Past Exhibits
CHRISTMAS
2021
Medical Exhibit
After the Fire of 1918
BARN PHOTO EXHIBIT - Part II
QUILT ADDED TO BARN EXHIBIT
This quilt made by Beverly Proulx, master quilter from North Branch MN, is called "Batik Web"
Proulx donated this quilt to the CCHS and presented a program on quilts called "An Eye for Color".
Home for the Holidays Exhibit
"100 Years of Finnish Independence"
A history of Finnish independence gained on December 6, 1917. Also many Finnish items from our collection were included, featuring Finnish American families from Carlton County.
"A Call to Arms - Carlton County in WWI"
WWI Started in 1914 in Europe
Gas masks protected the troops from poisonous gas
BARNS OF CARLTON COUNTY Photo Exhibit
BARNS PHOTOGRAPHED BY CCHS Barn Photo Committee
Here is a sample of barns recently photographed by the CCHS Barn Photo committee. We started in the Kalevala, Mahtowa and Atkinson township area, and still have many more barns in that area to photograph.
Then we added a few more townships, and still have many more to go.
One volunteer, Gunila Jannson, donated old barn wood for the frames of these photos on exhibit. Another volunteer,
Rachel Johnson, put the frames together.
Thank you, Barn Committee volunteers for all you do!
BARN PHOTOS From Carlton County Historical Society Collection
In the Research Library we have many photos of historic barns. All are identified by township location, but not all are identified by owner's name. Most of the barns in these historic photos are no longer standing.
The goal of the Barn Photo committee is to photograph Carlton County barns before they disappear altogether.
Barn Styles
Carlton County barns are mostly the Dairy Barn style, because of the type of farming found in this area. How many Dairy Barn style barns do you see in this exhibit? How many other styles can you find?
KATHARINE DAHLMAN ART EXHIBIT AT MUSEUM
Exhibit in the museum's South Gallery included 19 original paintings by the late Katharine Dahlman from Cromwell, MN. The paintings and numerous photographs which accompany this exhibit were loaned to the historical society by Jennie K. Hanson, Katharine Dahlman's daughter. Outdoor landscapes painted by Katharine Dahlman, whose specialty was birch trees.
THE POWER OF PINS
The exhibit was called the "Power of Pins". See how a variety of pins from Carlton County have the power to shape our lives. Pins fasten, show loyalty, identify, celebrate, decorate, persuade, and show achievement. Military personnel are honored in this exhibit with medals from the museum collection that tell the story of Carlton County service men and women's individual accomplishments. The pins pictured show membership and employee pins. Can you find these historic pins?
Paper Mill Workers, State Fireman's Association, Carlton Modern Woodsmen of America, Sons of Norway, Cloquet (2) Viking Male Chorus, Norwegian Singers Association, State Federation of Labor, Cloquet Delegate, Chief, Fire Department, IOOF Independent Order of Odd Fellows
PINS FASTEN : Hawthorn pins, safety pins, clothes pins, diaper pins, common pins, dress pins, bobbie pins, hairpins
PINS SHOW LOYALTY: Cloquet High School pins
PINS CELEBRATE: Centennials, Jubilees, Anniversaries
Lumberjack Days
Carlton County Labor Day
Ma & Pa Kettle Days
PINS SHOW AFFILIATION: Hatpins, Brooches, Jewelry
Vote for Carlton County candidates
PINS SHOW ACHIEVEMENT: Boy Scout & Girl Scout Pins
WOOD CITY SMOKESTACKS
September 2015 - March 2016
Sappi Fine Paper started out as the Northwest Paper Company
Weyerhaeuser Family tree
Northwest Paper had a basketball team
Northwest Paper Employees and awards
Northwest Paper Company - Plant and Employees
Northwest Paper Company Mountie Tablets
Northwest Paper Company Employees
Northwest Paper 1948 Mountie Poster
Northwest Paper WWII Employee Veterans
Potlatch Employees
POTLATCH FOLLOWED NORTHWEST PAPER IN CLOQUET
Potlatch becomes Sappi
Potlatch Pledge
JARDEN HOME BRANDS BEGAN AS THE BERST COMPANY
Clothespin Manufacturing
STITCHERS & WEAVERS
of Carlton County
Betsy Ross's name is well-known as the person who hand stitched the first American flag. But do we know the names of the Stitchers and Weavers of Carlton County, who created rugs, quilts and clothing or decorated household fabrics and personal items by hand?
In this exhibit you will meet the artists of Carlton County and see examples of their handwork. Some items only have the name of the maker with no further biographical information. Some items have information, but no photo of the person. If you can help us find out more about these women who created these items, or if you know where we can find a photo of them, we would appreciate your help!
Elizabeth Marshall or Araminta Packard
This quilt with rust colored diamond patterns was donated by Bruce & Margaret Marshall of Kettle River. It is a family heirloom. Margaret thinks it was most likely made by Bruce's grandmother, Elizabeth Packard Marshall (1883-1973), who lived in Missouri most of her life. Bruce thinks the quilt was more likely made by Elizabeth's mother, Araminta Utter Packard (1842-1926). As a child, Araminta lived in Ohio, then Indiana. She spent her adult life in Missouri. Her father participated in Robert Owen's utopian farm in New Harmony, Indiana, in the 1820s. Her grandfather was one of the first ministers of the Christian Church, first founded in the U.S. in 1832. Who do you think made the quilt? Bruce's grandmother Elizabeth or his great-grandmother Araminta.
Elizabeth Marshall
Josephine Parise
This quilt with the blue stars is the handwork of Josephine LeBrasseur DeLaRosby Parise. She was born in 1870 in Paspebiac, Quebec, as one of ten children of Joseph LeBrasseur. She came to Cloquet with her family in 1890 and married Paul Parise. They lived at 20 2nd Street in Cloquet and were members of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart church. She was active in the Catholic Women Foresters, Altar Society, and the American Legion Auxiliary. She died in 1950 at the age of 80, leaving 3 sons, 2 daughters, 8 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
Kate Huisinger's patchwork quilt (not pictured) was made by Mrs. Kate Woltjer Huisinger of Cloquet in the 1920s. Born in 1889 in Ganzedijk, Netherlands, she came to America with her grandparents when she was 2. They joined relatives in Albert Lea. Later she married Mr. Huisinger and helped him with their share crop farm in southern Minnesota. They had 14 children . She moved to Cloquet in 1952, and died in 1977 at the age of 88. Her daughter, Carolyn Huisinger Lehikoinen, of Cloquet donated this quilt in 1993.
Kate Huisinger
Mary O'Marro's yellow and lavender quilt was made about 1900 by Mary Lorna Dube, born in 1885. The Dube family operated the Dube Hotel at 6 13th Avenue in Cloquet. Mary married William "Curly" O'Marro from Austin, MN. He worked as a foreman for the Northern Pacific railway. They had 4 children and lived at 301 Avenue D. In 1943, Mr. O'Marro and his brother-in-law, Homer Dube, fought a huge oil fire at the West End railroad yards. Dube was killed and O'Marro was seriously injured. Mary and William O'Marro moved to St. Paul for medical treatment. He died in 1956, and Mary died in St. Paul in 1964 at the age of 79. Mary also made the collar and floral decoration and the crocheted pieces below, as well as the table linens on the table and the bed cover on the chair.
Mary O'Marro
Emma Jackson
This multicolored handmade quilt with a white background and a pattern of a diagonal squares was donated with a note that reads, "Mrs. Emma Jackson 1919". We have no further information about the quilt or Emma Jackson. The quilt was donated in 1971 by Mrs. Richard Johnson of Cloquet. We have been unsuccessful in locating Mrs. Johnson. Can you help us find out more about Emma Jackson?
Sadie Petite
This hooked rug was made about 1930 by Sadie Petite of Iverson for Borghild Swenson, also of Iverson. (See mural above for images of Iverson and Borghild Swenson.) Sadie and her husband, Pete Petite, were one of three Indian families living in Iverson in the early years of settlement. The rug was donated by Borghild Swenson's descendant, Muril Nelson of Anoka, MN. Notice the Ojibwe curvilinear design with the fox in the center facing two rabbits and two more rabbits on either side.
Mrs. Richard Johnson
This wall contains numerous items made by Mrs. Richard Johnson of Cloquet and donated to the museum in the 1970s. The embroidered tablecloth, the round doilies and napkins embroidered with "MPA", doilies with cutwork, doilies with crocheted edges, towel with crocheted insert, huck toweling, embroidered towel, and pieces of a crocheted bedspread are only part of the numerous items from Mrs. Johnson. Who was she? What was her first name? Were her initials "MPA" before she was married? Please help us learn more about Mrs. Richard Johnson.
Lillian Dodge
These 2 hooked rugs were handmade in the 1920s by Mrs. Frank Dodge. She was born Lillian Daniel in the state of Virginia in 1878. In 1903 she married Frank Dodge, a log scaler at the St. Louis River Mercantile Co., and they lived in Scanlon at 811 26th Street. Their daughter Florence was born in 1907. By the 1930s they ran a small farm at home, Frank still worked at the sawmill, his brother Charles, an acid maker at the paper mill, lived with them. They also had a boarder, Anton Sorenson, age 26, a car loader at the insulation plant. Florence was 22 and working as a fanner at the paper mill.
Florence and Anton married and continued living in Scanlon. Florence 's mother, Lillian Dodge, died in 1961. Florence served on the Board of Directors of the CCHS and donated her mother's rugs in 1966. She died in 1983.
Elsie H. Kaner
This embroidered headscarf and coasters were made and donated by Elsie H. Kaner of Cloquet. Born in Superior WI in 1900 , she was a lifelong resident of Cloquet, living with her family at 102 9th Street. She graduated from Cloquet High School , attended Superior State Teachers College and received a B. S. degree from UMD. She taught at Jefferson Elementary School and Cloquet High School and was a member of Hadassah, Adas Israel congregation and Adas Israel Sisterhood. She wore her headscarf at Temple. Her brother, Harry George Kaner, served as mayor of Cloquet in the 1930s. Elsie retired after teaching in Cloquet 47 years. She was active in the Carlton County Retired Teachers Association and the Carlton County Historical Society. She died in 1990 at the age of 90.
Elsie Kaner
Christine (Peterson) Habhegger
Anna Christine Peterson married William Paul Habhegger in October of 1903. This lace insert was part of her wedding dress. They settled in Wrenshall, MN, where William worked in his father's brickyard, running the big stationary engine. They moved to Blackhoof township and were truck farmers, raising chickens, turkeys, strawberries and raspberries. They raised 5 children: Evelyn, Tina, Caroline, Wilma, and William Junior. Christine was a columnist for the Pine Knot for many years.
In 1965 William Habhegger, Jr. and his wife, Adeline, of Barnum, MN, donated this piece of his mother's wedding dress to the Carlton County Historical Society.
Mrs. McCausland
This white crocheted collar was made by Mrs. McCausland of Carlton and donated to the CCHS in 1970 by her family. According to William McCausland, his grandparents were Thomas McCausland and his wife, Sarah Patterson, who were emigrants from a place called Sixmilecross in Ulster, North Ireland. They settled in Carlton, where Thomas worked for the Paine sawmill and helped plan the electrification of Carlton. Perhaps this collar was made by Sarah (Patterson) McCausland in the early 1900s.
Jan Backus' Relative
Jan Backus of Cloquet donated this large intricate 1890s ecru crocheted and lace collar to the museum in 2001. It was included with many items she received from relatives and she is uncertain which relative made it. How often we forget to ask questions at the time and wish we had later!
Helen (Kosonen) Maki
Helen Kosonen, born in 1919, was raised in Floodwood in a Finnish speaking family. She embroidered the 3 oval doilies , a hand towel , a hanging that says "Sanomia" , which is Finnish for "Messages", and crocheted the large round white doily on the table when she was 17 years old. She moved to Cloquet and married John E. Maki and lived at 24th and Doddridge. These items were donated by their daughter, Charlene (Maki) Hagen of Cloquet.
Charlene (Maki) Hagen
These two white dresser scarves were embroidered by Charlene Hagen in 1958. Charlene, the daughter of Helen and John Maki, grew up in Cloquet and graduated from Cloquet High School in 1954. She married her classmate, Dwayne Hagen, at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Cloquet in 1957. They own and operated Hagen's Paint and Glass in Cloquet, which is now operated by their 3 sons. Charlene and Dwayne still live in Cloquet. She donated these items in 2010.
Charlene Hagen (bride) & Helen Maki (right of bride)
Crocheted baby collar and ladies nightcap made by Beata Olson and donated in 1984 to the CCHS by her daughters, Helen Benson and Olga Olson.
Beata Olson
Beata Bryntesson (later changed to Benson) was born in Dalsland, Sweden. When she came to America, she looked up William Olson, also from Dalsland, and delivered a letter to him from his mother in Sweden. Later Beata and William married and moved to Marshalltown, Iowa, where William worked for a railroad construction company. His work took him to the Iron Range in MN, where they lived and started raising a family. They moved to Castle Rock, Washington, where William worked on railroad building. They had 4 children, Alice, Charles, Olga and Helen. When William was injured in a fall on the railroad job, his doctor said he needed to retire and take life easy. So he moved to Wright, MN to farm land he bought on Tamarack Lake. Beata and William started the Swedish Lutheran church in Wright, where he served on the board and she was active in Ladies Aid. All their children were confirmed in the church. After William died of his injuries in 1919, Beata made sure all their children received a higher education. Beata died when she was 93 years old.
William & Beata Olson
Mrs. Scott Marshall
This unique square doily of cut work and pulled thread design was made about 1900 by Mrs. Scott Marshall of Cloquet. Her husband was the son of Edward George "Ed" Marshall, nationally known timber man and head of the timber division of Northwest Paper Company, who lived at 512 Park Place in Cloquet. His son, Scott and his wife lived at RFD 1, just outside Cloquet. When Ed Marshall died in 1947, his widow lived with Scott and his wife. We do not know her first name, or any other information about Mrs. Scott Marshall. This piece was donated in 1968 by Mrs. Walter Kimber of Cloquet, who we cannot find any information about either. Can you help?
Tah'tini Ho'okan
Tah'tini Ho'okan
Tah'tini Ho'okan, who lives with her husband in Kettle River, owns and operates a craft shop called Rainy Day Studios in Moose Lake. She learned to knit and crochet while growing up in Ohio and has been an avid knitter since 1967. The first item she knitted is the green and yellow poncho, and she saved the knitting book the pattern came from. Recently she knitted the grey shawl from her own hand spun Icelandic wool. The photo on the right shows Tah'tini plying the wool at the CCHS log cabin at the Barnum fairgrounds. She made the shawl of 2-ply yarn. Tah'tini volunteers regularly for the CCHS at the fair demonstrating her talents.
She is also experienced in crocheting, tatting and bobbin lace making. The crocheted green doily won her a blue ribbon at the Carlton County fair. The bobbin lace pillow below and tatted white doily under Plexiglas are examples of her work.
This green shawl knitted by Tah'tini is her own original design called "Butterflies in the Garden". It is knitted in one piece and depicts peas and strawberries with a formal English garden border. Tah'tini also crocheted the blue coat on the dress form. Photos of Tah'tini show her at the Carlton County fairgrounds , where he volunteers at the CCHS log cabin.
Albina Huot
This Baptismal dress was made in 1891 by Albina Caza Huot, who was born in 1867 in St. Anicet, Quebec. In 1885 she married Joseph M. Huot and moved to Duluth. In 1886 they moved to the North Road in Cloquet. Mr. Huot was a tailor and had a business at 204 Arch Street, which burned in the 1918 fire. He opened another tailor shop on Avenue C adjoining the Northern Lumber Company building. They raised 12 children. Albina made this Baptismal dress for their first daughter, Rea Huot, who wore it in 1891, and has been worn by many Huot descendants since. It was last worn in 1996 by Albina's great-great-granddaughter, Alexandra Elizabeth, of San Diego.
Estelle Huot
Estelle Marie Huot crocheted these ecru table scarf ends about 1920 and donated them to the museum in 1967. She was born in 1905 and married Oliver Huot in Cloquet in 1924. They owned and operated the Cloquet Creamery, until Oliver retired in 1952. Estelle was active in the Rebekahs , Eastern Star, Episcopal Church, PTA and AARP. Estelle was the daughter-in-law of Albina Huot, who made the Baptismal dress also on exhibit. Estelle and Oliver's daughter, Phyllis Huot Markley, lives in Cloquet and is active in the CCHS. Estelle died in 1989 at the age of 83.
Estelle and Oliver Huot
Handmade Loom
This loom belonged to Edna (Pesonen) Murto of Esko, MN, who died on November 22, 2012. It was donated in 2014 to the CCHS by Danny and Janel Swanson of Barnum, who received the loom from her brother, John Pesonen of Cloquet.
Sanna Mattinen
Almi Eliason
This homemade rag rug between the two windows was woven by Almi Johanna (Kallio) Eliason of Moose Lake. She was born in 1917 in Keewatin, MN, and attended school there and in Barnum. She married Elmer Eliason in Moose Lake in 1936 and lived on the Eliason family farm , where they raised 4 children. She was a Licensed Practical Nurse for 26 years at the Moose Lake State Hospital. For 15 years she wrote the Kettle River newspaper column for the Moose Lake papers. She made this rug from dresses belonging to Alice Whiting of Sturgeon Lake, who could trace her ancestry to Governor Bradford on the Mayflower in 1620. She donated the rug to the CCHS in 1994 and died in 1997 at the age of 79.
Maria Jackson
These two rag rugs were woven by Maria Oist Sodergard Jackson from Vaasa, Finland. She married Eric Jackson and settled in Solway township. These rugs are from her farmhouse living room at 105 Morris Thomas Road near Cloquet. Maria died in 1942. Her grandson, Curt Jackson, donated these rugs to the CCHS in 1989.
"HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS" EXHIBIT AT MUSEUM
This exhibit features figures of townspeople dressed in period clothing welcoming home servicemen from the Korean War, which lasted from 1950 to 1953. Two military uniforms belonging to Cloquet 1951 high school graduates, Arthur L. Johnson, Jr. and Gerald P. Vnuk, will be featured. The centerpiece of the exhibit is the Christmas tree and decorations from the 1950s era.
"65 Treasures"
April - December 2014
This exhibit celebrates the 65th anniversary of the Carlton County Historical Society with 65 treasures from the CCHS collection. Organized in 1949 by the Cloquet Rotary Club, under the direction of Henry E. Walter, the CCHS occupied 4 locations in the last 65 years: the Carlton County courthouse in Carlton, the Doran Law office building in Carlton, the Garfield School in Cloquet, and now the Shaw Memorial Library building in Cloquet.
Northwest Paper Company "Mountie" attributed to Harold Michaelson
FRIBERG MOUNTIE POSTERS AND CALENDARS
The museum's south gallery features 15 Mountie posters and calendars from our collection that reflect the artwork of Arnold Friberg, the most prolific of the Mountie artists for Northwest Paper Company. He painted 208 Mountie images altogether. View a sample of his work and compare to Harold Michaelson's style of Mountie.
These Friberg posters and calendars will be rotated throughout the year to include all the images in the CCHS collection.
NEW MOUNTIE POSTERS ON EXHIBIT
The Carlton County Historical Society announces its third round of Northwest Paper Company "Mountie" posters and calendars on exhibit at the Carlton County Historical Society museum in Cloquet, MN starting in September.
Eighteen different Mountie images are being shown as the third exhibit rotation of this popular advertising icon. Altogether, the museum has shown thirty-seven Mountie posters and calendars from its collection this year. All the images shown in the South Gallery exhibit were designed by Arnold Friberg, the most prolific of the sixteen artists who produced Mountie advertising for Northwest Paper and later Potlatch. Friberg produced 208, or more than half of the Mountie images.
This Mountie exhibit helps interpret the new exhibit "65 Treasures", which commemorates the 65th Anniversary of the Carlton County Historical Society with sixty-five unique and significant items from the museum's collection that tell about the history of Carlton County. One of the sixty-five items on exhibit is an original Mountie painting attributed to Harold Michaelson, one of the lesser known of the Mountie artists. The Friberg version of the Mountie can be compared with the Michaelson version, showing a dramatic contrast.
The Mountie exhibit continues through November 15th. Admission to the museum is $2.00 for adults, $1.00 for children under 12 and free for children under 5 and CCHS members. The museum is handicapped accessible. For more information call the CCHS at 218-879-1938.
HISTORY DAY EXHIBIT AT MUSEUM
The Carlton County Historical Society is pleased to show a student produced exhibit entry in the 2014 National History Day competition at its museum in Cloquet this summer.
Two Esko High School students, Haley Sonneman and Abigail Rud, produced an exhibit called "The Little Rock Nine" to interpret the competition's theme of "Rights and Responsibilities". They examined the rights of all students to receive a fair and equal education by exhibiting the story of the Little Rock, Arkansas, high school's efforts to achieve integration in 1957.
They entered the regional competition held at the University of Minnesota, Duluth this spring and won in the Senior Group Exhibit division. On May 3, 2014, they participated in the state competition and came in fourth. Three schools in Carlton County now participate in National History Day: Moose Lake, Esko and Barnum. You should see what these students are doing!
Regular admission to the museum is $2 for adults, $1 for children under 12 and no charge for children under 5 and CCHS members. Active duty military personnel and their families are welcome free of charge at the CCHS museum through Labor Day. The museum is handicapped accessible and air conditioned. For more information call 218-879-1938.
"NEW LAND,NEW LIFE! Norwegian Immigration in Minnesota: 1825-1925"
January 11, 2014 to March 29, 2014
Developed as a traveling exhibit for the Greater Minnesota Sons of Norway Lodges, this exhibit is hosted by the Cloquet Sons of Norway Lodge. It includes such topics as urban life, churches and congregations, folk art, fine art, farm settlements and homesteading.
Spinning Wheel from Norway
Brought to America in 1900
CCHS collection
Julius Berg Bauman
Norwegian Poet, author & musician
Carlton County Register of Deeds
"NEW LAND, NEW LIFE! Norwegian Immigration in Minnesota: 1825 - 1925"
January 11 - March 29, 2014
U.S. Army and Marine Corps coats from World War II flank the fireplace decorated for the Holidays.
Edward Johnson, U.S. Army Air Corps, and Agnes Johnson, Women's Army Corps, were sister and brother.
"Home for the Holidays"
October - December, 2013
Orville Pettit, U.S. Army, served in the Panama Canal Zone.
Rodney Heitala, U.S. Navy, served in Hawaii during WWII.
HARRIS STILLWELL U.S. NAVY UNIFORM WWII
"Freedom from Want"
Inspired by President Roosevelt's 1941 speech on "The Four Freedoms", Norman Rockwell portrayed an idealized American family holiday meal. Saturday Evening Post published this poster in 1943, making the image popular during World War II.
"Dressed in White"
June - September, 2013
Wedding Dresses
The summer exhibit features all white clothing, including wedding dresses, christening dresses, first communion dresses, uniforms and historic summer fashions, with the symbolism of white explored.
SCOUT EXHIBIT AT MUSEUM
The Carlton County Historical Society announces a new exhibit called "75 Years of Scouting in Cloquet". This exhibit features the history of Boy Scout Troop 171 using articles, artifacts and timelines of scouting in Cloquet and nationwide, including a complete list of scoutmasters and Eagle Scouts from Troop 171.
BEFORE CELL PHONES
February - June, 2013
CELL PHONE FEATURES
Text messages, Store contact information, Make a to-do list, Set reminders & track appointments, Do math, Email, Get news, Stock quotes, Entertainment, Watch TV, Play games, Take pictures, Store pictures in memory, MAKE A PHONE CALL!
CELL PHONE ETIQUETTE
* Put cell phone on mute during meetings, public performances, in public places, such as elevators, libraries, museums, restaurants, theaters, etc. * Do not interrupt a face-to-face conversation to make a call. * Keep two hands free when driving. * Respect the personal space of others; keep conversations 10 feet away.
BEFORE CELL PHONES
Remember not to touch the items on exhibit!
WE HAVE 4 ITEMS YOU CAN TOUCH:
1. Dial the Tan Rotary Dial Phone
2. Write on the Chalk Board
3. Use the Rubber Stamp & Ink Pad
4. Type on the Typewriter using Carbon Paper
Typewriters
Live and Recorded Music
Do you remember what we used before cell phones were invented? Come see our exhibit to jog your memory!
"Why Treaties Matter"
Nov. 10 - Dec. 16, 2012
A Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibit “Why Treaties Matter: Self-Government in the Dakota and Ojibwe Nations”.
This traveling exhibit, has been on a statewide tour under the auspices of the Minnesota Humanities Center and its partner, the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council. It explores the Native nations in Minnesota and their history of treaty making with the United States.
In August 2010, a resolution creating a unique partnership of the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council, the Minnesota Humanities Center, and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. was approved unanimously by the tribes residing in Minnesota and made it possible for the exhibition to be developed as an educational tool for Minnesota audiences.
The exhibit includes 20 free standing banners with evocative text, historical and contemporary photographs and maps, and a 10-minute video titled, “A Day in the Life of the Minnesota Tribal Nations.” The CCHS museum will show regional Native artifacts to complement this exhibit, which will be on view through December 15.
This exhibit reveals how Dakota and Ojibwe treaties with the U.S. government affected the lands and lifeways of the Indigenous peoples of the place we now call Minnesota, and explains why these binding agreements between nations still matter today. It is meant to share important cultural information with all Minnesotans, that they may better understand the true circumstances surrounding Minnesota land, its use, and even the treatment of the land’s Indigenous peoples today.
"Treaties are agreements between self-governing, or sovereign, nations," says Kevin Leecy, chairman of the Bois Forte Band of Ojibwe and chairman of the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council. “Native Nations existed long before the formation of the United States. European powers recognized the sovereign status of Native Nations when they made treaties with us, as did the United States. Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution recognizes Indian Tribes as distinct sovereign entities on par with foreign nations."
“In order to create the vibrant Minnesota of the future we need to understand the importance of the agreements—the treaties—between the sovereign Indian nations and the United States,” says Minnesota Humanities Center President David O’Fallon. “Understanding these treaties is important now—it affects how we live—and will shape the future. The Minnesota Humanities Center is honored and excited to be a partner in this important program.”
"The history of Indian treaties is the history of all Minnesotans and all Americans," says Kevin Gover (Pawnee), director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian. "Even now, states, Native nations, and the federal government continue to engage on a government-to-government basis every day, making in effect new treaties, building upon those made many years ago. We cannot have a complete understanding of what it means to be Americans without knowing about these relationships, whether we are Native Americans or not."
“Why Treaties Matter: Self-Government in the Dakota and Ojibwe Nations” is a collaboration of the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council, the Minnesota Humanities Center, and the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian. The project is funded in part with money from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund that was created with a vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008, and The Patrick and Aimee Butler Family Foundation.
Jaelissa Northrup (Fond du Lac) learning to rice. Photo by Sue Erickson, courtesy Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commisssion.
Visitors viewing exhibit
Cloverleaf Barn - Boundary Road, Mahtowa
Barns of Carlton County
July 4 - Nov. 6, 2012
We are seeking additional photos and information about barns of Carlton County to build up the resources in our research library. If you have photos or information, please contact us at 218-879-1938 or email us at director@carltoncountyhistory.org or just stop by the museum at any time!
Kalenius Barn
Apron, Cookbooks and Mixers
What's Cooking?
Jan. - June 2012
1930s Electric Stove
"Main Streets of Carlton County"
Sept. 2011 - Jan. 2012
The exhibit featured historical photos and artifacts depicting the main streets of fifteen towns in Carlton County - Atkinson, Barnum, Carlton, Cloquet, Cromwell, Esko, Holyoke, Kettle River, Mahtowa , Moose Lake, Sawyer, Scanlon, Thompson, Wrenshall and Wright.
The number of artifacts and photos from Cloquet's main street filled one entire room behind the front desk, and included a recreation of the Puumala Clinic, items from Cloquet's Fire Hall and Sons of Norway Lodge. We wish to thank those who helped with the exhibit, Doctors Ricard and Barbara Puumala, Dr. Vicki Anderson, Dan Unulock, Bergquist Imports, members of the Sons of Norway and the Cloquet Fire Department.
The main streets of the other fourteen towns were exhibited in the front of the museum on the east side. Do you have any Main Street photos we are missing? We would love to make copies for our collection!
Cloquet's Puumala Clinic
"What we Wore"
March - September 2011
A huge portion of the Carlton County Historical Society's collection of clothing and accessories was on exhibit last Spring and Summer. The exhibit featured the changing styles through the decades, the clothing stores and beauty shops in Carlton County and photos of Carlton County residents in their fashions of the past.
We recreated the Children's Room from the Shaw Memorial Library with dolls and puppets on loan from the Cloquet Public Library.
We exhibited many historic books from the CCHS collection.
Many visitors had never seen a card catalog before.
Mrs. Luther Hultman
This ecru piano scarf with hand crocheted ends was made about 1920 by Mrs. Luther Hultman of Carlton. It was donated to the Carlton County Historical Society in 1967 by Mrs. Anne Lynch, also of Carlton. Who was Mrs. Luther Hultman or Anne Lynch, the donor? We are unable to find any further information on either person.