Historical projects in Minnesota

One way to find out about what historical projects are cropping up around Minnesota is by checking out the Minnesota Historical and Cultural Grants program that operates under the auspices of the Minnesota Historical Society. Grants are awarded for projects that will preserve and enhance Minnesota’s cultural and historical resources. Libraries, archives, churches, historical societies, ethnic organizations, universities, cities, and other groups have been the award recipients. Many of the projects have a direct impact on family history. Just a sampling of the grants in the last couple years:

Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing Minnesotans (Saint Paul) – To record, preserve and make available oral/visual histories of deaf, deaf/blind and
hard of hearing Minnesotans, $64,100.
Macalester College, DeWitt Wallace Library (Saint Paul) – To digitize and make accessible issues of the college’s student and community newspapers and catalogs, $10,888.
Blue Earth County Historical Society (Mankato) – To add 140 rolls of microfilmed newspapers to broaden public accessibility to primary records, $3,837.
Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County (Moorhead) – To add 126 rolls of microfilmed church records, WPA files, and newspapers to broaden public accessibility to primary records, $6,618.
Minnesota Genealogical Society (South Saint Paul) – To add 100 rolls of microfilmed primary records to broaden public accessibility, $7,000
Friends of the Willmar Public Library (Willmar) – To broaden public access to primary historic records through a digital reader-printer and additional microfilm rolls to augment the current collection, $19,500.