Flekkefest is coming up fast - August 2 and 3 and the annual Oldies but Goodies Fundraise will be open on Friday from 8 to 3 and Saturday from 10 to 2.  Come and find just the item you've always been looking for!     

 

All the items for sale are donations and not taken from the museum collection. All proceeds help maintain the daily operation of the Museum. 

 

We are now accepting donations of items in good condition, as vintage, antique and collectible items. We do not accept upholstered furniture, exercise equipment or electronics. If you have any questions, please call the museum at 218-685-4864. 

Originally built in 1859 as a stagecoach road from the Twin Cities to what is now Winnipeg, it was a great improvement over the older oxcart trails. For example, unlike the oxcart trails, there were actually bridges built where needed. When the Dakota War erupted in 1862, the road was militarized; the US Army took over operations on the road, fortified numerous sites (including Pomme de Terre), and used it to keep communications open between Fort Snelling and Fort Abercrombie in the Red River Valley. Military supplies, stagecoaches and the US Mail were escorted by soldiers between St. Cloud and Fort Abercrombie.

 

David Vavreck has had a lifelong interest in American history, the American Civil War, and the Dakota War of 186s. One of his ancestors was stationed at Fort Alexandria in 1864 and rode the Trail between there and Fort Abercrombie. 

 

 

 

Genealogy Saturday for August will again focus on Show, Tell, and Ask. At the July meeting, participants shared stories of their ancestors' lives and where they moved and lived - especially in Grant County. Some had questions about finding more information. We also found connections from one family to another - small world that Grant County is! Come join us in person or by Zoom!

George R. Holley, will be speaking on the vast sweep of the past in Minnesota and surrounding states that involved seemingly minor changes and major transformations in daily life and world views. Since many of the major innovations occurred to the south, the indigenous people of Minnesota were faced with the need to translate these into local customs. Regardless of the source, all changes are local. 

 

Holley was raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, and graduated with a Ph.D. in 1983 from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. He has conducted archaeological investigations in the American Southeast, Southwest, Midwest, and Plains. He has also worked in Mexico and Belize. He has a long abiding interest in studying pottery and has published widely. 

 

Holley studied the ceramics in the GCHS collection on a visit last fall and a copy of his follow-up reports are in our files.