Memory Writers
2023-04-04 10:00 - 12:00, 2023-04-18 10:00 - 12:00, 2023-05-02 10:00 - 12:00, 2023-05-16 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Chicago) | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Memory Writers is a writing group that meets twice a month on the first and third Tuesdays at 10:00 am. The group develop topics to write about and in turn shares those stories. This program is free to Museum members (non-members $7).
Questions? Call the Museum at 320.253.8424.

Civil War Roundtable: That d__n old google eyed snapping turtle - George Gordon Meade Col. Gary Colberg
2023-04-11 15:30 - 17:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Meeting Overview – Since Gettysburg has been covered so well by so many, be ready to learn about General Meade before and after that historic battle in am audience participative presentation. This unique, interactive presentation on General George Meade was originally presented to the prestigious Civil War Round Table of DC. In this presentation we review Meade as a young man at West Point to the end of the Civil War. What is there to the rumors that he abused his own soldiers when he lost his temper such as the “Peach Tree” incident? How was this general in combat? What about the famous “Cropsey incident” where a correspondent printed fake news in the newspaper (see Libeler of the Press photo)? What was it that he did that identified him to Lincoln as a “fighting general”? I also go into Meade and the Battle of the Crater during the Siege of Petersburg and his controversial and not as well-known decisions there. Two or three volunteers will be sought to have fun and participate as it is much more interesting. Civil War props such as Union and AOP flags, keppie cap, Brigadier General’s frock coat, saber, and shackles will also be on display.
Speaker: Gary was inspired to become a Civil War reenactor after researching his Great-Grandfather who served for three years in the 20th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry Volunteers. While serving in the Army National Guard in a unit with lineage and honors back to the 1st Minnesota, he joined the 1st Minnesota Regiment and started his Civil War reenacting hobby. After being mobilized and deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan multiple times he retired as an Army Reserve Colonel with 37 years of service. After his military retirement he continued to serve, working in the Pentagon and DC area as a Senior government supervisor, working with two and three star generals, and Deputy Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter. While working in DC he started reenacting again at the 150 th Gettysburg reenactment. He has participated in Living History and battle reenactments at Gettysburg, Antietam, Cedar Creek, Bristoe Station, Appomatttox and over 50 other battlefields. With the Civil War Impressionist Association (CWIA) he developed an impression of Major General George Meade that become in high demand in the Eastern Theater. One reason the CWIA has been so successful might be because they go beyond the normal Living History presentations, doing historically correct vignettes to help spectators feel like they are witnessing an actual event on a battlefield. The CWIA won the prestigious Visitors Choice Honorable Mention Award in 2022 at the Jamestown, VA Military Through the Ages reenactment. In support of DoD, Gary custom tailored a tour of the Gettysburg battle for non-commissioned officers. In addition, he led a tour of “the Crater” at the Petersburg National Battlefield. Gary is now retired, lives in White Bear Lake, Minnesota where he reenacts as a Private with the First Minnesota, and does Living History presentations as both Generals Meade and Hancock.
Meetings are held at the Stearns County History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud. This meeting will take place on Tuesday, April 11th at 3:30pm (doors open at 3).
Note change in starting time:
3:00pm – doors open and opportunity to socialize and interact with fellow members
3:15pm – welcome and “new features”
3:30pm – speaker presentation
4:45pm – adjourn
For more information – contact Andy Ditlevson – aditlevson@gmail.com, 320-241-8477

Breakfast Club w/ Chris Schellinger - Avon Hills Folk School
2023-04-12 09:00 - 10:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Join us for breakfast! This time, we’ll be discussing the history of the Avon Hills Folk School with presenter Chris Schellinger. Save the date – April 12 at 9am.
Chris will be discussing the property, how it became a Folk School, and a little about the history of the ‘folk school movement.’ For clarification: this program will be held at the Museum in the galleries as usual. Breakfast Club “On The Road” will return again later this summer.
Questions? Give us a call – 320.253.8424
Breakfast Club is free to Museum members and $7 for nonmembers. Register by calling the Museum or click here to register online.

Oak Savanna Park History Scavenger Hunt
2023-04-29 13:00 - 16:00 | Sherburne History Center, Becker, 10775 27th Ave SE, Becker, MN, 55308, United States
The Fox House. Clitty Lake. A gas station that doubled as a home, office, hotel, railway station and general store. Discover all this and more during the Oak Savanna Park History Scavenger Hunt! Bring your history detective skills to this free, self-guided, family-friendly event. Explore a beautiful park setting while learning more about architecture and natural history in Central Minnesota.
Pick up a scavenger hunt form and get started at the Sherburne History Center in Becker, Minnesota (10775 27th Avenue Southeast). The hunt runs 1-4 p.m. on Saturday, April 29, 2023. A special bonus for the day,
courtesy of the Sherburne History Center, is a free folk concert by local musician, Dennis Warner, and craft- making activities at the museum. The folk concert and craft-making activities start at 2 p.m. Bring your friends and family to spend the afternoon enjoying history and culture!
For more information and to register https://www.rethos.org/classes or contact Ann Marie Johnson, Rethos Central MN Education Coordinator based at the Stearns History Museum at CentralMN@rethos.org or 320-253-8424. Rethos is pleased to partner with The Stearns History Museum for Central Minnesota education programs. This project has been financed in part with funds provided by the State of Minnesota from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the Minnesota Historical Society.
Rethos web link: www.rethos.org/events
Image of Fox House, 2000. Photo courtesy Sherburne History Center

Civil War Roundtable: Was the Civil War about Slavery? Yes, No, and the Path to Yes with Dr. Mark Jaede
2023-05-09 15:30 - 17:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Meeting Overview: Although the Civil War unquestionably led to the freeing of enslaved African Americans, there is ongoing debate in popular culture about whether we should think of is as a war about slavery. Broadly, there is a tendency for those who sympathize with the North to characterize it as a noble war to free slaves, and for those more aligned with the South to call it a heroic but doomed struggle to preserve states’ rights and Southern culture. This talk will explore the shortcomings of both generalizations and consider the question of who really freed the slaves.
Speaker: Dr. Mark Jaede is a professor of history at St. Cloud State University
Meetings are held at the Stearns County History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud. This meeting will take place on Tuesday, May 9th at 3:30pm (doors open at 3).
Note change in starting time:
3:00pm – doors open and opportunity to socialize and interact with fellow members
3:15pm – welcome and “new features”
3:30pm – speaker presentation
4:45pm – adjourn
For more information – contact Andy Ditlevson – aditlevson@gmail.com, 320-241-8477

Hops & History: A Brief History of the Undergarment with Amy and Caitlin
2023-05-11 17:30 - 19:00 | Third Street Brewhouse, 219 Red River Ave N, Cold Spring, MN, 56320, United States
Join the museum’s own Amy Degerstrom and Caitlin Carlson as they use the collection of the Stearns History Museum to tell the “brief” story of how what we wear underneath our clothes has evolved in the last few centuries.
This time, we’ll be at Third Street Brewhouse in Cold Spring.
As usual – $10 for nonmembers; Museum members are free (bring cash for the bar). See you there Thursday, May 11 @ 5:30pm.
Register online HERE.
Questions? Call us at 320-253-8424.

Whippersnapper Hour: Adventures in Radio
2023-05-20 10:00 - 11:30 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Whippersnapper Hour allows kids to learn about history in a fun, hands-on environment!
At this month’s Whippersnapper Hour, we will perform and record our own radio play! Students will learn about the power of radio during the Great Depression and World War II, and will then rehearse and perform their own version of “The Mysterious Case of the Magic Milkweed.” We hope to see you there!
$5 per child nonmembers, free for Museum members. Recommended for kids ages 7-13.

Breakfast Club: "Burma-Shave: The Rhymes, the Signs, the Times" with Bill Vossler
2023-06-14 09:00 - 10:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Join us for another Breakfast Club at the Stearns County History Museum! This meeting will feature Bill Vossler, author of “Burma-Shave: The Rhymes, the Signs, the Times”.
Local writer Bill Vossler tell the story of this unique Minnesota company, which went from rags to riches thanks to its unique roadside advertising technique. Between 1925 and 1963, these signs were seen all across the country.
For thirty years, the series of six signs posted along roadways were an icon of American life. The little jingles that touted a brushless shaving cream entertained travelers across the country. Many of us who lived during those thirty years could recite favorite jingles by rote. Then super highways and the hectic pace of modern life made them obsolete. Still, for those of us older than thirty-five, Burma-Shave signs are part of our history and treasured childhood memories.
Wednesday, June 14 @ 9am

At War & At Home: The WWII Experience
2023-07-08 10:00 - 16:00, 2023-07-09 11:00 - 16:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
We’re bringing back our annual WWII weekend! More information to come later in 2023, but for now we wanted to let you all know the dates.
You can expect the Museum to be full of family-friendly activities, reenactors, interactive exhibits, and a lot more.
We hope to see you there July 8 & 9! Register online here: Saturday (Day 1), Sunday (Day 2)
Download Flyer Register Now

History Outdoors: One Room School Days
2023-07-20 10:00 - 11:30 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Join us July 20 for a “One Room School Days” session of History Outdoors! Join us in Paynesville Mn for One Room School Day! Children will abandon all the technology and experience as old-school lesson, play games outside, and get ma taste of what everyday life was like for kids their age over 100 years age!
Register online here.

The History of WACOSA at 60
2023-08-09 09:00 - 10:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Join us for another Breakfast Club at the Stearns County History Museum!
This week, we will be highlighting the History of WACOSA as they celebrate 60 years of creating possibilities for all abilities!
Breakfast Club is free for Museum members and $7 for nonmembers

Hops & History: "Whiskey Shores" with Elizabeth Reisinger
2023-09-14 19:00 - 20:30 | Beaver Island Brewing Company, 216 6th Ave S, St. Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Register here!

Whippersnapper Hour - Fur Trade Frenzy
2023-09-16 10:00 - 11:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
At this month’s Whippersnapper Hour, students will get a taste of what it was like to be involved in the American Fur Trade during the 19th century here in Minnesota. Students will get to touch some real furs, barter for goods, and make their own Bandolier bag to take home!
Register here!

Sundown Cemetery Tour - Sauk Centre & Palmer House
2023-10-07 16:30 - 19:30 | Sauk Centre, Sauk Centre, MN, United States

Breakfast Club - Emily Sackett - "Let Us Keep Our Middle Ground Clear:" The Dakota and Ojibwe in Stearns County and Central Minnesota
2023-10-11 09:00 - 10:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
In 2022, the Stearns History Museum was awarded a $10,000 grant from the Minnesota Historical Society to delve into our own archives, and those of other regional depositories, and create a document that begins to tell the story of the Dakota and Ojibwe in what is now Stearns County. We hired Emily Sackett, who spent nine months researching and building this document. On October 11th, she will discuss her process, as well as discoveries she made along the way.
Emily Sackett is a PhD candidate studying early American History at the University of Virginia. She specializes in the history of women, gender, and race in colonial America. As writer and researcher, her work has been recognized by institutions including the Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture, the Jefferson Scholars Foundation, and Historic Jamestowne. From 2022-2023, she served as a research specialist in Native American history for the Stearns County Historical Society.

Whippersnapper Hour - Dear Diary
2023-11-18 10:00 - 11:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States

Haunted Holiday Escape Room
2023-11-30 16:00 - 20:00, 2023-12-07 16:00 - 20:00, 2023-12-14 16:00 - 20:00, 2023-12-21 16:00 - 20:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States

Breakfast Club - Secrets of the Waite Park Car Shops Revealed!
2023-12-13 09:00 - 10:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States

Breakfast Club- Amy Degerstrom- "Meet the New Executive Director"
2024-02-14 09:00 - 10:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Join our new Executive Director, Amy Degerstrom, as she discusses over 20 years of experience in the museum field, and what led her to her new role. She will also spend some time reflecting on the museum’s past, as we are celebrating 40 years in this building in 2024! What has changed? What does she envision as the museum’s mission moving forward? Join us on February 14th to find out!
Non-Members: $7.00
Members: Free

Breakfast Club - Patty Wetterling: "Dear Jacob"
2024-03-13 09:00 - 10:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Join local writer, advocate, and educator Patty Wetterling, as she discusses her new book Dear Jacob: A Mother’s Journey of Hope. Patty will discuss the writing process, what inspired her to bring the book to fruition, and her path to finding hope.*
*Online registration required. To register online, go to the following: https://stearns-museum.company.site/Members-Breakfast-Club-Patty-Wetterling-p623448761

Hops & History- Kary Janousek- "When the Past is Present"
2024-03-21 17:00 - 19:00 | Bad Habit Brewing Company
Join Fargo photographer and artist Kary Janousek to learn about the amazing Victorian wet plate collodion process invented in 1851, what a tintype and ambrotype is, the basic steps of creating an image, and how she will be using this amazing form of photography to bring the past into the present at historical sites across the Dakotas in 2024.
Cost: $10 for non-members, FREE for members

Breakfast Club - Liz Fiedler, Sunny Mary Meadow
2024-04-10 09:00 - 10:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Liz Fiedler is the “Keeper of the Flame” on her Stearns County Century Farm, with her daughters being the 6th generation to live and actively farm there on the same land that has been in the Fiedler family since 1888. She and her late husband purchased the property in 2016 and established their business Sunny Mary Meadow in 2020 shortly before he passed away unexpectedly. Over the years, it has been home to many businesses: this farm has been a dairy, feedlot, hog farm, horse farm, traditional row crops, blacksmith shop, butcher shop, sawmill, and now flower farm.
$7.00/person, members FREE

Breakfast Club - Cory Haala- The 1980s Farm Crisis: Bankruptcies, Protests, and Memory in Stearns County
2024-05-08 09:00 - 10:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
