• GREAT IDEA GRANT GIVES MODERN ACCESS TO STILLWATER AREA HISTORY

  • STILLWATER, September 20, 2023 – The Stillwater Area Community Foundation (SACF) has awarded its annual Great Idea Grant of $10,000 to a program in collaboration with the Washington County Historical Society called Stillwater Area History Spots.
     
    The History Spots will be a series of QR codes on sidewalks, in shop windows, and on signposts particularly used by pedestrians. These codes will allow more stories and historical information to be shared via now ubiquitous mobile devices, and at a lower cost than past approaches of plaques and interpretive display panels, which were limited to fewer locations.
     
    The History Spots project builds on past grant recipient programs such as Lens Flare which showed current and past images on a mobile phone at select locations. The History Spots will place 72 QR code signs primarily in Stillwater but also Bayport, Lake Elmo, and Marine on St. Croix. An example is a visitor to the top of the Stillwater Stairs could scan a QR code and see the same view from 1866.
     
    The signs will be placed in May of 2024. QR code use data will provide information as to the most utilized access points and signs can be moved to accommodate public interest in subsequent years.
     
    The program’s goal is to increase resident and visitor connections to the Stillwater Area, its past, present, and future. For example, many are not aware that the parking lot adjacent to Valley Booksellers on Main Street was the site of Stillwater Lumber Mill, the 1843 origin of the city. Other QR codes may take visitors to information about the homes or workplaces of Black baseball legend Bud Fowler, Radio City Music Hall founder Roxy Rothafel, or circus patriarch August Ringling.
     
    The History Spots project is led by Matt Thueson who has 25 years experience with The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and Minnesota Public Radio/American Public Media, and is a former Washington County Historical Society board member and chair of the Stillwater Heritage Preservation Commission. Thueson created StillwaterHistory.com, a historical mapping app launching this fall which will provide some content for The History Spots.

    Donald Empson, historian of local architecture and history, will contribute writing for place specific histories. Empson wrote many of the historical reports commissioned by the City of Stillwater in the 1990’s.
    Washington County Historical Society director Bret Peterson supports The History Spots project and is offering the Society’s support for linked resources. The WCHS is the project’s fiscal sponsor.

  • Sponsor 91st annual Lumberjack Days

    Get ready for an unforgettable celebration at the 91st Lumberjack Days ~ a weekend packed with tradition, thrilling competitions, live music, and community fun. Whether you’re a longtime fan or a first-time visitor, this year promises even more excitement as we honor the legacy of this incredible festival. Lumberjack Days celebrations have been, and still are, a part of the history of Stillwater and the surrounding area. Stillwater's annual community festival began as a salute to our city's heritage in 1934. 90 years later, Lumberjack Days has become as much a part of Stillwater's past as the tall pines and pioneers that started it all; each new year is a chapter added.

    Our mission is to provide an engaging and educational event that welcomes families and community members to the birthplace of Minnesota - to enjoy and learn about the cultural heritage, historical charm, and local talent of our beloved river town. The festival will have many events and activities, such as lumberjack shows, live music, food, and vendors.

    Outside of continuing to celebrate the cultural heritage of the birthplace of MN, sponsoring LJD brings great exposure to your company and your product or services. 

    Ready to sponsor?! CLICK HERE TO SPONSOR ONLINE

    Or, download THIS FORM

    Support this community event by becoming a Sponsor! Sponsorships are a GREAT exposure opportunity to tie your business to this unique and historical community event! 

    Don’t miss out on the best weekend of the summer! 🌲🪵🔥 #LumberjackDays2025

     

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