In a collaborative effort between the Wabasha Public Library and the Wabasha County Museum the history of the Wabasha area was interpreted in a weekend event focusing on the Treaty of Traverse des Sioux and its impact on the "Half-Breed Tract", a reservation of children of mixed Indian and European ancestry. The 1851 signing of the Treaty of Traverse des Sioux and the resulting settlement and tourism were analyzed through the perspectives of the native Dakota, the Euro-American tourist and the newly arrived settlers from 1851 to 1861.
To provide professional development for two staff members at the national American Association for State and Local History Conference in St. Paul, September 17-20, 2014.
To provide professional development for one staff member at the national American Association for State and Local History Conference in St. Paul, September 17-20, 2014.
To provide professional development for two staff members at the national American Association for State and Local History Conference in St. Paul, September 17-20, 2014.
The book, "Backward Glances" by Lawrence Sunsdahl (1982), about the history of Stephen, Minnesota was updated and republished. It is a collection of articles printed in newspapers and periodicals over a twenty-two year period (1989-2010) about the area and its residents. The author, a lifelong resident of Stephen, had compiled information gathered from newspapers, microfilm and personal contacts.
To hire a qualified architect to prepare a conditions assessment and planning documents for the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, proposed to be used as a community center, and listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
The Fergus Falls Heritage Preservation commission, in cooperation with the Otter Tail County Historical Society, produced a brochure with the help of a qualified historian. The brochure consists of photographs, descriptions and maps to locate historically significant buildings and homes in the city. It was designed for use as a self-guided tour of the city's historical and architectural landmarks. The 40-page brochure is available through the Otter Tail County Historical Society, the Fergus Falls Heritage Preservation Commission and the Fergus Falls Convention and Visitors Bureau.
A general Conservation Assessment of and Long Range Plan for the preservation of the library's local history collections was prepared by Wabasha Public Library. The Library contracted with the Midwest Art Conservation Center to complete the project. The Plan will be used to set preservation policies, to identify storage and environmental needs, to make recommendations for disaster preparedness and to develop policy and procedures for the collections
The Historical society hired a qualified professional conservator to conduct a general conservation assessment of its collections and provide a long range plan for preservation. The final report summarizes the condition of the collections environment at the Reads Landing School site. Recommendations include a collection review and inventory to be conducted. A comprehensive list of resources and suppliers was also included in the final report.
Three radio theatre scripts were produced using the synthesized oral histories of Douglas County's elder residents. The oral histories had been gathered earlier as part of the Minnesota Historical Society's oral history project to preserve the stories of Minnnesota's Greatest Generation. The topics for the scripts were: the Great Depression, World War II and the post-war economic Boom. Each script was vetted by knowledgeable content experts and the information presented is historically accurate.
