Isanti County Historical Society

A Food Guild ad from September 6, 1945. Great prices at Oleson Bros. in Isanti. Our purchasing power would greatly expand if we could use these prices today. If only … 
 
A few weeks have passed since my last update. Our recovery work has been very slow-going. A bright spot in the day is finding that interesting tidbit of history, an old ad, or anything that leads us to compare life today against that of the past. One such advert is from a local grocer and tells the cost of groceries in days gone by. Oh, if only we had those prices today to offset rising gas costs.                       
We have received replacements for several of the family histories in my last update, and as a result we can just dispose of the burned version and forego the dirty salvage work …YEAH! We are thankful for such small victories. Below is a list of several more family histories that we need to replace. Pass the word to those you may know, and if they do the same, we can get a few more replacements.  
    1.    Eric Strom Family, One Man’s Reach by Silvia Strom Osborne.
    2.    Anderson Dalarna, Tom’t Mats Anderson Family
    3.    Fred Soderberg Family History
    4.    Swenson Family Genealogy
    5.    Arvid & Clara Swanson Family History
 
This is Week 39 after the fire, and the arrival of an early spring signals a new beginning. Everyone is eager to plant, clean, refresh, and, in some cases, add on an addition or remodel their home. ICHS is working toward all of those things this spring, and would like the community to join us at each new turn.  
As our plantings around the Heritage Center emerge, I need a gardener or a garden club to transplant our flowers from around the slab to a temporary location so that they could be replanted in the future. Can you or your club volunteer to determine how and when this should be done? If so, please contact Kathy at 763-689-4229.  
Here are other ways to support ICHS during our marathon journey in recovery and rebuilding. Donations
    1.    By US Mail to 1700 E. Rum River Drive S., Suite K, Cambridge, MN 55008
    2.    At www.ichs.ws
    3.    At Cambridge State Bank.
Contact Us
1.      Follow Us on Facebook
2.      Call us at 763-689-4229
3.      Email to ichs@izoom.net
4.      US Mail to the above address
We are open by appointment only at this time. Thank you to all for their support as we continue on our journey.  
 
 
Kathleen J. McCully, Executive Director
Isanti County Historical Society

The Isanti County Historical Society is sorting salvaged items and considering what to do next after an arson fire last summer destroyed its building.

by BRYNA GODAR , Star Tribune

http://www.startribune.com/local/north/142122333.html

Eight months after history turned to smoke and ashes in an arson fire at the Isanti County Historical Society, the organization is contemplating its future -- not whether it will have one, but the directions it will take.

The Cambridge fire consumed about 70 percent of the society's archives and all of the building's interior, and the staff now is working in a two-room suite provided by the county, sifting through damaged documents and artifacts.

"We're kind of reassessing the traditional model of how a historical society operates," said Kathy McCully, executive director of ICHS. As staff members evaluate whether to rebuild at the old location or move into a new building, they are also considering becoming fully digital or having virtual exhibits.

In January, staff began to reorganize and document the contents of 61 boxes of salvaged materials. After the fire and the resulting hose-down, wet documents that had not succumbed to the flames were freeze-dried to prevent mold. The documents returned in mid-December, without mold, but were "very brittle." McCully said the lifespan of the paper has been compromised by the fire, smoke, water and chemicals.

The society plans to encapsulate some of the documents, placing them between two sheets of film so people can still handle them without touching the actual paper. In addition, all of the documents will be scanned to preserve them digitally, a step that had not been taken before.

Another storage unit houses about two dozen big tubs of hand-dried items that will need to be inventoried, cleaned, refiled, and organized.

"This is a huge undertaking," McCully said. "We're all very tired, we're trying to take it all in little steps because it's so overwhelming."

She expects it will be at least another year and a half before they can move into a new building.

It will be a slow rebuilding process. The fire claimed photographs, scrapbooks, phone records. "We lost tons of oral history - taped interviews and the transcriptions," McCully said. "They're a one-of-a-kind thing."

The society isn't currently accepting historical items, but received many calls after the fire and thousands of dollars in donations. It also received a $7,000 grant from the Minnesota Historical Society to help with recovery efforts.

McCully said the society is going to become more proactive about collecting records, making copies of documents that people want to keep. "Generally people bring things to historical societies; we'd like to become more proactive about seeking it out," she said. "Our mission is to preserve the history of Isanti County."

Bryna Godar is a University of Minnesota student on assignment for the Star Tribune.

Week 36 falls on March 16. If this were truly a race, we would just be crossing the starting line. It would be accurate to say that each week is like one stride in a marathon. Over the past two weeks we have whittled away at the 61 freeze-dried boxes and have replaced all of the manilla folders and hanging folders, relabeled them with the appropriate titles and ID numbers, and have brushed the fire residue from each page. While doing this we have enjoyed finding articles, photos and ads from years past. At least this part of the job makes the dirty work more enjoyable. I have included one that had us all fooled and giggling, the board included.  

After looking through two or three boxes that contained family histories, it became evident that we have two courses of action. 1.) Find a new replacement, if that is at all possible, or 2.) Trim the burnt perimeter off of each page and keep the original. Depending on the dates of these family histories, I would guess that it will be a combination of both. Following is a list of these family histories. If you have a copy, or know of someone that may, please contact the office. You would not necessarily have to donate your copy, but if you would allow us to scan a clean copy we would then not have to trim the burned version. The less dirty work the better, I say.  
    1.    My Father’s House (Raether, Luebke & Krueger Family History)
    2.    The Life & Times of Viola Lindell Reichel (as told to Gail Szumylo)
    3.    Britta Kajsa (by Junette Erickson Person)
    4.    Mama Remembers, Vols. 1 & 2, Memoirs of Lydia Pearson Anderson
    5.    Sweden to Wyanett & Karmel by Morris R. Peterson (500 printed, we had issue 78)
    6.    Falk/West (Roy) by Carol Falk Olson
    7.    Blomquist/Stanius
    8.    Pearson Tribe
    9.    Ditt eget Släkt (Byss-Bolin, Stoneberg) Family  

There will be more items in a couple of weeks. We will have processed the last of the 61 boxes and will be looking for more replacements. Thank you in advance for helping us find replacements. In the meantime, if you want to support ICHS, donations are greatly appreciated and can be made by mail, at our website, or directly at Cambridge State Bank. For all other inquiries, visit www.ichs.ws, follow us on Facebook, call us at 763-689-4229, email at ichs@izoom.net or drop us a letter at 1700 E. Rum River Drive S., Suite K, Cambridge, MN 55008. We are open by appointment only at this time.  

Kathleen J. McCully, Executive Director
Isanti County Historical Society
 
Visit www.ichs.ws and join our eNewsletter mailing list, or LIKE us on Facebook to stay up-to-date on our progress.

Telephone service in the county was available by 1912, and Florence Fogel was one of the operators. Just think of the advancements in communication that have happened over the past 99 years.


Fifteen weeks and counting since the fire that made history. For those that attended the pancake breakfast and the Heritage Jam this past weekend, ICHS extends their thanks. The pancakes, sausages and toppings were so delicious. That maple syrup and butter is way too hard to resist in my opinion, and after serving over 100 folks I can see it is a favorite with many more of you as well. The Heritage Jam produced wonderful, wonderful music and even though our competition for the afternoon was the Vikings/Packers game, we had a modest turnout and a great afternoon. Everyone is really in for a great treat if they purchased one or more of the homemade preserves—these folks really know what they are doing. Heroes for History include all event attendees, every volunteer who gave their time on such a nice weekend, Nikki and Linda of the Cambridge Chamber, Vicky Lefebvre, ICHS staff and board, and the four bands who donated their performance time on our behalf: New’s Getting Old, My Cousin Dallas, Galactic Cowboy Orchestra and Michael Monroe. We can never say thank you enough to those that are committed to contributing to our success and future endeavors.

This week we are regrouping and starting additional computer training so that everyone processing our returned documents will be following the same processes and procedures. Computers are still foreign to some so all the practice we can have will only be to our advantage. We have had many a discussion about technology, and many laughs remembering the same reactions to the “technologies of the day” of each past generation. For instance, from hand stitching to treadle sewing machines, then electric sewing machines, and on to computerized sewing machines. From telephones with the hand crank and a switchboard operator, to a rotary dialed phone and a party line, to a single line with push buttons, from a land line to a cell phone that can do anything you could ever have dreamed of wanting. Or shorthand-taking secretaries and transcriptionists, to hand-held tape recorders, or voice activated software that types for you. Washing clothes in the stream, washboards, washtubs and hand cranked wringers, electric wringer washers, washers with an agitator, front-loaders that spin, steam washing machines, wow! Just about every facet of our lives has seen a similar progression in technological advancements, and I am sure each generation has had those that openly embraced the newest advance with wide-eyed awe and open arms. On the flip side, there were also those that were more skeptical and sure that “this will never last.”

So here we are in 2011, with great technologies that will only make our jobs easier and faster if we are able to take the time to practice, hone, and assess our skills and procedures as we face the large amount of fire damaged material. But let us never forget that behind the best technology of the day are the people who are committed to learning how to use it, applying it to the specific jobs and professions they do, and who troubleshoot the problems when they arise. Three cheers to these folks, who work hand-in-hand with technology to do their jobs.

If you want to support ICHS, donations are greatly appreciated and can be made by mail, at our website, or directly at Cambridge State Bank. For all other inquiries, visit www.ichs.ws, follow us on Facebook, call us at 763-689-4229, email at ichs@izoom.net or drop us a letter at 1700 E. Rum River Drive S., Suite K, Cambridge, MN 55008. We are open by appointment only at this time.

Kathleen J. McCully, Executive Director

The weather was beautiful this past weekend so I took the time to finish sorting through some papers I had dried several weeks ago. Mostly they were past board meeting minutes, a few other unexpected photos, and past grant documents. From here I will take them into the office and we will scan the documents, keep the digital files, and toss the paper, which was all burned on 3 edges and makes a horrendous mess. I had soot up to my elbows and over most of my face (don’t know how that got there).

Board and staff were discussing the fact last week that, believe it or not, the fire could have happened at a much worse time. Imagine if it had been winter, or freezing. After the fire and all the water, we would have had one large frozen block of historical society. As bad as the heat and humidity were during July, it could have been worse. Talk about looking on the bright side.

I must remind everyone that we are making history as we continue on this journey. This is not only part of the historical society’s story now, but the story of Isanti County’s past history and present-day response, generosity and action. All are worthy of documentation, cataloging and photographing. Fortunately, we have the opportunity to record it in the present. What is unfortunate, however, are all of the stories and actions we have lost to the fire that were recorded and transcribed from the storytellers who are no longer living. They cannot be rerecorded.

As we explore our options for a new beginning in 2012 we held our first idea gathering meeting. Of course, those attending were our most fervent and faithful members and volunteers. Words such as proactive, relevant repository, his/her story, genealogy, partnerships, living history, and active learning were a few of the ideas. Just to remind you, we are open to all comments and ideas at this point. There is a form on our website to make it convenient to submit ideas, or you can call the office, or just drop a note. Now is the time to put in your two cents, so to speak.

Remember ICHS’ two upcoming fundraisers. First, a Pancake Breakfast on Oct. 22, 8-Noon at the Cambridge Armed Forces Reserve & Community Center in conjunction with the Business Expo, Adults $7, Under 10 will be $4.00. The Heritage Jam, Sunday, October 23 is a benefit concert with a four-group line-up at the CIHS Hardy Performing Arts Center, 3:00-6:00 pm. “We’re in a Jam, will you help us out” is our call to action that day. Wonderful chefs and cooks will be selling their homemade jams and jellies to benefit ICHS, plus door prizes, raffles and even some comedy—all for $15 a person. So put these dates on your calendars and plan to attend one or both of these events.

If you can’t attend either function and want to support ICHS, donations are greatly appreciated and can be made by mail, at our website, or directly at Cambridge State Bank. For all other inquiries, visit www.ichs.ws, follow us on Facebook, call us at 763-689-4229, email at ichs@izoom.net or drop us a letter at 1700 E. Rum River Drive S., Suite K, Cambridge, MN 55008. We are open by appointment only at this time.

Kathleen J. McCully, Executive Director

Isanti County Historical Society

After dealing with a summer lost to this devastating fire, I was able to retreat for a weekend with my fellow quilters in week ten. It is a known fact that sewing is the most relaxing extracurricular activity that anyone can do, and I really needed to relax. Eight members of my guild gathered for four days with their own projects to begin, work on, or complete. There is camaraderie among this group of quilters built upon 20+ years of working and sewing together. The more seasoned quilters are always willing to share their expertise with those less versed in the craft, and it sometimes is the reverse as we all like to try new techniques. Amidst the quilting and time away from the regular grind, we also share our lives, our stories, talking about family, children and grandchildren, joys and sorrows. We are a support group unto our own.

So you will not be surprised when I say again, some things just never seem to change. In years past women gathered at quilting bees, regular weekly quilting days, or at “Ladies Aid” meetings to work on their quilts for weddings, new babies, or utilitarian purposes. These women stitched as they shared their lives with each other, and again, the seasoned quilters passed their skills on to the younger women in the community. As was then, and still is, the type of friendship, and bond that quilters develop is all encompassing.

ICHS had many quilts in their collection. There were several cotton utilitarian quilts, a quilt made from woolen coats, a signature quilt made for a neighbor that was moving away from her “fellow quilters”, and a beautiful crazy quilt of satins and velvets with decorative hand stitching. The wool quilt may have been made out of necessity to keep someone really warm, the signature quilt as a parting gift, and perhaps the crazy quilt was a learning experience for the maker as she tried one new hand stitch after another.

ICHS used quilts in different ways to bring warmth, comfort and ambiance in the Heritage Center. Large quilts helped with the acoustics in the community room, and smaller quilts were used in display cases as backdrops, some draped on wicker chairs, antique wheelchairs, or in ornate baby carriages. Lost were five quilts on display in the great hall from one of my fellow guild members, a dozen miniature quilts on display from my personal collection, as well as every one of the quilts in our artifact collection. There are many different uses for a quilt, and you can be sure that when a quilt is made there is much emotion invested into its construction—this I know from personal experience. The loss of all of these quilts, whether from the 19th, 20th or 21st century is huge, not just for the makers and donors of these quilts, but also for the community who will never be able to view and appreciate them again as a result of a very senseless act.

ICHS’ journey continues in Week Eleven with a meeting on Monday, October 3 to “hone our focus” within our mission of “Preserving and Promoting Isanti County History”, and our vision, “To Be a Visible Organization and Make History Come Alive.” This is a brainstorming and idea gathering meeting only. What should our history business look like in the 21st century? We welcome your ideas and input. There are two ways in which you can participate. If you want to attend the meeting, please contact me at 763-689-4229 as space is limited. You may also complete an idea form at www.ichs.ws so that we may add your ideas to those expressed at the meeting. We would like to consider all ideas and options that are available to us before decisions on how to rebuild are made.

Monetary donations can be made by mail, at our website, or directly at Cambridge State Bank, and are greatly appreciated. For all other inquiries, visit www.ichs.ws, follow us on Facebook, call us at 763-689-4229, email at ichs@izoom.net or drop us a letter at 33525 Flanders St. NE, Cambridge, MN 55008.

Kathleen J. McCully, Executive Director
Isanti County Historical Society

by Kathy McCully
Several years back Carlson Studios donated a large collection of negatives to Isanti County Historical Society. We had one person exclusively creating a digital database of the photo logs for 15 months (part time). Our next step would be to scan all the negatives in reverse so we could match the photos with the database. This cannot be done now because so many of the negatives were fused and burnt. Of those that were saved, all the ID numbers were on the edge and have been burnt off. This is a huge loss for our history as I am sure there were many “hidden treasures” among these negatives. My goal was to create several books of the most memorable, or a line of greeting cards to support our operating budget. If you can identify these folks, please let us know.

Our marathon continues as we move forward to process all the recovered material. Two fundraisers are also in the works. The first, a pancake breakfast on October 22 at the Cambridge Chamber Business Exp. The second will be a musical performance by several musicians and performing groups—tentatively October 23. Your support is greatly appreciated, and we hope that we can personally thank everyone who attends for their kind words and actions of support since the fire.

Monetary donations can be made by mail, at our website, or directly at Cambridge State Bank. For all other inquiries, visit www.ichs.ws, follow us on Facebook, call us at 763-689-4229, email at ichs@izoom.net or drop us a letter at 33525 Flanders St. NE, Cambridge, MN 55008.

ICHS Executive Director Kathy McCully talks about what ICHS has been doing since the fire.

by Kathy McCully
As of this issue, I am happy to report that our temporary office at the Oakview Office Complex is nearly set up and taking shape very nicely. The phone service should have been transferred on Monday, so when you call you may actually be speaking to a real person. Hours of operation are still being discussed, so until then we are taking meetings by appointment only.

The first day after the fire, ICHS staff and volunteers worked with Minnesota Historical Society staff to develop a tiered determination of priority for the retrieval of archives and artifacts. Tier One was for the most important to save, no matter how wet. This level would go to the freezer, and then to be freeze dried later. Tier Two was for items that would be nice to save if we could. We had to determine how wet or burned they were, then did we want to try to dry them ourselves, or send them to freeze drying. Tier Three was for all other items that we found that could be saved—to be dried and cleaned by ICHS.

This week our journey takes us to begin cleaning and sorting the archives and artifacts that were taken from the building that were in tiers two and three. None of this material will be freeze dried. Paper and textile items that were wet and burned were hung on lines or laid out to dry as soon as possible. Some were beginning to mold by the time they were found, so they went in the freezer truck. These items will be removed from the freezer now that mold growth was stopped, and it will be decided whether they will be saved or not. This will be a very meticulous and laborious job. Can you imagine having to look at every paper, object, or textile in your home, one at a time, to make this decision?

Of course, we are attempting to keep as much as possible given that we have lost so much more than we saved. I have also been checking eBay for items from our area and ran across two wooden nickels from Stratte Drug being sold by a person in Canada. For a small fee I purchased them, and sent him an email telling him about the fire. He decided to donate them to help us rebuild our collection of business premiums! What a nice gesture. Some will remember business premiums as calendars, rulers, plates, and other fun stuff that businesses would imprint with their names and give away. Our entire collection of business premiums was lost in the fire!

We are not accepting donations of archival materials or artifacts at this time. However, if you let us know what you have and where we can contact you, we will let you know as soon as we are ready to accept them. This can be done by mail, phone, or on our website.

Monetary donations can be made by mail, at our website, or directly at Cambridge State Bank. For all other inquiries, visit www.ichs.ws, follow us on Facebook, call us at 763-689-4229, email at ichs@izoom.net or drop us a letter at 33525 Flanders St. NE, Cambridge, MN 55008.

Remember, our journey is not a sprint, but a marathon. So, this is Week Eight after the fire and we can look to a light at the end of the tunnel—even maybe just the size of a pin hole—but it’s there!