Sunday, February 12th -2 to 4 PM

Museum Meeting Room

Please bring your own artifacts

and discoveries found in Minnesota!

The McLeod County Historical Society will feature a special program and display highlighting early Native American artifacts found in Minnesota.  The program will be led by Lynn Kolstad and feature a display of the many varied items she and her friends have found throughout her walks and exploration of different sites in the area.  Lynn has compiled a book,  shown above, “Every Hill has a Story”, in which she uses beautiful photos to show just some of the unique and still little known and understood artifacts that she and others have found.  Although not a trained archaeologist, Lynn has had many of her pieces evaluated by experts in the field and has learned a great deal about dating and placing these finds into their proper historical context.

Lynn’s personal collection of items she has found on numerous walks and site tours will be on display at the Museum throughout the month of February.  Lynn will talk about her collection of pieces at her program on the 12th, and she and the Museum staff encourage guests to bring in unique stones, bones, or other pieces they have found or have in their family collections to share with the group.  “Its always great to see what people are finding out there”, says Lynn and, “what can be learned about Minnesota’s earliest people.”  We hope you will join us for this look at found artifacts of Minnesota.

100th Anniversary of Hutchinson Women’s Club

Program and Display, Monday, Sept. 19th  7-8 P M – Museum Meeting Room

The Hutchinson Women’s Club has a long history in McLeod County and has changed throughout the years as the role of Women changed in society.  It started back in 1911-12 as the Home Economics Club of Hutchinson.  Its original object was the study of home economics and domestic sciences.  Later the group expanded its interest to art, science, literature, music and inventions.  The Hutchinson group aligned with the MN Federation of Women’s Clubs in 1915 and the National General Federation in 1922. The club has worked throughout the past 100 years to change the role in which women could contribute to the issues of the day and we are honoring their work with a program and display to commemorate their special Anniversary!

If you are a member or past member of the Hutchinson Women’s Club, we would love for you to share your story!  Please post any memories you would like to share of how this unique group shaped you and the community of Hutchinson.

Full Grooved Hand Ax, part of the Littfin Collection at MCHS

Minnesota Archeology Week (May 14th-May 22nd, 2011)

Pre-Historic Nativie American Site Walking Tour (Sunday, May 15th from 2-4 PM)

(From Hwy 7 take County Rd. 1 to Winsted.  Take Co. Rd. 6 East 1 1/4 miles. 

Take Zion Ave South for 1/4 mile and take the first Right.)

In conjunction with Minnesota Archeology Week the Museum will be focusing on a special collection of early Native American stone tools, points and spearheads that were donated to the Museum from the Littfin family of Winsted Township.   These objects are unique in that they were all found in one general location on the east side of Lake Winsted.  The Museum will also be hosting a walking tour of the sites in which these artifacts were found.  The land is still in the Littfin family, and they have agreed to open the site up for our Archeology Week program.  There has been little research done on the site, with many speculating that it was a pre-historic settlement or hunting camp.  There may also have been pre-historic Native American burial mounds located on the site.  By having a walking tour of the site, we hope to learn how and why such a vast number artifacts were deposited at this one location in McLeod County. 

To help guide us on our tour, the Museum has invited David Mather, the State Historic Preservation Office Archeologist.  David will be able to discuss the history of the site, the people who may have lived and built the mounds in the area, as well as how many of the artifacts found at the site would have been made and used.  

The pieces from this site will be on display, starting May 15th, through the rest of the month of May in the Museum’s meeting room area.  The display features a vast variety of large hand held grooved and un-grooved axes, hammer stones and celts.  The walking tour will be from 2-4 P M, and will start at the Jack Littfin residence at 23967 240th Court, Winsted Township.  (From Hwy 7 take County Rd. 1 to Winsted.  Take Co. Rd. 6 East 1 1/4 miles.  Take Zion Ave South for 1/4 mile and take the first Right.) Please join us to learn more about the early history of McLeod County and Minnesota Archeology! ]]> http://www.mcleodhistory.org/minnesota-archeology-week-pre-historic-native-american-site-walking-tour/feed/ 0 http://www.mcleodhistory.org/nostalgia-fundraiser-night-1940s/ http://www.mcleodhistory.org/nostalgia-fundraiser-night-1940s/#comments Thu, 31 Mar 2011 15:37:14 +0000 Lori http://www.mcleodhistory.org/?p=348 Nostalgia Fundraiser Night-1940s

$10 per ticket!

Monday, April 18th-7-9 PM

Museum Meeting Room

The McLeod County Historical Museum would like to invite you to a fun night filled with the Nostalgia of the 1940s!        

This event will feature special displays of unique Museum artifacts from McLeod County during the 1940s, along with historical trivia from that era.  Each special display will help give you clues to the trivia questions that will be specific to McLeod County History between 1940 and 1949.  Be sure to bring your thinking cap, because for every right answer to a trivia question, the Museum will be giving away prizes!  The Museum will also have a free drawing for an individual and family membership. 

There will also be a WWII Uniform and artifact display, honoring the McLeod County men and women who served in the armed forces during the war.  Pop culture icons, posters, and fashion styles of the 1940s will also be featured.  

The Museum will be serving hors-d’oeuvres, coffee, and punch all evening and  playing big band and swing music to set the 1940s mood.  Of course you can play along and come dressed in your best Zoot suit or other 1940s inspired garb!  The staff will be sporting their 1940s gear, so join in on the fun! 

Tickets are just $10 per person and can be purchased at the McLeod County Historical Society or Hutchinson Chamber office.  Be sure to purchase your tickets ahead of time, as the price will go up to $15 per person at the door.  All proceeds will go to support the preservation of McLeod County’s History, so join us for a little Nostalgia and support a great cause!

Lester Prairie, MN Schmid Drug Store

Lester Prairie~

125th Anniversary~

Museum Program & Tour

Thursday, March 17th

4-8 PM~Museum Meeting Room

As Lester Prairie gears up to celebrate its upcoming 125th Anniversary, the Museum is hosting a special program and tour.  As most of our members know, the Museum has a large collection of photos, documents and artifacts from the city of Lester Prairie.  Many of these items are on display in our main historica gallery space, within the Lester Prairie town display.  The gallery features items and displays that tell the history of each of the nine towns, along with historical photos and narratives.  The Museum will have a special display the evening of March 17th, showcasing some of the less seen Lester Prairie artifacts and photos, that are not currently on display.  The research center at the Museum will also be open, as it also includes a tremendous amount of information on the founding and development of the area and town that would become Lester Prairie. Our program will kick off the celebration, with lots of fun activities planned throughout the spring and summer, with the celebration culminating at Prairie Days, July 15th-17th.  Also planned for the July Prairie Days is an All School Reunion, Hamburger feed, and Music in  downtown Lester Prairie.  Listed below are just a few of the other celebration plans: *Historic Hayrack Rides-First Saturday in April, May, and June *Lester Prairie Cemetery Tour-Sunday, May 29th *History Quiz Bowl-May 22nd For information on how you can get involved or to get more details on upcoming events, please contact:  Char-1-320-395-4292, Dawn-1-320-395-1499, Audrey-1-320-395-8488

We are focusing our research on the years that McLeod lived, 1813 to 1860, and the social and political events that affected his decisions and shaped his life.  His involvement in the fur trade, territorial issues, and early statehood of Minnesota are covered, along with a deeper look into his interpersonal relationships with family, friends, and peers.  Through this research, we hope to gain a better understanding of our state and county’s early history, as well as the man for whom our County is named.

“The Life and Times of Martin McLeod, McLeod County from 1813-1860” history booklet can be

purchased through the MCHS Gift Shop.   Just call, e-mail, or check out our gift shop tab!  

Minnesota and McLeod County

History from 1813-1860

 In the years 1813 to 1860, the area that was to become Minnesota and McLeod County witnessed  some of most extreme social and cultural changes seen in the area to date.  The transformation from almost exclusively indigenous Native American cultures in the early 1800 to the massive influx of Anglo populations from the North, South and East rapidly transformed the state.  This dramatic change occurred so quickly that it could be witnessed within one lifetime. 

Martin McLeod in his short life, compared to our standards not only witnessed these social and cultural shifts, but was an active participant in shaping the history of the state of Minnesota and McLeod County.  The following excerpts give an overview of the many different cultural influences that had an impact on the future state of Minnesota.  Native American, Spanish, English, French and American ownership and influences created the world that Martin McLeod decided to explore, work, and live in.  Along with this cultural diversity, another strong influence in the region and in McLeod’s life was the monstrous demand of the fur trade industry.  Another major factor in the life of Martin McLeod and in his exploration of Minnesota was his involvement with a little known military expedition that would fail in its mission to establish an “Indian Kingdom”, but managed to secure McLeod’s future in Minnesota and lead him to be the namesake of McLeod County.

~Historical Gallery~Grand Re-Opening

See our new and improved lighting system!

Sunday, February 13th-2-3 PM

The Museum has been in disorder and at times a noisy place to be, but as the new lighting is taking shape and unveiling all its capabilities, Museum staff and volunteers are excited about the new update. 

 The Historical Gallery Lighting Upgrade was made possible through a Cultural and Heritage Legacy Act Grant.  The grant covered $50,700.00 of the $56,000.00 project.  Over $4,000.00 of this cost was paid in volunteer and in-kind dollars donated to the huge task of planning, preparing, and now reorganizing the displays for the installation of the new lighting system.  This project could not have been done without the generous help of the many Museum Volunteers.  A huge “THANK YOU” to them.

The new lighting consists of a large suspended grid of track that covers the entire ceiling.  Spot and flood lights can be attached at any point along the grid, as  well as outlets to power other items below.  The track is broken up into four quadrants that are on separate sensors that will come on when movement or noise is detected in the space.  This will help to save on electricity as only the area that is being occupied will be lit, it will also reduce the exposure of harmful UV rays to our priceless collections on display.  Now that we have this new system, we have been able to eliminate almost all of the visually obtrusive and electrical hazards created by extension cords, power strips, and multiple switches strung throughout the space.  Another major benefit of the new lighting is the “truer” color of the artifacts and display photos.  The old gallery lighting gave everything in the space a greenish tint that was not as pleasing as the clearer white light that we now have.  As is, the new lighting is great, but it is something that we can grow with as displays change.  The grid can hold many more flood and spotlights, that can be purchased and added anywhere along the grid.  Outlets and light filters can also be added to help create new display moods and effects.  The lighting is quite high to take advantage of the 25 ft. high ceilings, but this has lead us to a new challenge and our next grant proposal.  In the next year we hope to purchase a small man lift to aid in changing light bulbs, directing spot lights, and numerous other jobs that the lift could make possible in the gallery and the rest of the Museum.  We hope you will join us on Sunday, February 13th from 2-3 P M to see our new historical gallery lighting.

August 1897 Corn Harvest Photo

Spotlight on the Collection…

“Harvesting Tools”

  Sunday, September 19th 2-3 P M-Museum Meeting Room

As we enter into the busy season of harvesting, the Museum decided it would be a great time to shine our spotlight on the vast number of harvesting tools within our collection.  Not only do we have hand harvesting tools for corn and wheat, which most of us think about this time of year, but we also have hand tools for harvesting ice, logs, honey, syrup, and many other riches found  here in McLeod County.  Another important tool that we tend to forget about for harvesting, are oxen and later horses, used in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.  The use of these animals lessened the load of human labor and with their use came inventive tools to control them.  All the tools that made working with these beasts of burden possible are also present in the Museum’s collection and we will have them on display as well.  These harvesting tools, although now antiquated and extremely labor intensive, were once revolutionary inventions that changed the way farming was done.  The Museum will present our collection of harvesting tools, along with a time line of harvesting technologies that changed the way farmers harvested their crops. These innovations ultimately lead to the highly mechanized way we harvest today.

Book Signing & Program

Saturday, April 17th-2-3 P M

Museum Meeting Room

Part pictorial, part cook book, and all history!  That’s one way to describe the “Gopher Campfire Club, 100 Years of Conservation and Good Sportsmanship” book.  Created to celebrate the 100 year rich history of conservation, education, wildlife, and Sport in Hutchinson, MN.  The Club itself was begun in 1909 with Conservation and Preservation as key missions of the organization.  In 1910 Carlos Avery and Sam Anderson proposed the organization promote education for outdoorsmen in ethics and good sportsmanship.  The book itself had been a work in progress since the 1970’s, and it had always been the hope and plan to create a book that documented the Clubs unique history.  Many members helped to gather information, photos, and history for the 100th Anniversary book, with Skip Quade, Jack Clausen, and Bernie Schepers becoming leaders in the project.  Bernie served as the copy editor, while Skip and Jack focused on photo selection and layout.  Many members past and present, living and since passed, collectively helped with the content of the book.  The traditions and memories that they shared from one generation to another live on between the pages of this book, so well translated by writer Kay Johnson.  

Skip Quade and Jack Clausen will join us to discuss the making of the “Gopher Campfire Club” book, at the Museum Meeting Room.  We hope you can join us for this historical look at the Gopher Campfire Club!

Bear Lake Store in 1889

Through the years, McLeod County has seen many pioneer settlements flourish, to only later decline and fade away.  Twenty eight different villages and towns in all have shared this fate, each with their own unique story.  As our 2010 Theme, the McLeod County Historical Society and Museum hopes to explore the story of each of these settlements and bring it to you.              Through a compiled history booklet, rotating artifact displays, and interpretative programs, the Museum will learn more about each of these Lost McLeod County Towns and ensure, that although they may have been lost, they will never be forgotten!

The Following Lost Towns are highlighted in “The Lost Towns of McLeod County” history booklet, available through the Museum’s Gift Shop.

Acoma, Cedar City, Clear Lake, Thornton, Brush Prairie, Karn’s City, Collins, Franklin, Fremont, Paris, Glendale, Sundown, South Station, Harmony, Bear Lake, Komensky, Heatwole, West Lynn, Penn Cheese Factory, Bear Creek, South Silver Lake, St. George, Koniska, Fernando, Sumter, Lake Addie, Sherman Station, Rocky Run, and West Winsted.

Over the next year we will feature excerpts from our Lost Towns booklet in each of our monthly newsletters, covering highlights of most of the County’s lost towns.  The Museum welcomes any new or added information, artifacts, photos, or documents that could add to our current lost town collection.