History

The ten most endangered historic places in Minnesota include a Shakopee house.

The Preservation Alliance of Minnesota released its 2008 list today, which includes an abandoned jail, a small-town bank, below-ground resources, and a mid-century Modern icon.

The list, the 15th annual compilation the Alliance has released, profiles the state's most endangered historic sites.

A restaurant, an environmental education center for hunters, a field research office – those are just a few of the reuse options that could keep the historic Gehl-Mittelsted farmhouse from facing the wrecking ball.

“It has to be viable and sustainable,” said Steve Wilmot, architect with the firm doing a reuse study on the building.

Neil Ross, of Kingston, Rhode Island, is trying to discover some local historical information and is seeking readers' help.

He recently acquired a postal envelope. It is dated 1897 and addressed to “H.T.R. Kraus, Box #9, Chaska, Minn.”

It was postmarked Cowesett, Rhode Island, June 14, 1897. “The envelope looks to be from a commercial business of a D. J. Lambert, Apponaug, R.I. It shows a rooster head and slogan ‘Death to Lice.’”

The Fish and Wildlife Service is holding an open house to get public comment on the historic Gehl-Mittlested House.

The house, located within the Rapids Lake Unit of the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, is a Chaska brick farmhouse situated on the west bank of the Minnesota River and includes a brick outhouse and stone barn foundation ruins.

A public open house is scheduled for Thursday March 6 at the Rapids Lake Visitor Center, to review preliminary reuse options and to seek public input regarding the reuse of the house.

Bruce KarstadtCarver County has witnessed a resurgence of interest in its Swedish roots lately: a push for preservation of the Andrew

The Minnesota Sesquicentennial Commission is hosting eleven days of special events for history buffs, amateur artists and kids of all ages at this year's St. Paul Winter Carnival, to help commemorate 150 years of Minnesota statehood.

By Mollee Francisco 

These are two birthday cakes you don’t want to stand too close to when all the candles are lit. Two of the town’s oldest organized churches celebrate 150 years in Chaska this year.