Collections

An array of resources

COLLECTIONS In 2014 the Accessions Team at Pine County Historical Society was formed to create an electronic database by completing a wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling inventory of all the artifacts housed in its museum. After nearly 10 years, we have created over 11,000 records in the database. This project was made possible in part by the people of Minnesota
through grants funded by an appropriation to the Minnesota Historical Society from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage fund.

We have completed 8 phases thus far, with most being 3-D artifacts. The photographs and documents stored in the Research Library are not completed yet. At the same time, we kept up with cataloging all the new artifacts that have been donated. The Accessions Team has also taken on the task of creating new displays, monitoring light levels and humidity levels, and creating proper storage areas.

Museum collections are housed in twelve themed display rooms (3 small, 8 large, 1 extra-large), as well as in the Research Library.

  • • One-Room School
  • • Life Skills
  • • Dolls
  • • Military
  • • Machines & Miscellaneous
  • • Music & Crafts
  • • Logging
  • • Home & Family
  • • Cities
  • • Sports
  • • High School Memories (in development)
  • • Media Room (in planning stage)

Four Themed Hallway Areas

  • • Main Street Hallway (small displays in “storefronts”)
  • • River Hallway (Sandstone quarry, Native American, telephones, lodges)
  • • Religion & Politics (including paintings by local artists)
  • • Automotive
  • • Two large display windows have displays of textiles that are rotated regularly.

Outdoor Displays

  • • Farm Machinery
  • • Burlington Northern Caboose
  • • Small Airplane

Two Event Centers also have limited exhibits, including a replica of the Wright Flyer, a 19th century medicine wagon, theater curtain, and small barn. Research Library contents include:

  • • Biographies of county residents
  • • Stories of Pine County cities and townships
  • • Photographs of Pine County people and places
  • • Obituaries
  • • Maps and documents
  • • Newspapers and periodicals
  • • Records from governmental units, schools, churches, and businesses
  • • Scrapbooks from organizations
  • • Books from local authors
  • • Old books of general historical interest