More money means more projects. Cook County Historical Society Museum Director Carrie McHugh and museum volunteers Gene Erickson and Hal Greenwood gave the county board a mid-year report on the work of the organization on August 9, 2011, demonstrating that an increase in county support is making a big difference.
A July 15 letter from McHugh to the commissioners states, “Having our first full-time staff person has allowed us to complete projects, continue the day-to-day work of the museum, guide more volunteers, write and manage grants, identify museum needs, and envision future projects.”
The funding went up this year from $15,000 to $55,000, allowing the society to hire McHugh for up to 40 hours a week and keep Jeremy Lopez employed part-time. Former director Pat Zankman, who retired earlier this year, was paid for only 10 hours a week, although she also donated her own time to the society.
Grants from the Minnesota Historical Society have allowed the society to create its Civilian Conservation Corps exhibit and begin to organize its files on computer. A Blandin Foundation grant will allow the society to make technological upgrades so files can be put online. “The end goal is to have a searchable online catalog,” McHugh said in her letter.
This year the society also put out a revised edition of Faces and Places II, called “…A Second Look.”
Projects in process include putting photos online, digitizing its “very interesting” collection of maps, and working on an inventory of 11 historic sites between the museum and the lighthouse, what the State Historic Preservation Office is calling a “potential historic district.”
A Cook County Community Fund grant will fund a partnership with a Cook County High School graphic arts class to create interpretive panels for a maritime heritage exhibit.
The society continues to staff the museum’s front desk, aid researchers, and pursue its own research. “Programs and outreach are also an important part of what we do,” McHugh wrote, “from our Small Talks to [our] passport program.”
The museum will be receiving the Grand Marais lighthouse lens on a longterm loan from the U.S. Coast Guard. The museum, also known as the Lightkeeper’s House, is on the National Register of Historic Places. It needs some repairs and updating to its insulation, wiring, plumbing, and air exchange systems. “The old building, built in 1896, is in remarkable shape and has been well cared for by the society and county through the last 50 years,” McHugh wrote. “However, time and continued aging bring to light concerns such as these mentioned. Our goal is to maintain the character of the building while updating it for safety [and] economy and to create an environment that complies with some basic museum standards.” With Cook County life so entwined with Lake Superior, one vision is to develop a permanent maritime heritage exhibit.
McHugh said they try to keep the society and museum affordable for people to utilize. Individual memberships are only $10 a year, and admission to the museum in downtown Grand Marais is free.
Gene Erickson said that 25-30 volunteers help out at the museum, making projects possible, and that the Johnson Heritage Post also benefits from a lot of volunteer time.
“I believe it’s very important, what you’re doing,” said Commissioner Jan Hall.
“The museum continues to have much work to do,” McHugh wrote in her letter. “There are still many items in our collection that are being accounted for and recorded. We add time to this process as we photograph and digitize items for preservation and access. …People are putting their trust in us as they make the choice to donate their family and community’s history. …Your annual grant to the Historical Society is being put toward careful and important work – with an eye on the future as we take responsibility for the past.”
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