Partner: The Minnesota State Fair Foundation
The Minnesota Historical Society and the Minnesota State Fair Foundation are increasing awareness and knowledge of Minnesota history by providing quality programming for visitors to the Great Minnesota Get Together. In 2013, the partners added new visual and written content for the Minnesota State Fair History Walking Tour brochure, new audio and visual content to the smartphone tour component, and presented audio/visual content via social media throughout the fair.
Partner: Preservation Alliance of Minnesota
The Minnesota Main Street Program is a proven, comprehensive strategy that helps communities create new jobs and businesses while preserving their historic downtowns. Additional partners include: GreenStep Cities, Minnesota Design Team, University of Minnesota Extension Center for Community Vitality, and University of Minnesota Tourism Center. The program provides tools, training, information and networking that communities need to revitalize their business districts.
This website enables citizens to view how Legacy and Trust Fund dollars are being utilized in their community. Additionally, the website contains links to all the project proposals received by the Legislative Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources and the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council; frameworks and plans that have been developed for each fund; and information on how members of the public can apply for funding.
The Civil War stories of the Oliver Kelley Farm and Historic Fort Snelling were featured in a 30-minute television program and broadcast statewide by Twin Cities Public Television (TPT). A similar TV segment was also aired on the Civil War origins of Juneteenth and how this anniversary continues to to be commemorated in the African American community. These historical topics and many more, including the 1862 U.S, Dakota War, comprised a special 2-hour television program also broadcast by TPT.
MNopedia and MinnPost, an online news organization, are working together to share content and make Minnesota history more accessible. MNopedia is the first digital encyclopedia about Minnesota. All MNopedia articles are prepared by historians, consulting experts, professional writers, and others vetted by the Minnesota Historical Society. Once a week, MinnPost will publish a MNopedia article on its website. In addition, twice a month for the next ten months, MinnPost will create and publish news articles that relate to historical events in Minnesota.
The grant provided research, writing and editing of five selected articles to be published at www.mnopedia.org. The topics chosen were: Crystal Sugar of Chaska, the Watertown Bell factory, the 1965 Floods, the Little Rapids Fur Post and the Waconia Patriot.
By adding content on Carver County history to this resource, Carver County Historical Society provides a more complete collection of their history and allows their organization to share and interpret our local history with a much broader audience.
This project is a continuation and expansion of two historically successful ecological programs operated by the Scott Soil and Water Conservation District and Scott County Watershed Management Organization partnership, including the Native Grass Program (NGP) and Filter Strip Program (FSP). This continues work begun with FY2010 and 2012 CWF.
Partners: City of Minneapolis, Hennepin County Library and Minneapolis Public Schools
In November and December 2013, Minnesota residents had a unique opportunity to view a collection of photos by Gordon Parks and participate in a community conversation around his book "A Choice of Weapons," the 2013 One Minneapolis One Read selection. The exhibit, which was on display at Mill City Museum, also featured approximately 30 photographs created by Minneapolis high school students alongside images by Parks, on loan from The Gordon Parks Foundation.
The Pomme de Terre River watershed is located in west central Minnesota and occupies a portion of six counties. For many years surface water quality within the watershed has been a concern to local government. In 1982 the Pomme de Terre River Association Joint Powers Board (JPB) was formed to begin addressing this issue. In 2002 the Pomme de Terre River was placed on the Impaired Waters list for turbidity. The goal of the JPB is to improve the local water resources within the watershed through voluntary efforts and building relationships with local landowners.
The Minnesota Historical Society continues to build a culture of evaluation. An evaluation coordinator provides technical assistance and support to staff who evaluate ACHF projects and programs. An institutional Evaluation Action Team, along with consultation from Wilder Research, helps provide strategy and direction for evaluation capacity-building efforts. Interns from the Minnesota Evaluation Studies Institute at the University of Minnesota also support evaluation efforts that may include logic model design, evaluation planning, instrument design and data analysis and reporting.
Since completion of the Ramsey Redevelopment Project in 2011, the Alexander Ramsey House has been operating under a new model, but without a new business and marketing plan. This project allowed the Historic Sites division to hire a consultant to lead the site staff and MNHS technical advisers through a business planning process. Project objectives were to articulate goals and an operational plan for the site, identify target markets for the site and ensure the site would continue to meet institutional mission and financial goals.
