JEFFREY A. HESS, HISTORICAL CONSULTANTS
(MINNEAPOLIS, MINN.):
An Inventory of Its Records at the Minnesota Historical Society
Manuscripts Collection
OVERVIEW
| Creator: | Jeffrey A. Hess, Historical Consultants (Firm : Minneapolis, Minn.), creator. | |
| Title: | Company records. | |
| Dates: | 1971-1990. | |
| Language: | Materials in English. | |
| Abstract: | Project files (1973-1988), rejected project files (1979-1990), free lance writing files (1971-1984), miscellaneous subject files (1978-1987), and work and expense logs (1978-1987) of a self-employed scholar who conducted historical research for businesses and cultural organizations. He also wrote articles, biographies, organization and community histories, and informational booklets for children. | |
| Quantity: | 3.5 cubic feet (4 boxes). | |
| Location: | See Detailed Description for shelf locations. |
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
Jeffrey A. Hess graduated from Brown University and later taught history and English literature. From 1974 to 1976 he worked as a research for the Education Department of the Minnesota Historical Society. In 1977 he established his private historical consulting practice. In this context he became known nationally as an expert in the historical preservation of engineered and industrial structures.
While at the Minnesota Historical Society, Hess researched the Harkins Store historic site in West Newton, Minnesota and wrote issues of the Roots magazine for elementary school children. He continued to contribute to that publication as an independent contractor, authoring issues on immigration and family biographies, sports, energy, and places on the land. He continued to do research for the Society as an independent contractor.
Hess received the Minnesota Independent Scholar of the Year award in 1987.
SCOPE AND CONTENTS
Hess' files document his work as an independent historical consultant primarily conducting research on industrial and archeological sites, including bridges, trails, buildings, and other architecture. His work was conducted throughout the United States with emphasis on the Upper Midwest. The projects ranged from research on a single house to a survey for the United States Army's Material Development and Readiness Command. Much of the research was done to substantiate nominations to the National Register of Historic Places. The project files included in the collection are an illustrative selection made from a larger group.
Project files may contain proposals, invoices for work completed, background material, correspondence, drafts and completed reports pertaining to architectural and historical aspects of particular buildings, sites, or geographical areas. Many files contain only a few of the above. Hess served as contractor and subcontractor. Some projects were done in cooperation with MacDonald and Mack Partnership (Minneapolis) and the Minnesota Historical Society.
Included as well are project proposals rejected by clients, which help illustrate the wide range of projects and the geographical area in which he was involved. In addition are files on his free lance writing, his work logs, and a few miscellaneous files.
ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Availability:
The collection is open for research use.
Preferred Citation:
[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Jeffrey A. Hess, Historical Consultants (Minneapolis, Minn.) Company Records. Minnesota Historical Society.
See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.
Accession Information:
Accession number: 14,781
Processing Information:
Processed by: Bonnie Beatson Palmquist, October 1993
Catalog ID number: 990017302470104294
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
| Box | |||||||||||
| 143.C.11.3B | 1 | Project files: | |||||||||
| Albert Lea, Minnesota, 1978. | |||||||||||
| Historic sites survey. | |||||||||||
| Architectural Associates Inc., 1984. | |||||||||||
| Block 10, Minneapolis. | |||||||||||
| Banfill, John (House), Fridley, Minnesota, 1978. | |||||||||||
| Includes report, invoices, and correspondence. | |||||||||||
| Billian, Howard, 1978. | |||||||||||
| Mantorville Project. Includes invoice and individual houses assessment and legal information. | |||||||||||
| BRW, Inc., 1982-1983. 2 folders. | |||||||||||
| Great River Road Project. Includes invoices, correspondence, and reports: scoping, preliminary case reports (2), and traffic and circulation. | |||||||||||
| Bremer School (Minneapolis, Minnesota), 1978-1985. 4 folders. | |||||||||||
| Includes history and research, redevelopment plans, nomination to the Register, and report. | |||||||||||
| Cook and Hennepin County Surveys, 1984-1985. 2 folders. | |||||||||||
| Minnesota Historical Society contracted for a survey of historic sites in these counties. Includes contract, survey, correspondence, and nomination. | |||||||||||
| Dania Hall (Minneapolis) restoration project, 1979-1980. | |||||||||||
| DARCOM Historic Buildings Survey, 1982-1986. 7 folders. | |||||||||||
| The U.S. Army Material Development and Readiness Command (DARCOM) commissioned a survey of armament manufacturing facilities. Includes correspondence, schedules and administration, research on the Rock Island (Ill.) Arsenal Plant, Holston (Tenn.) Army Ammunition Plant, and the Iowa Armory Ammunition Plant. | |||||||||||
| Donnelly Exhibit, Minnesota Historical Society, 1979-1981. 3 folders. | |||||||||||
| Includes contracts, invoices, and research on the Ignatius Donnelly house. The Minnesota Historical Society used the Donnelly library when it mounted an exhibit (1981) about Donnelly. Includes a copy of the "Emigrant Aid Journal" used as an exhibit program. Hess wrote part of the program. | |||||||||||
| Edina Heritage Preservation Board, 1978-1981. 3 folders. | |||||||||||
| Includes correspondence and invoices, a survey of historic buildings in Edina (1979), and a report on the history and architecture of Edina, Minnesota (1981). | |||||||||||
| Fire Station No. 19 (Minneapolis, Minnesota), 1978. 3 folders. | |||||||||||
| Includes correspondence and invoices, contact sheet of negative photographs, history of the building, and research material on the history of softball, invented at the station as kittenball in 1896. Commissioned by Lanzer & Associates, Minneapolis. | |||||||||||
| Fort Lewis (Washington) Historic District, 1985-1986. 2 folders. | |||||||||||
| Includes correspondence, contracts and report. | |||||||||||
| French House (Marine on St. Croix), 1986-1987. | |||||||||||
| Includes invoices and report. | |||||||||||
| Furness Colony, 1978-1979. | |||||||||||
| Includes invoices and correspondence relating to Hess' research on the immigrants from Furness, England who located near Wadena, Minnesota. | |||||||||||
| Harkins Store (West Newton, Minnesota), 1973-1978. 4 folders. | |||||||||||
| Includes store inventory (1973), report (1975), speech (1976), and an interview (1978) with Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Harkins Massopust. | |||||||||||
| Humphrey Institute Exhibit, 1979-1982. 6 folders. | |||||||||||
| Includes correspondence, research material, contracts, exhibit and office design, text, and captions of a photograph and artifact exhibit on the life of Hubert H. Humphrey. There was a small traveling exhibit as well as exhibits in the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. | |||||||||||
| Immigrant Experience, 1975-1976. 2 folders. | |||||||||||
| Hess wrote a booklet meant for elementary school children featuring family histories. | |||||||||||
| Jackie Robinson Foundation, 1989. | |||||||||||
| Hess researched the Humphrey papers for correspondence with Robinson. | |||||||||||
| Jarrot House (Cahokia, Illinois), 1981-1982. 7 folders. | |||||||||||
| Includes proposal, correspondence, invoices, report, national register nomination, and research queries pertaining to a house located in the Jarrot House State Historic Site in Saint Clair County, Illinois. Conducted by MacDonald and Mack Partnership, with research by Hess. | |||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| 143.C.11.4F | 2 | Lanzer & Associates, Inc., 1985. | |||||||||
| Includes research on 234-238 Bates Avenue, St. Paul. | |||||||||||
| MacDonald and Mack Partnership, Inc., 1977-1978. 7 folders. | |||||||||||
| Includes memoranda and correspondence, invoices, queries and form letters, and reports relating to research on the Third Vandalia Court House (Vandalia, Illinois) and Minnehaha County Court House (Sioux Falls, Iowa). | |||||||||||
| Macktown Historic District (Rockton, Illinois), 1980. 1 volume. | |||||||||||
| Includes proposal and preliminary preservation plan. | |||||||||||
| Main Street Interpretive Center (Minneapolis, Minnesota), 1980-1981. 4 folders. | |||||||||||
| Includes contract, correspondence, meeting notes, reports, and recommendation to the Minneapolis Riverfront Development Coordination Board for a proposed Main Street HydroElectric Interpretive Center. | |||||||||||
| Mendota Heights (Minnesota) Farm House, 1986. 3 folders. | |||||||||||
| Includes correspondence, research material, and report relating to the Smith-Darsow Farm in Mendota Heights. The research was conducted for the Putnam Corporation, Eden Prairie, Minnesota. | |||||||||||
| Mill Ruins Park (Minneapolis, Minnesota), 1987-1988. | |||||||||||
| Memo to BRW, Inc. on documentation of Mill Ruins. | |||||||||||
| Milwaukee Road Freight Depot (Minneapolis, Minnesota), 1989. | |||||||||||
| Invoice and correspondence relating to documentation of the building. | |||||||||||
| Minnesota Agricultural Interpretive Center (FarmAmerica) (Waseca, Minnesota), 1981. 4 folders. | |||||||||||
| Includes notes, correspondence, reports, feasibility study, and master plan of a farm life interpretive center that was renamed FarmAmerica. | |||||||||||
| Minnesota Genealogical Society, 1985. | |||||||||||
| Includes invoices and correspondence relating to a Society traveling exhibit. | |||||||||||
| Minnesota Historical Society, 1985-1987. 5 folders. | |||||||||||
| Includes contracts, correspondence, expenses, and progress and final reports of an architectural survey of Beltrami, Clearwater, and Hubbard counties. | |||||||||||
| Minnesota Office of Tourism, 1986. | |||||||||||
| Hess wrote the text for the 1986 map of Minnesota. | |||||||||||
| Minnetonka (Minnesota) Historic Sites Survey, 1979-1980. 3 folders. | |||||||||||
| Includes proposal and invoices, correspondence, and final report of a project undertaken for the city of Minnetonka. | |||||||||||
| Mortenson Development Company, 1985-1986. | |||||||||||
| Research on building at 804 Nicollet Avenue, Minneapolis. | |||||||||||
| Munsingwear Building (Minneapolis, Minnesota), 1982-1983. | |||||||||||
| Includes invoice and correspondence relating to certification of the building for the National Register. | |||||||||||
| National Purity Soap and Chemical Company (Minneapolis), 1979. | |||||||||||
| Includes proposal, invoice, correspondence, and research materials on a building at 110 Fifth Street S.E., Minneapolis. | |||||||||||
| Nokomis Neighborhood slide show, 1981-1982. | |||||||||||
| Northwest Ordinance Exhibit (Minnesota Historical Society), 1984-1985. 11 folders. | |||||||||||
| Includes contracts, invoices, background material, research material, and drafts of sections of a narrative used in the exhibit at Fort Snelling. | |||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| 143.C.11.5B | 3 | Otter Tail County Historical Society, 1980-1981. | |||||||||
| Includes correspondence, invoices, and reports of the "30s Project." | |||||||||||
| Pill Hill (Rochester, Minnesota) National Register Study, 1984. | |||||||||||
| Includes contract, invoices, and correspondence relating to a nomination to the National Register of Historic Places contracted for by the Minnesota Historical Society. | |||||||||||
| Rathbun Associates, 1986. | |||||||||||
| Includes correspondence, invoices, and background material relating to the Apostle Islands in Lake Superior. | |||||||||||
| Roots, 1978-1980. 3 folders. | |||||||||||
| Includes correspondence, contracts, and research material relating to the "Sport," "Energy," and "Places on the Land" issues of a juvenile curriculum resource published by the Minnesota Historical Society. | |||||||||||
| St. Anthony Falls Historic District Survey, 1978-1979. 6 folders. | |||||||||||
| Includes contracts, invoices, correspondence, research notes, time logs, and reports relating to a study for nomination to the National Register. Includes reports on the Upton, Martin, and Morrison (buildings) case studies, Nicollet Island, and the First Street Station Restaurant. | |||||||||||
| Temple Israel (Minneapolis, Minnesota) Exhibit, 1987-1988. | |||||||||||
| Veazie Quarry (Washington), 1987. | |||||||||||
| Research done in the Northern Pacific Railway Records, Minnesota Historical Society. | |||||||||||
| Washburn "A" Mill Train Shed, 1986. | |||||||||||
| Historical evaluation conducted for a law firm. | |||||||||||
| Weiss, Malcomb, 1986. | |||||||||||
| Research done on Frederick W. Sardeson and Fred B. Snyder. | |||||||||||
| White Earth Indian Reservation History, 1983-1986. 6 folders. | |||||||||||
| Includes contract, correspondence, manuscript draft, review comments, and a copy of a paper by Melissa L. Meyer, "Warehousers and Sharks: Chippewa Leadership and Political Factionalism on the White Earth Reservation, 1907-1920," and a Mille Lacs manuscript. | |||||||||||
| Willys-Overland Plant (St. Paul, Minnesota), 1987. | |||||||||||
| Research for National Register nomination. | |||||||||||
| Rejected proposals: | |||||||||||
| Edina Country Club Historic District, 1980. | |||||||||||
| Fargo inventory project, 1985. | |||||||||||
| Faribault (Minnesota) Historic Planning Study, 1986. | |||||||||||
| Florida Historic Bridge Survey, 1988. 3 folders. | |||||||||||
| Isle Royal National Park, 1985. | |||||||||||
| Minneapolis Foundation, 1987, 1990. | |||||||||||
| Minnesota Historical Society, 1985. | |||||||||||
| Watonwan, Martin, and Jackson counties survey. | |||||||||||
| New Richmond (Wisconsin) National Register Survey, 1986. | |||||||||||
| New Salem (Illinois), 1981. | |||||||||||
| South St. Paul Stockyards Exhibit Plan, 1979. | |||||||||||
| United States Postal Service, 1986. | |||||||||||
| Free lance writing projects: | |||||||||||
| Advertising, 1978. | |||||||||||
| Brock, Debbie, 1977. | |||||||||||
| Guild House Associates, 1977. | |||||||||||
| Metropolis, 1977. | |||||||||||
| Minneapolis Society of Fine Arts, 1981-1984. 8 folders. | |||||||||||
| Includes proposal, contract, correspondence, bibliography of sources, and manuscript of a history of the organization. | |||||||||||
| Nelson, Cindy, 1977. 1 folder containing 1 audiocassette. | |||||||||||
| Passport Story, 1972-1973. | |||||||||||
| Rosa's Taco Factory, 1971. | |||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| 143.C.11.6F | 4 | Miscellaneous subject files: | |||||||||
| Kramer Gallery (St. Paul, Minnesota), 1986. | |||||||||||
| Minnesota Historical Society. Letter of resignation, 1976. | |||||||||||
| Minnesota Independent Scholar of the Year Award, 1987. 2 folders. | |||||||||||
| Awarded by the Minnesota Humanities Commission to recognize the work of independent scholars. Includes his speech, "History for Hire." | |||||||||||
| National Endowment for the Humanities Grant Application, 1984. | |||||||||||
| Prospects, 1978. | |||||||||||
| Class: Exploring Local History, 1978. | |||||||||||
| Hess taught this class at North Hennepin Community College. | |||||||||||
| Symposium: Kanabec County Historical Society, 1979. | |||||||||||
| Workshop: Campbell Center (Mt. Carroll, Illinois), 1984. | |||||||||||
| Workshop: Minnesota Historical Society, 1981. | |||||||||||
| Work and expense logs, 1978-1987. 9 volumes. | |||||||||||
CATALOG HEADINGS
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.
- Topics:
- Historic buildings -- Conservation and restoration -- Minnesota.
- Historic districts -- Illinois -- Cahokia.
- Historic districts -- Minnesota.
- Historic preservation -- Minnesota.
- History -- Research -- Minnesota.
- Softball -- Minnesota -- History.
- Persons:
- Hess, Jeffrey A., author.
- Organizations:
- DARCOM Historical Archeological Survey.
- Harkins Store (West Newton, Minn.)
- Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs.
- McDonald and Mack Partnership, Inc. (Minneapolis, Minn.)
- Minnesota Agricultural Interpretive Center.
- Minnesota Historical Society. State Historic Preservation Office.
- National Register of Historic Places.
- Places:
- Cahokia (Ill.) -- Buildings, structures, etc. -- Conservation and restoration.
- Edina (Minn.) -- Buildings, structures, etc. -- Conservation and restoration.
- Mantorville (Minn.) -- Buildings, structures, etc. -- Conservation and restoration.
- Minneapolis (Minn.) -- Buildings, structures, etc. -- Conservation and restoration.
- Saint Anthony Falls Historic District (Minneapolis, Minn.) -- Buildings, structures, etc. -- Conservation and restoration.
- White Earth Indian Reservation (Minn.) -- History.
- Document Types:
- Audiocassettes.
- Occupations:
- Architectural historians -- Minnesota.
- Authors -- Minnesota -- Minnesota.
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