Minnesota Alliance of Local History Museums Announces History Award Winners for 9th Year

The Minnesota Alliance of Local History Museums will be honoring seven local history projects with a Minnesota History Award and nine individuals with a Lifetime Achievement Award at their Annual Meeting and Conference on April 25.  The event will be held at Treasure Island Resort & Casino, located just outside of Red Wing.  This is the ninth award year.  Award recipients’ completed projects or achieved the criteria for lifetime achievement in 2018.  “The Alliance is proud to honor this year’s award winners,” stated History Awards Committee Chair Adam Smith, an archives technician with Minnesota State University, Mankato Library Services.  “Each project symbolizes the great work being done by local history organizations across the state and each individual’s commitment to serving the local history community.”
 
The 2019 list of award winners is the largest group in the program’s history.  “We are proud to honor so many great people and organizations for their efforts to preserve history in Minnesota,” says Alliance Coordinator Dustin Heckman.  Over nine years, the Alliance has honored over 40 organizations with a Minnesota History Award.  The Lifetime Achievement Award, started in 2016, has honored over 20 individuals during that time.  A complete list of previous award winners is located on the Alliance website.

Award recipients for the 2019 Minnesota History Awards include

Golden Valley Historical Society
Golden Valley, MN
Design, Fabrication, & Installation of Permanent Exhibits

After four years, the Golden Valley Historical Society completed its installation of new permanent exhibits to better interpret its city's history.  

Hennepin History Museum, Mapping Prejudice Project, & University of Minnesota Heritage Studies and Public History Program
Minneapolis, MN
Owning Up:  Racism in Housing in Minneapolis

The exhibit, Owning Up: Racism in Housing in Minneapolis, guides visitors through the stories of three black families as they searched for home in white-dominated neighborhoods during the twentieth century in Minneapolis.

​Hmong Cultural Center of Minnesota
St. Paul, MN
The Hmong Folk Arts Experience

Visitors to the exhibit, The Hmong Folk Arts Experience, learn about the history and role of key folk arts forms including musical instruments, ceremonial recited wedding and funeral songs and embroidery in Hmong culture, how Hmong Minnesotans have worked to pass on these art forms over their 40 years in the state and the role these art forms continue to serve in the lives of Hmong residing in Minnesota.

​Minnesota Discovery Center
Chisholm, MN
Underground:  History Beneath Your Feet

The exhibit, Underground:  History Beneath Your Feet, presents a history of the Iron Range focusing on local paleontology and historical archaeology with an emphasis on combining STEM and history learning.

​Otter Tail County Historical Society
Fergus Falls, MN
Otter Tail County 150th Anniversary Celebration

To commemorate Otter Tail County's 150th Anniversary, the planning committee led by OTCHS developed an Otter Tail 150 exhibit, provided micro-grants to support the celebration, held unique programs throughout the county, and created a musical based on Otter Tail history.

​Steele County Historical Society & Barry D. Adams
Owatonna, MN
Steele County in the Civil War

The publication, Steele County in the Civil War​, recounts the experience of Steele County soldiers during the Civil War for middle school students.

​West Central Minnesota Historical Association
Counties of Big Stone, Chippewa, Kandiyohi, Lac qui Parle, Lincoln, Lyon, Redwood, Renville, Swift, & Yellow Medicine
How the Great War Hit Home in West Central Minnesota:  World War I

The exhibit, How the Great War Hit Home in West Central Minnesota:  World War I, was the first collaborative project completed by WCMHA.  It recounts the experience of the whole region during World War I as a traveling exhibit that will be hosted in each of the ten partner counties.

Award recipients for the 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award include

​Cindy Adams
Lake Bronson, MN

Cindy Adams has served as a staff member of the Kittson County Historical Society since 1989.  During this time she has overseen numerous improvements and expansions to the museum complex as well as leading new fundraising endeavors.  Cindy has been an active participant at Minnesota's Historic Northwest meetings, serving as the organization's secretary for several years.

Alden Anderson
Gary, MN

Alden Anderson has been an active volunteer with the Norman County Historical and Genealogical Society in Ada for over 40 years as well as Minnesota's Historic Northwest.

​Kathleen Klehr
Minneapolis, MN

Kathleen Klehr has served numerous local history organizations for 25 years, most recently as Executive Director of the Scott County Historical Society since 2004 through her retirement in March 2019.  Always willing to share her expertise and mentor peers, Kathleen also served on the Minnesota Association of Museum's Board of Directors.

​Louis Vital Marchand
Bemidji, MN
Passed Away in 2017

Louis Marchand was an active volunteer of the Beltrami County Historical Society and past member of the Heritage Preservation Commission in Bemidji.  His contributions to the area's local history included two publications on the townships and rural schools of Beltrami County.

​Geraldine Pedersen
Jasper, MN

Geraldine Pedersen has been an active volunteer with the Jasper Historical Society for over 40 years.  A local preservation advocate, Geraldine is credited with rallying community members to save the Jasper High School and Bauman Hall as well as publishing several histories of the community.

​Mark Peterson
Winona, MN

Mark Peterson will retire in May 2019 after 36 years as Executive Director of the Winona County Historical Society.  Not only was he a voice for local history in the Winona area but also brought his talents and expertise to the boards of Minnesota Humanities Center, Preservation Alliance of Minnesota, and Minnesota Association of Museums.  Mark served as co-chair of the inaugural Historic Resources Advisory Committee.

​Lee Radzak
Two Harbors, MN

Lee Radzak has served as the Site Manager of Split Rock Lighthouse for more than 35 years.  As he retires in April 2019, Lee will have overseen the growth and development of Split Rock Lighthouse including the creation of interpretive programming and a visitor center to welcome the nearly 4.5 million visitors during his tenure.

​Janet Timmerman
Lake Wilson, MN

Janet Timmerman, the current leader of the Murray County Historical Society, has served local history organizations in Pipestone, Olmsted, Lyon, and Murray counties.  She has been an active member of the Society for the Study of Local and Regional History.  Janet currently serves as the secretary of the MALHM Board of Directors.

​Mike Worcester
Little Falls, MN

Mike Worcester served the Cokato Museum & Akerlund Photo Studio as Director for 25 years through 2018.  Always an advocate for local historical societies, Mike served on the MALHM Board of Directors and Historic Resources Advisory Committee.