Washington County Historical Society

Black Pioneers of Washington County with Brent Peterson
2024-02-22 19:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago) | Washington County Heritage Center, 1862 South Greeley St, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
WCHS Executive Director Brent Peterson will be presenting stories about Black pioneers in the St. Croix Valley and the early trails that they blazed in a multitude of social and entrepreneurial arenas. Among these stories is a man named Charles Jackson, a newly freed slave turned businessman who followed the Minnesota Regiment to Stillwater after the Civil War concluded. Jackson began his career at the Sawyer House and eventually opened his own barbershop on Main Street. Another man who followed the Regiment to Minnesota was Jim Carter, who became a custodian and one of Stillwater’s most beloved residents. When Jim passed away, his funeral was the most well attended service anyone in town had ever seen. Caroline Lindsey was another early notable citizen. She and her sisters were artists who displayed their pieces at the Louisville Fair in 1897. Caroline was Stillwater High School’s first Black graduate, finishing her studies in 1898.

In-person attendees:
1862 Greeley Street South
Stillwater, MN 55082
Virtual attendees:
Link to WCHS YouTube page

Caroline Lindsey pictured with her high school graduating class
Charles Jackson
Jim Carter (center) with Union soldiers

Balancing on a Hair with Evonne Bilotta-Burke and JoJamba Matthews
2024-03-05 19:00 - 20:00 | Washington County Heritage Center, 1862 South Greeley St, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
Art by Ariel Rucker-Ehlers via the LA Times

Hair.

A natural part of who we are, how we present in the world, and the understanding of why it is so personal to individuals and racial groups around the world.

Hair, especially for Black, African, and African-American women, has traditionally been subject to interrogation and judgment by non-Black racial groups as a way to demean and control. Sometimes, what seems like an idle conversation can be triggering and negatively impact individuals. We would like to bring clarity to the topic of hair and discuss how we can shift future conversations.

Also, we have passed the one-year anniversary of Minnesota passing the Crown Act on Feb 1st, 2023.

The CROWN Act was created in 2019 by Dove and the CROWN Coalition, in partnership with then State Senator Holly J. Mitchell of California, to ensure protection against discrimination based on race-based hairstyles by extending statutory protection to hair texture and protective styles such as braids, locs, twists, and knots in the workplace and public schools.
https://www.thecrownact.com/

Presented by Evonne Bilotta-Burke and JoJamba Matthews

To encourage a supportive environment for open conversation and discussion, this presentation will be available in person only.

Attend in-person at:
1862 Greeley Street South
Stillwater, MN 55082

Women's Groups of the St. Croix Valley
2024-03-07 19:00 - 20:00 | Washington County Heritage Center, 1862 South Greeley St, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
Who run the world? Girls!

Women have been gathering together since the beginning of time to promote learning, personal growth, civic duty and volunteerism. Come learn about and celebrate historical and current women’s groups in the Stillwater area that truly make the world go ’round.

Presenters include the Women’s Reading Club, Women’s Business Bridge, the Primrose Club, the Daughters of the American Revolution and more.

The event is free to the public and no reservations are required.

Photo Credit: Oksana Osypenko

Black & White Movie Night: Three Comedies!
2024-03-20 19:00 - 20:00 | Washington County Heritage Center, 1862 South Greeley St, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
Black & White Movie Night is back!
This time we present three classic short subjects: two featuring Mabel Normand, the Queen of Silent Film Comedy, and one in which Buster Keaton plays dozens of characters. Charlie Chaplin and Fatty Arbuckle also make appearances. Be prepared to spend an hour laughing!
Actress Mabel Normand from Ziegfeld. (Photo by Donaldson Collection/Getty Images)

Buster Keaton in “The Playhouse”

WAITING LIST ONLY: Washington County Historical Society's Annual Meeting and Dinner
2024-03-21 17:30 - 20:30 | Stillwater Event Center, 1910 Greeley Street South, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
This event is SOLD OUT, but we are taking waiting list reservations.
Please call the Heritage Center at 651-439-2298 or email information@wchsmn.org to be added to the waiting list. Thanks!

Tickets:
Reservations are required.
$25 per person if you are a WCHS member
$30 per person if you are not a WCHS member
Click here to buy your ticket in advance.
Want to just make a reservation and pay at the door instead? Please call 651-439-2298 or email information@wchsmn.org to secure your spot.
Click here to become a member! If you’re unsure of your membership status, please call 651-439-2298 and we will be happy to assist.

"AND IN THIS CORNER, from PARTS UNKNOWN" with wrestling historian George Schire
2024-04-02 18:30 - 20:30 | Washington County Heritage Center, 1862 South Greeley St, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
WHO WAS THAT MASKED MAN?
On April 2, 2024 at 6:30pm wrestling historian and author George Schire returns to the Washington County Heritage Center to share the identities and stories of wrestling’s mystery men.

In the old territory days of professional wrestling, there was a highly populated city called, “Parts Unknown”. It couldn’t be found on any map, because no one knew where it was located. It was as mysterious as the wrestlers who were billed from this seemingly lost city.

Even more intriguing was that these wrestlers were all masked! Their faces covered so they couldn’t be recognized for a variety of given reasons.

Wrestling fans were told by promoters that they didn’t know who these masked hombre’s were. They didn’t know their names, their weights, or anything else about them. And the fans bought it and ate it up!

JOIN US APRIL 2ND for this behind the scenes visit to “Parts Unknown”.

In-person attendees:
1862 Greeley Street South
Stillwater, MN 55082
Virtual attendees:
Link to WCHS YouTube page

About George:

As a kid, Schire found a way to escape the troubles of his life by becoming a wrestling fan, glued to the TV set and then later traveling to see every live “card” in the Twin Cities and many more throughout the region. Over the years he has been involved in all aspects of the sport, and he now offers detailed, behind-the-scenes accounts of important matches from 1954 to 1990 and stories of wrestler personalities, both in and out of the ring. He shares his own extensive collection of wrestling memorabilia— photographs, program covers, newspaper clippings, and other ephemera—to honor the hardworking characters who forged serial storylines onstage week after week and who thrilled fans by carrying out their plots in the ring, with blood, sweat, tears, and high-flying body slams for all.

HANDWORK & HERITAGE: Woodcarving, Tin Types and Spinning/Fiber Arts
2024-04-06 10:00 | Washington County Heritage Center, 1862 South Greeley St, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
This event is a celebration of the new exhibit designed by Gammelgården Museum of Scandia at the Heritage Center, all about handwork and winter crafts. This exhibit won’t be here forever, so see it while it lasts!

Spring Cleaning at the Warden's House Museum
2024-04-09 10:00 - 14:00 | Warden’s House Museum, 602 Main Street North, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
Spring cleaning – let’s get the house spruced up for the season!
There are three cleaning dates:
Tuesday April 9 from 10-2
Wednesday April 10 from 10-2
Thursday April 11 from 10-2

Spring Cleaning at the Warden's House Museum
2024-04-10 10:00 - 14:00, 2024-04-11 10:00 - 14:00 | Warden’s House Museum, 602 Main Street North, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
Spring cleaning – let’s get the house spruced up for the season!
There are three cleaning dates:
Tuesday April 9 from 10-2
Wednesday April 10 from 10-2
Thursday April 11 from 10-2

New tour guides wanting to learn more about the Warden’s House and experienced tour guides are all welcome!

Warden's House Museum Volunteer Training
2024-04-14 14:00 - 16:00 | Warden’s House Museum, 602 Main Street North, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
Get acquainted with the Warden’s House Museum and see what’s new for 2024!
New tour guides wanting to learn more and experienced tour guides wanting some refreshers are all welcome.

Orphan Train Story in Minnesota with Bill Schrankler
2024-04-18 19:00 - 20:00 | Washington County Heritage Center, 1862 South Greeley St, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
Orphan Train in Minnesota
The hidden story of the orphan train movement in Minnesota will be explained from its beginnings to its climax. Approximately 5,000-6,000 children were sent to Minnesota via the orphan trains, nearly half of whom arrived between1882 and 1892.
Become acquainted with the personalities, both locally and nationally, who initiated the largest mass migration of children in United States history. The orphan train movement in Minnesota will be the focus of the presentation. However, the perspective of national background of the movement will be included. The pros and cons of the endeavor will be presented, for the listener to decide was it a triumph or tragedy.
In-person attendees:
1862 Greeley Street South
Stillwater, MN 55082
Virtual attendees:
Link to WCHS YouTube page

Warden's House Museum Open House
2024-04-28 12:00 - 16:00 | Warden’s House Museum, 602 Main Street North, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
The Warden’s House Museum will be open from noon to 4 PM at no charge to check out the new exhibits and talk with knowledgeable volunteers!
We have TWO big things to celebrate this season – the 83rd year of the Warden’s House operating as a museum, and the 175th Birthday for Washington County! Refreshments and all the festive birthday trimmings are in store for the day.
Come help us kick off the season and see what is new this year at the Warden’s House!
Parking
Limited parking is located behind the Warden’s House and overflow parking is located across the street in the parking lot next to the walking trail and the Zephyr Theatre/River Grove Elementary.
The handicapped accessible entrance is located behind the house. Guests are welcome to drop off behind the building and park elsewhere as needed.
Contact
For more information, contact Heidi Heinze at 651-439-5956 or heidi.heinze@wchsmn.org
About the Warden’s House Museum:
The Warden’s House opened as a part of the new Minnesota Territorial Prison in 1853. Over time, 13 Warden’s lived in the house until 1914. After that, A superintendent of the Prison, Thomas Ross, and his family lived there until 1941 when the Washington County Historical Society purchase the home from the state and opened it as the second house museum in Minnesota that year. The museum demonstrates the history not only of Stillwater’s infamous prison, but also the history of Washington County.

"Growing Up Wright" with author Lonnie Lovness
2024-05-08 19:00 - 19:30 | Washington County Heritage Center, 1862 South Greeley St, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
Lovness Estate in Grant, Minnesota
Local resident Lonnie Lovness will present the story of her parents Don and Virginia Lovness, who built two Frank Lloyd Wright-designed homes by hand just west of Stillwater. At the age of four she carried small rocks in a bucket to help as her parents labored long hours, and when the first home was completed in 1957 she moved with them from an old trailer into a work of art.
Wright called them his “Do-it-yourself couple”, and her parents became close to Mrs. Wright and the architects and apprentices at Taliesin over several decades. They were avid proponents of Wright’s philosophies and became noted collectors of Oriental and pre-Columbian art. Don re-created the Midway Garden “sprites”, built Wright-designed furniture, and was instrumental in saving the Francis Little house in Minnetonka. Lonnie’s book “Growing Up Wright” tells the story in 288 pages with over 600 photos.
Her presentation will describe the experience of creating and living in a Wright Usonian home, and the adventures her parents had as owners and “unofficial” members of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin Fellowship. A book signing will follow the talk and slide show.
Lonnie Lovness

In-person attendees:
1862 Greeley Street South
Stillwater, MN 55082
Virtual attendees:
Link to WCHS YouTube page

First Prison Warden's Descendant Speaks on His Legacy
2024-05-10 19:00 - 20:00 | Warden’s House Museum, 602 Main Street North, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
Francis Delano

Come and learn about the life and times of the Delanos before, during, and after Francis Roach Delano was appointed the first Warden at the MN territorial prison (1853-1858). Tom Delano, great great grandson of Warden Francis Delano will be giving a presentation about F. R. and Calista Delano at the Warden’s house on Friday, May 10 at 7pm.

See some heirlooms generously donated to the Warden’s House Museum, and hear how the family fits in to America’s history – from the Boston tea party to the New Deal.

This event is free and in-person only at the Warden’s House Museum. No registration is required.

Tom Delano

Mother's Day at the Warden's House
2024-05-12 13:00 - 17:00 | 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.
