What's New -- July 2021

Archiving Film at the Minnesota Historical Society

We would like to share this behind-the-scenes showcase of the Minnesota Historical Society's film digitization process, made collaboratively with local production company Wheel•House. We believe in the importance of preserving Minnesota's audiovisual legacy, and as stewards of the past who preserve these stories, we wanted to give viewers an intimate look at this work.

Hubert H. Humphrey Papers

We are pleased to announce that the inventory to the entire 1700-box Hubert H. Humphrey Papers collection has been converted to xml format and is now available completely online, the conclusion of a months-long project.

The Humphrey Papers collection is made up of 61 series (subgroups) of papers documenting Humphrey's mayoral, senatorial, and vice presidential years, election campaign, and personal and family activities. There are series of photographs, speeches, and sound recordings. Some speeches and sound recordings have been digitized.

The Hubert Humphrey Papers is one of the largest manuscript collections at the Minnesota Historical Society, and receives heavy usage. The Society holds several other large political collections, including the papers of Walter Mondale (951 boxes), David Durenberger (435 boxes), and Rudy Boschwitz (132 boxes).

Humphrey began his political career as mayor of Minneapolis (1945-1948), and served as United States Senator (1949-1964 and 1971-1978) and as Vice President of the United States (1965- 1968). An unabashed liberal, he is perhaps best-known as a champion of civil rights. He helped found the Democratic-Farmer-Labor party.

The new inventory is now completely and easily searchable, and will make materials much easier for researchers to find.

New and Updated Finding Aids - July 2021

Name/Abstract	File No.
Agricultural Society: An Inventory of Its Century Farm Applications	gr00094
Application forms for residents who wished to have their farms declared century farms, signifying that the farm had been in the same family for 100 or more years. This was begun as a joint project between the State Fair and the Farmer magazine; later the Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation became the co-sponsor. Beginning in 2009, sesquicentennial (150 years) farms forms are included. Includes digital content.
Auditor: An Inventory of Its Warrant Registers and Related Records	gr02025
Registers record warrants issued by the auditor, authorizing payment for approved expenses, to be presented to the state treasurer for payment.
Harold Keith Bradford: An Inventory of His Papers	01429
Biographical data, annual reports, prospectuses, correspondence, and miscellany of, or collected by, Harold Keith Bradford as Vice President of the Investors Syndicate (1940s-1960) and as President of IDS Mutual Funds (1960-1970).
Solon J. Buck: An Inventory of His Papers	00794
Professional correspondence of Buck as superintendent of the Minnesota Historical Society (1914-1931); as a history department faculty member at the universities of Indiana (1908-1909), Illinois (1910-1914), Minnesota (1914-1931), and Pittsburgh (1931-1935); and as director of the Western Pennsylvania Historical Survey (1931-1935). Correspondents include other historians, archivists, and historical agency administrators.
Building Commission: An Inventory of Its Records	gr02026
Files documenting planning, site acquisition, specifications and bidding, and construction of the State Office Building.
Carver County: Superintendent of Schools: An Inventory of Its School Consolidation Files	gr02033
Consolidation files for individual school districts or groups of school districts in Carver County, documenting consolidations, dissolutions, annexations, and reorganizations. The files include petitions, vote tallies, and orders for consolidation or proposed consolidations.
Carver County: Superintendent of Schools: An Inventory of Its Subject Files	gr02034
Includes materials relating to school buildings in several districts (1913-1918), high school area redistricting committee (1937-1938), school survey committee (1948-1959), Junior Red Cross gift boxes to Greece (1960), and termination of the superintendent's office (1971).
Carver County: Superintendent of Schools: An Inventory of Its Teacher Records	gr02032
Teachers employed record (1899-1971) includes teacher's name, address, and salary, date school term began and school district number. Teacher's record (1900-1930) includes teacher's name and address, date of teaching certificate, teaching examination grades, and remarks.
Commerce Department: Banking Division: An Inventory of Its Closed Banks Miscellaneous Records	gr02027
Registers and dockets of actions and miscellaneous correspondence and reports on various matters relating to bank closings.
Commerce Department: Banking Division: An Inventory of Its Files of Acting Commissioner Michael C. O'Donnell	gr02028
Records kept by O'Donnell while serving as Banking Division Acting Commissioner (February-August 1973). He also served as the Commerce Department Executive Secretary from June 1971 to October 1973; the records from 1971-1972 were most likely transferred or copied from those files.
Commerce Department: Banking Division: An Inventory of Its Small Loan Company Examination Files	gr02029
Examination reports on the operations and finances of small loan companies, and correspondence regarding the reports. Many reports include lists of individual loans.
Commerce Department: Banking Division: An Inventory of Its Stockholder Lists	gr02030
Annual lists of stockholders for each bank in the state, giving name, residence, number of shares, and their total value for each stockholder.
Commerce Department: Executive Secretary's Office: An Inventory of Its Files of Michael C. O'Donnell	gr02031
Correspondence and subject files kept by O'Donnell during his tenure as Executive Secretary (June 1971-October 1973).
Davidson Company: An Inventory of Its Records	00654
Correspondence, land contracts and leases, property maps, financial and tax records, legal instruments, printed matter, and miscellaneous records documenting the existence of several interrelated companies headquartered in St. Paul, as well as the personal business careers of several members of the Davidson family of St. Paul, especially Watson Pogue Davidson, Sr., around whose activities the several groups of records revolve.
Janet M. Deming: An Inventory of Her Papers	00825
Personal papers of social worker, community activist, and business owner/president of a Minneapolis-based employee-assistance firm DOR (Delivering Organizational Results) and Associates, Inc. The papers reflect her personal interest in and study of social services, feminism, and civil rights in the 1960s and 1970s, and business records of her firm.
Dietetics and Nutrition Practice Board: An Inventory of Its Administrative Rule Proceedings Files	gr02020
Arranged in chronological order.
Energy Agency: Conservation Division: An Inventory of Its Energy Design Competition Entries	gr02035
Designs for construction of energy efficient dwellings suitable for Minnesota's climate, including site plans, floor plans, exterior views, cross-sections, cost figures, and design project narratives.
Donald MacKay Fraser: An Inventory of His Papers	00290
Papers of a Minneapolis lawyer and politician who served as Minnesota state senator (1954-1962), as U.S. congressman from Minnesota's fifth district (1962-1978), and as mayor of Minneapolis (1979-1994). The collection is particularly strong in its documentation of international relations, Democratic party policy and reform, human rights issues, environmental conservation, and women's issues in the 1960s and 1970s. Includes digital content.
Randy Furst: An Inventory of His Records Related to Radicalism and Militant Labor Movements	001335
Minutes, correspondence, literature, clippings, photographs, and other materials acquired or collected by Minneapolis Star Tribune writer and union steward Randy Furst related to radicalism and militant labor movements in Minneapolis, including the Communist League of America (Opposition), the Workers Party of the U.S., the Socialist Workers Party (SWP), and the Genral Drivers and Helpers Union, Local No. 544. The collection also consists of subject files on prominent radical leadership and union members, materials regarding the 1934 Minneapolis truckers strike, and union history lectures. Includes digital content.
Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities: An Inventory of Its Olmstead Plan Records	gr02021
Include the Olmstead Planning Committee agendas, meeting minutes and meeting files; the Governor's Olmstead Subcabinet meeting agendas, meeting minutes and meeting files; executive orders, Olmstead Plan drafts and public comments, annual and quarterly reports, work plans, surveys, reports to the court, and related records. Arranged in chronological order.
Louis W. (Louis Warren) Hill: An Inventory of His Papers	00050
Political papers, correspondence, subject files, financial records, business records, memorabilia, and other materials relating primarily to Louis W. Hill, Jr., but also to his siblings and to other members of the Hill family.
Hubert H. Humphrey: An Inventory of His Papers	00720
The Hubert H. Humphrey papers include several series of files detailing various aspects of his life and career, including his service as Minneapolis mayor (1945-1948) , his first tenure as United States Senator from Minnesota (1949-1964), service as Vice President of the United States (1965-1968), as well as materials pertaining to his family and personal life and his 1968 presidential and 1970 senate campaigns. Includes digital content.
Legislative Auditor: Financial Audits Division: An Inventory of Its Audit Reports	gr00705
Audit reports conducted annually by the Financial Audit Division to assess the state's major financial operations and determine whether the state's financial statements comply with generally accepted accounting principles.
Legislative Auditor: Program Evaluation Division: An Inventory of Its Program Evaluation Reports	gr00239
Published reports that describe state programs or the operations of state agencies, analyze management problems, evaluate outcomes, and recommend alternative means of reaching program goals.
Legislature: An Inventory of Its House and Senate Bills (Legislative Set)	gr00675
Consists of the final signed copies of House files, Senate files, chapter files, and resolutions.
Clark MacGregor: An Inventory of His Papers	00289
Congressional office files of a U.S. representative (Republican) from the Minnesota third district who served from 1961-1971, as well as a few files documenting his tenure (1971-1972) as Counsel to the President for Congressional Relations.
McLeod County: Auditor: An Inventory of Its Tax Lists	gr00741
Tax lists for the years 1861-1901, 1910-1911, 1920-1921, 1930-1931, 1940-1941, 1950-1951, 1960-1961, 1970-1971, 1980-1981, and 1990-1991.
Laura Jane Musser An Inventory of Her Family Papers	00355
Personal papers documenting the careers and interests of Laura Jane Musser, her parents Richard Drew and Sarah Walker Musser, her sisters Alice and Mary, and related families. Includes digital content.
Roger P. Parkinson: An Inventory of His Papers	00222
Papers documenting Parkinson's activities as publisher and president (1983-1992) of the Star Tribune newspaper and its predecessor, the Minneapolis Star and Tribune; as an officer and director of corporate parent Cowles Media Company; and as a member of foreign policy think tanks and Minnesota business associations. Most of the material relates to operations and special projects at the newspapers.
Public Safety Department: Commissioner’s Office: An Inventory of Its Correspondence	gr00054
General correspondence with citizens and with local civic and law enforcement officials regarding all aspects of the department's operations and public interactions.
Public Safety Department: Commissioner’s Office: An Inventory of Its Records	gr02023
Includes subject files, reports, hearing transcripts, manuals, rules and regulation, administrative rulemaking files, minutes and meeting files, and legislative mandated reports.
Public Safety Department: Commissioner’s Office: An Inventory of Its Subject Files	gr00055
Subject files from the office of the commissioner consisting predominantly of interoffice memoranda and correspondence with public safety department divisions.
Albert H. Quie: An Inventory of His Congressional Papers	00208
Congressional files of Albert H. Quie (Republican), who represented Minnesota's first district from 1958 through 1978 and went on to serve as governor of the state from 1979 to 1983.
Ramsey County: An Inventory of Its Published Records and Reports	gr00621
Budget documents, executive director reports and related publications, and print and near-print materials documenting the facilities and services provided by or proposed to be provided by the county, covering such diverse topics as corrections, economic development, land use, election canvassing, personnel, social services, county nursing home, mental health care, emergency planning, road repair and reconstruction, financial planning, courts, parks and recreational facilities, taxation, landfills and waste management, light rail transit, schools, housing and real estate, and information services.
Ramsey County: St. Paul-Ramsey County Public Health Department: An Inventory of Its Records	gr02019
Records documenting the administration and activities of the St. Paul-Ramsey County Public Health Department. Includes scrapbooks, subject files of Medical Director Dr. Neal R. Holtan, and photographs. Also included are published records and reports of the department's predecessors the St. Paul Community Services Department, Public Health Division, and the St. Paul Public Safety Department, Health Bureau.
Redwood County: Sundown Township: An Inventory of Its Birth and Death Records	gr02013
Birth (1873-1908) and death (1873-1907) registers, and birth (1907-1950) and death (1908-1953) certificates.
Redwood County: Vail Township: An Inventory of Its Birth and Death Records	gr02014
Birth (1879-1907) and death (1880-1907) registers and birth (1908-1949) and death (1914-1953) certificates.
Redwood County: Vesta: An Inventory of Its Birth and Death Records	gr02015
Birth (1911-1953) and death (1908-1953) certificates.
Redwood County: Vesta Township: An Inventory of Its Birth and Death Records	gr02016
Birth (1880-1911) and death (1880-1910) register and birth (1908-1952) and death (1911-1953) certificates.
Redwood County: Walnut Grove: An Inventory of Its Birth and Death Records	gr02017
Birth (1885-1909) and death (1887-1907) registers and birth (1915-1954) and death (1915-1953) certificates. Also includes permits for burial or removal.
Redwood County: Westline Township: An Inventory of Its Birth and Death Records	gr02018
Birth (1879-1919) and death (1881-1916) registers, and birth (1908-1945) and death (1908-1952) certificates. Also includes permits for burial or removal (1905-1932) including from Olmsted, Lyon, Stearns, and Anoka Counties.
Rice County: Assessor: An Inventory of Its Assessment Rolls	gr00823
Assessment rolls for the civil subdivisions of Rice County, recording the value of taxable real and personal property for the years 1858-1901 and subsequent sample years 1910-1911, 1920-1921, 1930-1931, 1940-1941, 1950-1951, 1960-1961, and 1990-1991. The assessment rolls for 1858-1859 also include information on taxes levied and paid, and some volumes include delinquent tax data. The records for the 1860s are incomplete; and there are no records for the cities of Faribault and Northfield for 1920-1921.
Rice County: Auditor: An Inventory of Its Tax Lists	gr00824
Tax lists for the civil subdivisions of Rice County, recording the taxes assessed and paid on real and personal property for the years 1860-1901 and subsequent sample years 1910-1911, 1920-1921, 1930-1931, 1940-1941, 1950-1951, 1960-1961, 1980-1981, and 1990-1991. Real property tax data were recorded on a combined form with real property assessment data in even-numbered years, 1870-1950.
Secretary of State: An Inventory of Its Session Laws at the Minnesota Historical Society	gr00487
Acts of the Minnesota Legislature as passed in each year's legislative session. Laws of a permanent nature are subsequently incorporated in the Minnesota Statutes that are coded laws. The Laws of Minnesota also include uncoded laws, including appropriations, proposed constitutional amendments, local laws, and effective date sections.
Social Work Board: An Inventory of Its Records	gr02022
Includes minutes, reports to the legislature, administrative rule proceedings files, and related material.
Stearns County: Sheriff: An Inventory of Its Records	gr02024
Includes crime register, warrant and prisoner record, jail registers, and sheriff's office record books.
Thorstensen Family: An Inventory of Their Family Papers	01355
Records of the Thorstensen family of Red Wing, Minnesota, including the correspondence of Robert E. Thorstensen and Marion Duggan Thorstensen during Robert's naval service during World War II. The bulk of the collection consists of the war time letters exchanged between Robert and Marion, who wrote to each other nearly every day (August 1943 to December 1944). Many of the letters are romantic in nature, and include insights into naval and domestic life during World War II, as well as information about arts and cultural events in the Twin Cities during that time. Also included in the collection are some biographical materials about Robert, his parents Edwin and Mabel's memoirs, Edwin's career history in Red Wing, and letters exchanged between Robert and his parents during his education.
Thursday Club (Saint Paul, Minn.): An Inventory of Its Records	00408
Constitutions (1927/1928, 1939/1940 and 1957); minutes (1894-1917, 1930-1955, and 1993-2000); an early membership list (1895-1897); yearbooks containing the club's annual programs, membership rosters, and secretary's report (1895/1896-1999/2000); treasurer's books and reports (1924-1941, 2000-2001); scrapbooks (1908-1956); and miscellaneous papers ([1906]-1990)documenting the activities of a Saint Paul women's literary and intellectual society organized on May 14, 1894.
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.

New and Updated Catalog Records