To document perceptions of identity and legacy through 15 oral history interviews with residents of a Jewish long-term care system in the Twin Cities. The project focused on capturing quickly disappearing histories from people who grew up in Minnesota’s immigrant communities or came to Minnesota as Russian immigrants or Holocaust survivors.
More than 40 reels of 8mm film were shot by the prolific photographer John Runk of his home down during 1947 through 1954. These films depict life in the Stillwater area post-World War Two and were donated to the Washington County Historical Society by Runk himself.
The project received an MHS Grants-in-Aid award in 2008 to enable the transfer of the raw 8mm film footage to digital tape and DVD.
MHCG funding allowed John Runk's little known motion pictures to be more broadly accessible to the public through edited down highlights in DVD format.
To hire a qualified consultant to develop a Historic Structure Report that will help preserve the Kasson Public School, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
The Oliver H. Kelley farm in Elk River is a National Historic Landmark, where visitors experience mid-19th-century Minnesota farm life. This historic structures report provides the foundation for future maintenance and preservation of the farmhouse while continuing to provide an important level of programming and public service. The Jeffris Family Foundation has awarded a matching grant of $25,000 to the Minnesota Historical Society to fund half of the estimated costs of a consultant to prepare the report.
To hire a qualified and experienced HVAC engineer to evaluate the current system in preparation for better control of the Kensington Area Heritage Society museum environment.
To capture the experiences of several generations of Kittson County war veterans, six individuals with direct combat or combat support experience, were interviewed. The transcriptions of each first-person narrative were printed and are now part of the Kittson County Historical Society permanent archives. Supplemental materials including photographs and additional information were used to highlight each story and to bring the reader deeper into the stories. A presentation notebook was created and a copy presented to each interviewee.
In order to update a control system that had surpassed its life-expectancy and to maintain a proper museum environment, the SCHS upgraded the HVAC system control software and front end computer. They were replaced with a new KMC LAN controller and Total Control software. The new system provides improved emvironmental control and energy conservation.
To initiate research at five adjacent archaeological sites in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, which will inform an eventual National Register of Historic Places nomination.
To hire a qualified historian to complete an evaluation to determine eligibility for listing in the National Register of Historic Places for a structure in Mountain Lake.
To hire a consultant to conduct a study and provide a report on the viability of a consolidation and/or strategic alliance of six historical organizations connected to Lake Minnetonka.
