Small Grants Given to History Organizations Throughout Minnesota

(Minnesota) — April, 2022 — The Minnesota Historical Society is pleased to announce the newest recipients of 42 Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Small Grants ($10,000 and less), totaling $355,452 in 23 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 on March 10, 2022.

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 winter 2022 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.

Children’s Dental Services, Duluth, $10,000
To contract with qualified professionals to prepare construction documents for the preservation of 25 W. Superior St., listed as a contributing part of the Duluth Commercial Historic District in the National Register of Historic Places.

Chippewa County Historical Society, Montevideo, $3,581
To purchase materials to assemble a Disaster Response Kit that will be used to respond to museum collections emergencies.

City of Eagle Bend, Eagle Bend, $10,000
To hire a qualified historian to complete an evaluation to determine eligibility for listing in the National Register of Historic Places for the WPA-era Eagle Bend High School.

City of Tracy, Tracy, $8,000
To hire a qualified historian to complete an evaluation to determine eligibility for listing in the National Register of Historic Places for the 1938/1957 Tracy Municipal Building and Armory.

Clarissa Community Museum, Inc., Clarissa, $6,353
To install an exhibit on Minnesota military history at the Clarissa Community Museum.

Danebod Lutheran Church, Tyler, $10,000
To hire a qualified engineer to conduct a structural assessment of the 1917 Danebod Folk School Brick Building, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

 

Dassel-Cokato Baseball Association, Dassel, $7,978
To hire a qualified historian to research and write the history of the Minnesota Amateur Baseball State Tournament for their 100th anniversary in 2023.

Dodge County, Mantorville, $2,700
To design and produce historical markers for the Wasioja Historic District.

Edina Historical Society, Edina, $8,093
To improve collections care and management through an updated collections management system.

Edina Morningside Community Church, Edina, $9,999
To provide better organization of the museum collections, allowing for greater public access to the community’s historic resources.

Faribault County Historical Society, Blue Earth, $5,580
To add 62 rolls of microfilmed newspapers to make primary records more accessible to the public.

First Baptist Church, Battle Lake, Battle Lake, $8,750
To hire a qualified historian to complete an evaluation to determine eligibility for listing in the National Register of Historic Places for First Baptist Church, Battle Lake.

Hennepin History Museum, Minneapolis, $9,991
To improve collections care and management through an updated collections management system.

Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County, Moorhead, $10,000
To provide better organization of the museum collections, allowing for greater public access to the community’s historic resources.

Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest, Minneapolis, $7,958
To document in 20 oral history interviews the history of Jewish entrepreneurship in Minnesota.

Kandiyohi County Historical Society, Willmar, $3,255
To add 36 rolls of microfilmed newspapers to make primary records more accessible to the public.

Maritime Heritage Minnesota, St. Paul, $9,989
To conduct a marine archaeology investigation of anomalies found in five lakes around the southern and west metro areas of Minnesota.

Murray County, Slayton, $9,700
To hire qualified professionals to publish a book on the history of Currie, Minnesota’s rail yard and the development of End-O-Line Railroad Park and Museum.

Murray County Historical Society, Slayton, $9,710
To provide better organization of the museum collections, allowing for greater public access to the community’s historic resources.

Nobles County Historical Society, Worthington, $9,999
To improve collections care and management through proper storage.

Olivet Congregational Church, St. Paul, $5,770
To hire a qualified consultant to conduct a general preservation needs assessment survey and long range collections preservation plan.

PACER Center, Minneapolis, $9,655
To hire a qualified consultant to conduct primary source research on the history of PACER Center, Inc., from its founding in 1976 to the present.

Pine City Area History Association, Pine City, $7,200
To hire a qualified museum lighting professional to develop a museum lighting plan.

Preservation Alliance of Minnesota (Rethos), St. Paul, $10,000
To provide better organization of Rethos’ archival collections, allowing for greater public access to their preservation history resources.

Red Lake Nation College, Red Lake, $5,400
To hire a qualified museum consultant to conduct a general preservation needs assessment survey and long range collections preservation plan.

Regents of the University of Minnesota (Duluth – Kathryn A. Martin Library), Duluth, $10,000
To hire a consultant to use the OCLC’s Total Cost of Stewardship framework to develop a Collection Management and Development Policy.

Regents of the University of Minnesota (Institute for Advanced Study), Minneapolis, $10,000
To document in 10 oral history interviews the history of basketball in and around Minneapolis as a lens onto the issues and dynamics of race/racism, community engagement, politics, unrest, and social change in Minnesota and around the nation.

Regents of the University of Minnesota (Morris Campus), Morris, $9,993
To make transcriptions of the oral history collection publicly accessible for researchers of West Central Minnesota history.

Regents of the University of Minnesota (University of Minnesota Press), Minneapolis, $10,000
To hire qualified professionals to publish a book on the history of Minnesota’s breeding birds.

Rushford Area Historical Society, Rushford, $10,000
To contract with qualified professionals to prepare construction documents for the preservation of the 1867 Southern Minnesota Depot, listed in the National Register of Historic Places and used as the headquarters for the Rushford Area Historical Society.

Scandia Heritage Alliance, Scandia, $7,500
To hire a qualified historian to research and assemble materials in preparation for a heritage tourism map of Scandia.

Scott County Historical Society, Shakopee, $5,500
To hire a qualified and experienced security firm to evaluate the current level of museum security.

SELCO Southeastern Libraries Cooperating, Rochester, $10,000
To hire qualified professionals to write the second half of a manuscript on the history of Southeastern Libraries Cooperating (SELCO).

St. Cloud State University (Department of Anthropology), St. Cloud, $10,000
To hire a qualified archaeologist to conduct a survey of the circa 1848-1853 William Warren homesite in Morrison County, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

The Bakken Museum, Minneapolis, $9,983
To hire a qualified and experienced firm to evaluate the museum and programming spaces for accessibility under ADA requirements.

Tower-Soudan Historical Society, Tower, $10,000
To improve public accessibility at the 1895 Tower Fire Hall and better comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Twin City Model Railroad Museum, St. Paul, $10,000
To provide better organization of the museum’s archival collections, allowing for greater public access to the community’s historic resources.

Virginia Area Historical Society, Virginia, $2,815
To produce and install six exhibit markers at Virginia Area Historical Society.

Westonka Historical Society, Mound, $10,000
To purchase a microfilm reader/printer/scanner to make microfilmed records more accessible to the public.

White Bear Lake Area Historical Society, White Bear Lake, $10,000
To design, produce, and install historical markers in the City of Birchwood Village.

White Bear Lake Area Historical Society, White Bear Lake, $10,000
To hire a qualified consultant to conduct an audience and market analysis for White Bear Lake Area Historical Society.

Wiccan Church of Minnesota, Minneapolis, $10,000
To provide better organization of the organization’s archival collections, allowing for greater public access to historic resources.

About Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants

The Minnesota Historical Society received a legislative appropriation of $33.085 million for the 2022-2023 biennium, including funding for the Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage (“Legacy”) Grants: $5,892,000 for FY2022 and $7,000,000 for FY2023.

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 8, 2022 and July 8, 2022. 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.

The Minnesota Historical Society is a nonprofit 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 publishing. Using the power of history to transform lives, MNHS preserves our past, shares our state’s stories and connects people with history. Visit us at mnhs.org.

The Minnesota Historical Society is supported in part by its Premier Partner: Explore Minnesota Tourism.