St Louis County Historical Society

TO DISCOVER, PRESERVE, AND DISSEMINATE THE HISTORICAL KNOWLEDGE OF ST. LOUIS COUNTY AND THE STATE OF MINNESOTA THROUGH ARCHIVAL AND MUSEUM SERVICES.

THE ST. LOUIS COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY (SLCHS) IS RESPONSIBLE, PER STATE STATUTE, TO COLLECT, PRESERVE AND PRESENT THE HISTORY OF ST. LOUIS COUNTY (AS RECOGNIZED BY THE MINNESOTA STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY) AND IS ELIGIBLE, ACCORDINGLY, FOR COUNTY TAXPAYER SUPPORT. THE SOCIETY IS UNIQUE (AND PRIVILEGED) IN THAT IT IS HOUSED AS A TENANT IN A COUNTY OWNED BUILDING WITH PREMIER ARTS/CULTURAL NON-PROFIT SERVICE PROVIDERS. SLCHS ALSO GRANTS COUNTY FUNDS TO A SYSTEM OF SIX IRON RANGE AFFILIATES IN HIBBING, VIRGINIA, CHISHOLM, ELY, TOWER, AND EMBARRASS. IN ADDITION, SLCHS WAS ASSIGNED RESPONSIBILITY (AND COUNTY FUNDING) FOR VETERANS' "HISTORY SERVICES" IN THE 1990S AND BUILT THE VETERANS MEMORIAL HALL PROGRAM, WHICH IT STILL MAINTAINS TODAY.TO DATE 28,069 OF ST. LOUIS COUNTY'S 35,000 VETERANS ARE IDENTIFIED IN THE VETERANS MEMORIAL HALL VETERAN'S INFORMATION DATABASE. THE VETERANS MEMORIAL HALL GALLERY AND THE ALBERT J. AMATUZIO RESEARCH CENTER ARE REPOSITORIES FOR LOCAL VETERAN HISTORY.SLCHS BASED EXHIBITS WERE MADE AVAILABLE TO 247,782 DEPOT VISITORS IN 2023. NUMBERS PROVIDED BY DEPOT MANAGEMENT, STAFF OF ST. LOUIS COUNTY. 26 VOLUNTEERS CONTRIBUTED APPROXIMATELY 3,010 HOURS OF WORK FOR SOCIETY PROGRAMS AND RESEARCH.APPROXIMATELY 700 ESTIMATED INDIVIDUALS ATTENDED EVENTS HOSTED BY THE SOCIETY, SUCH AS FOUR HISTORY IN A PINT LECTURES, AN ANNUAL VETERANS MEMORIAL HALL REMEMBRANCE DINNER, NORTHERN EXPOSURE EVENT, ONE NATIVE HERITAGE DAY, AND MONTHLY ANTIQUE APPRAISALS. THESE EVENTS ARE PREPARED TO HELP EDUCATE AND CONNECT OUR COMMUNITY WITH HISTORY IN AN ENGAGING WAY.APPROXIMATELY 75,000 INDIVIDUALS (ACTUAL NUMBERS NOT AVAILABLE) VIEWED SOCIETY EXHIBITS AND/OR MATERIALS. THESE INCLUDE ARTWORKS ON LOAN TO THE KITCHI GAMMI CLUB IN DULUTH, STATUES LOCATED AT THE DULUTH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, AND TRAVELING EXHIBITS INSTALLED IN VARIOUS LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY, INCLUDING AURORA, HIBBING, AND DULUTH. EFFECTIVE APRIL 2023, ST. LOUIS COUNTY FORMALLY SECURED OFF-SITE ART/ARTIFACT STORAGE SPACE AND DIRECTLY FUNDS THE LEASED SPACE USE TO HOUSE SOCIETY COLLECTIONS. THE COUNTY, BY FORMAL AGREEMENT, IS RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYMENT OF A YEARLY LEASE FEE OF $38,500 TO THE BUILDING OWNER. THE SOCIETY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR COVERING THE EXPENSE OF ADDITIONAL OFF-SITE STORAGE, IF REQUIRED. SLCHS COMPLETED THE MOVE OF MUCH OF ITS 3D COLLECTIONS FROM DEPOT STORAGE TO AN OFFSITE LOCATION IN DECEMBER 2023.APPROXIMATELY 20,000 INDIVIDUAL 3D ARTIFACTS ARE ESTIMATED TO BE HELD IN PUBLIC TRUST. ACTUAL NUMBER CONTINGENT ON COMPLETION OF INVENTORY RE-CATALOGUING PROJECT. THE SOCIETY WAS AWARDED A DEPOT FOUNDATION GRANT VALUED AT $16,200. THE GRANT FUNDS HAVE GONE IN PART TO THE DULUTH AREA IN THE COLD WAR TRAVELING EXHIBIT ($3,500), WITH THE REMAINDER GOING TO A REWORK OF THE MEDAL OF HONOR ROW IN THE VETERANS MEMORIAL HALL, WITH THE FUNDING COVERING A KICKOFF MEETING AND PRE-DESIGN WORK.SLCHS WAS AWARDED A GRANT FROM THE MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY. PAYMENT WILL BE RECEIVED IN 2024 AT $44,936 AND USED TO CONTINUE THE COLLECTIONS CATALOGUING INITIATIVE IN PROGRESS.STAFF FIELDED AN ESTIMATED 650 REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION THROUGH VARIOUS CONTACT METHODS (EMAIL, PHONE, SOCIAL MEDIA, AND WALK-INS) AS A MATTER OF REGULAR DUTIES FOR STAFF.TWO ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIPS WERE AWARDED IN COOPERATION WITH THE DULUTH COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, WITH FUND BALANCE ORIGINATING THROUGH SOCIETY EFFORTS OR THROUGH PARTNERS. (MIKE COLALILLO MEDAL OF HONOR SCHOLARSHIP AND ERIE MINING COMPANY SCHOLARSHIP).SLCHS ARCHIVAL COLLECTIONS ARE MAINTAINED AT THE KATHRYN A. MARTIN LIBRARY, WHERE THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA DULUTH PROVIDES QUALITY ARCHIVAL SERVICES. THE NORTHEAST MINNESOTA HISTORICAL COLLECTION IS ON PERMANENT LOAN TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA DULUTH.THE SOCIETY'S PREVIOUS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR RETIRED ON JUNE 30, 2024, AFTER 34 YEARS WITH THE SOCIETY. AN INTERIM DIRECTOR WAS APPOINTED UNTIL THE CURRENT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR WAS HIRED ON OCTOBER 16, 2023.A VACANCY OF THE CURATOR POSITION IN JUNE 2023 WAS FILLED AS OF MAY 2024.