Contact Us

Isanti County
Historical Society
33525 Flanders St. NE
Cambridge, MN 55008
Phone: 763-689-4229
Email: ichs@izoom.net

See Us

The Heritage Center is open
Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

It is located in the northwest corner of the Isanti County Fairgrounds, off Highway 95 and Flanders Street in Cambridge.
Click for directions

Help us

    * Become a member.
    * Donate items.
    * Donate money.
    * Volunteer.
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PERMANENT EXHIBITS

Governor David M. Clough

From Spencer Brook Township--our 13th Governor
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CURRENT EXHIBITS

“Main Street & More … Isanti County”

“Main Street & More … Isanti County” includes a video collection of business perspectives and memories collected from Isanti County residents about the main street businesses of Cambridge, Grandy, Braham, and Isanti. This Video History Project was made possible with a grant administered by the Minnesota Historical Society funded by the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the vote of Minnesotans on November 4, 2008.
 
This exhibit will be available for viewing on Mondays and Thursdays from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm until the end of summer.

Click here to view video collection.

Got Butter?

Mom's home churned butter was probably the best, but the butter from Isanti County Creameries was certainly a close second.

Learn more about the creameries that used to dot Isanti County, as well as how butter was made 100 years ago.

The butter barrel at right dates from 1920 and is part of the ICHS archives.
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PAST EXHIBITS

Faces of Change

From March 19 thru April 21 you may visit the Faces of Change exhibit at the Isanti County Historical Society Heritage Center. This is a photo and essay exhibit that documents the changes in a small rural Minnesota community which has undergone a large influx of refugees in the last decade, and the changes in the immigrants who came to the community of Pelican Rapids, Minn. This exhibit is presented in conjunction with the One Book, One Community Cambridge Wide reading program. See more about the reading program at www.cambridgefol.webs.com

Ice

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See photos, tools and artifacts used in the county to harvest ice and to stay warm during our coldest times of the year. Winter 2010

A Picture of Grandy

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A retrospective look at the small town once called "Manila". Fall 2009
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Bjorklund's Wool Carding and Spinning Mill
aka Cambridge Woolen Mills, c 1888-1969

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Samples of garments and tools, including the technology of "the day", used by the Woolen Mills. Winter 2010

Pushing Up Daisies

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Over the years, as with everything else, the traditions and customs associated with death have evolved.

In 2007 ICHS acquired a unique artifact--a wicker removal basket. I will bet that very few folks have ever seen a basket this large or unique. This basket is about six feet in length and has a removable cover. It was used (circa unknown) to remove a deceased body from the place of death (usually the home) to the mortuary. This basket is the largest item in our current exhibit which opened Monday, October 5.

Included are some of the most popular euphemisms about death, famous last words, photos of death masks (which not everyone have even heard of), plus photos of tombstones and death carriages, a.k.a. hearses.

Fall 2009