Morrison County Historical Society

Morrison County Historical Society The Morrison County Historical Society is devoted to preserving and sharing the history of Morrison County, Minnesota. MCHS owns & operates The Charles A.

Weyerhaeuser Memorial Museum in Little Falls, MN. The Morrison County Historical Society is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) membership organization that is dedicated to the preservation and sharing of the history of Morrison County, Minnesota. The Morrison County Historical Society owns and operates The Charles A. Founded in 1936 during the Great Depression, MCHS was the outgrowth of a Works Progress Admini

stration (WPA) project to collect biographies from individuals living in the county at the time. These WPA biographies formed the basis for MCHS’s collection, which has grown considerably since its founding. The Weyerhaeuser Museum was designed by architect Foster Dunwiddie to blend in with its natural surroundings on the high bank of the Mississippi River on the southwest edge of town. The building was meant to capture the history of the county through its use of wood (in honor of the lumber industry), slate (found by the Little Falls dam), and yellow brick (manufactured in the brickyards that were west of town). Foster Dunwiddie took his inspiration for the museum’s design from the officers’ quarters and Old Fort Ripley. The museum opened in 1975. Exhibits within the Weyerhaeuser Museum showcase various aspects of Morrison County’s rich and varied history. There’s always something new happening at the museum or our online venues, whether programs, classes, exhibits or events. Tours for visitors are self-guided, so stop in during our open hours to see what’s going on, do some research on your family or county history, or just to enjoy the scenery. The Morrison County Historical Society and Weyerhaeuser Museum are located on the southwest edge of Little Falls, Minnesota, at 2151 South Lindbergh Drive. Check our website for current museum hours: https://morrisoncountyhistory.org/. NOTE: If you want to offer a Facebook fundraiser to benefit MCHS, please call museum staff at 320-632-4007 to let us know so we can acknowledge the donors. Thanks!

The final piece of our refurbished parking lot came into place the last two days. We now have an code-official handicap...
06/04/2026

The final piece of our refurbished parking lot came into place the last two days. We now have an code-official handicapped parking space with van accessibility. Thank you to Knife River for all the great work on the lot.

EXTRA EXTRA: We're giving away copies of "Little Falls Daily Transcript" bound volumes that we don't need! Check our web...
06/01/2026

EXTRA EXTRA: We're giving away copies of "Little Falls Daily Transcript" bound volumes that we don't need! Check our website for info on how you can get a slice of history.

Earlier this year, we exhumed over 60 duplicate Little Falls Daily Transcript bound volumes from 1932-1949 to free up archival storage space. We first offered them to local teachers who happily cla…

Congrats to MCHS Museum Manager Alesha Ouren who will be gracing the stage later this summer in the Little Falls Theatre...
06/01/2026

Congrats to MCHS Museum Manager Alesha Ouren who will be gracing the stage later this summer in the Little Falls Theatre Company production of Into The Woods.

Exactly one hundred years ago, on May 29th, Little Falls had the "first rain of any consequence" that spring at a whoppi...
05/30/2026

Exactly one hundred years ago, on May 29th, Little Falls had the "first rain of any consequence" that spring at a whopping .23 inches. The 1926 forecast at the end of the article sounds pretty familiar...

Back in 1905, four families, the Halls, Halseths, Gordons, and Todds, had a lake day on Green Prairie Fish Lake. What be...
05/29/2026

Back in 1905, four families, the Halls, Halseths, Gordons, and Todds, had a lake day on Green Prairie Fish Lake. What better way to cool off on a hot day than to walk into a lake in a shirtwaist dress

The Spring 2026 edition of the MCHS newsletter is in the mail. If you are a supporter, watch for you copy in the upcomi...
05/28/2026

The Spring 2026 edition of the MCHS newsletter is in the mail. If you are a supporter, watch for you copy in the upcoming days. Want to get your own copy? See the link in the comments.

Each edition features articles about local history, fun images, excerpts from local newspapers, and updates about museum activities.

Summer is upon us, which means community festival season is here. We are looking forward to acknowledging these local e...
05/27/2026

Summer is upon us, which means community festival season is here. We are looking forward to acknowledging these local events as the summer months progress:
June 11-14 -- Motley Fair
June 25-28 -- Morrison Co Fair, Little Falls, MN
June 27 -- Independence Day Celebration, Randall
July 5 -- Bowlus Fun Day
July 10 - 12 -- Mid-Summer Carnival, Swanville
July 17-18 -- Freedom Fest (held at the Fairgrounds)
July 25 -- Platte River Days, Royalton
August 8 -- Upsala Heritage Days
August 28-29 -- Harding Days
August 28-29 -- Oktoberfest, Pierz

[Image -- Morrison County Record ad for the Randall Independence Day celebration, 1985.]

Wishing a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day to all of our friends and supporters. In 1966, the day was still officially c...
05/25/2026

Wishing a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day to all of our friends and supporters.

In 1966, the day was still officially celebrated on May 30. It did not move to the fourth Monday in May until 1971 as a part of the Uniform Holiday Act of 1968.

These images are from the May 25, 1966 Upsala News-Tribune, showing the activities scheduled there for the day.

In 1898, Little Falls held a "Patriotic Ball" at Maurin Hall on 1st St NE to commemorate Memorial Day. We hope you enjoy...
05/23/2026

In 1898, Little Falls held a "Patriotic Ball" at Maurin Hall on 1st St NE to commemorate Memorial Day. We hope you enjoy this long weekend as much as Miss C liked dancing with the owner of this card

In 2003, MCHS sent volunteers to photograph 'uncommon' places and things throughout the county. 20 years later, I was ta...
05/22/2026

In 2003, MCHS sent volunteers to photograph 'uncommon' places and things throughout the county. 20 years later, I was tasked with sorting every single picture. This is what I learned

Back in October 2024, MCHS enlisted me to create a comprehensive database for their Uncommon Focus collection. The project began in 2003 with the goal of collecting photos of places and objects in …

Address

2151 South Lindbergh Drive, PO Box 239
Little Falls, MN
56345

Opening Hours

Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 3pm

Telephone

+13206324007

Website

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