Restoration Project Rescues Long-Forgotten Courthouse Gems

August 2001, Vol. XXIX, No. 6 INSIDE page 3 Depot museum opens page 6 State grants-in-aid awarded Published by the Minnesota Historical Society page 8 for county and local historical societies and heritage preservation commissions Grant deadlines Outside the fence by Mary Warner Museum Manager, Morrison County Historical Society We’re breaking loose.We’re outside the fence – thinking outside the fence, that is. And like some errant cow that can’t stand the confines of her pen, Upper Midwest Conservation Association photos Conservation Upper Midwest Commerce, a 20-inch-by-50-inch painting by Axel Edward Soderberg, has been restored and we refuse to go back in. reinstalled in the Lake County Courthouse. Take our museum planning process.Whenever we sit down together for a planning session, Restoration project rescues staff members compose a list of goals.Then we put the list away. long-forgotten courthouse gems Six months or a year later, we look at the list to see how we’ve Paintings depict Lake County heritage done. Invariably,we discover that most of the goals have been met. Some might say this planning hen renovation of the Lake longtime county auditor asked,“What process is unconventional but it County Courthouse began in 1999, about the other paintings that used to works for us. noW one knew quite what to do with hang here?” Recently – after celebrating a large painting titled Law and Justice More sleuthing uncovered the full the 25th anniversary of our that hung on a wall to be torn down. story. Back in 1905 the county board Charles A.Weyerhaeuser And for a while, no one seemed commissioned the artworks and other Memorial Museum and looking to care. decorative painting for the courtrooms ahead to the 65th anniversary But one staff member persisted. and corridors of its new courthouse. In of the Morrison County Wilma Clark, clerk for the Lake addition to Law and Justice, three Historical Society – we went County Board of Commissioners, large paintings were installed in 1906 through our goal-listing persuaded the board to let art in the commissioners’ boardroom. process again.This time we conservators from the Upper Midwest Titled Commerce, Forestry and focused on new ways to Conservation Association (UMCA) Mining, they depicted activities that accomplish our mission of take a look at the painting. Her even today sustain the local economy. collecting, preserving and persistence paid off. Months later, All were painted by Axel Edward interpreting our county with a grant from the Minnesota Soderberg, a Swedish immigrant artist history. Thanks to our Historical Society, the painting was trained in Stockholm and Paris, whose members and donors, we’re restored and hung in the county’s works hung in public buildings doing a fine job of collecting new Law Enforcement Center. throughout the American West. Imagine Clark’s surprise when, Outside continued on page 2 just as that project got underway, the Restoration project continued on page 2 Restoration project continued from page 1 Clark found the paintings in storage, where they had lain forgotten for decades after sustaining water damage from a burst pipe. Spurred by the success of the first restoration project, she applied for another grant Axel Soderberg from the Society to specialized in wall have the paintings murals depicting mythological and restored. historical subjects. The Minneapolis- Forestry and based UMCA again Mining, paintings he created for the did the restoration Lake County work. Each painting Courthouse, was cleaned, then illustrate aspects of humidified and the county’s history. “relaxed” under blotters and weights to eliminate puckers. Areas with flaked “In a small county like ours, there work, they’re excited about what or missing paint were repaired and the isn’t much extra money for projects we’ve accomplished. Everyone has canvases lined with fabric. Finally the like this,”explained Clark,“so we become more aware of the paintings, once mounted directly onto couldn’t have done it without the importance of preserving this piece the wall, were bonded to boards and grant.We matched it with donations of Lake County history for the framed for rehanging. In May from the community and funds from enjoyment of future generations.” Soderberg’s artworks resumed their the county. rightful place in the courthouse “When we began this project, For more information about the project, boardroom, itself restored and now there were some people who call Wilma Clark at 218-834-8320 or e-mail climate-controlled to ensure the questioned its value,”she noted.“But [email protected]. paintings’ preservation. now that they can see the completed Outside continued from page 1 Morrison County history. And our issue.] Now we’re launching a series this Literary Fund will be used to curator of collections sees to it that of booklets on a variety of topics that produce the history books. our preservation activities are running together will paint a full picture of So now you know what we’re smoothly. It’s that third part of our our county’s past.The first will be a thinking. But don’t be surprised if you mission – educating the public about reprint of Nathan Richardson’s 1876 hear, down the road, that we’ve their history – where we’re thinking history of Morrison County, which ran tackled some new challenge.You outside the fence. as a newspaper serial in 1880 but never know when we may bolt again In fact, we’re leaping outside the never appeared in book form. It’s in another unexpected direction, like fence with our new plan for one of the earliest accounts of our that stealth cow escaping her pen. producing history publications. Our local history. first title was Little Falls on the Big To assist us in our literary A longer version of this article appeared in River, a local history curriculum for endeavors, an endowment has been the Winter 2001 issue of the Morrison elementary school students. [See the created with a donation in memory of County Historical Society newsletter. Edited with permission. Preservation Planner, Spring 2001 Carl A.Weyerhaeuser. Income from 2 Minnesota History Interpreter AROUND THE STATE Home at last Beltrami County society opens new depot museum Beltrami County Historical Society Beltrami n April, after years of planning, the Beltrami County Historical Society movedI from its longtime quarters on the county fairgrounds to its new home in Bemidji’s Great Northern Depot. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the restored 1913 depot now will be known as the Beltrami County History Center. Bemidji’s historic Great Northern Depot, The center’s inaugural exhibit, pictured above before its renovation, is “Pathways through History,”tells the now home to the Beltrami County Historical Society. The former waiting story of Beltrami County’s rich rooms (left) house three galleries of heritage, from its geography and exhibits featuring a video history of the exploration to its logging industry and community, a scale-model railroad and the society’s collection of Indian artifacts. the legendary Paul Bunyan. Featured is the society’s John G. Morrison Jr. Indian Collection of beaded moccasins and other clothing, tools and membership has grown, tourist traffic here. I invite everyone to come and ceremonial items, largely from the Red is up, and for the first time we’re see for themselves.”For a preview of Lake Band of Ojibwe. generating income from admissions the BCHS and its collections, check “So many people donated time and our new gift shop. As James J. Hill out the society’s new web site, and money to make this a reality,”said noted when he visited the depot in www.paulbunyan.net/users/depot/ BCHS director Wanda Hoyum.“Our 1913, we have great community spirit index.html. Play ball! Vintage Saint Croix team defends championship Photo by D.Photo by C. Rambow he showdown is set for Aug. 18. Sure to please both That’s when the Saint Croix Base Ball sports fans and history TClub takes to the field in Rochester to buffs, this educational defend its title as Minnesota Vintage program of the Washington Base Ball Champions. Be on hand as County Historical Society Skinny, Stretch, Deano and Devil Dog brings back to life the area’s step up to the plate to face their 1860s ball club.A member of opponents.Will it be the Twin Cities’ the nationwide Vintage Base Ball Quicksteps? Rochester’s Roosters? Association, the Saint Croix club plays Winona’s Lumber Barons? by the 1860 “New York rules,”which You may not recognize the names allow the umpire to consult the fans, or Members of the present-day Saint Croix Base Ball Club, dressed in their period or the rules of the game. But if “cranks,”when making a call. For costumes, pose for an ambrotype tempers flare, you can count on the current club news and a schedule of photograph, a five-second exposure umpires to impose a hefty fine – games, see the team’s web site at taken with a mid-19th-century camera. 25 cents for each infraction. http://wchsmn.org/stcroixbbc. August 2001 3 AROUND THE STATE HistoryHennepin Museum Exhibits focus on recent history t’s not about immigrants and early document community life in the settlers this summer at three new millennium. Photographs in historicalI societies that looked to the more than a dozen categories, from more recent past for exhibit ideas. everyday scenes to local landmarks • In the 1980s, Minneapolis rocked. to community events, have been Site of a thriving independent music solicited for the exhibit “Life in scene, the city was fertile ground Small Town, USA.” As they are for a group of musicians creating a submitted throughout the year, rich and diverse body of work photos will be added to the exhibit.

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