Recent News
ANNUAL MEETING ELECTION RESULTS
The Board of Governors of St. Louis County Historical Society is pleased to announce the election of a new slate of officers for 2008, the re-election of three members, and the ratification of six affiliate representatives and one ex-officio (non-voting)
Our new president is Vernon Zacher, of Cloquet, whose long-time partnership with the Society has been as a member, board member, and American Indian Advisory Committee member and chair. Dan Sershon of
Dan Sershon, Neill Atkins, and Vern Zacher were re-elected for another term by the membership. Mike Forsman, of the 4th District (Ely), will continue as our St. Louis County Board representative.
The affiliate representatives are as follows:
Sisu Heritage Inc.: Paul Knuti
Tower-Soudan Historical Society: Andrew K. Larson
Virginia Area Historical Society: Roger Woods
Website Helps Return Family Treasure
Veterans’ Memorial Hall helped connect the Kolstad family of Britt, Minnesota with Sue Minnar of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In New York City 1971 Mrs. Minar had purchased a POW/MIA Bracelet of Commander Kolstad, brother of the Kolstads in Britt. In keeping with the tradition of the cause, which started in the early 70s, she wore the bracelet proudly for 28 years, until she heard that Commander Kolstad had been killed in Vietnam.
At this point she began trying to contact the family, which is how she found the Veterans’ Memorial Hall website, which has over 5,000 veteran stories, including a short story on Commander Kolstad. She contacted Veterans’ Memorial Hall and asked if we knew how to contact the family. Within minutes, VMH had contacted the Kolstad family and had an address to send the bracelet to. The family received the bracelet and were very appreciative of the return of the bracelet.
To view the letters and photos, click on the lines below:
LETTERS
PHOTOS
Photo of the bracelet
Today, the Disabled American Veterans Post in Virginia is named after Commander Kolstad, which is what you see in the background of the photo of Doug and Jerry Kolstad. Once again, we are very proud that our website (www.vets-hall.org) was able to connect people from across the nation.
Contact: Daniel Hartman
(218) 733-7500
506 West Michigan Street
Duluth, MN 55802
Duluth – Treasured objects and artifacts held by the St. Louis County Historical Society will be preserved for future generations with help from the IMLS Connecting to Collections Bookshelf, a core set of conservation books, DVDs, and online resources donated by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the primary source of federal funding of the nation’s museums and libraries. IMLS and its cooperator, the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH), will award a total of 2,000 free sets of the IMLS Bookshelf by the end of 2008.
“We are pleased to announce the first group of IMLS Bookshelf recipients. These small libraries and museums are taking up the charge to care for America’s heritage,” said Anne-Imelda Radice, Director of IMLS. “A recent national study tells a sobering story about the state of
St. Louis County Historical Society is among the first to receive this essential set of resources based on an application describing the needs and plans for care of its collections. The IMLS Bookshelf focuses on collections typically found in art or history museums and in libraries' special collections, with an added selection of texts for zoos, aquaria, public gardens, and nature centers. It addresses such topics as the philosophy and ethics of collecting, collections management and planning, emergency preparedness, and culturally specific conservation issues.
The IMLS Bookshelf is a crucial component of Connecting to Collections: A Call to Action, a conservation initiative that the Institute launched in 2006. IMLS began the initiative in response to a 2005 study by Heritage Preservation documenting the dire state of the nation’s collections. The multi-faceted, multi-year initiative shines a nationwide spotlight on the needs of
About the Institute of Museum and Library Services
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 122,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute's mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development. To learn more about the Institute, please visit www.imls.gov.
Culture and Cuisine News
Jewish Heritage in the Northland
The Society, in collaboration with the Twin Cities based Friends of B’nai Abraham Synagogue, a group dedicated to the preservation and restoration of the B’nai Abraham Synagogue in Virginia, Minnesota, held a Culture & Cuisine dinner event on August 18, 2007 at the St. Louis County Heritage & Arts Center (the Depot), in the Great Hall.
The event featured Marilyn Chiat, Ph.D., an art and architecture historian, speaking on “Iron Range Jewry: A Heritage Revived”. The dinner consisted of a typical Shabbat menu, catered by Savories of Duluth. In addition, the Friends, with help of the Society, presented a photographic display and a display of synagogue artifacts, expanding upon the evening’s program, with an emphasis on the B’nai Abraham synagogue and other synagogues on the Range, as well as on Jewish history and cultural experience and expression there, from the late 19th century through the middle of the 20th.
