Stearns History Museum

Whippersnapper Hour - Fur Trade Frenzy
2023-09-16 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Chicago) | 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!

SCAG Meeting - Judy G. Russell, "Finding the Law"
2023-09-19 19:00 - 21:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
This is an online event! For more information, email scag@stcloudareagen.org.

Historic Harvest Fest
2023-09-23 10:00 - 13:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States

Our Narratives Open Mic Night
2023-09-26 18:00 - 20:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Bring your talent and tell your story! Music, Poetry, Prose, Storytelling, Comedy!

Tell your story about YOUR place in 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.

We will be outdoors (weather permitting) so please bring a lawn chair or blanket! You are welcome to bring your own snacks and drinks.

Go to heijeuarts.org for specifics about the program. Please reach out to us or info@heijeuarts.org with questions!

Heritage Circle Tour - Brenny Transportation
2023-09-28 10:00 - 12:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
From its start in a small rented office in Waite Park to today, Brenny Transportation, Inc. has grown into a highly-respected woman-owned trucking company in the heart of central Minnesota. Learn the secrets of its business success and vision for the future during an exclusive tour with Joyce Brenny, CEO & Founder. The tour starts at 10 a.m. on Thursday, September 28, 2023, at the company’s current location in St. Joseph, Minnesota (8505 Ridgewood Road). It’s a tour not to be missed!
Following the tour, everyone is welcome to gather for lunch-on-your own at Kay’s Kitchen (303 College Avenue North; St. Joseph, MN). Be sure to bring your own cash or other form of payment.
For questions or more information, contact Ann Marie at development@stearns-museum.org or call 320-253-8424.
Register online here!

Folk Music Concert and Bead Making
2023-09-30 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Back by popular demand! Join celebrated local folksinger and songwriter Dennis Warner for another free fall concert at the Stearns History Museum (235 33rd Avenue South, St. Cloud). The event takes place at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 30, 2023. Freshly back from his recent South African tour, the concert will include Warner’s internationally-recognized song, “Beads on One String,” and selections from his top-rated album, “Pilot Me.”
In addition to the concert, you’ll be able to make your own bead art inspired by Warner’s music. Former local art educator, Kathy Gerdts-Senger, will guide you in learning simple bead-making techniques. Make your own bead art to bring home!
This family-friendly event is free and open to the public and will be held outdoors, weather permitting. Bring your own blanket or chair and enjoy an afternoon of free music and make-and-take crafts at the museum!
For more information contact Ann Marie at development@stearns-museum.org org or call 320-253-8424.

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

Civil War Roundtable - My Great-Grandfather's Final Resting Place: Salisbury Prison
2023-10-10 15:00 - 17:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Most Civil War history buffs have heard of Andersonville, but Salisbury Prison is equally infamous. It began under idyllic circumstances and ended with desperation. Please join us at our monthly meeting at the Stearns History Museum and come along for the journey of Salisbury Prison’s history.
Doors open at 3pm. Meeting begins at 3:15pm with welcome, introductions, and treats!
New this month: our first Civil War Book Exchange! Bring a book you’d be willing to loan to others. Make sure to put your contact info inside if you want it back.

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.

Colonialism & WWII: A storytelling and writing workshop
2023-10-14 10:00 - 12:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States

History in the Making
2023-10-14 10:00 - 16:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Come to our first annual arts and craft fair called History in the Making. We’ll have artisans and makers selling their wares inside the building. We can’t wait to see you there!

SCAG Meeting - Carolyn Sowinski, "Frozen on the Minnesota Prairie"
2023-10-17 19:00 - 21:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Many genealogists have not considered how adverse weather conditions affected their ancestors and the communities in which they lived. How could a researcher find information regarding weather and its effects from decades ago?
Kandiyohi County native Carolyn Mankell Sowinski will share her experience in a book talk hosted by the St. Cloud Area Genealogists on Tuesday, October 17, 2023 at 7 p.m. at Stearns History Museum (235 33 rd Ave S., St. Cloud). In Sowinski’s sixth book, The Great Storm: Minnesota’s Victims in the Blizzard of January 7, 1873, she identifies 84 people from 31 counties in the state who died in this three-day storm. These victims included men, women and children; Civil War veterans and recent immigrants; homesteaders and villagers. Sowinski will read excerpts about the storm, highlight historic documents about
the victims and share some of her approaches to genealogical research.
The presentation will also be available online and will be recorded for members of SCAG and registered guests. Books will be for sale at the event and can be purchased with cash or a check.
This event is free for SCAG members, $7 for non-members. To register, email kmsauer@ymail.com.

"Wayfinding" Exhibit Opening!
2023-10-19 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States

SCAG Meeting - Maggie Hill-Kipling, "Caring for your Family Heirlooms"
2023-10-22 | Pantown Brewing Company, 408 37th Avenue North, St. Cloud, 56303, United States
The St. Cloud Area Genealogists will present “Caring for Your Family Heirlooms” on Sunday, Oct. 22, at Pantown Brewing Company, 37 th Ave. N., St. Cloud. The event begins at 12:30 p.m. with the presentation taking place from 1-3 p.m.
Whether it’s your grandma’s antique necklace or your great-grandpa’s pocket watch, Objects Conservator Maggie Hill-Kipling will share valuable tips and tricks on cleaning, storing and maintaining your heirlooms for generations to come.
If you have a particular heirloom you would like addressed at the event, register online by searching for “Caring for Your Family Heirlooms” on Eventbrite. Not all registered heirlooms may be discussed due to time. For those without an heirloom for discussion, no registration is necessary — just show up to the event. Attendees are welcome to bring heirlooms and share their history with others at the end of the presentation.
The event is free and open to the public. Food and beverages are available for purchase at the event.
Maggie has a Master of Science in art conservation from the Winterthur/University of Delaware in Newark and a Bachelor of Arts in anthropology and museum studies from Beloit College in Wisconsin. Maggie spent the bulk of her career in Tucson at the University of Arizona working on cooperative agreements with the National Park Service’s Intermountain Museum Services Program, where she conducted collection condition surveys, implemented and advised on storage, rehousing and move projects, and treated a wide variety of historic, archaeological and Native American cultural materials.
Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from Maggie and keep your family’s history alive.
Founded in 1974, St. Cloud Area Genealogists (SCAG) 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.

Keeping the Weather Out: Homeowner How-to's
2023-10-28 10:00 - 12:00 | TBD
Back by popular demand, “Keeping the Weather Out: Homeowner How-tos,” is perfect for home and property owners eager to get ready for Minnesota’s cold weather season. This hands-on workshop will cover how to fix cracks and drafts, repair problem doors and windows, and practice the best winterization methods and techniques. Taught by local renovation specialist, Eric Cheever, this class is for anyone caring for an older home or structure.
The workshop takes place at the beautiful Queen Anne-style home near downtown St. Cloud built in 1886 by Frank Fandel, founder of Fandels Department Stores. The yellow brick structure has seen various remodels and alterations throughout its 135 years of existence, making it the perfect setting to learn about everything from energy audits and tuck pointing to how older, existing buildings can be just as snug and energy efficient as newer ones. A must for anyone looking to get
ready for winter!
Held both inside and out, the class will include a tour of the home and a chance to practice the effective skills and techniques needed for keeping the weather out of your own home or structure. A complimentary boxed lunch will be provided courtesy of the site host, Peter Fandel. General admission is $20. Class size is limited so register today!
For more information and to register, visit https://www.rethos.org/events or contact Ann Marie Johnson, Central Minnesota Education Coordinator for Rethos based out of the Stearns History Museum in St. Cloud (CentralMN@rethos.org; 320-253-8424).

Heritage Circle Tour - Central McGowan
2023-11-02 10:00 - 12:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
75+ years in the making and still going strong! Join us at 10 a.m. on Thursday, November 2nd, 2023, for the final Heritage Circle Tour of the year at Central McGowan headquarters in St. Cloud. Learn about one of the area’s leading, state-of-the-art companies from third-generation CEO, Joe Francis. Tour the facility and discover the science and technology behind the company, its successful business model, and the origins of this diversified industry. Don’t miss one last great adventure of the year into Stearns County’s past, present and future. Space is limited so register today!
Following the tour, everyone is welcome to gather for lunch-on-your own at Brigitte’s (42 32nd Avenue South). Be sure to bring your own cash or other form of payment.
If you have any questions or need more information, contact Ann Marie at development@stearns-museum.org or call 320-253-8424.
Register online today!

Gingerbread Architecture - The Sweet Elements of Design
2023-11-18 | Great River Children’s Museum, 601 W St Germain St, St. Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Love gingerbread? A fan of architecture and construction? Dream of building your own home or designing a structure? Then this class is for you!
Learn the basics of building construction and architectural design at this all-ages, family-friendly, kid-oriented workshop taught by Eric Cheever, the fun-loving Exhibits & Collections Curator for the Stearns History Museum. Eric will show you the inner workings of construction and design and teach about basic building elements during this hands-on class. Engage your inner architect or builder while creating your own structural masterpiece using icing and gingerbread. It’s sure to be a sweet treat!
Gingerbread Architecture: The Sweet Elements of Design will be held twice: the first on November 18 and the second on December 2.
This class on November 18 will be held at the Great River Children’s Museum, Lahr Building, at 601 West St. Germain Street, St. Cloud, MN 56301. The class will be held from 11am-noon.
General admission is $15. Sliding scale admission options are also available. Register here.
This class is brought to you by Rethos: Places Reimagined. Rethos Education is financed in part by the State of Minnesota from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the Minnesota Historical Society.
This event is sponsored by GLTArchitects and Cold Spring Bakery.

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

SCAG Meeting - Alexis Petrie, "Vintage Aerial and Genealogy: Exploring Your Story Through Aerial Photography"
2023-11-21 19:00 - 21:00 | 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

Gingerbread Architecture - The Sweet Elements of Design
2023-12-02 | Benton County Historical Society, 202 2nd Ave S, Sauk Rapids, MN, 56379, United States
Love gingerbread? A fan of architecture and construction? Dream of building your own home or designing a structure? Then this class is for you!
Learn the basics of building construction and architectural design at this all-ages, family-friendly, kid-oriented workshop taught by Eric Cheever, the fun-loving Exhibits & Collections Curator for the Stearns History Museum. Eric will show you the inner workings of construction and design and teach about basic building elements during this hands-on class. Engage your inner architect or builder while creating your own structural masterpiece using icing and gingerbread. It’s sure to be a sweet treat!
Gingerbread Architecture: The Sweet Elements of Design will be held twice: the first on November 18 and the second on December 2.
This class on December 2 will be held at the Robinson-Stanton House, Benton County Historical Society, 202 2nd Avenue South, Sauk Rapids, MN 56379.
General admission is $15. Sliding scale admission options are also available. Register here.
This class is brought to you by Rethos: Places Reimagined. Rethos Education is financed in part by the State of Minnesota from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the Minnesota Historical Society.
This event is sponsored by GLTArchitects and Cold Spring Bakery.

Civil War Roundtable - A Civil War Tea Party
2023-12-12 15:00 - 17:00 | The Whitney Senior Center, 1527 Northway Dr, St. Cloud, MN, 56303, United States
A CIVIL WAR TEA PARTY!
Learn about dress and clothing during the Civil War
Enjoy Civil War inspired teas, crumpets and cookies
Live music with popular Civil War songs!

$5 per person – Space Limited
Advanced Registration Required
To Register – call the Whitney Senior Center at 320-255-7245
OR send an email to aditlevson@gmail.com

Hosted by the Central MN Civil War Round Table – find them on Facebook at:
www.facebook.com/CMCWRT

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

SCAG Meeting - Anne Hanson, "Buried Secrets: Looking for Frank and Ida"
2024-01-16 19:00 - 21:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
When Anne Hanson’s dad first asked her to investigate the secret past of his parents, little did she know what she was getting into. Numerous genealogical searches and traditional sources failed to reveal even a speck of evidence that the families of her grandparents, Frank and Ida Hanson, had ever existed. Finally, after two decades of dogged research, Anne unearthed her grandparents’ true identities and the secrets they took to their graves. While her new book, Buried Secrets: Looking for Frank and Ida, is one of suspense, it also celebrates love and family. Her genealogical research helped to heal familial wounds and gave her father the answers he had longed for his entire life.
Hanson will present “Buried Secrets: Looking for Frank and Ida – a Genealogical Webinar” for the St. Cloud Area Genealogists on Tuesday, January 16, 2024 at 7 p.m. at Stearns History Museum (235 33rd Ave S., St. Cloud). The presentation will also be available online and will be recorded for members of SCAG and registered guests. For more information about online availability, email scag@stcloudareagen.org.
Anne Hanson crossed the ocean for her African Studies degree, and as a reporter, would drive endless miles across town to get the story. Anne has written for the Boston Globe and numerous newspapers, as well as for corporate publications and the New England Historic Genealogical Society’s American Ancestors magazine. She lives with her husband in Brookline, Massachusetts.
This event is free for SCAG members, $7 for non-members (to register email kmsauer@ymail.com).

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

SCAG Meeting - Daniel Earl, “Funeral Homes and Family History: They’re Dying to Meet You”
2024-02-20 19:00 - 21:00 | Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave S, St Cloud, MN, 56301, United States

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
