What's New -- October 2025

Ghosts in the Archives Ghost in the Archives graphic from https://www.bambooridge.org/article/ghosts-in-the-archives/

Happy Halloween!!

Collections with additions or added digital content this month include the Blue Earth County Board of Commissioners Grasshopper Bounty Certificate; the Education Department: Council on Quality Education Records; the Legislature: Council on the Economic Status of Women Sound Recordings of Meetings; the Minnesota Children's Museum Records; the Ancher Nelsen Papers; the Public Service Department Telecommunications Access for Communications-Impaired Persons Board Records; and the Secretary of State Session Laws.

In addition there are many newly encoded finding aids that are now available online for the first time.

New and Updated Finding Aids

Name/Abstract	File No.
Adjutant General: An Inventory of the Quartermaster Records of Captain Norman K. Culver, Company B, Fifth Minnesota Volunteer Infantry	gr03515
Documents kept by Captain Culver, primarily while Company B was stationed at Fort Ridgely (March-December 1862).
Adjutant General: An Inventory of the Records of the First Minnesota Volunteer Infantry	gr03516
A descriptive book, morning reports, orders, a letterbook, post guard reports, proceedings of the regimental council, medical records, and miscellaneous reports of the First Minnesota Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War.
Brown County: Superintendent of Schools: An Inventory of Its Records	gr03517
Teacher's examination and certification records (1880-1948), teacher record cards (approximately 1910-1950s) and sheets (1920s-1971), lists of school district officers and teachers (1892-1971), and related materials, including annual report summaries (1906-1914), record of special state aid applications (1906-1909), pupil numbers (1900-1911), a 1971 consolidation memo, and a manual on family census compilation (1953).
Brown County: Superintendent of Schools: An Inventory of Its Pupil Records	gr03518
Teacher summary report of classification, standing, advancement and attendance for districts 2 through 83 and Joint School District No. 134 of Brown County (Cottonwood Township) and Blue Earth County (Cambria Township) (1911-1930) and pupil record cards (approximately 1931-approximately 1971). The 1911-1930 records also contain summary attendance data and information about the school and program.
Commerce Department: Banking Division: An Inventory of Its Legal Files on Closed Banks	gr03519
Files that document the liquidation of assets of closed banks. They include correspondence; lists of bank assets and liabilities; lists of claimants, with amounts and types of their claims; court orders authorizing periodic payment schedules; related petitions, orders, notices and other court and legal documents; and sometimes attorney generals', examiners', and/or auditors' reports.
Crow Wing County: Breezy Point: An Inventory of Its Records	gr03525
Includes clerk's registers of receipts and disbursements (1939-1970), treasurer's registers of receipts and disbursements (1939-1968), statements of financial condition (1975-1976), and audit report (1979).
Crow Wing County: Dean Lake Township: An Inventory of Its Records	gr03526
Clerk's and treasurer's record books (1936-1981), treasurer's annual statements (1960-1980), and audit board annual reports (1964-1980).
Crow Wing County: Fort Ripley: An Inventory of Its Records	gr03527
Treasurer's annual statements (incomplete), audit board annual reports (incomplete), miscellaneous road papers (1924), poll lists (1933-1938), and election summary statements (1933, 1938).
Crow Wing County: Manganese: An Inventory of Its Records	gr03528
Minute book (1913-1940), ordinances (1913-1940), clerk's annual financial statements (1920-1926), treasurer's annual statements (1941-1952), a receipts and disbursements register (1914-1953), and a dissolution file (1960).
Dodge County: District Court: An Inventory of Its Coroner's Inquest Records	gr03521
Inquest register (1887-1979), and inquest files nos. 360-920 (1901-1979), unnumbered files never filed with the court (1959-1964), and miscellaneous materials (1885, 1900).
Dodge County: District Court: An Inventory of Its Registration and Certificate Records	gr03522
Includes records or registers for business names, basic sciences certificates, physicians, veterinarians, optometrists, and dentists.
Dodge County: Probate Court: An Inventory of Its Insanity Records	gr03523
Reports of investigations of insanity and related petitions, orders, and commitment documents.
Dodge County: Probate Court: An Inventory of Its Will Books	gr03524
Copies or transcriptions of the complete texts of wills probated by the courts, accompanied by certifications of authenticity and of filing signed by witnesses and clerks of court. Original wills are found in the probate case files.
Economic Development Department: Bureau of Capital Investment Programs: Administration Division: An Inventory of Its Personnel Records	gr03520
Correspondence, memos, job applications, and similar material relating to civil service procedures, job openings and classifications, civil service exams, and other personnel subjects of concern to the department staff.
Education Department: Council On Quality Education: An Inventory of Its Records	gr00120
Records of the Council on Quality Education (CQE), established to recommend, for final funding by the State Board of Education, innovative and cost-effective projects in elementary and secondary education. The materials document the various activities of the council, particularly its role in distribution of project money, evaluation of funded projects, development and implementation of the Early Childhood and Family Education (ECFE) and Improved Learning programs, and work on alternative delivery systems for small rural school and grants for community education, especially services for handicapped adults.
Freeborn County: District Court: An Inventory of Its Commissioner's Jury Books	gr03539
Commissioner's jury books list the names of jurors chosen by the commissioners in each county commissioner district, before jurors were selected at random.
Hennepin County: Bloomington: An Inventory of Its Annual Financial Reports	gr03531
Includes annual reports (1960, 1964-1969, 1973, 1975-1976, and 1978. Also includes budgets (1962, 1969).
Hennepin County: Bloomington: An Inventory of Its City Council Minutes	gr03532
Typescript minutes of city council meetings, with appended copies of ordinances, easement and subdivision proposals, and other materials considered at the meetings.
Hennepin County: Bloomington: An Inventory of Its Creekside Chronicle Newsletter Records	gr03533
Senior citizens' newsletter (1974-1990); originally entitled Senior Citizen News of Creekside Center, 9801 Penn Ave. South, renamed Creekside Chronicle in August 1979. Initially issued by the Parks and Recreation Department; later by the Community Services Department's Creekside Senior Program. Creekside is the city's senior citizens' center.
Hennepin County: Bloomington: An Inventory of Its Minutes of City Boards and Commissions	gr03534
Includes minutes from the Community Development Department, the Human Rights Commission, the Park and Recreation Commission, Staff Services, and the Variance Board.
Hennepin County: Bloomington: Parks and Recreation Department/Division: An Inventory of Its Records	gr03535
Press releases (1959, 1965-1990), program reports (1954, 1959, 1961-1992), and flyers and brochures (1961-1993) documenting the department's numerous educational and recreational activities, including organized sports leagues and events, arts and crafts, day camps, playgrounds, teen center events, music and art festivals, and adult education offerings. The records also include the 1961-1962 annual reports, a 1972 park atlas, and materials documenting senior citizen activities, the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission (1987-1993), and Operation Trailblaze, a learning-working experience for teenage boys (1971-1973).
Hennepin County: Bloomington: An Inventory of Its Subject Files	gr03530
Reports, correspondence, flyers, brochures, and materials relating to such topics as community development, community facilities, emergency planning, human rights, parks, promotion and development, village code, and the Bloomington Athletic Association, Bloomington Nursing Auxiliary, Bloomington Symphony Orchestra, and teen center.
Legislature: Council on the Economic Status of Women: An Inventory of Its Tape Recordings of Meetings	gr01974
Tape recordings of meetings of the Council on the Economic Status of Women. No corresponding transcripts are known to exist. Includes digital content.
Minnesota Children's Museum (Saint Paul, Minn.): An Inventory of Its Records	00256
Organizational records created by the Minnesota Children's Museum. Includes newsletters, annual reports, clippings, exhibit and educational records, financial and administrative records, organizational histories, development and marketing materials, records regarding the move from Minneapolis to Saint Paul and new museum space design in the early 1990s, audiovisual materials, and oral history interviews of museum founders. Includes digital content.
Ancher Nelsen: An Inventory of His Papers	00890
Congressional Records of Ancher Nelsen (R-Minn.), a Minnesota farmer who served as a Minnesota State Senator (1935-1948), Minnesota Lieutenant Governor (1953-1955), and U.S. Congressman from Minnesota's second district (1959-1975). The papers reflect the wide range of Nelsen's congressional duties, with emphasis on agriculture, health care, foreign trade, and District of Columbia matters. There are also a number of records relating to flooding and flood control, as well as rural electrification.
Public Institutions, Board of Visitors: An Inventory of Its Biennial Reports	gr03529
These reports contain a wealth of information on management, conditions, and resident care at Minnesota's charitable and correctional institutions.
Public Service Department: Telecommunication Access for Communications-Impaired Persons Board: An Inventory of Its Records	gr03536
Records of the Council on Quality Education (CQE), established to recommend, for final funding by the State Board of Education, innovative and cost-effective projects in elementary and secondary education. The materials document the various activities of the council, particularly its role in distribution of project money, evaluation of funded projects, development and implementation of the Early Childhood and Family Education (ECFE) and Improved Learning programs, and work on alternative delivery systems for small rural school and grants for community education, especially services for handicapped adults.
Ramsey County: Saint Paul: City Attorney: An Inventory of Its Closed General Files	gr03544
Files pertaining to general administrative matters of the city of St. Paul, to its various departments and agencies, and to issues of interest to the city and its citizens.
Ramsey County: Saint Paul: Mayor: An Inventory of Its Subject Files of Mayor George Latimer	gr03545
These files provide information about a variety of issues facing the city during the Latimer administration (1976-1989), including economic development projects, especially downtown; the loss of major employers; neighborhood projects; allegations of racial and sexual discrimination in the hiring of fire fighters; an investigation into allegations of misconduct made against the chief of police; metropolitan government and cooperation; and routine administration of the city.
Ramsey County: Saint Paul: Planning and Economic Development Department: An Inventory of Its Better Neighborhoods Program Records	gr03542
Correspondence, interoffice memoranda, work plans, program files, and subject files. The latter document a Better Neighborhoods forum, priorities, a Frogtown Festival, neighborhood clean-up, and needs assessments. There also Better Neighborhood district files containing correspondence, neighborhood newsletters and reports, and program brochures for St. Paul's 17 neighborhood districts. They are arranged by district number.
Ramsey County: Saint Paul: Planning and Economic Development Department: An Inventory of Its Citizen Participation Program Records	gr03543
Files of Geraldine "Jerry" Jenkins, citizen participation coordinator, and of various other departmental staff.
Ramsey County: Saint Paul: Planning and Economic Development Department: Planning Division: An Inventory of Its Records	gr03514
General correspondence, subject files, project files, reports, publications, clippings, photographs and publicity files, and related materials of the Planning and Economic Development Department and its predecessors. There are also materials relating to the St. Paul Planning Board, and its successor, the St. Paul Planning Commission.
Ramsey County: Saint Paul: Public Works Department: An Inventory of Its Annual Reports	gr03541
Annual reports of the Board of Public Works (1885-1889, 1902-1912), the Commissioner of Public Works (1905-1910, 1912-1941, 1950-1955, 1962-1970), and the Department of Public Works (1972-1975, 1990).
Ramsey County: Saint Paul: Public Works Department: An Inventory of Its Maps and Photographs	gr03540
Maps showing sewer location in most, if not all, of the city (revised to 1939), and traffic signal location map (1966).
Scott County: Independent School District No. 719, Prior Lake: An Inventory of Its Records	gr03504
Clerk's books (1942-1951), treasurer's books (1948-1951), general ledger (1952-1961), complete combination of school records and reports (1943-1946), census (1950), attendance registers (1943-1948), and student activity receipts and disbursements registers (1952-1977).
Scott County: Independent School District No. 721, New Prague: An Inventory of Its Bargaining Agreements	gr03505
Master copies of bargaining agreements with various unions and individuals in the New Prague Public Schools.
Scott County: Independent School District No. 722, Eagle Creek, Glendale, Jackson, and Louisville Townships: An Inventory of Its Records	gr03506
Clerk's books (1961-1965), treasurer's books (1961-1965), minutes (1961-1965), annual reports (1961-1963), reports and surveys (1963-1964), census (1962-1964), and correspondence and miscellaneous papers, concerning purchase of the school site and consolidation with Independent School District No. 720, Shakopee (1961-1965).
Scott County: School District No. 67, Savage: An Inventory of Its Records	gr03502
Clerk's books (1950-1957), treasurer's books, (1950-1956), and school board minutes (1950-1951).
Scott County: School District No. 77/1897, Eagle Creek Township: An Inventory of Its Records	gr03503
Clerk's book (1948-1961), election register (1957), census (1960), and correspondence and consolidation papers (1960-1961).
Scott County: Shakopee: An Inventory of Its Miscellaneous Records	gr03507
License registers, copies, and stubs for cigarette sales, liquor sales, and other business licenses (1870-1947); permits for burial or removal (1924-1930); files of alderman P. J. Halloran (1954-1961); electric light committee minutes (1927-1932); city scale register (1926-1927); ordinances, resolutions, and rules of the common council (1900, printed); audit report (1955); street profile notes (circa 1870s); assessment rolls (1872, 1876); chattel mortgage register (1873-1877); weather bureau daily reports (1943-1947); poll tax register (1872); city recorder's letterpress book (1911-1917); fire department materials (1929-1935); voter summary statements (1933-1937); and other papers.
Scott County: Shakopee: Municipal Court: An Inventory of Its Justice and Municipal Court Dockets	gr03508
Includes justice court dockets (1873-1897) and municipal court dockets (1907-1969).
Secretary of State: An Inventory of Its Executive Council Files	gr03509
Subject files of Joan Growe, reflecting her service on the state Executive Council. They pertain largely to on-land disposal of taconite tailings by Reserve Mining Company, Area Redevelopment Administration projects, mineral leasing in northern Minnesota, and a deferred compensation plan for state employees. Also present are a small file on community warning systems, an election law task force hearing transcript on voter registration and the use of voting machines, and miscellaneous correspondence.
Secretary of State: An Inventory of Its Files of Arlen Erdahl	gr03512
The subject files (1961-1974) include biographies of Arlen and Ellen Erdahl (1962-1973), state and federal constitutions (1961-1972), press releases (1973-1974), and files relating to campaign disclosure reform, election law and reform, the Equal Rights Amendment, voter registration law, ethics, and the National Association of Secretaries of State.
Secretary of State: An Inventory of Its Files of Joe Donovan and Arlen Erdahl	gr03510
Subject files of Secretaries of State Joe Donovan (1955-1971) and Arlen Erdahl (1971-1973). Include attorney general opinions, 1971-1975 budgets, newsletters to county auditors (1971-1974), and files relating to Consular Corps, Minnesota Legion Girls' State, Governors Council on Executive Organization, state seal and flag, Minnesota Historical Society, several state government agencies, legislative sessions, and the secretary's Minnesota State Fair booth.
Secretary of State: An Inventory of Its Files of Office Director Thomas Durand	gr03511
Mainly dealing with election practice and procedure, the files cover such topics as election law, computers, fair campaign practices, land survey records microfilming, MAPS project, open appointments, polling place accessibility, reapportionment, and voting machines. They include correspondence, press releases, and related materials.
Secretary of State: An Inventory of Its Session Laws	gr00487
Acts of the Minnesota Legislature as passed in each year's legislative session. Laws of a permanent nature are subsequently incorporated in the Minnesota Statutes that are coded laws. The Laws of Minnesota also include uncoded laws, including appropriations, proposed constitutional amendments, local laws, and effective date sections.
State Employees Retirement Association: An Inventory of Its Statistical Studies	gr03513
Lists, tables, and other statistical compilations on annuitants and their state service, retirement fund contributions, salaries, and retirement benefits; and actuarial valuations of the state retirement system.
Wright County: County Court: An Inventory of Its Judgments	gr03538
Judgment records, primarily from the Family Court Division; however, some civil-criminal division cases are also present.
Wright County: Probate Court: An Inventory of Its Civil, Criminal, and Traffic Registry and Judgment Books	gr03537
Civil action registry and judgments (1960-1971), criminal action registry and judgments (1960-1972), and traffic action registry and judgments (1960-1965).

New and Updated Catalog Records

Blue Earth County. Board of Commissioners. Grasshopper bounty certificate, 1875.

Certificate dated June 8, 1875. Issued to Mrs. Margaret Jones who delivered 21 quarts of dead grasshoppers, and was entitled to 210 dollars as a bounty payment.

What's New -- October 2025

New and Updated Finding Aids

New and Updated Catalog Records

Archives - New Finding Aids