History Center of Olmsted County and Mayowood Estate [MN] Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 01/08/2008 - 13:36
Description

The History Center of Olmstead County presents the history of Olmstead County, Minnesota. To this end, the center operates as a museum. The museum includes rooms devoted to the decorative arts; a hands-on children's cabin; and exhibits on topics which include IBM, St. Mary's Hospital, the 1883 Rochester tornado, and historical medicine. Artifact collections include textiles, military, decorative arts, Native American, agricultural and mechanical, and medical items. The center also operates the Mayowood Estate historic house museum. Erected in 1911 as the home of Dr. Charles H. Mayo, cofounder of the Mayo Clinic, Mayowood now contains period rooms.

The museum offers exhibits, educational programs, hands-on activities, museum tours, traveling trunks, and library access. Reservations are required for tours. The center also organizes baseball games, played in 1860s style. The Mayowood Estate offers period rooms and guided tours. The website offers virtual exhibits.

Cuyuna Country Heritage Preservation Society [MN]

Description

The Cuyuna Country Preservation Society is dedicated to the preservation of the historical heritage of the Cuyuna area. The society takes particular pride in its extensive collection of recorded oral histories. The society owns and operates a research library, which houses the society's considerable historical collections.

The society offers local history resources including an extensive collection of oral histories, as well as special events including presentations and walking tours. The website offers information regarding the society's resources, as well as information regarding upcoming events.

Charles A. Lindbergh House [MN]

Description

The 1906 Charles A. Lindbergh House is the childhood home of Charles Lindbergh (1902-1974), best known for his 1927 flight across the Atlantic in the Spirit of St. Louis. Today, the house contains its original furnishings. A visitor's center provides a full-scale model of the Spirit of st. Louis's cockpit that guests can enter, in addition to information on Lindbergh's life, adventures, and conservation work.

The site offers period rooms, exhibits, films, tours, an interpretive trail, and numerous field trip programs tailored to Minnesota state educational standards. Reservations are required for tours.

Minnehaha Depot [MN]

Description

The Minnehaha Depot was built in 1875 in order to replace a smaller station on the first railroad line from Chicago to the Twin Cities. The Depot is small, but is of an unusual and delicate construction. Today, the depot still stands as a piece of living history for visitors to enjoy.

The depot offers guided tours during the summer and is open during the schoolyear by appointment. The website offers basic visitor information.

Sibley House Historic Site [MN]

Description

The Sibley House Historic Site consists of four historical limestone structures, dating to 1825 through 1853 when Mendota, Minnesota was an important player in the U.S. fur trade with the Dakota people. Begun in 1838, the home of Henry Hastings Sibley is the best known of the four. Sibley served as regional manager of the American Fur Company and the first Minnesota governor. Structures accessible to the public include the 1840 home of Jean-Baptiste Faribault, trader and hotelier, and an 1843 fur company cold store.

The site offers tours and period rooms.

Historic Fort Snelling [MN]

Description

Completed in 1825, Fort Snelling was originally built to prevent non-U.S. citizens from making use of the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers. After 1851, the fort served as a supply depot, training center for Union troops, and the headquarters of the Army Department of Dakota.

The fort offers a hands-on educational program; living history tours; day camps based on the pioneer stories of Laura Ingalls Wilder; blacksmithing, bread baking, tea, and hearth baking classes; outreach presentations given by costumed interpreters; lectures; and a picnic area. The website offers a virtual tour.

Sherburne History Center

Description

The Center showcases the semipermanent exhibit "Life on the Edge," featuring the history of Sherburne County, as well as rotating exhibits; the outdoors Legacy Trail leads past local historic structures.

The center offers exhibits, tours, research library access, lectures, and educational and recreational events.

Traverse des Sioux Historic Site [MN]

Description

The Traverse des Sioux location was a meeting place and crossroads for centuries, and was frequented by American Indians and European fur traders and farmers. In 1850, with the passing of a treaty in 1851 the land at Traverse des Sioux became open to the public. Within a year, a booming town was located on the site, with a population of over 300. Less than two decades later, another town was chosen as the county seat, and nothing was left of Traverse des Sioux.

The Historic Site offers self guided tours and hiking. The website offers a brief history of the location and visitor information.