St. Louis County Historical Society

08/17/2026

Who had more 1776 Spirit, Bicentennial Duluthians or the Semiquincentennial Duluthians? Find out by joining historians on September 3rd at 6 pm for Charting a New Course: How Duluth Harnessed "The Spirit of '76" at the Lake Superior Railroad Museum.

From the Wednesday, April 14, 1976 Duluth Herald, Virginia Hyvarinen was children's librarian who started a Bicentennial Heritage series for Duluth Public Library. Thank you librarians!

08/17/2026

Join us for our rescheduled History-in-a-Pint, Charting a New Course: How Duluth Harnessed "The Spirit of '76" on September 3 at 6 p.m. Professor Emeritus Thomas Saylor of Concordia University, a historian of the 1970s, will explore how Duluth’s Bicentennial generation turned the national celebration into a boom in local events—and helped set the stage for the tourism city Duluth is today.

08/07/2026

Congratulations, Virginia, MN on a newly listed National Register of Historic Places. The research done for this nomination is excellent, digging into the Iron Range housing shortage caused, in part, by the taconite boom. Senior housing was one of the most common forms of publicly supported housing projects because "supporting low-income, elderly citizens had broad support."

Why a circular design compared to H- T- and U-shaped footprints? Elderly residents reported that they '[did] not like the long dismal corridors" in their buildings." It was also thought to be a more efficient use of a building site.

Virginia Area Historical Society

08/03/2026

Did you know local markets have been feeding the Northland for over a century? 📜🌾

As we celebrate National Farmer’s Market Week, we want to send a big congratulations to Hibbing Farmer's Market for being chosen as a 2026 Spotlight Market! 🏆

St. Louis County has a rich heritage of bringing farm-fresh food and fiber to our towns. In fact, the Duluth Farmer's Market first started back in 1911, packing the local armory by 1915! Check out the DNT picture story from 1945. Today, that legacy lives on through our incredible vendors and community markets.

Drop a ❤️ to congratulate Hibbing and tag your favorite local market vendor!

08/03/2026

Duluth native and Gulf War veteran Joel Turnipseed inscribed Know Thyself on his Marine combat helmet. To find out why, join us for History-in-a-Pint this Thursday!

We're hosting author Joel Turnipseed for an engaging conversation about his Gulf War memoir, 'Baghdad Express,' and how veterans can share their own stories.

Joel served in the U.S. Marine Corps during Desert Shield/Storm, and his work has been featured in The New York Times, GQ, and Granta. Don’t miss this chance to hear his perspective over a pint.

📍 Where: Lake Superior Railroad Museum, St. Louis County Depot (506 W. Michigan St., Duluth, MN)
🎟️ Admission: Free and open to the public!

07/31/2026

We're excited to meet so many Slovenian Americans at the Centennial Celebration and Convention of the SLOVENIAN UNION OF AMERICA. Marie Prisland founded the union as a Slovenian American women's organization in 1926. A prolific organizer, by 1933 there were 56 chapters in 10 states. Early on, men opposed her efforts, but eventually men were allowed to join. Today, many husbands are accompanying their wives at this centennial celebration.

07/29/2026

Author Event: A Conversation with Joel Turnipseed 📚

Join us for History-in-a-Pint: A Conversation with Joel Turnipseed, author of Baghdad Express, A Gulf War Memoir

Before writing his acclaimed memoir, Joel was a U.S. Marine reservist deployed during the Gulf War. He brought a unique perspective to the theater of war—as a college philosophy student whose reading habits followed him into the field.

The cartoon below from Baghdad Express captures that blend of humor and contemplation: a young Marine standing a lonely guard post, his helmet inscribed with the classic Socratic motto, "Know Thyself."

Come hear Joel reflect on his time in service, the craft of writing memory, and his journey from the UMN campus to the desert and back.

📅 When: Thursday, August 6 at 5:30 PM

📍 Where: Lake Superior Railroad Museum

🎟️ Admission: Free and open to the public

07/27/2026

Darrell Pedersen's motto is "bad decisions make good stories." Come to our History in a Pint: Keep the Fire Burning! tomorrow at 5:30 to find out how his dad fits into that motto.😁
Darrell is a retired pastor and author of 2 books, so he has told a story or two. Will be in the Lake Superior Railroad Museum at 5:30. Free.

07/26/2026

Have you seen The Odyssey? 🏺✨

Long before it was written down in the 8th century BCE, epic tales like that were passed down around campfires and hearths for centuries by ordinary people. The good news? You don’t need to be Homer to be part of the storytelling tradition!

Come raise a glass with us for History in a Pint: Keep the Fire Burning! this Tuesday at 5:30 PM at the Lake Superior Railroad Museum! 🍻🚂

We’re excited to host local storyteller and retired pastor Darrell Pedersen. Growing up in St. Louis County during the 1950s and '60s, Darrell spent his youth hunting, fishing, and perfecting the art of telling campfire stories—whether in the snowy woods or his family’s basement.

He’ll be sharing funny and poignant tales from his book, Who Will Carry the Fire?, packed with:
🎣 Fishing adventures
👾 "Monsters" in the woods (and the basement!)
🦸 Everyday heroes (especially spouses!)

07/26/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/18pBHbivr1/

The historic ship now has a forever home, and shelter, at the Knife River Heritage and Cultural Center.