RECENT HISTORY!

Progress is being made daily on the new shelter house at Centennial Park in Worthington.

This was taken from the top of the slide on the playground, as I was trying to show how the new shelter is being built in the same footprint as the old shelter. It's difficult to get the entire building in the photo, due to the piles of dirt and the way it goes out in three directions. ... See more

HISTORY CAN BE A BRIDGE ...

"I CAN'T BREATHE." Those words, and the image of a police officer with a knee on a black man's neck as he dies in front of us, will be defining in the history of 2020.

Later today, a George Floyd Moment of Peace and Solidarity March is planned in Worthington. It will become part of our local history, just as this photo of a late 1960s protest against the Vietnam War (pictured here as marchers went down 10th Street) helps to interpret the local history of that era, today's event will interpret our local response to national events for future generations.

Yesterday, the Minnesota State Historical Society sent out the following statement regarding current events and the history of racial unrest. I hope you will take the time to read these words and reflect on them ...

A week ago, George Floyd was murdered. To the Floyd family, we express our heartfelt condolences. We share the deep hurt that our friends, family, and community are feeling in the wake of Mr. Floyd’s death.

We know that these are historic times. But sadly, Minnesota’s history is marked by other incidences of racial violence. We know the names of Philando Castile, Jamar Clark, and now George Floyd, by heart. We should also know the names of Elias Clayton, Elmer Jackson, and Isaac McGhie. Two weeks from today, June 15, marks 100 years since a white mob in Duluth lynched these three black men who had been falsely accused of a crime.

Understanding history matters more than ever in times like these. It is a lens through which we view the experiences of others and empathize with their struggles and triumphs. It is a way that we build a deeper understanding of the events that brought us to the crossroads we find ourselves in today. It challenges us to demand better from our community, from our civic and cultural institutions and perhaps, most importantly, from ourselves.

History can be a bridge that lets us cross the divides that separates us. At the Minnesota Historical Society, we commit to using the power of history to help Minnesota become a more reflective, inclusive and empathetic community.

Kent Whitworth
Director and CEO
Minnesota Historical Society ... See more

TUESDAY TREASURES!

Did you mom or grandma carry a purse like this? I think my Grandma Alice had one just like it.

This purse is part of the NCHS collection because it was donated by the family of Johanna Hansen. This note is written on a piece of paper inside:

"The inside of this purse, which belonged to my mother, Johanna Hanson, is just as she left it. Except for $60 (3 - $20) in paper money which was given to the "First Lutheran Church" at Worthington, Minnesota to the memorial fund for Bibles for Confirmation Classes. Minus the toy Padlock & 2 keys which belonged to her red fabric suitcase which her daughter Vera has and minus her tiny cross given to her by J. R. Hoagland, her son-in-law. It was to be placed on her tombstone headstone. and minus her pink tear-drop necklace which she carried these late years in her purse. She had this necklace all the years I knew her. It was in the center compartment of her coin purse. These 2 hankies were in here also. I washed and replaced them."

The remaining contents of the purse are pretty typical of what a woman in the 1960s would have carried: her checkbook, driver's license, glasses, cosmetics, sewing kit, hankie, etc.

What a wonderful time capsule of a woman's life. Sometimes the ordinary can be quite extraordinary.

So ladies -- what would the contents of your purse say about you? ... See more