July History Book Club
Jul
14

July History Book Club

Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland

In December 1972, Jean McConville, a thirty-eight-year-old mother of ten, was dragged from her Belfast home by masked intruders, her children clinging to her legs. They never saw her again. Everyone in the neighborhood knew the ira was responsible. But in a climate of fear and paranoria, no one would speak of it.

Patrick Radden Keefe’ s mesmerizing book on the bitter conflict in northern Ireland and its aftermath uses the McConville case as a starting point for the tale of a society wracked by a violent guerrilla war, a war whose consequences have never been reckoned with. from radical and impetuous IRA terrorists such as Dolours Price, who was planting bombs and targeting informers when she was barely out of her teens, to the spy games and dirty schemes of the British army, to Gerry Adams, who negotiated the peace but betrayed his hardcore comrades by denying his IRA past - Say Nothing conjures a world of passion, betrayal, vengeance, and anguish.

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August History Book Club
Aug
11

August History Book Club

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee is Dee Brown’s eloquent, meticulously documented account of the systematic destruction of the American Indian during the second half of the nineteenth century. A national bestseller in hardcover for more than a year after its initial publication, it has sold almost four million copies and has been translated into seventeen languages,

Using council records, autobiographies, and firsthand descriptions, Brown allows great chiefs and warriors of the Dakota, Ute, Sioux, Cheyenne, and other tribes to tell us in their own words of the battles, massacres, and broken treaties that finally left them demoralized and defeated. A unique and disturbing narrative told with force and clarity, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee changed forever our vision of how the West was really won.

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Defeat of Jesse James Days Seminar Series
Sep
6

Defeat of Jesse James Days Seminar Series

2026 Defeat of Jesse James Days Seminar Series

We will feature Russ Swanson of Canton, South Dakota as he presents much of his research into the early years of the James and Younger Gang and their escape from Northfield. Earl Weinmann will discuss the Myths, Lies and Misconceptions of the Raid. We will have the opportunity to learn about some of the weapons that were used by both the outlaw gang and the heroic townspeople that defended their home from either Russ or his brother Steve Swanson. As an extra special opportunity you will have the opportunity to handle the actual weapons.

There will be a $10.00 entry fee for each Seminar if you have not signed up for the VIP Experience that is offered by the Northfield History Center. You can pay upon your arrival.

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September History Book Club
Sep
8

September History Book Club

Since its first publication in 1995, Lies My Teacher Told Me has become one of the most important - and successful - history books of our time, having won an American Book Award and sold nearly two million copies.

What started out as a survey of the twelve leading American history textbooks has ended up being a book the San Francisco Chronicle calls “an extremely convincing plea for truth in education.” Beginning with pre-Columbian history and ranging over characters and events as diverse as Reconstruction, Helen Keller, the first Thanksgiving, the My Lai massacre, 9/11, and the Iraq War, Loewen offers an eye-opening critique of existing textbooks, and a wonderful retelling of American history as it should - and could -be taught to American students

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October History Book Club
Oct
13

October History Book Club

Until about 100 years ago, when modern geology revealed its prevalence, salt was one of the world’s most sought-after commodities. A substance so valuable it served as currency, salt has influenced the establishment of trade routes and cities, provoked and financed wars, secured empires, and inspired revolutions. Populated by colorful characters and filled with fascinating details, Mark Kaplansky’s kaliedoscpoe and illuminating history is a multilayered masterpiece that blends economic, scientific, political, religious, and culinary records into a rich and memorable tale.

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July History Happy Hour
Jul
7

July History Happy Hour

Blood on the Ledgers: Labor, Capital and the Siege of Minneapolis

Sebastian will recount and contextualize the events of the bloody Minneapolis Teamster Strikes of 1934, exploring this now-obscure but ferocious conflict that once shook the city, state, and nation.

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Caring for Your Treasures: Highlights from Your Collection and NHC
Jun
28

Caring for Your Treasures: Highlights from Your Collection and NHC

Learn how NHC cares for the treasures in its collection in this recurring event. Go behind the scenes into the NHC storage room and see some of the amazing artifacts NHC collects and preserves for future generations. This month we're highlighting toys and games (including a Malt-O-Meal Hot Wheels car)! 

Bring your own treasure to get tips and tricks you can use to care for it like a museum or archive. Bring any treasured family heirloom--bonus points if you bring a toy or game too! 

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June History Happy Hour
Jun
2

June History Happy Hour

Since Fall 2023, Bobby Targ has been visiting local graveyards, seeking out the most neglected graves to uncover and share the lives of those closest to being forgotten. Through archival research and writing belated obituaries, he aims to offer these individuals a second life by preserving and sharing their stories. In this presentation, Bobby will share some of the people he has met through history, reflect on what it means to remember, and invite others to see graveyards not as endings, but as places of rediscovery.

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May History Happy Hour
May
5

May History Happy Hour

Come and learn about the Northfield Rotary Club as they celebrate their 100th anniversary this year. Scott Richardson spent hours in our archives researching the organization and is excited to share his findings.

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April History Happy Hour
Apr
7

April History Happy Hour

Judy Kutulas is professor emerita of history, film and media studies, and gender and sexuality studies at St. Olaf College. She will discuss her book Sitcom Mom: The Evolution of a Classic Television Character.

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Sep
7

Saturday session of The Guns of the Northfield Raid

Saturday session of The Guns of the Northfield Raid. Local firearm expert, Andy Ebling, will share insights on the weaponry used during the bank raid. Participants will be able to handle the weapons.

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Sep
7

Myths, Lies and Misconceptions of the James Younger Gang

Myths, Lies and Misconceptions of the James Younger Gang. Local tour guide and James & Younger Gang historian, Earl Weinmann, will lead a deep dive into the history surrounding the gang including a number of fallacies that refuse to go away.

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Sep
7

The Escape of the James & Younger Gang and the Aftermath

The Escape of the James & Younger Gang and the Aftermath. Led by local historian, Earl Weinmann, the discussion will be focused on the two week attempted escape and the drama that surrounded the largest posse in U.S. history.

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Sep
7

The James & Younger Gang Before the Raid

The James & Younger Gang Before the Raid. If you have seen the historic reenactment in Northfield or intend to, this seminar will provide necessary background to the Northfield Raid. Local James & Younger Gang expert, Earl Weinmann, will lead this in depth session.

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Sep
6

Friday Session of The Guns of the Northfield Raid

Friday session of The Guns of the Northfield Raid. Local firearms expert, Andy Ebling, will share insights on the weaponry used during the bank raid. Participants will also be able to handle the weapons.

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History Happy Hour | Featuring Robb Campbell
Apr
1

History Happy Hour | Featuring Robb Campbell

In 1874 George Custer took the first camera to the Black Hills; in 1974 Don Progulske reshot the photos; in 2024 Robb Campbell made a digital book of it all. On Monday, April 1st, (no joke) come to the museum archives at 5:30pm to see the best time machine we have, and eat some hard old food from 1874. Try some demos of digital change pairs, panoramas, and stereo views, including some new-old shots of Northfield and Faribault.


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UPCOMING EVENTS