Join us in a Great Adventure!

We would like to share some exciting news with you. The Washington County Historical Society has set out on a monumental adventure to preserve our community's place in history. We have an opportunity to dream the dream by expanding our mission statement to serve the greater community with a new Washington County Heritage Center.

The Heritage Center will be an exciting place to come visit, learn and discover our heritage through many creative avenues of visual, technical, interactive and educational means. Not only will we be able to house important items from our own local history, but we will be able to bring to you traveling exhibits from important museums all over the country.

Please take a moment to review the link below, make a pledge and become a part of history with us!

New Managers Hired for Washington County Historic Sites

The Washington County Historical Society has hired new managers to run the two historic sites for the coming year. The Hay Lake School site in Scandia and the Warden’s House Museum site in Stillwater will open the first weekend in May with David Sandager and Sean Pallas leading their museums.

David Sandager, of Marine on St. Croix, has been hired to oversee operations at the Hay Lake School Museum complex in Scandia. A recent graduate from the University of St. John’s with a Major in History, Sandager comes from a family that has deep roots in the area and has had family members attend Hay Lake School when it was an active one-room school house. “As someone who grew up in the area,” Sandager says, “and has family who actually attended the Hay Lake School, I have a unique perspective that allows me to appreciate the historic value of this site as well as the importance of keeping the site open for the public.” He also works as a site interpreter at the Minnesota State Capitol.

Sean Pallas, of Woodbury, is very familiar with the Warden’s House Museum which he will now operate. Last year Pallas was an intern with the Historical Society and learned the ins and outs of operating a house museum in the 21st century. He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota – Duluth with a Major in History. While attending college in Duluth, he worked at the St. Louis County Historical Society at the Veterans’ Memorial Hall. “Being able to educate and interact with interested individuals,” says Pallas, “was easily the greatest part of the internship last year.”

Both museum sites open the first weekend in May, the Warden’s House on Thursday May 3 and the Hay Lake Museum on Saturday May 5.

David Sandager
Manager for the Hay Lake School Museum

Sean Pallas
Manager for the Warden's House Museum

Photo of the Week: May 9, 2012

Wildwood Amusement Park was constructed on the eastern shores of White Bear Lake in the 1890s in Mahtomedi. Closely associated with the Twin City Rapid Transit Company, the attendance during the weekends would top 1,000 visitors each day, and during the week between 400-500 people would enjoy the park every day. Known for its bathhouse and giant water slide & roller coaster named the “Pippin,” Wildwood offered a break to many laborers during the early part of the 20th century. Even the Tilt-a-Whirl made its debut at the park in 1926. However, with the advent of cars and the depression, Wildwood was all but a memory by the late 1930s.

Support the Washington County Historical Society by Shopping Online

The Washington County Historical Society is excited to announce it’s partnership with marketamerica, the world’s largest online shopping destination!

Market America features over 50 million products and services! GET PAID TO SHOP while you support the Washington County Historical Society.

It’s FREE and EASY to use! Follow these simple steps and you’ll be on your way:

• Register as a preferred customer at www.marketamerica.com/wchsmn by clicking the "sign up now" button.
• Sign in each time you shop
• Get 2-35% cash back

With every purchase you make, a percentage of your total shopping order will be donated to the Washington County Historical Society. Help support your local historical society by shopping online!

Shop at stores like these:

Click on the link below to get started.