Legacy Amendment Supports $433,703 in Small Grants to History Organizations Throughout Minnesota

ST. PAUL, Minn. (July 22, 2025) – The Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) is pleased to announce the newest recipients of 49 Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Small Grants ($10,000 and less), totaling $433,703 in 25 counties.

Small grants are awarded quarterly to help nonprofits, educational organizations, government units, and federally recognized Tribes to preserve and share Minnesota history. This cycle of awards was approved by the MNHS Executive Council on May 16, 2025.

Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants are made possible by the Legacy Amendment's Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the vote of Minnesotans on Nov. 4, 2008. The Legacy Amendment supports efforts to preserve Minnesota land, water, and legacy, including Minnesota history and cultural heritage.

Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Small Grant Recipients

Recipients of small grants ($10,000 and less) from the fiscal year 2025 April small grants cycle are listed in alphabetical order below. Each project will preserve and enhance Minnesota’s cultural and historical resources. All grants are competitive and awarded according to program guidelines and criteria, as well as professional standards.

Bois Forte Band of Chippewa, Tower, $5,500
To hire a qualified museum consultant to conduct a general preservation needs assessment survey and long range collections preservation plan.

Bois Forte Tribal Government, Nett Lake, $8,250
To hire a qualified museum lighting professional to develop a museum lighting plan.

Carlton County Historical Society, Cloquet, $9,687           
To hire a qualified consultant to conduct a hazardous building materials assessment of the circa 1919 Shaw Memorial Library, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Carver County Historical Society, Waconia, $9,300
To hire a qualified and experienced HVAC engineer to evaluate how well the current system controls the museum environment.

 Carver-on-the-Minnesota, Incorporated, Carver, $10,000
To document in 8-10 oral history interviews residents' recollections of the historic 1965 Minnesota River flood and the 1985 fire that destroyed the Riverside Ballroom.

City of Lilydale, Lilydale, $9,560
To document in 10 oral history interviews the history of the former residents of Lower Lilydale.

City of West St. Paul, West St. Paul, $10,000
To document in 8-10 oral history interviews residents' recollections of the 1974 propane explosion in West St. Paul.

Cultural Archive of Modern Paganism, Eagan, $7,460
To digitize a collection of archival video cassettes from the founding members of the Twin Cities Pagan movement, allowing for greater public access to these historic resources.

Delano Franklin Township Area Historical Society, Delano, $10,000
To hire a qualified consultant to write an exhibit plan focused on the history of the City of Delano and Franklin Township.

Douglas County Historical Society, Alexandria, $9,800
To hire a qualified historian to conduct research from Native perspectives on Native American history in Douglas County.

East Central Minnesota Pride, Braham, $7,030
To design, produce, and install a historical marker commemorating LGBTQ Pride events in Pine City.

Faribault County Historical Society, Blue Earth, $10,000
To hire a qualified historian to complete the nomination to the National Register of Historic Places for the Walter Mondale Boyhood Home in Elmore, MN.

Gammelgarden Museum, Scandia, $1,186
To add 35 Minnesota history books to Gammelgarden Museum's library holdings to make this information more accessible to the public.

Grant County Historical Society, Elbow Lake, $5,940
To add 73 rolls of microfilmed Grant County newspapers to make primary records more accessible to the public.

Great Lakes Shipwreck Preservation Society, Fridley, $5,196
To hire a qualified archaeologist to conduct an updated assessment of the Hesper shipwreck.

Green Card Voices, Minneapolis, $9,850
To hire qualified professionals to produce a manuscript on the history of Ukrainian refugees in Minnesota.

Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County, Moorhead, $7,000
To document in up to 20 oral history interviews the legacy of Minnesota Native American community activist Gladys Ray.

Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County, Moorhead, $9,500
To hire a qualified historian to conduct primary source research on LGBTQIA+ history in Moorhead, MN.

Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County, Moorhead, $10,000
To provide better organization of the museum collections, allowing for greater public access to the community’s historic resources.

Independent School District #659, Northfield, $6,500
To hire qualified professionals to publish a second edition of a book on the history of public schools in Northfield, MN.

Isanti County Historical Society, Cambridge, $6,920
To purchase a microfilm reader/printer/scanner to make microfilmed records more accessible to the public.

Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest, Minneapolis, $10,000
To document in 12 oral history interviews the history of the B’nai B’rith Youth Organization in Minnesota.

Kanabec County Historical Society, Mora, $10,000
To hire a qualified architect to conduct a conditions assessment of the Coin School, eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.

Meetinghouse Church, Edina, $9,000
To hire professionals to assess and write a collections plan for a historically significant collection, which will allow greater public access to this resource.

Midwest Food Connection, Minneapolis, $9,950
To hire qualified historians to research and write the history of African American food traditions in Minnesota.

Mower County Historical Society, Austin, $9,999
To hire a qualified archaeologist to conduct a survey of the Grand Meadow Quarry Archeological District, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Murray County Historical Society, Slayton, $7,618
To improve collections care and management through an updated collections management system.

Nobles County Historical Society, Worthington, $9,860
To digitize part (1966) of a large collection of photo negatives, allowing for greater public access to this historic resource.

Northeast Minneapolis Arts Association, Minneapolis, $10,000
To document in 10 oral history interviews 30 years of Art-A-Whirl history.

Northfield Historical Society, Northfield, $9,100
To hire qualified professionals to produce a manuscript on the history of the Northfield Historical Society.

Norwegian-American Historical Association, Northfield, $10,000
To digitize the Jacob Stefferud papers, allowing for greater public access to these historic archival resources.

PACER Center, Minneapolis, $9,976
To hire qualified professionals to edit a manuscript on the history of the PACER Center.

Project Get Outdoors, Inc., Wabasha, $10,000
To document in 10-12 oral history interviews the history of abolitionists living in Southeast Minnesota prior to the Civil War.

Ramsey County Historical Society, St. Paul, $9,975
To hire a qualified consultant to research the history of Hmong culture in Minnesota, in preparation for a future exhibit.

Regents of the University of Minnesota (University of Minnesota Press), Minneapolis, $10,000
To hire qualified professionals to print a book on the history of Minneapolis flour mills.

Rethos, St. Paul, $10,000
To hire a qualified architect to conduct a conditions assessment of the 1910 Duluth Harbor North Pier Light, listed in the National Register of Historic Places. 

Roseau County Historical Society, Roseau, $10,000
To provide better organization of the museum collections, allowing for greater public access to the community’s historic resources. 

Science from Scientists, Bloomington, $10,000
To hire consultants to research the historic and modern contributions of American Indians in Minnesota to the sciences.

Sherburne County Historical Society, Becker, $9,999
To hire a qualified architect to conduct a conditions assessment of the Herbert M. Fox House, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Southside Family Charter School, Minneapolis, $9,800
To document in 10 oral history interviews the 50th anniversary of Southside Family Charter School, Minneapolis, MN.

St. Nicholas Catholic Church, Chaska, $9,750
To contract with qualified professionals to prepare construction documents for the preservation of the 1876 St. Nicholas Church parish rectory, listed in the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing part of the Carver Historic District.

St. Paul Public Schools (ISD #625), St Paul, $8,550
To translate open access digital stories on the African Storytelling platform to Somali and make them available for language preservation.

St. Paul Public Schools (ISD #625), St Paul, $8,730
To use established methodology to enhance Hmong culture and language preservation in Minnesota schools.

Stewards of Marine Mills History, Marine on St Croix, $4,950
To hire a qualified museum consultant to conduct a general preservation needs assessment survey and long range collections preservation plan.

Truman Historical Association, Granada, $7,920
To purchase a microfilm reader/printer/scanner to make microfilmed records more accessible to the public.

West Concord Historical Society, West Concord, $10,000
To contract with qualified professionals to prepare construction documents for the construction of ADA compliant restrooms in the 1936 West Concord High School gymnasium, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

White Bear Lake Area Historical Society, White Bear Lake, $10,000
To hire a qualified consultant to develop a script for the upcoming exhibit on the Sophie Wirth Camp.

World Without Genocide, Minneapolis, $9,847
To hire qualified professionals to produce a manuscript on the experiences of Holocaust survivors in Minnesota.

Zion Lutheran Church, Buffalo, $10,000
To hire a qualified architect to conduct a conditions assessment of the 1891 Marysville-Swedesberg Lutheran Church, listed in the National Register of Historic Places. 

Grants are available for history and historic preservation projects in two funding tiers. Small grants of $20,000 or less are awarded quarterly. The next small grant application deadlines are October 10, 2025 and January 9, 2026. Large grants of more than $20,000 are offered once a year. All grants are administered through a competitive process using professional standards and criteria.

For more information on the Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants program, including application deadlines, visit www.mnhs.org/preservation/legacy-grants. Applications are accepted only through the MNHS grants portal.

About the Minnesota Historical Society
The Minnesota Historical Society is a non-profit educational and cultural institution established in 1849. MNHS collects, preserves, and tells the story of Minnesota’s past through museum exhibits, libraries, and collections, historic sites, educational programs, and book publishing. Using the power of history to transform lives, MNHS preserves our past, shares our state’s stories, and connects people with history.