Category: history

history pragmatic historian

2019 Minnesota Historic Preservation Conference – Preserving Landscapes

By Mary | by Mary

On September 12 and 13 (Friday the 13th, with nothing untoward happening), 2019, the Minnesota Historic Preservation Conference was held in St. Cloud, Minnesota. This conference is held annually by the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and is meant to bring together people who care about historic preservation in order to exchange ideas and learn new methods for encouraging preservation in our communities. To that end, the Preservation Conference changes location each year and is…

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history museums pragmatic historian

Advice on Hiring Museum Contractors

By Mary | by Mary

This might post might feel a bit off-topic for The Pragmatic Historian, but I know several of my colleagues in the Minnesota history museum field are in my audience and I need to pass along some advice. (Appropriately enough, today is Labor Day and the topic relates to the day.) The Legacy Amendment & Grants Some background for those not in Minnesota: In 2008 voters passed the Legacy Amendment, which provides sales tax funding for…

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history pragmatic historian

Questions Spark History

By Mary | by Mary

I recently caught a ride with a museum colleague to a meeting. During our journey, my colleague made an observation about me that surprised me. He said, “You ask good questions.” And my first thought was, doesn’t everyone ask good questions? I very much subscribe to the belief that there are no dumb questions. Questions come naturally to human beings, with toddlers asking, “Why?” or “What’s this?” incessantly. Questions are a sign of curiosity, and…

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