Stearns History Museum

Heritage Circle Tour @ SCSU Eastman Hall
2022-11-02 10:30 - 12:00 (America/Chicago) | 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!

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!

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

Memory Writers
2022-11-15 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.

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!

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

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

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!

Museum CLOSED
2022-11-21, 2022-11-22, 2022-11-23, 2022-11-24 | 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!

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.

Mission Moonshine Escape Room
2022-12-01 16:00 - 19:00, 2022-12-08 16:00 - 19:00, 2022-12-15 16:00 - 19:00, 2022-12-22 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

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.

Memory Writers
2022-12-06 10:00 - 12:00, 2022-12-20 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.

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!

Breakfast Club: German-Catholic of Stearns County with Jeanette Blonigen Clancy
2022-12-14 09:00 - 10:00 | 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
2022-12-17 14:00 - 16:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
We’re opening two more time slots for the Mission Moonshine Escape Room! This Saturday, December 17 from 2-3 and 3-4.
Register and get tickets by clicking here.

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?

One hour time slot per group, maximum 6 per session. $20/person (nonmembers), $15 for members
Questions? Call us at 320-253-8424

Museum CLOSED
2022-12-23 - 2022-12-26 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Museum closed for the Holidays. We will reopen and see you Wednesday, December 28th!

Lion Man Literacy Exhibit closing
2022-12-31 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
A new comic book exhibit featuring the work of young community members kicks off at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, August 25, at Stearns History Museum.
The Lion Man Literacy Project highlights the visions of young Black youth solving real-life problems through the embodiment of superheroes. The summer program, under the guidance of Michael Dando, an English professor at St. Cloud State University, involves students at Too Much Talent, Southside Boys and Girls Club of Central Minnesota and District 742 South Junior High School CRUSH Academy. The students created characters and one- to two-page stories using technology like Procreate and other digital art tools.
The name Lion Man comes from the first Black superhero comic written in 1947 by Black Philadelphia journalist Orrin Cromwell Evans. The story follows an American scientist turned superhero (Lion Man) tasked by the United Nation to watch over a magical mountain full of uranium in Africa to prevent war. The exhibit is expected to run through September in conjunction with Beyond the Black Panther: Visions of Afrofuturism in American Comics, a Michigan State University’s traveling exhibition. The second presentation explores how aesthetics and community shape contemporary Black comics. It also offers stories inspired by African folklore such as Is’nana the Were-Spider and stories from the Black speculative tradition.
Presented by United Way Partner for Student Success 21st Century Community Learning Centers and Stearns History Museum.

Open from 10-3
2022-12-31 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
We will be closing early to observe the New Year holiday. Note: we will be closed all day 1/1 New Years Day!

Museum CLOSED
2023-01-01 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Closed for the holiday. Happy New Year!

MUSEUM CLOSED
2023-01-02 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States

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

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!
