Stearns History Museum

St. Cloud Area Genealogists - Hidden Treasure in St. Cloud with Tom Steman
2023-03-21 19:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago) | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Have you ever considered the archives of a university as a place for genealogical research? St. Cloud State University Archivist Tom Steman will present “Hidden Treasure No More: Genealogical Resources at St. Cloud State” for the St. Cloud Area Genealogists on Tuesday, March 21, 2023 at 7 p.m. at Stearns History Museum (235 33rd Ave S., St. Cloud). The presentation will be offered in-person and synchronously online and will be recorded for members and registered guests.
Steman will show primary resources from the archives that can be used to find genealogical information including yearbooks, commencement programs, oral histories, students newspapers, and WPA biographical sketches. In addition, Tom will provide tips to search other Minnesota academic institutions online. Tom Steman has been the University Archivist at St. Cloud State University since 2007. He has transformed the SCSU Archives into a place to find and use information about St. Cloud State, its campus, people and long history. He is proud of his deep family roots in Stearns and Meeker Counties.
Free to SCAG members and $7 for non-members (to register email kmsauer@ymail.com)

Memory Writers
2023-03-21 10:00 - 12:00, 2023-03-07 10:00 - 12:00, 2023-02-21 10:00 - 12:00, 2023-02-07 10:00 - 12:00, 2023-01-17 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.

Whippersnapper Hour: Dear Diary
2023-03-18 10:00 - 11:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Learn about history through hands-on activities! This time, we are diving into diaries, newspapers, photographs, and letters from the SHM archives! Help us gather clues from old documents to solve a mystery!
Students will even get to create their own diary to take home and tell their own stories. Recommended for kids ages 7-13.
Call the Museum to register or click here to register online!

Civil War Roundtable: History of The Lost Cause with Ian Schroeder
2023-03-14 15:30 - 17:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Meeting Overview: The American Civil War is surrounded by vast mythology. Indeed, it is far to say that there are two independent versions of the war. On the one hand, there is the history of the war, the account of what, in fact, happened. On the other hand, there is what historian Foster Gaines calls the “Southern interpretation” of the event. This account, “codified” is generally referred to by historians today as “the Lost Cause.” This version, touching almost all aspects of the struggle, originated in Southern rationalizations of the war. It then spread to the North and became a national phenomenon. In the national mind, the Lost Cause represents the popular history of the Civil War; it has been, to a large extent, substituted for the actual history of the war. As his presentation, we’ll have the chnance to examine the genesis of the Lost Cause, it’s central tenets, and contrast these with the actual history of the war.
Speaker: Ian Schroeder – a lifelong history buff with a Masters Degree in Public History from 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, March 14 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: Unsolved Mysteries & Miracles of Stearns County w/ Caitlin & Eric @ Beaver Island
2023-03-09 17:30 - 19:00 | Beaver Island Brewing Company, 216 6th Ave S, St. Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Save the date for the first Hops and History of 2023! Caitlin and Eric will be talking about any interesting or unsolved mysteries/miracles they could find in their research of Stearns County. From miracles at Grasshopper Chapel to unsolved bank robberies and other true crimes. If you liked our last H&H program with Dean Klinkenberg (Mississippi River Mayhem), then this is another one you may enjoy!
Join us March 9, 2023 5:30pm @ Beaver Island Brewing Company. $10/person, Museum members are free. Call us or click here to register!

Our Narratives Open Mic
2023-03-07 18:00 - 21:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Tell Your Story Before Someone Else Tells it For You

Bring your talent to tell your story! Music, Poetry, Prose, Storytelling, Comedy!

Theme: Tell your story about YOUR place in this Place of Stearns County! Are you a newcomer? Were you born and raised? Do you have a story of a special corner of this community?

Please note that we often hear stories and listen to perspectives that can be uncomfortable. We hold space for this type of exchange, respecting other’s experience. All are welcome.

6-7pm Social Hour with food (TBD), sign up for open mic, Gallery will be open
7pm Performances

Please reach out to us or The Whit Gallery with questions!

Our Narratives Artist Workshop
2023-03-05 12:00 - 16:00, 2023-03-04 10:00 - 16:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
See Yourself in The Archives! You ARE part of History!

For Creatives of all disciplines and backgrounds, this workshop is facilitated by top notch artist facilitators, Heidi Jeub and Terrell X, focusing on how you can tell your story, your way. Don’t miss this rich partnership with the Stearns History Museum!

Saturday, March 4, 10am – 4pm
Sunday, March 5, 12pm – 4pm

Make things, talk about things, and write and perform ideas inspired by the archives of the Stearns History Museum.
Bring your own lunch. Snacks and beverages available. Please click here to register online!

In partnership with The Whit Gallery / Heidi Jeub Studio

Central Minnesota Farm Show
2023-02-28 09:00 - 2023-03-01 15:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Come see us at the Central Minnesota Farm Show from 9-3 February 28 and March 1.
More information about the farm show can be found at www.centralmnfarmshow.com

Museum CLOSED
2023-02-27 - 2023-03-02 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
The Museum is taking a break this week to refresh for spring. You can come see us at the farm show and we will still be open this weekend, March 3-5! Stop in and see us then!

Exploring History & Culture in Central Minnesota - Hmong Cultural Center
2023-02-25 11:00 - 12:00, 2023-02-18 11:00 - 12:00, 2023-02-11 11:00 - 12:00, 2023-02-04 11:00 - 12:00 | Zoom / Online
Learn about Hmong history and culture in Minnesota during a free February event series, “Exploring History and Culture in Central Minnesota – Hmong Cultural Center.” Hosted via Zoom each Saturday in February, this is a partnership project of the Benton, Morrison, Sherburne and Stearns county historical societies. The series seeks to create greater understanding and awareness of cultures that have been and still are part of central Minnesota and its history.
This year’s programming comes from the Hmong Cultural Center (HCC) in St. Paul, a nonprofit organization dedicated to celebrating and nourishing Hmong culture and to enhancing cross-cultural awareness. The programs will be presented by HCC’s director of programs, Dr. Mark Pfeifer, and executive director, Txongpao Lee. A traveling exhibit from HCC will be available for public viewing at each site on a revolving basis for two weeks in February.

February 4 – Hmong 101: Weddings & Funerals
February 11 – Hmong 101: Traditional Hmong Beliefs about Health and Medicine
February 18 – Hmong 101: Folk Arts Traditions
February 25 – Hmong 101: Minnesota Milestones

Registration is required. For more information and to register, visit or contact the Stearns History Museum at info@stearns-museum.org or (320)253-8424 or click here to register online.

Hmong Cultural Center Traveling Exhibit on view:

January 31 – February 16 – Morrison County Historical Society (2151 Lindbergh Drive South; Little Falls) and Stearns History Museum (235 33rd Avenue South; St. Cloud)
February 18 – March 1 – Sherburne History Center (10775 27th Avenue Southeast; Becker) and Benton County Historical Society (202 Second Avenue South, Sauk Rapids)

The 2023 event series is sponsored by Sourcewell, Wingnut Tattoo, Mid-Minnesota Federal Credit Union and Bezek Family Dentistry. Support also comes from the Hmong Student Organization at St. Cloud State University.

St. Cloud Area Genealogists - "All Ears: Incorporating Oral History into your Genealogical Research" with Brendon Duffy
2023-02-21 19:00 - 20:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Would you like to learn how to better use interviews in your family history? Genealogist Brendon Duffy will present “All Ears: Incorporating Oral History in Your Genealogical Research” for the St. Cloud Area Genealogists on Tuesday, February 21, 2023 at 7 p.m. at Stearns History Museum (235 33 rd Ave S., St. Cloud). The presentation will be offered both in-person and synchronously online and will be recorded for members and registered guests.
After conducting interviews for nearly two decades, Brendon Duffy will share tips for how to prepare for, conduct, record and preserve an oral history interview. Most important, he will discuss how they can be useful to you in your genealogical research. Some unique oral history resources will also be explored. Brendon Duffy is the archivist at CentraCare and earned his Certificate in Genealogical Research from Boston University in 2018. He is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists and a board member of the St. Cloud Area Genealogists.
Free for SCAG members, $7 for non-members (to register email kmsauer@ymail.com)
To learn more about becoming a SCAG member, and to register, please contact Brendon Duffy (duffyroots@gmail.com).

Civil War Roundtable: Unearthing Central MN History with Rob Mann
2023-02-14 15:30 - 17:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Meeting Overview: Come and hear about the findings of an archaeological dig at the site of William Warren’s ca. 1949-1853 cabin in Morrison County, near Royalton. William Warren was the son of an Ojibwe-French woman and an American fur trader. He arrived in the area then known as Two Rivers around 1849/1850 and built a cabin/trading post on what is today the McDougall State Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Morrison County. During this period, Warren was actively working on the manuscript that would become the History of the Ojibwe People, originally published by the Minnesota Historical Society in 1885. This book was and is important because as a person of mixed ancestry Warren was a cultural broker, who thus wrote the first history of the Ojibwe from an Indigenous perspective. Warren was also an interpreter and a legislator from the Minnesota Territory, serving in the Minnesota Territorial House of Representative in 1851.
Speaker: Rob Mann – professor of archaeology at St. Cloud State University and past presenter at the Central MN Round Table.
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
Only exception to regular meeting time and location is the special December meeting. See details in schedule above.

Sweetheart Swing Dance
2023-02-11 19:00 - 22:00 | The Whitney Senior Center, 1527 Northway Dr, St. Cloud, MN, 56303, United States
Throw on your dancing shoes and join us for a Sweetheart Swing Dance!
The Rock City Big Band will play all your favorites from the 20s, 30s, and 40s so you and your sweetie or you and your friends can dance the night away. Local beer will be served, along with some tasty sweet treats!
Saturday February 11th at the Whitney Senior Center. $10 per ticket, dance lesson at 6:30 & dance starts at 7.
Call 320-253-8424 or click here for tickets.

Breakfast Club w/ Tom Steman
2023-02-08 09:00 - 10:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Mark your calendars for a breakfast date with the history museum.
Join us the morning of Wednesday, February 8 for breakfast with St. Cloud State University Archivist Tom Steman. We will be exploring Central Minnesota’s connection with cartoon characters such as Bugs Bunny and the Looney Tunes gang as Tom discusses St. Cloud State alumni Ralph Heimdahl and his archival materials.
Please call the Museum at 320-253-8424 to register. The Breakfast Club program is free for Stearns History Museum members and $7 for nonmembers. We hope to see you there!

Heritage Circle Tour at Iron Street Distillery
2023-02-02 10:00 - 12:00 | Iron Street Distillery, 539 East St. Germain Street, St. Cloud, MN, 56304, United States
Heritage Circle members! We’d like to invite you to tour the new Iron Street Distillery, formerly the International Harvester building (ca 1928). The distillery tour will begin at 10am with lunch to follow.

Please RSVP to info@stearns-museum.org or call 320-253-8424 by Monday Jan 30 for the Thursday Feb 2 event! Hope to see you there!

Crazy Quilt Exhibit opens
2023-01-25 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
View our Crazy Quilt exhibit in gallery 2&3!

Historski: A History Ski Tour of Riverside Park
2023-01-22 11:30 | Riverside Park, 1725 Kilian Blvd, St. Cloud, MN, 56304, United States
Love history? Like to ski? Take the central Minnesota park history challenge and try Historski: A History Ski Tour of Riverside Park during the 15th Annual Sons of Norway Barnelopet (children’s ski) at Riverside Park on Sunday, January 22, 2023.
Check your knowledge while doing a scavenger hunt along some of Riverside Park’s great ski trails. Stop by the park shelter (1725 Kilian Boulevard Southeast) to get started. This self- guided, free event is open to all ages. Event starts at 11:30 a.m.
Historski: A History Ski Tour of Riverside Park is hosted by the Stearns History Museum with support from the Central MN Youth Ski Club, Nordic Ski Club of Central Minnesota and St. Cloud (Trollheim) Sons of Norway Lodge. For more information/to register, go to www.rethos.org/classes, contact info@stearns-museum.org or call 320/253-8424.
10th St. Bridge, St. Cloud State University, 1910 Image courtesy SCSU Archives.

Whippersnapper Hour: Fur Trade Frenzy
2023-01-21 10:00 - 11:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Whippersnapper Hour is a program for children to learn about history with hands-on activities.
At this month’s Whippersnapper Hour, kids will get a little taste of what it was like to be involved in the American Fur Trade during the 19th century here in Minnesota. They will get to touch real furs, barter for goods and make their own Bandolier bag to take home!

Saturday, January 21 @ 10am; Recommended for ages 7-13
$5 for nonmembers and members are free
Call to register! 320-253-8424

St. Cloud Area Genealogists - "A Whole New World of Catholic Records" with Margaret R. Fortier
2023-01-17 19:00 - 20:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Save the date for SCAG’s first meetup of 2023!
Have you wondered what new resources are available for those with Catholic ancestors and how to decipher them? Margaret R. Fortier, Certified Genealogist (CG), will present the webinar “A Whole New World of Catholic Records” for the St. Cloud Area Genealogists on Tuesday, January 17, 2022 at 7 p.m. Participants will gather to enjoy the webinar at Stearns History Museum (235 33rd Ave S., St. Cloud) and the webinar will also be offered synchronously online.
Catholic sacramental records can be genealogical gems. They identify important moments, places and cultural information about your ancestors. Fortier will discuss the expanded availability of Catholic records online and how to find them both online and offline. She will cover parish records both for the United States and internationally as well as records for Catholic institutions and newspapers. Come hear what these records contain, what they mean and how you can use them in your family research.
Margaret R. Fortier, CG, a Boston-based genealogist, researches immigrant ancestors, focusing on those with French-Canadian, Italian, and Portuguese roots. She serves on the board of the Association of Professional Genealogists.
Free for members, $7 for non-members (to register email kmsauer@ymail.com) Call or email the Museum or SCAG to register.
St. Cloud Area Genealogists Facebook Page

Breakfast Club "The 10th Division: Our WWII Mountain Troops" with Elena White & Molly Weyrens
2023-01-11 09:00 - 10:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Join us for a special January edition of Breakfast Club as Elena White and Molly Weyrens, members of the Nordic Ski Club of Northern Minnesota, discuss the 10th Mountain Division – a group of mountaineers who fought in Italy, Austria, and other areas during WWII.
January 11 at 9am – Stearns History Museum
Open to the public! Free to Museum members and $7 for nonmembers. Call us to register or click here to register online.

Civil War Roundtable: The Cincinnati Dock Riots of 1862 with Dr. Shannon Smith
2023-01-10 15:15 - 17:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Meeting Overview: In July of 1862, Irish workers in Cincinnati rioted to keep Black workers from laboring on the docks and attempted to “clean out” African American residential sections of the city. A precursor to the more infamous New York draft riots of 1863, the violence was triggered by the prospect of a draft and the rumored arming of Black soldiers. Fearing that their jobs would be threatened by emancipation and an influx of Black workers, immigrant laborers tried to establish themselves as true citizens and African Americans as interlopers. During the Civil War, as at other times in the nation’s history, Black men staked their claims to citizenship on their loyal labor and their armed service—not just in federal armies, but in defense of their homes and livelihoods. When Black workers organized in self-defense, white Cincinnatians quickly formed militia units in response. This wartime rioting followed patterns of antebellum riots, but the emancipation of African Americans and their military service during the war created a clear turning point in Black demands for social citizenship.
Speaker: Shannon Smith is an associate professor of history at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University. She teaches courses on the Civil War and Reconstruction in American culture, gender and race in US history, and protest and riots. Her research focuses on how riots and their military response led to the development of the National Guard and how protest has influenced citizenship and belonging in public space.
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
Presented by Dr. Shannon Smith, Associate Professor of History, CSB/SJU
Find more details on the program at:
https://www.facebook.com/events/3000739850230287?active_tab=about
Find the Central MN Civil War Round Table at: https://www.facebook.com/cmcwrt
Free and open to the public. Feel free to bring a friend!

Memory Writers
2023-01-03 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.wr
