Washington County Historical Society

Mother's Day at the Warden's House
2024-05-12 13:00 - 17:00 (America/Chicago) | Warden’s House Museum, 602 Main Street North, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
Calista Delano with her son Lewis (born -1866)

Happy Mother’s Day!
Bring your mother/grandmother/other special mom figure in your life to the Warden’s House Museum and your mom will receive FREE ADMISSION for the tour!
Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 12 and the Warden’s House Museum tours are at 1pm, 2pm, 3pm, and 4pm.
*Regular tour rates apply for other non-mom guests – $8/adults, $3/ages 6-17

Hay Lake School Spelling Bee
2024-05-14 19:00 - 20:30 | Hay Lake School, 14020 195th St N, Marine on St. Croix, MN, 55047
Come out to Hay Lake School and test your skills with an old-fashioned spelling bee!
7-7:30pm – Kids Category (students age 9-14)
7:30pm – Adult Category (ages 15 and up)
Free!
Questions? Email Susan Stepka at susan.stepka@wchsmn.org

2024 Stillwater Historic House Tour
2024-05-19 12:00 - 17:00 | MN
****Click here to buy tickets****
Celebrate spring and enjoy beautiful, unique, and historic homes nestled into the hills of Stillwater!
1. Please pick up your tickets on the day of the tour at:
Washington County Heritage Center
1862 Greeley Street South
Stillwater, MN 55082
At will call, we’ll provide you with:

your tickets
a map with all the house addresses
a packet of historical information about each house!

Please bring a photo ID to claim your tickets.
The Washington County Heritage Center will open at 10am on the day of the tour. Tickets cannot be picked up early. This limits the potential for copies being made. We appreciate your patience!

2. Houses may be visited in any order!

3. Transportation is not provided by WCHS, so please plan according to your needs. A few of the houses are close together and can be walked between easily. Others are several blocks apart and we recommend driving to them. All parking is street parking. There is a free public parking lot located across the street from the Warden’s House Museum that you may use when you visit that location.

4. All tour attendees require a ticket, including children of any age. Thank you for understanding!

Rain or shine. All sales are final. Questions? Call 651-439-2298.

WCHS would like to sincerely thank our generous sponsors:
Cates Fine Homes
Darn Knit Anyway
JG Eagleton Trust
Johnny’s TV
June Weddings
Karen Ukura
Linda J Besk, Sotheby’s Real Estate
Rose Floral & Greenhouse
The Tilted Tiki
Valley Booksellers

Preview of houses on the tour

Lovness House (1957)
Located just outside of Stillwater and is a true crown jewel of the tour. The Lovness House is a perfect example of Mid-Century Modern architecture. Physically built stone-by-stone by Don and Virginia Lovness in about 1957. Renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright originally designed the project, made up of a custom home and guesthouse cottage.
Lonnie Lovness (daughter of Don and Virginia) generously gave a fascinating program on growing up in the Lovness House and the journey her parents took to build it. Watch the talk she gave at the Heritage Center at this link!

6th Street, Proctor House #2 (about 1875)
The well-preserved house still retains typical features of this style, including ionic columns lining the porch and scrolled brackets supporting the cornice, which is emphasized with a dentil molding. The broad porch wraps around the front and side of the house and allows lovely views toward the river, and the distinctive tympanum above the porch entrance remains today. (via Stillwater HPC)

Holcombe Street (1868)
This beautiful Victorian house on Holcombe Street is the only one on the tour that could be yours! Currently on the market after some beautiful renovations, this house keeps its antique charm while having modern functionality.The updated kitchen, adorned with quartz, tile backsplash, and new flooring, merges natural light with a perfect cooking and gathering space. Rich hardwood floors exude warmth, complemented by original woodwork. Vintage charm meets modernity, creating an ideal home. (Zillow)
More info: Link to Zillow Page

Sauntry Mansion (1880)
William Sauntry’s house might be considered a Queen Anne, but was constructed with the enthusiastic use of other architectural style elements, including Eastlake millwork, a mansard-roofed tower common to Italianate villas, and hints of the Gothic in the gable. (via Stillwater HPC)

1st Street North (1860s)
Unlike any other house in Stillwater, this “estate” has the full complement of supplementary buildings: chicken house, barn, wagon shed, outhouse–practical remnants of what would have been found on the properties of many Nineteenth Century Stillwater homes.Today, the “new” guardian of the property, Melanie Ebertz, follows the Berg sisters striving to preserve and protect the old house and its full complement of outbuildings, while trying at the same time adapting them to the Twenty-First Century.

4th Street, Proctor House #1 (1860)
*The reason this is a picture of the driveway is that this is the first view that House Tour guests will see, and we want everyone to know where to enter!John and Caroline Proctor are associated with two distinguished homes in Stillwater. The first, this 1850s Greek Revival, perches above the city, one of the very earliest remaining homes in Stillwater. Set back from the street and well above street level, with the outer edges of the lot screened by foliage, the home appears quite secluded today, but would have been a distinctive and highly visible building at the time of construction. The lovely front entrance with its straight staircase, double columns and elegant tympanum has been preserved well and is a distinguishing feature. Numerous additions at the rear of the home likely more than doubled the original size of the house; some were completed by 1888 and others are more recent. (via Stillwater HPC)

Aurora Staples Inn (1892)
The architecture is unique to the Boom Town Period which is seen in different types of wood used throughout the home. You will find bird’s eye maple, pine, oak, ornate inlaid flooring and wood carvings featuring Isaac Staples signature oak leaves and acorns around the fireplaces and doors. There are leaded glass windows, wood & coal burning fireplaces, pocket doors, a servant’s stair case. Originally, the kitchen was in the basement & the third level was a ballroom. A beautiful open staircase leads to four guest rooms. There are flower gardens in back and a Carriage House, which is renovated and made into a guest suite. The St. Croix Suite was Aurora’s bedroom until 1924, Her original dresser is still there and her bed is currently in the Gallery Room. (via Aurora Staples Inn)More info:https://aurorastaplesinn.com/

Washington County Historic Courthouse (1860)
Located high on the hill overlooking downtown Stillwater, the Washington County Historic Courthouse is the longest standing courthouse in the state of Minnesota, serving as the county seat for over 100 years. (via Historic Courthouse) The Historic Courthouse recently underwent a massive renovation and House Tour guests will be among the first guests to see it!More info: https://www.co.washington.mn.us/2204/Historic-Courthouse

Warden’s House Museum (1853)
The Warden’s House Museum was built in 1853 as the residence of the Minnesota Territorial Prison warden. Over the next six decades, there were thirteen wardens that lived in the house until 1914 when the prison moved to its present site in Bayport.
After 1914, a Deputy Warden or Superintendent of the prison used the old Warden’s House. In 1941, the State of Minnesota sold the house to the Washington County Historical Society and it was opened as the second house museum in the state in June 1941.
The museum consists of 14 rooms decorated in the late 19th and early 20th century style. Many rooms are like that of a upper middle class Victorian household while other rooms house exhibits showcasing Washington County history such as the lumber industry, the 1965 St. Croix Valley Flood, and of course, the Old Stillwater Prison.

Black & White Movie Night: His Girl Friday
2024-06-05 19:00 | Washington County Heritage Center, 1862 South Greeley St, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
A classic! Settle into the Washington County Heritage Center for a showing of “His Girl Friday” (1940), a screwball comedy starring Cary Grant.

Grant stars as Walter Burns, a workaholic editor for a New York newspaper. Walter’s ex-wife Hildy (Rosalind Russell), a star reporter for the paper, enters his office and not only tells him she’s quitting her job, but she has plans to marry bland insurance man Bruce Baldwin the very next day in Albany. Shocked and distraught, Walter does everything to delay Hildy’s trip and show her that Bruce is not worthy of her hand in marriage. Appealing to her hard-hitting journalism prowess, Walter convinces her to stay on for one last story – the upcoming execution of Earl Williams, a shy bookkeeper accused of murder.

Steve Schroer will provide an educational introduction to the film and will be available for discussion following the showing.

17th Annual Beer Tasting at Hay Lake School
2024-06-15 16:00 - 19:00 | Hay Lake School, 14020 195th St N, Marine on St. Croix, MN, 55047
For seventeen years, this event has become the keystone fundraiser for the Washington County Historical Society. This year the breweries attending are Bent Brewstillery, Bent Paddle Brewery, Castle Danger, Lift Bridge Brewery, Sierra Nevada Brewery, Summit Brewery, Rustic Roots winery and more!
The beer is just a part of it; in addition, there will be a silent auction that includes tickets to the Minnesota Renaissance Festival, tickets to a St. Paul Saints baseball game, movie passes from Woodbury 10 Theater, four green fees from Marsh Oaks Golf Course and signed items from the Minnesota Twins and Vikings. There is much, much more!
Extra excitement will be the vintage baseball at the Lions Park next to the Hay Lake School. Vintage Baseball, played by the rules of 1860, will start at 2pm and go until 4pm. The reigning Minnesota Vintage Baseball champions, the St. Croix Base Ball Club, will be playing against several other clubs for the enjoyment and education of the crowds that will be there. No cost to attend the games, just bring your own chair and enjoy the event.
Admission to the event is $20 per person and participants must be 21 years or older. All proceeds from this event benefit the Washington County Historical Society.
The Hay Lake School was constructed of brick in 1896 and held classes until 1963. After that, the Washington County Historical Society purchased the school in 1978 and has been a public museum ever since. The school is on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Hay Lake School Museum & Johannes Erickson Log House Museum are located at 14020 195th St N, Marine on St Croix, MN 55047.
Please contact Susan Stepka at Susan.stepka@wchsmn.org or 651-433-4014 with any questions regarding this event or to schedule a tour of the museum.

Free Father's Day at the Warden's House Museum
2024-06-16 13:00 - 17:00 | Warden’s House Museum, 602 Main Street North, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
Happy Father’s Day!
Bring your father/grandfather/other special dad figure in your life to the Warden’s House Museum and your favorite guy will receive FREE ADMISSION for the tour!
Father’s Day is Sunday, June 16 and the Warden’s House Museum tours are at 1pm, 2pm, 3pm, and 4pm.
*Regular tour rates apply for other non-dad guests – $8/adults, $3/ages 6-17

"Scandia softball: past and present" with Dan Lindgren
2024-07-07 16:00 - 17:00 | Hay Lake School, 14020 195th St N, Marine on St. Croix, MN, 55047
Greg Benson, second from left, was inducted to the Minnesota Hall of Fame. In the 1990s Greg’s three sons Mike, Josh, and Ryan Benson playing in the Minnesota State Tournament. From left, Mike, Greg, Josh, and Ryan. Photo courtesy of Dan Lindgren
Play ball!
Dan Lindgren, Forest Lake High School grad and full-time player on Scandia’s fastpitch softball teams from 1980 to 2000, will be presenting all things Scandia softball!
Learn the stories about local legends like,” dominant arm of Jim Lindberg,” the “powerful bat of Greg Benson (Lester’s son),” and how Greg Isaacson “led his team to a state title in 1987, a year that included Scandia’s first trip to a national tournament.” (quotes taken from Dan’s recent article in the Forest Lake Times.
Check out the article here!
The event will be held either inside Hay Lake School or outside on the lawn, depending on weather. See you there!

Black & White Movie Night: Safety Last!
2024-07-24 19:00 - 20:00 | Washington County Heritage Center, 1862 South Greeley St, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
Tonight’s feature is one of the greatest of all silent comedies. Safety Last is the film in which Harold Lloyd hangs from a clock face and performs breathtaking stunts, high above the street below. If you’ve never seen it, this is your chance!

48StateTour! Cemetery Restoration Event at Fairview Cemetery
2024-07-27 09:00 - 15:00 | MN
Learn how grave markers are cleaned and restored at at Fairview Cemetery!
Saturday July 27th, 2024
9am-3pm

Fairview Cemetery
6373 North Osgood Ave.
Stillwater, MN 55082

Cost: Free!
No experience necessary. Anyone and everyone is welcome to attend.
Hosted by 48StateTour!, the Washington County Historical Society, and City of Stillwater – MN Heritage Preservation Commission
Schedule
Morning (9am-10am): Introductions + Walk & Talk Tour
Interactive tour w/ questions and discussion encouraged. Overview of historic preservation, cemetery safety, stone identification, carvings, and damage present.

Late Morning (10am-12pm): Gravestone Cleaning
Safe & effective techniques for cleaning gravestones. A demonstration is follow by a hands-on session where you can pick a stone to clean!
Lunch Break (around noon)
Afternoon (12-3pm): Monument Repair Work
Common gravestone & monument repairs will be discussed and demonstrated. Attendees are encouraged to participate! Types of repair may include joining a fractured tablet, resetting a multi-piece monument, raising and re-leveling a leaning monument & more.

Activities:

Participate in gravestone cleaning and learn the most common safe & effective repair techniques! A discussion on historic preservation will begin the day with a short walk and talk tour, visually surveying some of the most historic gravestones and monuments in need of repair. Safe & effective removal of biological activity w/ approved stone cleaners & graffiti removal + prevention. HANDS ON! Adopt a stone and perform the cleaning process yourself. The most common repair techniques will be discussed and performed including resetting a badly leaning or sunken tablet stone and joining broken gravestone fragments using epoxy, clamps, and bracing techniques. *If time allows* we will employ an overhead, lifting tripod and demonstrate how to rig and lift monuments safely. *If time allows* we will review materials required and the process involved in replacing eroded or lost stone with the use of a stone infill material, including preparation, application and curing of mortars.

How to Prepare:
We recommend bringing water, snacks and any other essentials you feel that you may need. For example, a chair for breaks, hat, sunscreen, etc. We recommend wearing closed toe shoes and appropriate clothing if planning to participate.
Fairview Cemetery is a large cemetery and may be difficult to navigate for individuals with mobility challenges. The hosts will not be providing transportation to the cemetery or throughout the cemetery during the event. Please plan according to your needs.
Questions?
48 States website:
Click here

For further questions or concerns regarding this event, please contact us at 48states48days@gmail.com or call (860) 426-3111

Learn more about Fairview Cemetery:https://www.wchsmn.org/https://www.stillwatermn.gov/…/heritage-preservation…https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/668214/fairview-cemetery

Lawns to Legumes Garden Tour Day
2024-08-03 09:00 - 12:00 | Washington County Heritage Center, 1862 South Greeley St, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
Join us Saturday, August 3rd anytime from 9am – 12pm for Lawns to Legumes Garden Tour Day!

We are building a pollinator garden at the Washington County Heritage Center through a grant generously awarded by Blue Thumb – Planting for Clean Water. For the tour, we will be sharing info about the garden plans and what to look forward to as this project progresses. Stop out and see us!

Learn more about the tour and see other stops at this link: https://bluethumb.org/garden-tour-day/

Lawns to Legumes coaches, previous participants, and other DIY wildlife gardeners are hosting neighborhood native garden tours across Minnesota. Get inspired and connect with folks who are planting for pollinators in your area!

Getting Started in Genealogy with Amanda Lathrop
2024-08-08 19:00 - 20:00 | Washington County Heritage Center, 1862 South Greeley St, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
Are you interested in family history but are not sure where to start? Getting Started in Genealogy will show you how to ask the right questions, find and evaluate sources, use tools such as DNA, and organize and share your findings. Amanda leads a one-hour introduction to genealogy full of stories, laughter, and fun with helpful tools to create a connection to your past.
About your instructor
After nearly a decade of working as a production coordinator for Minnesota local production companies and producing shows for television networks like History Channel, Food Network and Travel Channel, Amanda Lathrop was driven to start her own production company, Lead Sheep Productions, LLC
After producing a family history video for her own family, she combined her genealogy hobby with her professional video business, giving her the opportunity to use her skills to help people capture, share, and preserve their own stories.
In-person attendees:
1862 Greeley Street South
Stillwater, MN 55082
Virtual attendees:
Link to WCHS YouTube page

The History of the Rock Island Bridge with Herb Reckinger Jr.
2024-08-15 19:00 - 20:00 | Washington County Heritage Center, 1862 South Greeley St, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
Photo by Louis M via TripAdvisor
Herb Reckinger Jr. presents on the Rock Island Bridge, a swing bridge with lots of history located in Inver Grove Heights!
About the event:
The Rock Island Bridge was a swing bridge connecting Inver Grove Heights in Dakota County to Washington County at St Paul Park and Newport. The bridge was very unique. It had an upper railroad deck and a lower passenger deck that somehow was barely able to allow automobiles to pass. It was built before the Spiral Bridge in Hastings (and before the automobile age) and lasted longer than the Wakota Bridge. The bridge had at least 6 names, depending on your allegiance to your town, your railroad company or the toll takers name. There will be numerous photos that will be projected from the origins of the bridge, until the unglamorous demolition and the partial reconstruction in 2011.
About Herb Reckinger Jr.:
I grew up in South St Paul and worked at the Erickson Refinery on our side of the river, since 1966. In 1974 we moved to Cottage Grove, but I still used that bridge until its last days. I retired in 2010. I used that bridge until 1999. So, I have a lot of first-hand knowledge of the bridge.
In-person attendees:
1862 Greeley Street South
Stillwater, MN 55082
Virtual attendees:
Link to WCHS YouTube page

"Exploring the St Croix River Valley: Adventures on and off the Water" with Angie Hong
2024-09-10 19:00 - 20:00 | Washington County Heritage Center, 1862 South Greeley St, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
WCHS is AWESOMELY excited to host a program by Angie Hong, author of “Exploring the St. Croix River Valley: Adventures on and off the Water” and creator/host of the page “MN Nature Awesomeness” on Instagram and Tik Tok. Books will be available for purchase at the event or online now at the WCHS Store.
About the book:
An authoritative, accessible, and entertaining nature recreation guide to one of the most beautiful and awe-inspiring areas in the Midwest
The St. Croix River is a 169-mile ribbon of blue that cleaves the land between Minnesota and Wisconsin. In the surrounding area, you can find small towns vibrant with local art, music, and dining. Set off in a kayak or canoe, however, and you could easily spend an entire day on the water without seeing another person. Close enough to the Twin Cities to be a pleasant day trip, yet vast enough to lose yourself for a week if you wish, the St. Croix River Valley is at once accessible and wild, beckoning adventurers, serious students of nature, family fun seekers, and sport enthusiasts all year round.
For readers of every inclination, Exploring the St. Croix River Valley provides a tour of the St. Croix Riverway and its 8,000-square-mile watershed. Environmental educator Angie Hong recommends specific places to explore the varied habitats—including prairies, forests, and lakes—and shows us myriad ways to get out and enjoy by hiking, paddling, biking, skiing, fishing, and more. As she travels from headwaters to tributaries, Hong takes in the Arcola High Bridge (with a side of freshwater mussel lore), searches for the perfect lakeside supper club, and talks to wildlife pros and volunteers restoring prairies, oak savanna, streams, and woodland habitats.
With stops at Standing Cedars Community Land Conservancy, Sunfish Lake Park, and the Chequamegon–Nicolet National Forest, readers will learn about the landscape and its history—groundwater geology and riverside land formations, ephemeral wildflowers and forests lost to logging—and the local fauna such as skinks and osprey, red-headed woodpeckers, grouse, and elk. Along the way, Hong has her own stories to tell, from paddling the Namekagon and wild ricing on the Moosehorn to planting trees with school kids. With its mix of stories, photographs, and practical information, Exploring the St. Croix River Valley makes an engaging companion for anyone venturing to this extraordinary place—as a visitor or as a reader.
About the author:
Angie Hong has been a conservation educator for more than twenty years. As coordinator for Minnesota’s East Metro Water Education Program, she works with thirty local government partners to implement a wide array of education programs focused on teaching and inspiring communities to protect water resources. Her tips and tales about keeping water clean are featured regularly in columns in the Stillwater Gazette, Forest Lake Times, and other local newspapers, as well as online at eastmetrowater.org. She also has a large following on Instagram and TikTok.
Follow Angie’s Blog
Follow Angie on Tik Tok
Follow Angie on Instagram

In-person attendees:
1862 Greeley Street South
Stillwater, MN 55082
Virtual attendees:
Link to WCHS YouTube page
The livestream will begin a few minutes before 7pm. Click on the link above, then click on the red “Live” icon on the YouTube page to join the stream.

AWA's GREATEST HEELS! with wrestling author/historian George Schire
2024-09-12 18:00 - 20:00 | Washington County Heritage Center, 1862 South Greeley St, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
Pampero Firpo

MARK YOUR CALENDARS for Thursday September 12th! Our resident professional wrestling author and historian George Schire will be on hand from 6:00 to 8:00pm to share the “AWA’s GREATEST HEELS!”.

Will your (not so) favorite bad guy be included in the discussion? And were they really as bad and evil as they projected themselves to be? Some were! And surprise, some were sweet as a cuddly Teddy Bear!

So who were these dastardly villains? George Schire will reveal all THE BAD about them during his visit here at the Washington County Heritage Center on Thursday September 12th!

And hey everyone, BRING YOUR QUESTIONS for George too!

REMEMBER, IT’S FREE TO ATTEND!!!

In-person attendees:
1862 Greeley Street South
Stillwater, MN 55082
Virtual attendees:
Link to WCHS YouTube page
The livestream will begin a few minutes before 6pm. Click on the link above, then click on the red “Live” icon on the YouTube page to join the stream.

Rural Schoolhouse Reunion
2024-09-14 12:00 - 16:00 | Hay Lake School, 14020 195th St N, Marine on St. Croix, MN, 55047
After the Rural Schoolhouse Reunion, continue the fun by heading over to Hugo to support the Hopkins Schoolhouse + Heritage Center! Register below and contact hopkinsschoolhouse.heritagecenter@gmail.com for more information.

The Houses and History of Stillwater Builder Frank Linner & Co.
2024-09-24 19:00 - 20:00 | Washington County Heritage Center, 1862 South Greeley St, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
Eric B. Linner is the fourth generation of Linners working in the construction industry and from Stillwater. His great-grandfather Frank W. Linner, grandfather Lawrence W. Linner and father, David B. Linner were all carpenters/contractors. Eric is a retired architect focusing on institutional buildings including schools and government buildings. His love for genealogy started 50 years ago, when his grandmother piqued his interest in family history which inspired him to research his great-grandfather’s construction history.
The presentation will focus on the career of Frank W. Linner who immigrated to Stillwater in 1879 from Linneryd, Kronobergs, Sweden. His construction company, Frank Linner & Company, built many fine homes in Stillwater from the company’s incorporation in 1897 until his death in 1933.

In-person attendees:
1862 Greeley Street South
Stillwater, MN 55082
Virtual attendees:
Link to WCHS YouTube page
The livestream will begin a few minutes before 7pm. Click on the link above, then click on the red “Live” icon on the YouTube page to join the stream.

Fall Membership Dinner 2024
2024-09-26 17:30 - 20:30 | Stillwater Event Center, 1910 Greeley Street South, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
The Washington County Historical Society is excited to announce the Fall Membership Dinner featuring a program by Jim Lammers, author of Barns of the St. Croix Valley – An Architect’s Sketchbook.
LOCATION:
Stillwater Event Center
1910 South Greeley Street (located next to the Washington County Heritage Center)
Stillwater, MN 55082
TIMING:
5:30pm Social Hour
6:30pm Dinner catered by Scheel’s Catering
7:30pm Brief meeting shortly followed by a program by Jim Lammers about his book Barns of the St. Croix Valley: An Architect’s Sketchbook
COST:
Cost is $25 for WCHS members and $30 for nonmembers.
RSVP is required! Reserve your spot and pay ahead at this link or call 651-439-2298.
PROGRAM INFO:
Barns of the St. Croix Valley: An Architect’s Sketchbook by Jim Lammers

Illustrated with 200 barn sketches, diagrams, and maps, this book takes you on a journey through the St Croix River Valley.
Copies of the book are available on the WCHS website and in-person at the Washington County Heritage Center.
The book grounds you in the geography, geology and biology of the region and introduces you to its original inhabitants, the Dakota and Ojibwe peoples, European explorers, fur traders and loggers and the settlers that followed them. It is a celebration of regional diversity and architectural expression through a single type of building–the barn.
Topics Jim plans to discuss include:

History of the Valley
People of the Valley
Barn Builders
Types of Barns
Types of Barn Roofs
Special Use Barns
Big Changes in Farming
Barn Extensions
Saving Barns

3rd Annual Historic Grounds Coffee Tasting
2024-09-28 10:00 - 12:00 | Washington County Heritage Center, 1862 South Greeley St, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
Coffee’s on!!! Come celebrate autumn in a cozy, festive atmosphere with a coffee tasting featuring buzzworthy brews from local shops!
Saturday, September 28 from 10am-noon
Tickets are $10/person. Ages 10 and under free.

Proceeds benefit the Washington County Historical Society and help us to continue to preserve and share the rich history of our area!
For planning purposes for our coffee shop vendors, we strongly encourage buying tickets in advance. 🙂 Buy tickets here!
Tickets may also be purchased on the day. After purchasing a ticket, your name will be added to the guest list. Please bring your ID on the day of the event to claim your ticket.
Rain or shine! All sales are final and non-refundable.

Questions? Call 651-439-2298.

Writing Workshop Series Session 1: Personal History
2024-10-03 19:00 - 20:30 | Washington County Heritage Center, 1862 South Greeley St, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
We are so excited to offer a special workshop series at the Washington County Heritage Center featuring experienced writers to guide you to creating a fun and meaningful piece of writing!
>>>Register here<<<
Session 1: Thursday, October 3 @ 7-8:30pm
Introduction and Personal History
Workshop Leaders: Gary Goodman, Emily Krawczewski
Session 2: Thursday, October 10 @ 7-8:30pm
Childhood Memories
Workshop leaders: Frank White
Session 3: Thursday, October 17 @ 7-8:30pm
Hometown Stories
Workshop leaders: Meg Heaton and Eleanor Wilhelmi
Session 4: Thursday, October 24 @ 7-8:30pm
Ancestors and Family Stories
Workshop Leaders: Bill McGrath
Bonus: Saturday, November 2 @ late afternoon or evening (TBD)
A celebration of the workshop participants’ hard work and provide them with the opportunity to read a portion of their writing, share an outline for a future project, or anything else they’d like to share that they created during the series. Details to come!

Outline for Each Session
7-7:15pm: Workshop leader introductions
7:15-7:30pm: Discuss recommended reading (if applicable)
7:30-7:50pm: Individual writing time
7:50-8:15pm: Break into small groups for feedback and sharing
8:15-8:30pm: Group share/wrap up

Participants
We are planning to cap the series at 20 participants.

Series Pricing
$125/person for non-WCHS members for full workshop series
$100/person for WCHS members for full workshop series
Participants will need to sign up for all four sessions in the series. No exceptions.
WCHS will provide pens, pencils, notebooks, and enthusiasm!

October 3 Workshop Session
The topic for this workshop session will be an introduction to the series as well as a personal history questionnaire brainstorm.
Meet your workshop leaders for October 3:
Gary Goodman
Gary Goodman has been a used and rare book dealer in Minnesota for nearly forty years and has an avid interest in people’s historical recollections of Stillwater and Washington County. He co-founded St. Croix Antiquarian Booksellers and the Stillwater Book Center and had a hand in Stillwater becoming known as the First Booktown in North America in the mid-1990s. He is the author of The Last Bookseller (published by the University of Minnesota Press in 2021 and now out in paperback) and co-authored The Stillwater Booktown Times and The Secret History of Golf in Scotland.
Gary Goodman
Emily Krawczewski
Emily is the Site Manager at the Washington County Heritage Center. Emily is passionate about history and making connections between the past and present. A native of Ohio, Emily graduated from Miami University with a B.A. in mass communication. Emily earned a Master of Library & Information Science with a focus in archives from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2020, for which she interned at the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum and other repositories. Outside of work, she enjoys being out on the lake, listening to country music, and petting every dog.

Oktoberfest - Beer Tasting and Silent Auction at Hay Lake School
2024-10-05 16:00 - 19:00 | Hay Lake School, 14020 195th St N, Marine on St. Croix, MN, 55047
For seventeen years, this event has become the keystone fundraiser for the Washington County Historical Society. This year the breweries attending are Bent Brewstillery, Bent Paddle Brewery, Castle Danger, Lift Bridge Brewery, Sierra Nevada Brewery, Summit Brewery, Rustic Roots winery and more! This event is rescheduled from a rained-out summer date.

Admission to the event is $20 per person and participants must be 21 years or older. All proceeds from this event benefit the Washington County Historical Society! Tickets are available for purchase at the event on the day. Payment options include cash, card, or check. Thanks!

Bake sale items will be available for auction! Cash only, please.

The Hay Lake School was constructed of brick in 1896 and held classes until 1963. After that, the Washington County Historical Society purchased the school in 1978 and has been a public museum ever since. The school is on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Hay Lake School Museum & Johannes Erickson Log House Museum are located at 14020 195th St N, Marine on St Croix, MN 55047.

Please contact Susan Stepka at Susan.stepka@wchsmn.org or 651-433-4014 with any questions regarding this event or to schedule a tour of the museum.

A Conversation with Marlene Johnson, Minnesota's First Female Lieutenant Governor
2024-10-09 19:00 - 20:30 | Washington County Heritage Center, 1862 South Greeley St, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
WCHS is thrilled to announce an event on Wednesday, October 9 at 7pm called “A Conversation with Marlene Johnson” led by former lobbyist and artist John Kaul at the Washington County Heritage Center.
Marlene M. Johnson is a true trailblazer in women’s history, becoming Minnesota’s first female lieutenant governor under Rudy Perpich’s gubernatorial administration in January 1983. The evening will feature a conversational interview by John Kaul, highlighting her illustrious career and celebrating the launch of her new book, Rise to the Challenge: A Memoir of Politics, Leadership & Love, being released on September 24, 2024.
This event is free to the public.
Reservations are required and space is limited. Please go all the way through checkout to confirm your reservation. Click here to reserve your spot.
Copies of Rise to the Challenge: A Memoir of Politics, Leadership & Love will be available for purchase at the event.
About Marlene Johnson and Rise to the Challenge
The inspiring life story of Minnesota’s first woman lieutenant governor: breaking political ground, navigating patriarchal tradition, and persevering through great personal loss
Marking a milestone for women in state government, Marlene M. Johnson became Minnesota’s first woman lieutenant governor under Rudy Perpich’s gubernatorial administration in January 1983. That same year, she met her husband, Peter, and their deeply loving relationship profoundly sustained her for twenty-seven years. Rise to the Challenge weaves these personal and professional stories together in a courageous portrait of dedication and leadership.
Growing up in rural Minnesota, Johnson began organizing and advocating for change early, beginning with a campaign to introduce foreign languages into her high school curriculum. Pursuing a deeply felt commitment to improving the lives of others, she continued to sharpen her leadership skills throughout her life, participating in activist work in college, cofounding organizations to support women entrepreneurs and politicians, and eventually running an international education nonprofit.
A stalwart supporter, her husband gave Marlene strength and encouragement to face the challenges of the political landscape and its gender biases. Then, in 2010, he suffered a traumatic brain injury that would change both of their lives. Learning how to be a medical advocate and, eventually, facing the sorrow of Peter’s death, Marlene relied on the hard-fought resilience and belief in herself that Peter had helped her to develop.
A story of learning and leadership in politics, business, and public service, Rise to the Challenge is a moving portrayal of spirit, perseverance, and grace in the face of daunting personal challenges, supported by unwavering faith in the public good.
About John Kaul
Kaul started working at the Minnesota Senate in 1971, when he was 23. He served as chief of staff to then-Senate Majority Leader Nicholas Coleman, a Democrat, from 1974 to 1980. Later, he worked as a lobbyist for various causes, including chief lobbyist for Minnesota State Universities from 1987 to 1993 and chief lobbyist for Minnesota State Colleges and Universities from 1993 to 2000.
In 2000, he started his own lobbying firm, Capitol Gains, and represented, among others, Washington County, Rochester Public Schools, the Minnesota Hospital Association, Minnesota Twins, Andersen Corp., Minnesota Humanities Commission and the city of Minneapolis. He retired in 2019. –Mary Divine/Pioneer Press

Writing Workshop Series Session 2: Childhood Memories
2024-10-10 19:00 - 20:30 | Washington County Heritage Center, 1862 South Greeley St, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
We are so excited to offer a special workshop series at the Washington County Heritage Center featuring experienced writers to guide you to creating a fun and meaningful piece of writing!
>>>Register here<<<
Session 1: Thursday, October 3 @ 7-8:30pm
Introduction and Personal History
Workshop Leaders: Gary Goodman, Emily Krawczewski
Session 2: Thursday, October 10 @ 7-8:30pm
Childhood Memories
Workshop leaders: Frank White
Session 3: Thursday, October 17 @ 7-8:30pm
Hometown Stories
Workshop leaders: Meg Heaton and Eleanor Wilhelmi
Session 4: Thursday, October 24 @ 7-8:30pm
Ancestors and Family Stories
Workshop Leaders: Bill McGrath
Bonus: Saturday, November 2 @ late afternoon or evening (TBD)
A celebration of the workshop participants’ hard work and provide them with the opportunity to read a portion of their writing, share an outline for a future project, or anything else they’d like to share that they created during the series. Details to come!

Outline for Each Session
7-7:15pm: Workshop leader introductions
7:15-7:30pm: Discuss recommended reading (if applicable)
7:30-7:50pm: Individual writing time
7:50-8:15pm: Break into small groups for feedback and sharing
8:15-8:30pm: Group share/wrap up
Participants
We are planning to cap the series at 20 participants.

Series Pricing
$125/person for non-WCHS members for full workshop series
$100/person for WCHS members for full workshop series
Participants will need to sign up for all four sessions in the series. No exceptions.
WCHS will provide pens, pencils, notebooks, and enthusiasm!

October 10 Workshop Session
The topic for this workshop session focus on early memories from your childhood and/or young adulthood.
Meet your workshop leader for October 10:
Frank White

Frank M. White is a former athlete, coach, official, and sports administrator. He currently coordinates the RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) program for the Minnesota Twins. His exhibit, They Played for the Love of the Game, was developed with the Ramsey County Historical Society in 2010.

Blue Dish Talk with Karen Hesselroth (Warden's House Museum)
2024-10-17 19:00 - 20:00 | Warden’s House Museum, 602 Main Street North, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
Come hear WCHS volunteer Karen Hesselroth give a presentation on Blue Willow, the popular dish ware. Made in England and inspired by China, this functional art medium comes in many varieties. Karen will explore the history of these blue and white delights, and highlight some special pieces in the collections of the Washington County Historical Society.

This event is FREE!
Location – Warden’s House Museum 602 N. Main Street Stillwater
Thursday, October 17th at 7:00pm

Writing Workshop Series Session 3: Hometown Stories
2024-10-17 19:00 - 20:30 | Washington County Heritage Center, 1862 South Greeley St, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
We are so excited to offer a special workshop series at the Washington County Heritage Center featuring experienced writers to guide you to creating a fun and meaningful piece of writing!
>>>Register here<<<
Session 1: Thursday, October 3 @ 7-8:30pm
Introduction and Personal History
Workshop Leaders: Gary Goodman, Emily Krawczewski
Session 2: Thursday, October 10 @ 7-8:30pm
Childhood Memories
Workshop leaders: Frank White
Session 3: Thursday, October 17 @ 7-8:30pm
Hometown Stories
Workshop leaders: Meg Heaton and Eleanor Wilhelmi
Session 4: Thursday, October 24 @ 7-8:30pm
Ancestors and Family Stories
Workshop Leaders: Bill McGrath
Bonus: Saturday, November 2 @ late afternoon or evening (TBD)
A celebration of the workshop participants’ hard work and provide them with the opportunity to read a portion of their writing, share an outline for a future project, or anything else they’d like to share that they created during the series. Details to come!

Outline for Each Session
7-7:15pm: Workshop leader introductions
7:15-7:30pm: Discuss recommended reading (if applicable)
7:30-7:50pm: Individual writing time
7:50-8:15pm: Break into small groups for feedback and sharing
8:15-8:30pm: Group share/wrap up
Participants
We are planning to cap the series at 20 participants.

Series Pricing
$125/person for non-WCHS members for full workshop series
$100/person for WCHS members for full workshop series
Participants will need to sign up for all four sessions in the series. No exceptions.
WCHS will provide pens, pencils, notebooks, and enthusiasm!

October 17 Workshop Session
The topic for this workshop session will focus on stories about your hometown and other important places in your life.
Meet your workshop leaders for October 17:
Meg Heaton

Meg Heaton

I was born and raised on a dairy farm 7 miles south of Stillwater. I owned the Wordsmith on Main Street in the 80s and got my start writing on The Fishwrapper, a promotional paper that focused a lot on local history. Following that I was a reporter and columnist for the Hudson (Wi) Star Observer for 27 years. It was my privilege to tell the stories of others as well as some of my own. I look forward to hearing yours.

Eleanor Wilhelmi

Eleanor Wilhelmi is a poet and editor, and a recent graduate of Knox College and the Publishing Institute at the University of Denver. Set against the rural midwestern landscapes her family hails from, her writing explores relationships, grief, and the ways our living spaces can preserve and complicate our histories. Her work has been published in the literary magazine Catch, where she served as Poetry Editor for two years. She grew up in Stillwater.

Writing Workshop Series Session 4: Ancestors and Family Stories
2024-10-24 19:00 - 20:30 | Washington County Heritage Center, 1862 South Greeley St, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
We are so excited to offer a special workshop series at the Washington County Heritage Center featuring experienced writers to guide you to creating a fun and meaningful piece of writing!
>>>Register here<<<
Session 1: Thursday, October 3 @ 7-8:30pm
Introduction and Personal History
Workshop Leaders: Gary Goodman, Emily Krawczewski
Session 2: Thursday, October 10 @ 7-8:30pm
Childhood Memories
Workshop leaders: Frank White
Session 3: Thursday, October 17 @ 7-8:30pm
Hometown Stories
Workshop leaders: Meg Heaton and Eleanor Wilhelmi
Session 4: Thursday, October 24 @ 7-8:30pm
Ancestors and Family Stories
Workshop Leaders: Bill McGrath
Bonus: Saturday, November 2 @ late afternoon or evening (TBD)
A celebration of the workshop participants’ hard work and provide them with the opportunity to read a portion of their writing, share an outline for a future project, or anything else they’d like to share that they created during the series. Details to come!

Outline for Each Session
7-7:15pm: Workshop leader introductions
7:15-7:30pm: Discuss recommended reading (if applicable)
7:30-7:50pm: Individual writing time
7:50-8:15pm: Break into small groups for feedback and sharing
8:15-8:30pm: Group share/wrap up
Participants
We are planning to cap the series at 20 participants.

Series Pricing
$125/person for non-WCHS members for full workshop series
$100/person for WCHS members for full workshop series
Participants will need to sign up for all four sessions in the series. No exceptions.
WCHS will provide pens, pencils, notebooks, and enthusiasm!

October 24 Workshop Session
The topic for this workshop session will focus on stories about your hometown and other important places in your life.
Meet your workshop leader for October 24:
Bill McGrath
Bill McGrath
Bill McGrath lived in Stillwater from 1952 until 1966, and has retained strong ties with the town. He has worked as newspaper reporter, author of car repair manuals, small business owner, grave-digger and musician. Since 1978, he’s been in Northfield, where he now lives with his wife Janet. His grandfather, James E. McGrath, is considered one of Minnesota’s last lumber barons, and Bill grew up in the McGrath mansion although by then the money was gone. “Stillwater was a magical place to grow up,” says Bill, and he can tell stories about the Catholic parishes of both St. Michael and St. Mary, along with paper routes, garage bands, the downtown, neighborhood grocery stores, his first date, skating rinks and of course the St. Croix River.

Flashlight Tours at the Warden's House Museum
2024-10-25 18:00 - 20:00 | Warden’s House Museum, 602 Main Street North, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
The Warden’s House Museum in Stillwater will be offering flashlight tours on Friday, October 25. Come and see the house and grounds after dark, while you hear true tales of terror and tragedy from the Minnesota State Prison. Local legend says that the place is haunted…come and find out for yourself if you dare!
Tours will last approximately one hour.
Start times are 6:00, 6:30, 7:00, 7:30, and 8:00.
Tickets are $20 and reservations are required.
Click here to buy tickets online, or call 651-439-5956. Space is limited, so don’t delay! Get in the spirit of the spooky season with a flashlight tour at the Warden’s House museum at 602 N. Main Street.

Halloween-Themed Black & White Movie Night
2024-10-29 19:00 - 20:00 | Washington County Heritage Center, 1862 South Greeley St, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
The original, non-musical film about a carnivorous plant with a taste for humans! Featuring a young Jack Nicholson. Produced and directed by B-movie impresario Roger Corman.

Retired film professor Steve Schroer will present a brief educational introduction the film. Popcorn will be served!

CANCELLED: Minnesota Rural Women's Clubs with Kate Thomas
2024-11-06 19:00 - 20:00 | Washington County Heritage Center, 1862 South Greeley St, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
The event “Minnesota Rural Women’s Clubs” with Kate Thomas on Wednesday, November 6 has been cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances. We hope to reschedule this event for 2025.

Immerse yourself in the ideas, concerns, and activities of rural women’s clubs in Minnesota from 1920-1990s. Learn about the crucial importance of gender history to civic engagement in these rural areas. Understand how rural women’s clubs provided opportunities for women working in the home and on the farm to gain leadership skills and assert their voices publicly at a time when they were often passed over for higher-level government positions or political office.
Kate Thomas is a historian, Ph.D. UMN 2005, who taught all levels of U.S. History as well as the history of Women and War and Mixed-Heritage History at the University of Wisconsin – Stout for fifteen years. In addition to teaching and research, she also chaired the campus Inclusive Excellence and Women and Gender Studies committees. In 2011 she had the honor of being chosen by Norton Publishers to create five Google Earth history tours using primary documents to guide students through hundreds of years of inclusive history across North America. She currently resides in Afton where she works on history projects as an independent scholar. She loves history!
In-person attendees:
1862 Greeley Street South
Stillwater, MN 55082
Virtual attendees:
Link to WCHS YouTube page

"Some Very Clever Teamwork: How Basketball Transformed Youth Sports in Minnesota" with Marc Hugunin
2024-11-14 19:00 - 20:00 | Washington County Heritage Center, 1862 South Greeley St, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
Tip off the start to winter’s most exciting sport with basketball history. Marc Hugunin will take us into the exciting world of youth sports and the transforming role they played in Minnesota with his book “Some Very Clever Teamwork: How Basketball Transformed Youth Sports in Minnesota.” Marc is a member of the Washington County Historical Society!
About the book:
How Minnesota’s state high school basketball tournament came to be is more complex than you’d think!
On April 5, 1913, the smallest team from one of the smallest schools, Fosston High School, claimed the first-ever Minnesota state high school basketball title by virtue of “some very clever teamwork.” It was also by virtue of some very clever teamwork among the faculty at Carleton College and its friends in the field of secondary education that the tournament was held at all. The participants formed a committee to assure that the tournament would be held again in 1914 and beyond.
More importantly, youth sports in Minnesota would for the first time be administered in the schools. Minnesota today is often branded as the “state of hockey,” but as Marc Hugunin expertly chronicles in this thoroughly researched history, when youth sports first came under the control of the schools, basketball was the tip of the spear, the sport of choice in polite society.
The schools would teach boys how to play the game in a fair and sportsmanlike manner, and would ensure that sports would be the character-building experience that they claimed to be. Beginning with the popularity of the sport of basketball, youth sports and youth culture in Minnesota were transformed from a period of chaos to one of an accepted order.
Copies of Marc’s book will be available for purchase at the event.
About the author:
Marc Hugunin has been a basketball fan for more than sixty years, since his dad first took him to see the local high school basketball team. “The older boys were heroic to me,” he remembers. “I wanted to be just like them.” Hugunin played basketball through high school and has remained a fan and become a writer and historian of Minnesota basketball. With his good friend Stew Thornley, he coauthored Minnesota Hoops: Basketball in the North Star State, published by Minnesota Historical Society Press in 2006. He was the historian for the Minnesota State High School League on the occasion of the one hundredth anniversary of state tournament basketball in 2012. After blogging about basketball for fifteen years, he launched a comprehensive website and blog, North Star Hoops, where he is known to many as Sunnyday or Sunny. In addition to his interests in basketball and writing, Hugunin also enjoys golf, music, and pizza. He lives with his cat, also named Sunny, in Stillwater, Minnesota, a block from the St. Croix River.
In-person attendees:
1862 Greeley Street South
Stillwater, MN 55082
Virtual attendees:
Link to WCHS YouTube page
Buy Marc’s book

SOLD OUT! Puzzle Competition!
2024-12-14 10:00 - 16:00 | Washington County Heritage Center, 1862 South Greeley St, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
We are thrilled to announce that the Puzzle Competition is SOLD OUT!
Please join us for Casual Puzzling from 12pm-4pm, or buy any of our puzzles here!
