Grant County Historical Society & Museum

05/29/2026

Can you believe it? This is the only photo in our collections of the famous Elbow Lake power plant! The E L power plant is quite famous in legal circles so it certainly deserves recognition. A special acknowledgement in our current Electryfying Minnesota display will include historical information about the beginnings of a plant in 1900! If you haven’t stopped by yet—— please do! AND if you happen to have other photos and are willing to share let us know! mnhistorymatters,

05/27/2026

A switch turned and all of a sudden we have mid-summer temps. With summer now upon us, the museum will be open on Saturdays from 10:00 to 2:00 IF we have a volunteer. Watch this page for notifications as to whether we will be open on Saturday.

We do have a volunteer for this Saturday, May 30th so the museum will be open. We will also be open June 13th at least from 10-noon during our monthly genealogy group.

Appointments can also be made to visit beyond our regular business hours.

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05/27/2026

Thanks for sharing this interesting photo! Wonder if our followers can name a few of these 8th graders? 🧐🧐🧐🧐

Congratulations, 2026 graduates throughout Viking Library System!
101 years ago, these rural Grant County eighth graders posed in front of the Elbow Lake Opera House with their diplomas.
Thanks to the Grant County Historical Society & Museum and Minnesota Digital Library for access to this great photo. Explore other treasures that the Minnesota Digital Library offers – for free!
https://collection.mndigital.org/catalog/grh:1132 #?xywh=-563%2C-315%2C5359%2C3259

05/25/2026

Memorial Day is the time to thank all the women and men who have served and who are serving in the US military today. The photos depict three different eras: 1863, 1938, 1940s to the present. The Veterans Hall preserves artifacts that have been donated by Grant County families and veterans. Thank you for your service. .

05/19/2026

It must be spring because 2nd graders are visiting today! Welcome to history lovers and we hope you bring families and friends to see all of the awesome artifacts! 🛎️📒📕📗📘📙📔📓📚✏️🖍️🔍@

05/12/2026

As part of the birthday celebration for our state, the museum has a temporary display about electrifying rural areas of MInnesota. Stop by and learn how lives changed with the convenience electrification brought! Hope to see you soon!

05/11/2026

It's Minnesota's birthday! On this date in 1858 Minnesota became the 32nd state. As part of the celebration planned by the Grant County Collaborative, the museum will be open this evening from 6:15-7:30, allowing folks who work during our regular hours to visit. It's a perfect time to check out the temporary traveling exhibit Electrifying Minnesota.

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05/06/2026

We had a very interesting presentation at the museum about changes in farming as well as how advertising was used to promote machinery, feeds and seeds , fertilizer etc. Jay Grammond has traveled throughout rural Minnesota taking photos of barns and elevators but also includes a fascinating collection of “ghost signage” which is most often found in large metropolitan areas. Keep your eyes open so you don’t miss the remaining hints of paint and letters that are another way to remember history in our area! Hats off to our ancestor farmers as well as our present day providers!

05/05/2026

Tonight! Please join us this interesting presentation.

05/04/2026

Genealogy Saturday is May 9th, 10 a.m. to noon.

We have a guest speaker for our May meeting. Jeryn Konezny will share her research on the stories of women in the Revolutionary War era. For years, Jeryn Konezny has searched for the stories of Revolutionary era women in their own words. Her research into the primary source material of women in Colonial America started during the COVID pandemic — she spent hours diving into the letters, diaries, newspaper articles, and pension applications available online.

The Daughters of Liberty is a year-long project by Jeryn Konezny & The Glinda Factor that celebrates the courageous women who supported the Patriot cause and contributed to the founding of America. Jeryn Konezny is a lawyer, history nerd, and co-founder of The Glinda Factor, a website that celebrates the stories of 120 women who influenced every aspect of America’s history, from sports to scientific breakthroughs.

A fitting topic for this year, the 250th or the semiquincentennial, of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

If you would like to join by zoom, please contact the museum by 4 p.m. Friday to be sent the link.

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