Stearns History Museum

Breakfast Club: German-Catholic of Stearns County with Jeanette Blonigen Clancy
2022-12-14 09:00 - 10:00 (America/Chicago) | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Save the date for this month’s Breakfast Club. Join us for coffee and rolls with Jeanette Blonigen Clancy as we discuss the German-Catholics of Stearns County.
Please call the Museum at 320-253-8424 or click here to register. The Breakfast Club program is free for Stearns History Museum members and $7 for nonmembers.

Mission Moonshine Escape Room
2022-12-08 16:00 - 19:00, 2022-12-01 16:00 - 19:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Join us this December for the Stearns History Museum’s first-ever Escape Room experience. During the hour, you’ll be transported to the 1920s, a time when everyone wanted the Moonshine Stearns County produced. But the agents are knocking down the door to dry out Stearns County with one goal in mind. Can you stop them?
Thursdays in December – Dec. 1, 8, 15, 22 from 4-7. One hour time slot per group, maximum 6 per session. Sign up today!
$20/person (nonmembers), $15 for members
To get tickets, you must register online by clicking here. Questions? Call us at 320.253.8424
Register online

Civil War Roundtable: How the Civil War changed Christmas (meeting at Great River Regional Library in St. Cloud)
2022-12-06 17:30 - 19:00 | Great River Regional Library, 1300 W St Germain St, St. Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Meeting Overview: Christmas prior to the Civil War looked very different from what it does today. Join us and learn how the Civil War changed Christmas. At this special December CWRT meeting, we’ll have FOOD from authentic Civil War recipes as well as 1860’s inspired Christmas ornaments and decorations. (PLEASE NOTE the change in time and location from our usual meeting).
Free and Open to the Public
December 6, 2022 – 5:30pm
Great River Regional Library
1300 W. St. Germain, St Cloud
Advanced Registration Required
To Register, email aditlevson@gmail.com no later than November 30!

Memory Writers
2022-12-06 10:00 - 12:00 | 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.

Escape room opens!
2022-12-01 16:00 - 20:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Additional information TBA.

Volunteer Luncheon
2022-12-01 11:30 - 13:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
To say thank you to all of our volunteers, we invite you to join us for lunch at the Museum on Thursday, December 1st from 11:30a – 1p.

Museum CLOSED
2022-11-24, 2022-11-23, 2022-11-22, 2022-11-21 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Happy Thanksgiving! The Museum will be closed November 21-24. We will reopen Friday, November 25 and remain open at regular hours for the remainder of the weekend. Thanks all!

Research Center CLOSED
2022-11-19 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
The Museum’s Research center will be closed all day Saturday, November 19th. Sorry for any inconvenience. Exhibits and galleries are still open for viewing!

Civil War Roundtable: Human Interest Stories of the Irish in the Civil War with Scott Mingus
2022-11-16 15:30 - 17:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Join us for Civil War Roundtable featuring Scott Mingus on Wednesday, November 16 @ 3:30 p.m. (note change in date from usual meeting!)
Meeting Overview: Erin Go Bragh. Anglicized from the Gaelic phrase for “Ireland Forever.” In the mid-19th century, the slogan was particularly popular among many Irish immigrants who had moved to the United States for political or personal reasons, yet maintained their strong familial, social, and often nationalistic ties to the old Emerald Isle. Tens of thousands of Irish-born men (and a handful of women) and an even larger number of Irish and Scots-Irish descendants fought in the Civil War, with Sons of Erin serving prominently in both the Union and Confederate armies. Many left compelling personal stories of their martial service, or of Irish comrades. In this PowerPoint presentation, Scott will share more than two dozen stories of prominent and not-so-prominent Irishmen and women from the war years.
Scott Mingus is a retired scientist and executive in the global specialty paper industry. The Ohio native graduated from the Paper Science & Engineering program at Miami University. He was part of the research team that developed the first commercially successful self-adhesive U.S. postage stamps, and he was an early pioneer in the development of bar code labels. He has written more than 30 Civil War and Underground Railroad books and numerous articles for Gettysburg Magazine and other historical journals. He has appeared on C-SPAN, C-SPAN3, PCN, and other TV networks. Mingus writes a blog on the Civil War history of York County, PA, where he lives (www.yorkblog.com/cannonball). He also has written six scenario books for miniature wargaming. A great-great-grandfather was a 15-year-old soldier in the 51st Ohio in the Western Theater, and a great-grandfather was in the 183rd Ohio during the Carolinas Campaign. Other family members fought at Antietam and Gettysburg in the 7th West Virginia of the Army of the Potomac.
Meetings are held at the Stearns County History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud.
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

St. Cloud Area Genealogists - "Adding Leaves and Flowers to the Branches of your Family Tree" with Linda Coffin
2022-11-15 19:00 - 20:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Join SCAG’s November meetup “Adding Leaves and Flowers to the Branches of your Family Tree” with presenter Linda Coffin. Tuesday, November 15 @ 7pm.
Free for SCAG members, $7 for non-members
A common problem for genealogists is making their research interesting enough that others will want to read about it. Genealogist Linda Coffin will address this challenge in her workshop “Adding Leaves and Flowers to the Branches of Your Family Tree” for the St. Cloud Area Genealogists on Tuesday, November 15, 2022 at 7 p.m. at Stearns History Museum. The presentation will also be offered synchronously online. Coffin will provide ideas for turning your charts and tables into interesting narratives, complete with illustrations and historical context. We will discuss types of background information that can be added to your stories and review examples. You don’t need to be a talented writer to liven up your genealogical stories. You will leave feeling more confident you can do it!

Linda Coffin has 35 years of experience as a self-employed graphic designer. In 2004, she started her own business, HistoryCrafters (www.historycrafters.com), to help her clients preserve memoirs and family histories and publish them as short-run books. To date, she has worked on more than 40 such books, for individuals, families, businesses, and even a golf course! Linda is a member of the Minnesota and Wisconsin Genealogical Societies, the National Genealogical Society, and the Association of Professional Genealogists. She has presented at many local, state, and national genealogy and memoir conferences.

St. Cloud Area Genealogists
Founded in 1973, the St. Cloud Area Genealogists is a non-profit organization that strives to make family history research an enriching and rewarding experience. This premier organization is for everyone from the beginner to the most advanced family historian. Our members research their ancestors from varying locations within Minnesota, throughout the United States, and from foreign countries. To learn more about becoming a SCAG member, please contact Brendon Duffy (duffyroots@gmail.com).
Click here for the Press Release: 2022 Nov Press Release – Linda Coffin

Celebrate the Courthouse Centennial
2022-11-15 16:30 - 19:00 | Stearns County Courthouse, 725 Courthouse Square, St. Cloud, MN, 56303, United States
The Stearns County courthouse is 100 years old, and Stearns County is holding a public event to celebrate!
It was an amazing feat to build such a magnificent and elaborate structure back in 1922. Today, the courthouse stands just as stately, grand, and beautiful as it did 100 years ago. We want the public to see for themselves! Let’s celebrate the historic and prominent courthouse. Share your courthouse story, and it can be part of our event on November 15th. Whether it was a wedding, adoption, a memory of being at the courthouse, a big case you recall, or anything else that drew you to the building, we’d love to hear it! Email your memory to info@co.stearns.mn.us .
Tuesday, November 15
4:30 – 7:00 p.m.
725 Courthouse Square, Downtown St. Cloud
There will be a variety of activities for everyone.

Explore the building and see parts of the courthouse you have never seen before.
See where the Mighty Ducks movie was filmed and the features left behind, a bullet mark left by a shooting in the courthouse, the infamous 8-foot-tall clocks that highlight the downtown St. Cloud skyline, and the impact of the downtown explosion in 1998.
Live music
Courthouse Bingo for kids
A scavenger hunt for all ages
Courthouse triviaFind the gavel game
Prizes
Food trucks
Selfie stations, with props
Activity table with coloring pages, puzzles, and word searches
Face painting
Food and beverages
Meet and take photos with our K-9s
The Sheriff’s Office drone
Old Sheriff’s squad car, new squad car and other equipment used by the Sheriff’s Office
Talk with a deputy and see the gadgets they have with them each day
Sheriff giveaways for kids
See all the courtrooms, inside the dome, hear about the biggest cases held in Stearns County, learn about being on a jury, and hear stories from judges, attorneys, staff, and other county officials who have worked for years in the courthouse. See displays with historic photos, interesting newspaper articles, and blueprints of the original courthouse that show a much different use of the building than we see today.
Learn all sorts of fascinating things about the building you likely never knew – about the tunnel system, presidential visits, the makings of its amazing architecture, and of course lots of history!

Memory Writers
2022-11-15 10:00 - 12:00, 2022-11-01 10:00 - 12:00 | 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).
For additional information, please call the Museum at 320.253.8424.

Whippersnapper Hour: Spy School
2022-11-12 10:00 - 23:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
At this month’s “Whippersnapper Hour,” kids are invited to a crash course at the Stearns History Museum Spy School! Kids will learn all about the different secret spy tactics used during World War Il, with everything from Morse Code to writing messages in invisible ink! They will then put those skills to use in order to solve a mystery right here in the museum. Save the date: Saturday, November 12 at 10am. Recommended for kids ages 7-13. Cost is $3 for nonmembers, members are free. Click here to register online or call us at 320.253.8424
Register online

Hops & History: Mississippi River Mayhem with Dean Klinkenberg
2022-11-10 17:30 - 19:00 | Beaver Island Brewing Company, 216 6th Ave S, St. Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Join us for another Hops & History! This time, we’ll be at Beaver Island Brewing Company learning more about the disasters and tragedies of the Mississippi River with writer and Mississippi River historian Dean Klinkenberg as he discusses his new book, in which he explores the many disastrous events to have occurred on and along the river in the 19th and 20th centuries– from steamboat explosions to Yellow Fever epidemics, floods, and prohibition piracy.
$7 for nonmembers and members are free!
So, mark your calendars and get some cash ready for the bar! Call the Museum at 320.253.8424 with questions & to register or register online.
Register Today!

Heritage Circle Tour @ SCSU Eastman Hall
2022-11-02 10:30 - 12:00 | Eastman Hall – St. Cloud State University, 850 1st Ave, St. Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Please join us at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, November 2, for a special Heritage Circle Tour, featuring the newly-renovated Eastman Hall on the campus of St. Cloud State University.
Renovated in 2019, Eastman Hall is home to the new Center for Health and Wellness Innovation. University Archivist Tom Steman will lead the tour along with Medical Director Dr. Brent Nielsen and Director of Counseling and Psychological Services Jennifer Rocheleau Dorholt. Steman will talk about the structure’s history and renovation. Nielsen and Dorholt will share how the facility is being currently used.

Parking information: Parking passes will be made available for N Lot (near the Education building and the Wick Science building). You can pick them up at Eastman Hall before the tour. See SCSU campus parking map below. Reach out to us with questions! Thanks! (https://www.stcloudstate.edu/campusmap/parking/default.aspx). Lunch will be on your own at Garvey Commons (https://www5.stcloudstate.edu/campusmap/building.aspx?bldgAbbr=GC).

Please RSVP by the end of the day Monday, October 31, at info@stearns-museum.org or call 320-253-8424.

Hope to see you next week!

St. Cloud Area Genealogists - "Discovering Your Polish Roots" with Jerome Biedny
2022-10-18 19:00 - 20:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Have you wondered how to find out more about your Polish ancestry but don’t know where to start? Genealogist Jerome (Jay) Biedny will present “Polish Genealogy: Sources in America and Europe” for the St. Cloud Area Genealogists on Tuesday, October 18, 2022 at 7 p.m. at Stearns History Museum (235 33rd Ave S., St. Cloud). The presentation will be offered synchronously online. Biedny will present major record types to explore when doing research on a Polish American relative as well as sharing tips for finding your relative’s ancestral village and their immigration and naturalization records.
Free for members, $7 for non-members
If you’re interested in becoming a SCAG member, please contact: Brendon Duffy at 320-237-3023 or duffyroots@gmail.com
Jerome (Jay) Biedny has been active in the Polish Genealogy Societies of Minnesota, New York and America for more than 30 years. Biedny is a past president of Polish Genealogy Society of Minnesota and has presented on Polish genealogy, history and immigration at many regional events. Biedny specializes in records from the German and Austrian Partitions and on the ocean liners that brought many families (including his) to America. He authored a genealogical column for many years in a Polish language newspaper in Minnesota and is currently working on a book that will capture his decades of research.

Memory Writers
2022-10-18 10:00 - 12:00, 2022-10-04 10:00 - 12:00 | 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).

Sundown Cemetery Tour
2022-10-15 16:30 - 18:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
*Registration is now closed* The tour is completely full.
Join us for the Sundown Cemetery Tour at North Star Cemetery in St. Cloud. Following the cemetery tour we will be going to The Red Carpet in Downtown St. Cloud for a drink.

Breakfast Club - I Hear My Father's Voice: Experiences of a WWII Veteran in the Pacific Arena w/ Hedy Tripp
2022-10-12 09:00 - 10:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Mark your calendars! Join us for breakfast on October 12 from 9-10am and enjoy a presentation titled I Hear My Father’s Voice: Experiences of a WWII Veteran in the Pacific Arena from Hedy Tripp. Coffee and rolls will be provided.
Please register ahead for this program. You can register by calling 320.253.8424 or emailing info@stearns-museum.org. Click here to register online. Call us with any questions or concerns. Thank you!

Civil War Roundtable: Grant vs. Lee – Who was really the greater general?
2022-10-11 15:00 - 17:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Join us for Civil War Roundtable on Tuesday, October 11th @ 3:30 p.m. This program is free and open to the public!
Many of us grew up hearing Robert E. Lee described as one of the greatest American generals of all time (if not thegreatest) while Ulysses S. Grant was sometimes described as a drunk and a butcher. In more recent years, Grant’s reputation has risen while Lee’s has taken some hits. In this presentation, we’ll discuss how historians have described both generals through the years as well as give audience members a chance to share their insights and opinions in an interactive presentation.
Stearns County History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud.
3:00pm – doors open and opportunity to socialize and interact with fellow members
3:15pm – meeting begins with the opportunity to hear about and share civil war book and travel recommendations and play some Civil War trivia
3:45pm – featured presentation on Grand and Lee
4:45pm – adjourn
Follow us on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/CMCWRT
Free and open to the public
For more information – contact Andy Ditlevson – aditlevson@gmail.com, 320-241-8477

Hops & History: A Celebration of Brewing
2022-10-01 13:00 - 16:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Let’s celebrate all the amazing breweries in Stearns County! Join us October 1, 1pm – 4pm in the Museum’s Plaza for the Second Annual Hops & History Celebration of Brewing! Enjoy standout beverages from a local cidery and local craft breweries. One ticket gets you a “never ending” 6oz glass that you can refill as many times as you’d like so you can try them all!
Be one of the first 75 people to walk through the door & you will get a free Bavarian pretzel from Backwards Bread Company!
You can get your tickets online by clicking here or calling the Museum at 320.253.8424.

Note: This is a 21+ event. $25 per person.
Questions? Call the Museum at 320.253.8424.
Please note: the Museum & galleries will close at 1pm October 1st and we will only be open for the ticketed event. Thanks!

Harvest Festival
2022-09-24 10:00 - 13:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Save the date for Stearns History Museum’s Harvest Fest! Enjoy a fun afternoon on the Museum Plaza featuring vintage-style carnival games, Victory Garden tours, Cake Walk, and more! Plus, send us your best hotdish recipes as soon as possible to add to our digital cookbook!
Adults – $10, Children – $5, Members are free.
Click here for the event information page. Click here to register online.
Call the Museum with questions – 320.253.8424

St. Cloud Area Genealogists - "Finding Family in the 1950 U.S. Census" with Mary Wickersham
2022-09-20 19:00 - 20:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Save the date for SCAG’s September meetup “Finding Family in the 1950 U.S. Census” with presenter Mary Wickersham. Tuesday, September 20 @ 7pm.
Many genealogists know that images of the 1950 U.S. Census of Population and Housing were made available online on April 1, 2022. Since then, volunteers from around the country have been indexing the records. While this is a wonderful resource, many researchers still struggle to find their relatives in the images.
Genealogist Mary Wickersham will present “Finding Family in the 1950 Census” for the St. Cloud Area Genealogists on Tuesday, September 20, 2022 at 7 p.m. at Stearns History Museum. The presentation will be offered synchronously online. Wickersham will show participants how to use the National Archives and Records Administration’s artificial intelligence-based index, other online indexes as well as offer tips for finding family you can’t find in the indexes.
Mary Wickersham has been a researcher for more than 25 years and is an avid genealogy volunteer. She is a longtime member of and volunteer for the Minnesota Genealogical Society and the Irish Genealogical Society International and has served on the boards of both organizations. She is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists.

Hops & History: History of Luthiers & Guitar Builders in Minnesota with Joel Knutson @ Pantown Brewing Company
2022-09-20 17:30 - 19:00 | Pantown Brewing Company, 408 37th Avenue North, St. Cloud, 56303, United States
Join us at Pantown Brewing Company with Joel Knutson for another Hops and History! This time, Joel will be presenting on “The History of Luthiers & Guitar Builders in Minnesota.” Come and grab a drink and mingle at 5:30 and the presentation will begin at 6!
Stay tuned for more information on this program. For now, mark your calendars!
