Hennepin History Museum’s archive collection of Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) materials offers a glimpse into the world of highway construction planning. The materials in the collection are mainly impartial data collected for right of way surveys done in the 1950s through the 1970s. This small snapshot into the workings [...]
The collection at Hennepin History Museum has several bottles once used by the Gluek Brewing Company. Gluek Brewing was one of the first manufacturing companies in the region. In fact, it was established before the State of Minnesota even existed. In 1857, German [...]
Image from HHM Archives Wilbur David “Dave” Dover was born on March 4, 1914 in New York. He was the eldest child of George and Fanny (Weintraub) both first generation immigrants to the United States. George was an Englishman, born in London, [...]
Image from HHM Collections This insulated box in the collection at Hennepin History Museum once sat on a Minneapolis resident’s porch awaiting the arrival of an Ewald Brothers milkman to come and leave dairy products in it. At one point in time, [...]
For a short time, one Hennepin County company was the nation’s leading innovator in the field of audiological diagnostic instruments and hearing aids. The device seen here from Hennepin History Museum’s collection is a Maico audiometer that dates to 1940. This device was renowned for being [...]
In celebration of International Women’s Month it seems appropriate to explore one of the many untold stories surrounding the women of Hennepin County. Being a woman, much less a mother, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was no easy feat. Women were confined to the private [...]
Image from HHM Archives The Dakota, like many American Indian communities, passed down information orally over generations, without incident. However, during ever-important treaty negotiations, under the pressure of white settlers to cede territory, the Dakota were forced to rely on [...]
In July of 1911, a week-long civic celebration was held to honor and advertise the city of Minneapolis. The festival had been proposed by the city’s Publicity Club, and organization of advertisers founded four years earlier. It was modeled on similar celebrations [...]
This thermostat and motor belonged to a device called a thermo-electric damper-regulator and alarm, otherwise known as a "damper flapper." It was the predecessor of the modern thermostat and established the technology that laid the foundation for the automated control industry. Honeywell, [...]
This backhoe was manufactured by a company established in Hennepin County whose name is derived from the Dakota word for "big" and inspired by a nearby lake. That company is Tonka, and its birthplace was in Mound. Tonka became well known for [...]
