports dated 2018-2023, including Financial Audits Division audit reports, Program Evaluation Division program evaluation reports, and investigation reports and reviews. 1 box.
- Mower County. Superintendent of Schools. Records, dated circa 1920-1967, including pupil, teacher and school district officer record cards, and selected subject files. 4 boxes.
Background:
Local government records with historical value are a major strength of the State Archives collection, and records added this month greatly enhance the collection. Birth and death records of townships and cities are particularly valuable and often their preservation and subsequent access is at risk, since townships and cities have no longer been required to register births and deaths since 1953. Often these records are neglected, stored in poor storage conditions, and their historical value is forgotten. With the assistance of the Heritage Preservation staff and the Mille Lacs County Historical Society, birth and death records (dated 1887-1942) of Princeton Township (Mille Lacs County) were transferred to the State Archives. The records join other birth and death records of the township preserved in the State Archives.
Ramsey County Public Works Department staff transferred Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority resolutions dated 1987-2020 (bulk dated 1987-2018), and agenda packets dated 2008-2018. The records continue an existing set of records dating from 1987. The Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority is established as a separate government unit that works on various transit and transit-oriented development projects that address the region’s need for mobility, improved transportation affordability, mitigation of traffic congestion, and enhanced environmental quality. Organized under Minnesota Statute 398, it is considered a separate taxing district from Ramsey County. The Authority consists of the seven members of the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners
Acquisitions:
- Mille Lacs County. Princeton Township. Birth and death records dated 1887-1942. 2 boxes.
- Ramsey County. Regional Railroad Authority. Resolutions dated 198702020 (bulk dated 1987-2018), and agenda packets dated 2008-2018. 5 boxes.
Missing Item List
Since its founding in 1849, the Minnesota Historical Society has been collecting materials to document and tell the story of Minnesota’s history and culture. The scope of our Government Records collection is vast, spanning from the Territorial era to modern digital records. With a collection this old and this large, and especially with a collection that is accessible to the public, occasionally items go missing. Most of these turn out to be misplaced and are recovered through standard collections management practices. Some, however, are not so easily located and apparently have left the collection completely. Some of these were most likely stolen while others have been missing so long that we believe they are unlikely to be recovered in our own collections.
Government records in particular are subject to several state statutes regarding their security, safety, and obligation to be returned to the State Archives:
- 138.225 Prohibition Against Unauthorized Disposal of Records; Penalty
- 138.163 Preservation and Disposal of Public Records
- 138.226 Replevin Authority
- 138.17 Government Records; Administration
The Minnesota State Archives asks for your help to locate and recover Minnesota’s missing heritage. The items listed on this website are those that we believe are no longer within our facilities and that can be positively identified as being from our holdings. If you have seen any of these records, or if you know of any items belonging to MNHS that might be for sale or up for auction, please contact the State Archives Team:
Email: statearchives@mnhs.org
Telephone: 651-259-3260
- Saint Paul. Miscellaneous Records. St. Paul and Ramsey County Miscellany, 1858-1873 (1 folder).
- Education Department. Annual Reports of the High School Board, 1883-1887 (2 volumes).
- State Auditor. Land Department. Land Examiners Records. Land Examination Reports, 1909 (1 bundle).
- Saint Paul. Human Rights Department, Subject Files (1955-1982). American Indian Movement (1 folder).
- Highway Department. Engineering Division. Urban Facilities and Projects Files. Rept: Proposed East-West Interstate through St. Paul, circa 1950 (1 folder). Contains content regarding Rondo neighborhood.
- Roseau County. ISD No. 690, Warroad. Clerk's and Treasurer's Receipt and Disbursement Register, 1928-1932 (1 volume).