Events
The Carlton County Historical Society hosts several events throughout the year. Check this website, local newspapers events listings, or our Facebook page to see what's coming up next.
Upcoming Events
Santa's Home for the Holidays
December 2nd, 2-5pm
Stop in and warm up with some coffee and apple cider and make some crafts! Do some of your holiday shopping with us! We have new books by local authors and pre-wrapped gifts!
Holiday Tea
December 7th, 1:30- 3:30
We had such a great time at the Scott house last year for our tea party that we thought we should do it again! Meet us at the Historic Scott House for tea, cider, and desserts!
Please register for this fundraiser by calling or emailing us to reserve your place.
Tickets: $25
Seating is limited to 20 guests.
Members Holiday Party
December 14th, 5-7 pm
This members only event will take place at CCHS and will include a charcuterie board, hot appetizers, beer, wine, and music!
Book Talk
Feburary 10th at 10:30, CCHS Building.
Katharine Johnson’s book talk is about how she finds characters to people her stories and how her protagonists struggle with abandonment, loss of voice, and finding self as they journey to find their place in their world. She prefers to write historical fiction and magical realism and sometimes manages to blend the two. Before retirement, she taught Spanish and English at Cloquet Senior High as well as serving as Library-Media Specialist for a dozen years.
The Wind and the Drum, her first novel was the 2018 One Book Northland. Born in a Red Canoe was honored as a finalist for the 2023 Minnesota Book Award.
Her other books are: The Mukluk Ball (2018 Minnesota Historical Press), Sylvie’s Silence (2022), and Born of an Eclipse (2023).
Barn Owner Reunion
WILL BE RESCHEDULED
Was your barn featured in the 2023 calendar? Come meet the other 2023 barn owners for refreshments to celebrate the annual barn calendars and the history of barns in Carlton County.
Thank You For Coming!
Small Business Saturday-Meet Katharine Johnson
November 25th we will be open from 10am to 2pm. All books will be 10% off!
Local author Katharine Johnson will be here selling and signing her books to celebrate her new book Born of an Eclipse! She writes historical fiction based on the traditions and folklore of the Sami people. Don't miss out!
Cloquet's Beginings
November 14th, 10:30-12:00
$5 per person
Please register for this event by contacting us by phone or email.
Our director Carol Klitzke will present a historic "tour" of early Cloquet by showing photos of early prominent houses, and businesses and describing what life in Cloquet used to look like before the fire.
Coffee provided!
Halloween Night!
Walk through the haunted museum, laboratory, and spider nest, and get a treat at the end! Open to all ages, adults and children from 4-6 pm.
Cloquet Hospital Craft Fair
Come support CCHS, CMH, and local artists at the craft fair on October 20th and 21st 9 am- 2 pm! We will have books and items from our gift shop for sale.
Julius Berg Baumann: September 30 Celebration of a Poet
Julius Berg Baumann (1869-1923) was a well-known Norwegian-American poet. He worked for the timber industry in Wisconsin and Minnesota and settled in Carlton County where he was elected register of deeds from 1910 until the end of his days. He wrote over 250 poems in Norwegian, celebrating such topics as family, friends, Christmas, love, hope for peace, the beauty of the seasons, and the memories and experiences of Norwegian Americans. Baumann’s books of poems were well-received in the US and Norway, winning praise from friends and strangers alike, including Ole E. Rølvaag (author of Giants in the Earth). After Baumann died, the national Sons of Norway organization erected over his grave a large monument bearing his portrait in bronze—a unique tribute to his gifts.
On Saturday September 30, at 11 AM, Cloquet’s Sons of Norway Heimsyn Lodge and the Carlton County Historical Society are hosting a celebration of Baumann with Dr. Lawrence Moe. This free event will take place at the CCHS, 406 Cloquet Ave, Cloquet, MN. Afterward, attendees are invited to gather at the Baumann Monument in Cloquet’s Hillcrest Cemetery.
Dr. Moe is Professor Emeritus of English at Metropolitan State University, Twin Cities. A scholar of poetry, Professor Moe has studied the early folk poetry of the Red River Valley, collecting and analyzing thousands of poems from that region. He has shared his research in poetry through over 300 scholarly and community presentations, on television, and in publications.
Open House
August 5th 10-11:30
We were unable to celebrate the centennial of the building in 2020 due to COVID but it's never too late to celebrate!
George Shaw was involved with the first Cloquet public library and the 1884 Cloquet Lumber Company, making him a major figure in the development of Cloquet. His daughters Hattie and Cordelia, made the Shaw Memorial Library a reality after the 1918 fire. Descendants of this crucial historical family are coming from all corners of the United States to visit our building this Saturday, August 5th.
We welcome any community members to come to our open house from 10 to 11:30 AM, visit with the Shaw descendants and tell stories about their time spent in the Shaw Memorial Library. Refreshments will be provided by Room at the Table with music by Spencer Walton. We will host a tour of the building with photos showing what it has looked like throughout its many years of service.
We can't wait to see you there!
Finn Fest
July 26th
Finn Fest is coming to our area! Most of the big events are in Duluth (here is a link to the whole event) but a tour group is visiting our museum! We are still open to the public on this day. Come see our display of Finnish artifacts!
Annual Meeting
The Hebert-Kennedy VFW Post #3979 is named after Wallace and his brother, Jack; both were killed in action in the summer of 1943. Their parents, Edward and Mabel Kennedy, were the first family in Cloquet to lose two children in WWII. Despite losing two sons in a 2-month period, Edward engaged in writing 56 newsy, upbeat letters to the 310 Northwest Paper Company employees serving in the armed forces. Who knows how many lives were saved by this lifeline to home? Wallace was buried in North Africa and did not have a marker in the family plot in Cloquet. VFW Post #3979 saw the need to donate a grave marker for Wallace.
The Annual meeting went great! We had wonderful weather, food, and people. We were joined by descendents of the Kennedy family and the gentlement from the Cloquet VFW as well as our members, volunteers, staff, and friends. We appreciate everyone who came to support CCHS and the family. Thank you!
Wallace Kennedy
Kennedy Family Descendants
Globe given to Edward Kennedy by Northwest Paper.
Quilt Day
March 18th is National Quilting Day!
To celebrate, CCHS and the Cloquet Library will be putting quilts on display!
Here at CCHS, we will display our historic quilts as well as quilts made by members of the Wood City Quilters Guild. Members of the guild will be in our building; excited to answer questions and talk about all things sewing and quilting. the Quilts will be displayed during our regular hours 10-4. This event is for all ages, children included!
Admission is free but donations are appreciated!
Mojakka Cook-Off
The Mojakka cook-off was a huge success! Thank you to all the dedicated Northlanders who dug their way out of the snow and found their way to the Northeastern. Everyone who made soup did a FANTASTIC job! All of the soup was delicious. It was very hard to pick a winner but after votes were counted, the results were:
Third place: John and Kathy Lund with zucchini and pepperoni soup.
Second place: Mark Edwards with a creamy salmon soup.
First place: Laurene Longsyo with Mom's traditional mojakka!
Congratulations!
Thank you so much to all those who attended and made soup! We hope to see you back at the next one!
1st Place: Laurene Longsyo
3rd Place: John and Kathy Lund
2nd Place: Mark Edwards
New Exhibit Presentation
CCHS partnered with the Fond Du Lac Rez Historical Society and revealed a new exhibit featuring birch bark baskets used in making maple syrup.
If you missed us at the presentation, the baskets will be on display in our museum and we will soon be selling the maple syrup from the Spirit Lake Native Farm. Thank you for attending!
Holiday Tea
The Holiday Tea was delightful! We had delicious cookies and cakes that were all made by our volunteer Peggy VanHoever and beautiful vintage Christmas decor set up by the Scott House. The live music and charming house made for an unforgettable tea party. We couldn't have asked for a better evening! Thank you to all those who attended!
Forging Friendships
Thank you to everyone who came to the Forging Friendships event in July! We would love to see you back at the next one!
