About the Society
Preserving the history and heritage of the Melrose area since 1987.
Our mission
The Melrose Area Historical Society was formed in 1987 with the purpose of collecting and preserving artifacts pertaining to the history and heritage of the area. The Society is dedicated to operating a museum and heritage center where these artifacts will be on display for visitors to enjoy and learn of the past.
The MAHS area includes the towns and rural areas within the School District 740 boundaries: Melrose, Freeport, St. Rosa, New Munich, Spring Hill, Greenwald, and Meire Grove.
The research center holds genealogical files, family histories, oral history tapes, maps, newspapers, and photographic copies from hundreds of family photos. Our volunteers are knowledgeable individuals of the communities we serve and are willing to help interested persons learn of the past histories and heritages of the people of these communities.
The Society is an affiliate of the Stearns County Historical Society.
Our building
The Melrose Area Museum is located in the spacious building that was built in 1953 as the Melrose Convent for the Church of St. Mary’s sisters, who taught and worked in the parish. The collection was moved to this building in the spring of 2001. This building allows for an expanded research center and room for a working area to receive and index donations of articles for the collection.
Near St. Mary’s Church and the Lake Wobegon Trail, the museum has rapidly become an asset to this area. Dedicated and hardworking volunteers, and donations of money from numerous area businesses, organizations, and residents, made the renovation and handicapped accessibility of this building possible.
How we began
The Melrose Area Historical Society established the Melrose Area Museum and Heritage Center in the basement of the old Lippsmeyer house in 1987. This building was next door to the east of the City Office building at that time and was the home of the Melrose branch of the Great River Regional Library on the main floor. The Lippsmeyer house was torn down in 1989 to make room for the new City Center, which is now the home of the city offices and community meeting rooms as well as the Senior Citizen Center and Melrose Police Department. The city had purchased the house to the west of this area and this building provided room for the museum to expand the collection and exhibits. However, this two-story building rapidly became too small for the influx of donated items added to the collection.
Immediately the Society began exploring other possibilities for a larger building. The Board of Directors established a Building Fund and many ideas were explored. But still the growing collection had to be housed in this crowded building for another decade.
Because there were no nuns living in Melrose and the parish had no use for the Convent, which had lately been used for a Parish Center, St. Mary’s Church Council offered the building for sale. A year later, in 2000, there were no interested buyers. At this time the City of Melrose acquired the building and leased it to the Society for the museum.
Melrose through the years
Milestones from the community and from the museum’s own story.
The Lindberghs homestead
August and Louisa Lindbergh settle on 40 acres of woodland east of the future city of Melrose.
First convent and school
Serving what was then St. Boniface Church; a new convent follows in 1908.
Melrose Area Hospital begins
Two doctors and a registered nurse open a five-room hospital in a family home on Second Street.
The Melrose Theater opens
A $50,000, steam-heated, fireproof theater arrives on Main Street. It closed for good in the late 1960s.
The Lucky Lady
Melrose native Capt. James Gallagher pilots the first non-stop flight around the world.
The convent is built
A spacious new convent houses 20 sisters — the building that is today's museum.
The Society is formed
The first museum opens in the basement of the old Lippsmeyer house.
The city steps in
With no buyer for the former convent, the City of Melrose acquires it and leases it to the Historical Society for the museum.
The collection comes home
Exhibits move into the renovated, accessible building, with room for a full research center.
Board of directors
Officers
Directors
- Don Andersen
- Marilyn Bergmann
- Steve Borgerding
- Scott Dymoke
- Henry Gruber
- Duane Hiltner
- Jone Meyer
- Kathy Middendorf
- Larry Osendorf
- Dustin Rue
- Cheryl Wiechman
- Mike Zierden
Contact the board at [email protected] or 320-256-3933.