What's New -- February 2023

Benjamin Franklin said "nothing is certain except death and taxes." We have an awful lot of archival records relating to death and tax collection in both our state and local government records collections and they are in evidence in our list this month as well. Court records from various state and local jurisdictions also predominate. Of special note this month, we received additional records relating to a court case involving the Prairie Island Nuclear Plant. Various entities kept files relating to this plant and the nuclear waste stored there (Environmental Quality Board, Legislative Commission on Waste Management, and the Nuclear Safety Advisory Committee, to name just a few). The addition of these case files from the Public Service Department helps to broaden research on this topic.

It is also the job of a cataloger to make sure that the names of places, people, locations and other entities are constructed in a manner that is consistent across both local and national catalogs to increase access and discoverability. This is called bibliographic file maintenance. BFM (in cataloger language) is work done behind the scenes and across the world that enables you to type something into a library catalog search box and receive all relevant material related to what you are looking up. The catalogers at MNHS have been doing training sessions all month with people all over the country relating to this work. Prairie Island Nuclear Plant is an example of an entity that had several variations in our catalog. After adding this new collection and reviewing all similar entries across our holdings the name has now been standardized for better searchability.

New and Updated Finding Aids - February 2023

Name/Abstract	File No.
Blue Cross-Blue Shield of Minnesota: An Inventory of Its Records	00621
Subject files, movies, photographs, advertising samples, and other records of an Eagan, Minnesota-based nonprofit health service corporation and its predecessors that had its beginnings with the organization in 1933 of Minnesota Blue Cross, Minnesota's first pre-paid health plan. Includes digital content.
Crow Wing County: Crow Wing Township: An Inventory of Its Records	gr02371
Clerk's and treasurer's record books, various financial records, road records, poll lists, summary statements of votes, and miscellany.
Ignatius Donnelly Library Collection: An Inventory of His Books	lb00169
Most volumes signed by Donnelly. Some include his notations and/or underlinings.
Environmental Quality Board An Inventory of Its Regional Copper Nickel Study Files	gr02359
Reports, studies, correspondence, work plans, subject and background files, project files, and audio-visual materials relating to this major research and environmental assessment project administered by the board.
Environmental Quality Board: An Inventory of Its Committee Minutes	gr02360
Minutes and agenda materials of several committees that were created to advise the board on technical and public-interest aspects of environmental quality review, particularly power plant siting, high-voltage transmission lines, and groundwater protection.
Environmental Quality Board: An Inventory of Its Hearing Records Concerning Northern States Power Company's Prairie Island Plant	gr02357
Records of and relating to hearings held before the Environmental Quality Board in regard to Northern States Power Company's application to increase the storage capacity for spent fuel at its Prairie Island nuclear generating plant.
Environmental Quality Board: An Inventory of Its Published Records and Reports	gr02358
Reports, newsletters, and miscellaneous print and near-print items of or about the Environmental Quality Board. The records cover all aspects of the board's duties and activities, particularly environmental policy, forecasting, power plant siting, transmission line routing, and groundwater protection and monitoring.
Governor: An Inventory of Its Executive Journals	gr02367
Record of official acts of the governor, such as appointments and pardons; proclamations issued; messages to the legislature; records received for filing; and various types of letters, telegrams, reports, and petitions received, and letters and telegrams sent.
Lloyd C. Hackl: An Inventory of His Papers	01471
Personal papers of Minnesota author, F. Scott Fitzgerald scholar, and English instructor Lloyd C. Hackl. The papers include manuscript drafts and research materials related to Hackl's book Still home to me: F. Scott Fitzgerald and Saint Paul; materials related to conferences, presentations, project proposals, and talks; correspondence; photographs and slides; interviews with playwright Lance Belville and poet Bill Holm; a manuscript of Holm's Boxelder bug variations; adaptations of Fitzgerald's work to stage; and select audio and digital files related to F. Scott Fitzgerald. Includes digital content.
Health Department: Vital Statistics Division: An Inventory of Its Birth and Death Classification Ledgers	gr02370
The death classified by location ledgers (1887-1899, 1901) contain worksheets, usually in pencil, arranged by county and subdivisions of a county, which provide statistical data about the deaths in each jurisdiction including sex, race, social status (married, single, etc.), age grouping, nativity, nativity of parents, and cause of death. There is often a separate volume for deaths occurring in select cities. The deaths classified by cause ledgers contain the same information as the above plus the month of the death and county and civil subdivision where the death occurred. The causes of death include specific diseases. Both of these series are incomplete and neither contains names of individual decedents. The mortality summary by county of residence (1947, 1956) includes data similar to the death classification ledgers.
Hennepin County: Edina: An Inventory of Its Records	gr01884
Bylaws, petitions, council meeting minutes, election summary statements, building code and ordinances, petition and improvement records, redistricting and boundary files, and a sidewalk and sewer record.
Hennepin County: Extension Service: An Inventory of Its Files of Extension Agent Kemper A. Kirkpatrick	gr02362
Files of Kemper A. Kirkpatrick, who was Hennepin County extension agent from 1914 to 1952.
Hennepin County: Maple Grove Township: An Inventory of Its Records	gr02355
Clerk's books (1874-1954), treasurer's books (1859-1880, 1905-1954), justice of the peace dockets (1859-1922), chattel mortgage record (1874-1916), and road (1876-1956) and ditch (1879-1893) records.
Hennepin County: Morningside: An Inventory of Its Records	gr01883
Council meeting minutes, 1920-1966 (January 1937-December 1940 not present), special election ballots, 1966 (sample), and poll lists/election registers, 1934-1960.
Human Services Department: Minnesota Family Investment Program: An Inventory of Its Records	gr01605
Records documenting both the trial phase (1987-1998) and statewide implementation (1998- ) of this welfare reform program designed to help families work their way out of poverty.
Legislative Commission on Waste Management: An Inventory of Its Administrative Records	gr02353
Records documenting the day-to-day operations and activities of the commission, including interim reports and issue briefs; strategic planning materials; commission closing; background files on the 1980 Waste Management Act (WMA) and succeeding years' amendments (1980-1996); "The Book," the annual publication of the WMA, its amendments, and related acts and laws (1980-1995); and subject files. The latter deal with auto waste study, batteries and fluorescent bulb recovery, organized collection/recycling of solid waste, landfill cleanup fund, rate regulation, and the Superfund.
Legislature: House of Representatives: An Inventory of Its House Bills	gr00119
The original house file of bills acted upon in the house; also includes bills for special sessions, resolutions, and concurrent resolutions. The bill files include any successive versions and engrossments.
Minnesota Historical Society: State Historic Preservation Office: An Inventory of Its Tax Credit Files	01494
Files created by Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office staff.
Nuclear Safety Advisory Committee: An Inventory of Its Records	gr02361
Minutes, background materials, including a public forum audiotape, and the final report of this citizens' review committee created by Governor Albert Quie on September 21, 1979.
Olmsted County: District Court: An Inventory of Its Registers of Actions	gr02366
Includes registers of actions (1858-1924) and registers of criminal actions (1870-1903).
Public Service Department: An Inventory of Its Prairie Island Nuclear Plant Waste Storage Case Files	gr02356
Records of the Northern States Power Company case file no. E002/CN-91-19. Includes case file documents, transcripts, exhibits, and information requests.
Stearns County: District Court: An Inventory of Its Civil Case Files	gr02364
Files numbered A-Z and 1-31160. Adoption and paternity cases have been removed and filed separately.
Stearns County: District Court: An Inventory of Its Court Record and Minutes	gr02354
Court records and minutes of the District Court of Stearns County.
Stearns County: District Court: An Inventory of Its Criminal Case Files	gr02365
Files numbered A-M and 1-2993.
Stearns County: Paynesville: Justice of the Peace: An Inventory of Its Dockets	gr02363
Docket books of a number of city justices, particularly Chris E. Hanson (1958-1963) and Austin Seastedt (1964-1974).
Todd County: District Court: An Inventory of Its Civil Case Files	gr02368
File nos. A1-A289 (1868-1889) and 1-12318 (1874-1955). Prior to 1899, they also include criminal case files. Case files for 1950-1955 (boxes 118-127) have been purged by the court in accordance with the retention schedule for court records.
Todd County: District Court: An Inventory of Its Criminal Case Files	gr02369
Criminal case files nos. 1-2807. Prior to 1899, criminal case files were interfiled with civil case files (separately cataloged).
Unity Church (St. Paul, Minn.): An Inventory of Its Records	00896
Records of this Unitarian church, relating to its administration, membership, clubs, committees, affiliation with state and national Unitarian associations and buildings, as well as the correspondence and files of Arthur Foote, its minister from 1945 to 1970. Includes digital content.