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!

History available for the Holiday’s at the Warden’s House December 14th

Stillwater, MN – Why not go local with your holiday shopping this year? On Saturday, December 14th, Noon to 4pm, the Washington County Historical Society will invite the public to come to the Warden’s House and take advantage of a huge sale on locally published books. Visitors will be able to save more than 50% on some of titles.

The books cover a wide variety topics such as early paddleboat history, Lumberjack Days, Minnesotans in the Civil War, and of course, the Old Stillwater Prison and the infamous Younger brothers. Instead of fighting in line at the department store, sip some coffee while listening to live holiday provided by talented Stillwater students.

Featured authors Robert and Nancy Goodman, Bruce Kohn, Brent Peterson, Bill Schrankler, and Gloria VanDemmeltraadt will be on hand to chat about their newest works and sign copies of their books. This is the perfect personalized gift for the lover of history in your life!

Schrankler’s new book, Shadows of Time…Minnesota’s Surviving Railroad Depots, is a well-documented illustrated publication of Minnesota’s surviving railroad depots with historic and present day photographs. The forward of the book is written by former Minnesota Governor Wendell Anderson and is published by the Woodbury Heritage Society.

Bruce Kohn has written a book titled, Dakota Child, Governor’s Child: The Life of Helen Hastings Sibley, a biography of the daughter of Minnesota’s first Governor, Henry Sibley and a Dakota woman known as Red Blanket Woman. This is the second book published by the Friends of the Sibley Historic Site, the first being Six Miles from St. Paul by David Grabiske.

Gloria’s extensive research of historical documents is interviews with more than 100 long-time residents of the Lake Elmo area gives her book a unique personal look into the pages of the past.

Robert & Nancy Goodman, two of the leading historians in the Midwest, have written numerous books on St. Croix Valley and Minnesota history. Included in these titles are; Joseph R. Brown: Adventurer; Paddlewheels of the Upper Mississippi; The Last Rafter: David Bronson and the St. Croix Lumber Industry; and A History of Washington County: Gateway to Minnesota History!!

Peterson has just release his book published by Arcadia Publishing Company this past fall. The book has over 200 photos of Stillwater, Minnesota that traces its illustrious history from lumber boom town to Historic Rivertown. It is a great visual history and would make a great gift this season. He has several other books on the Stillwater area that will also be available at the event.

The Warden’s House Museum is located at 602 Main Street N. in Stillwater, MN.