Sherburne History Center Blog

I was recently reminded back in 1992, when Bill Clinton was first running for the Presidency; the news reported a large sign in his campaign offices read: “It’s The Economy.”   Now, nearly twenty years later, the economy is still a big issue.   And, after reading 1936 copies of the Elk River Star News it becomes apparent that the economy is always in the news and always an important issue to consider in our local history. Back in January of 1936, a major headline in the newspaper reported that the federal government was preparing to pay World War I veterans a bonus for their service.   It was estimated in the paper, although probably too high, that some 300 veterans in Sherburne County would receive $180,000, about $600 each.   All of this came available as a result of the World War Adjustment Compensation Act of 1924.   Under that legislation, the federal government issued bonds to veterans that could be redeemed in 1945.   With the crisis of the Grea...

Programs are, as many people realize, important to the operations of museums and historical societies.   With the coming New Year, here at the Sherburne History Center , we have rededicated ourselves to creating new programs and providing more opportunities for the sharing of information about the county and the local history. In other words: program presentation is the name of the game for the coming year. And, we have started off pretty well.   In January, two programs of importance are the book signing of They Called Her Maria , described as a “wonderful example of life in the 1870s on the Minnesota frontier.”   Editors Herb and Corinne Murphy have spent the past two years transcribing and editing the diaries and letters of Hannah Maria Nutting Benham Knapp.   We are happy to present the published work here at the Sherburne History Center .   The book signing is scheduled for 12 January between 11 am and 1 pm. Later in the month, an introductory cours...