Our Mission
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The Golden Valley Historical Society was established in 1974. Its mission is to find, preserve, and disseminate historical knowledge about the City of Golden Valley, Minnesota.
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GRAESER PARK, 1941 Courtesy of Minnesota Historical Society; Graeser Park’s “Beehive” Fireplace, 2024 Courtesy of Restore Lilac Way; MnDOT’s Andrea Weber at work in the park.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 2025: HISTORY WALK-AND-TALK
The Amazing Restoration of Highway 100/Lilac Way’s Graeser Park Historic Wayside Rest
On Wednesday, May 7, Golden Valley Historical Society (GVHS) and Robbinsdale Historical Society (RHS) will cosponsor a 6:00 pm walking tour of the restored Graeser Park, located at 4400 Lakeland Ave N in Robbinsdale. The event is free and open to the public; no pre-registration is required.
The tour will be led by MnDOT Historic Roadside Property and Waysides Program Manager Andrea Weber, who oversaw the park’s restoration.
“Graeser Roadside Park is a true hidden gem of the Twin Cities,” Weber noted. “It was believed to be lost after the Highway 100 reconstruction when it suffered heavy impacts due to construction and staging, but there it sat, covered in a layer of soil with parts stored offsite for another day.”
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The walk-and-talk presentation will showcase the work done during MnDOT’s three-year historic preservation project. A nomination for National Register of Historic Places is in process. Weber will point out specific features that have been restored, as well as some of the challenges, such as stabilizing existing features, making accessibility improvements, and matching the original rock garden plantings.
The tour will include standing and walking on turf areas and some uneven stone steps and pathways. Anyone using a mobility device will be able to stay on accessible paths.
In case of severe weather, the Wednesday, May 7, event will relocate to inside space at the Golden Valley Historical Society, 6731 Golden Valley Rd, Golden Valley. A notice of change of location will be posted on RHS and GVHS websites and Facebook pages
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A BRIEF HISTORY: CONSTRUCTION OF HIGHWAY 100 AND ITS ROADSIDE PARKS
Highway 100 was constructed between 1934 and 1941, during the Great Depression. Starting in Shakopee and ending in Robbinsdale, it was the first highway in Minnesota to have a cloverleaf interchange. The 12-mile section from Highway 5 in Edina to Highway 52 in Robbinsdale, was known as “Lilac Way.” The Highway Department planted 7,000 bushes of twelve varieties of lilacs along the highway.
Seven roadside parks, including Robbinsdale’s Graeser Park, were built by laborers and skilled masons were paid through President Franklin Roosevelt’s federal relief program, the Works Progress Administration (WPA). The parks were designed in a rustic style, with distinctive fireplaces, rough-cut stone tables, and unique rock gardens.
NEARLY LOST TO HIGHWAY 100 RECONTRUCTION
With the reconstruction of Highway 100 starting in the late 1990s, most of the wayside parks were eliminated. Graeser Park, the largest, most elaborate, and last to be built, was spared, but tables had been removed, and the beehive was crumbling, damaged by years of excessive fires.
THE COMMUNITY STEPS UP
“The community had not forgotten the park and had already begun to unearth it,” said Weber. “When I first saw it in 2021, I was amazed with its potential. Since then, we have been working to restore it to its intended use and bring a spotlight on this important historic roadside park.”
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Graeser Park has been a focus of the Robbinsdale Historical Society (RHS) since 2018.,” said Kristi Gibson, a board member and Graeser Park enthusiast. “The Robbinsdale Lions began working in 2013 to uncover the park’s rock garden, and once MnDOT committed to preservation, RHS came alongside to help raise awareness and support. Starting in 2022, RHS helped recruit volunteers to pull weeds left by years of overgrowth, and later to water and tend the perennials and bushes that MnDOT planted.
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When Graeser Park became eligible for National Register listing in February 2024, Robbinsdale City Manager Tim Sandvik stated, “The City of Robbinsdale remains grateful for the work of our volunteer community members and direction from assisting agencies including MnDOT. It’s a tremendous amount of work to reach this point, but we look forward to continued efforts to preserve such a wonderful amenity in our community.”
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MnDOT plans to pass ownership of the park to the City of Robbinsdale in the near future.
Andrea Weber is a licensed Landscape Architect and has been the manager of the MnDOT Historic Roadside Property and Waysides Program since 2018. She has also held positions at Dakota County in Capital Project Management, as a Landscape Architect/Project Manager at the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, and as the City of Shakopee Park and Landscape Designer. She enjoys working in preservation, uncovering the unique history of each site, and finding creative ways to share it with the public through design, interpretation, and community events.
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Pictured: The cover of "This Game is for the Girls," and presenter Bob Mattison.
OUR THURSDAY, APRIL 10 HISTORY TALK
This Game is for the Girls: The 50-Year Story of Golden Valley Girls Softball
On Thursday, April 10, Golden Valley Historical Society will host a talk by Bob Mattison, a long-time Golden Valley resident who quite literally wrote the book which chronicles the 50-year history of Golden Valley girls’ softball.
Founded in 1974 with six teams, at the beginning of the revolution in girls’ and women’s sports, the Golden Valley Girls Softball (GVGS) league grew - at one time fielding 42 teams - into one of the state’s premier slow pitch leagues by promoting athletic, sportsmanship, and teamwork skills for generations of girls.
The presentation, “This Game is for the Girls: The 50-Year Story of Golden Valley Girls Softball,” is at 7 pm at the Golden Valley Historical Society, 6731 Golden Valley Road. It is free, open to the public, and pre-registration is not required.
Mattison writes that GVGS is a prime example of a youth athletic organization that really works – for its players, parents, families, and community. “I wrote the book because I was impressed with the league, eager to learn about how it started, and curious what it took to develop into the success it is today,” Mattison said, “It took a lot of digging to find the founders and the leaders through the years, and to put it all together. It turned into a pretty big project but was a lot of fun.”
The presentation will focus on the founding of the league by a group of women who wanted their daughters to have the opportunity to play a fun team sport – something that was only available to boys at that time - and how the league grew and developed over the years into the great community asset it is today. It will highlight the support the league has had from the Golden Valley Parks and Recreation Department, especially the efforts during the last decade to provide the girls with facilities comparable to boys’ baseball.
Mattison had many perspectives: He coached in the league with his daughters for 13 seasons. He served on the league’s board, was the sponsorship director, umpired for 14 years, and served as umpire-in-chief.
With no proceeds going to the author, the book is the property of the league and is sold as a fundraiser. It is available on Amazon in both eBook and paperback form, under the title “The Game is for the Girls.” League members will have copies of the book available for sale on April 10 and Mattison would be happy to sign copies.
The Golden Valley History Museum, same location, will be open before the program, from 6 - 7:00 pm.
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History Matters! Do You Want to be a Part of Making a Difference in Golden Valley?
Golden Valley Historical Society (GVHS) is an all-volunteer organization. For over 50 years, Golden Valley citizens have stepped up to make the case for preserving and sharing the history of our community by contributing their time, talent, and treasure to create GVHS.
Perhaps you have “time, talent, or treasure” to share – let’s find out if there’s a match. We have current openings for museum greeters and the board of directors; we would also welcome volunteers interested in event planning, communications, and more. History matters, and you can be a part of making a difference for Golden Valley! Contact Lin Nelson-Mayson at gvhistoricalsociety@gmail.com with your questions or to indicate your interest.
Presenter Mary Agnes Ratelle (right) and a magazine illustration from the "More Than a Housewife" presentation (left).
WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH PROGRAM
More Than a Housewife: The Image of Post-War Women in Magazine Illustrations
For Women’s History Month, Golden Valley Historical Society (GVHS) will explore the changing image of the 1950s housewife in post-war America, primarily utilizing visual representations found in magazine illustrations. On Thursday, March 13, the society will host a talk by Mary Agnes Ratelle, Interim Executive Director of the Edina Historical Society (EHS). It is at 7 pm, 6731 Golden Valley Road. It is free, open to the public, and pre-registration is not required.
The 1950s housewife has been a mainstay of American visual culture, used to embody both the hopes of postwar economic opulence and the limitations of the domestic sphere that second wave feminism pushed against.
“In the March 13 presentation, I will offer the visual representation of the 1950s housewife,” Ratelle said, “by analyzing her representation in magazine illustration in the context of postwar marketing practices and psychological theory.”
Through a primary focus is on American magazine illustration, she added, “I will also explore its deeper connection with American economic development and psychological research.”
Ratelle held numerous positions at the Edina Historical Society prior to becoming its Interim Executive Director. “I was raised in Edina,” she said, and the city's historic sites have always had a profound impact - inspiring my love of history since childhood.” She is a graduate of the Art History and Museum Studies MA program at the University of St. Thomas. Much of her research focuses on historical fashion, women's history, and the impact of the visual arts on society.
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​The Golden Valley History Museum, same location and with permanent displays appropriate to the story of women’s history of leadership in Golden Valley, will be open prior to the panel discussion, from 6-7 pm. The sale of vintage Golden Valley street signs will also be taking place during this time.
Panelists Mayor Roslyn Harmon, Mayor Nadia Mohamed, Chief Virgil Green, and facilitator Rose McGee
FEBRUARY 19 BLACK HISTORY MONTH PANEL DISCUSSION
Moving the Needle Forward: Equality, Equity, and Progress in Challenging Times
On Wednesday, Feb. 19, GVHS will present “Moving the Needle Forward: Equality, Equity, and Progress in Challenging Times,” a Black History Month panel discussion. Panelists will include Golden Valley Mayor Roslyn Harmon, St. Louis Park Mayor Nadia Mohamed, and Golden Valley Police Chief Virgil Green. As important trailblazers in the story of the western Twin Cities suburbs, these three Black leaders will engage in a discussion facilitated by entrepreneur, author, and playwright Rose McGee.
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As Golden Valley and Saint Louis Park have joined forces in the “Westopolis” (West of Minneapolis) marketing venture, the panel will explore the area’s changes, needs, challenges, and achievements.
The program will be held at 7:00 pm at the GVHS Historic Church, 6731 Golden Valley Road. It is free and open to GVHS members and the public. It will be recorded for future replay. Note that it is a different day and week than most GVHS programming.
Roslyn Harmon took the oath of office as Golden Valley’s mayor on January 2, 2024. She is executive director of the Dispute Resolution Center in St. Paul and the first Black person to be mayor of Golden Valley. Harmon says she brings her dispute resolution skills to the office. A pastor and the daughter of Golden Valley icon Rose McGee, Harmon was included in the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal’s 50 Black Leaders and received a 2024 Black Woman Entrepreneur Award.
Nadia Mohamed became this country’s first elected Somali American mayor in 2023. Similar to Mayor Harmon, Mohamed’s political philosophy centers on bridge-building. She is a recipient of the 2024 Emerging Leader Award from the League of Minnesota Cities, and the Centennial Under 40 Impact Award from the National League of Cities.
Virgil Green became the first Black police chief of the Golden Valley police department in 2022 following a law enforcement career in New Mexico, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. He's a chief who wears the uniform, responds to calls, and visits residents in their yards, homes, and businesses through his “Chat With The Chief” initiative.
Rose McGee is a facilitator, author, and founder of the Sweet Potato Comfort Pie racial justice and equity organization. She is the author of Story Circle Stories, the play Kumbayah: The Juneteenth Story, and the children’s book Can’t Nobody Make a Sweet Potato Pie Like Our Mama. She was named Golden Valley Citizen of the Year and has received Golden Valley’s Bill Hobbs Human Rights Award twice.
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The Golden Valley History Museum, same location and with displays appropriate to the story of Black history in Golden Valley, will be open prior to the panel discussion, from 6-7 pm. The sale of vintage Golden Valley street signs and drop-off of warm weather clothing for PRISM will also be taking place during this time
THURSDAY, JANUARY 9 AT THE GOLDEN VALLEY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
“The History of Ordinary Things” will be no ordinary program!
The holiday season can be overly busy, so to start the new year on a calmer note, Golden Valley Historical Society’s (GVHS) January program will be light, fun, and informative. On Thursday, January 9, GVHS will present “The History of Ordinary Things” by David Kuball, 7:00 pm, Golden Valley Historical Society, 6731 Golden Valley Road. It will be free, family-friendly, and open to the public.
“The presentation will celebrate a number of ordinary things,” David said, “and we will have fun learning about how they came into our lives. We may think of history as limited to events such as the moon landing or the life of a famous person. It’s easy to understand that the Statue of Liberty, George Washington, a World War II battle, or the Great Wall of China has a place in history.
“But there are things we encounter daily,” David continued, “and each has a fascinating story. These are common things we’ve known most of our lives, ordinary things that we take for granted but would miss if they went away. Each has a history.” The presentation will be fun for all ages. “For example," David shared, "potato chips were invented almost 200 years ago and have a great story.”
A long-time Golden Valley resident, David has loved history most of his life. He grew up on a dairy farm near Faribault, MN, earned a journalism degree from the University of Minnesota, and has had an information technology career with Optum, a health services company. He is on the board of the Golden Valley Historical Society and is a director for the Golden Valley’s Crime Prevention Fund.
Vintage Golden Valley Street Signs for Holiday Gift-Giving
Lots of folks enjoyed the Dec. 14 Holiday Open House at the Golden Valley Historical Society. Quite a few vintage Golden Valley street signs were sold as well. Since that day, more signs have become available (Thanks, City of Golden Valley). At $25 each, they're a pretty good holiday gift for yourself, your kids, or maybe a former Golden Valley resident. A good way to peruse the available signs is to stop by the Golden Valley History Museum, 6731 Golden Valley Road, on Saturdays from 11am to 3pm. Open the street sign inventory list to see what signs are available
Fourth Annual Golden Valley Historical Society Holiday Open House is Saturday, Dec. 14
Golden Valley Historical Society’s (GVHS) Fourth Annual Holiday Open House is Saturday, Dec. 14. The public is invited to stop by 6731 Golden Valley Road, from 11 am to 3 pm, to enjoy seasonal music by the Festive Flute Loops (12 noon – 1 pm), visit the 1882 Historic Church, tour the Golden Valley History Museum’s immersive exhibition, enjoy a display of classic toys from decades past, purchase a vintage street sign, and donate to PRISM’s warm clothing drive.
Seasonal Music by the Festive Flute Loops 12 noon – 1:00 pm
The chapel of GVHS’s 142-year-old Historic Church will ring with the seasonal music of The Festive Flute Loops quartet. It will be family-friendly fun with music from “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” to “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies” as lovely as you’ve ever heard it. Flutists Mary Hegre, Diane Markovich, Laurie Strand, and Jeanne Roudabush are based in Eden Prairie and most recently appeared at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.
For a preview for what’s in store, their recent recording can be sampled at their website.
Spread Warmth in the Community. Donate to the Warm Clothes Drive
Share your holiday joy and help others stay warm! GVHS is conducting a warm clothes drive for PRISM, the Golden Valley non-profit that serves the western suburbs. PRISM provides assistance with housing, food, and other resources with dignity. On Dec. 14, Drop off donations of new or gently used (and clean) coats, hats, mittens/gloves, or other seasonal items in the designated boxes in the museum and church.
Donated clothing will be sold through PRISM's Shop for Change at extremely affordable rates for its clientele, with the monetary proceeds then benefitting its life-changing services.
Historic Toys from Decades Past
The holiday décor in the Historic Church will include a fun display of classic toys from decades past, including some antique riding toys that are over 100 years old. From the collection of Golden Valley’s Ken Huber, these are the toys - dolls, boats, bikes, trikes, wagons, scooters, pedal cars - that greeted excited youngsters on Christmas morning or other special family celebrations in decades past.
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A feature story on the Holiday Open House’s toys will be on CCX Media’s Cable Channel 12/799 on Friday, Dec. 13 at 4:00, 5:00, and 6:00 pm. It will also be available for viewing at https://ccxmedia.org/ no later than 5:00 pm the same day.
Visit the Golden Valley History Museum 11 am – 3:00 pm
Visit the award-winning Golden Valley History Museum’s immersive exhibition that traces the history of Golden Valley from the ice age and pre-European contact to today.
The exhibition explores the former Golden Valley High School; the first Byerly’s Foods, Golden Valley Garden Club, Ewald Brothers Dairy, Golden Valley Police and Fire Departments; civil rights, human rights, and leadership.
Visit the 1882 Historic Church in the Valley 11 am – 3:00 pm
Step inside the Historic Church in the Valley, decked out for the holidays, and its original, 142-year-old chapel. It currently hosts monthly history programs, weddings, memorial services, and vow renewals for up to 80 guests. Take a look; volunteers will be on hand to answer questions.
Take Home a Vintage Golden Valley Street Sign 11 am – 3:00 pm
Available for sale on December 14 will be over 1,000 decommissioned Golden Valley street signs, from Aquila and Avondale to Zane and Zealand. Some date back to the 1940s.
It could be the perfect holiday gift to decorate a college student’s dorm room, a backyard fence, or to surprise a nostalgic former resident. Signs are $25 each and can be purchased by cash, check, or PayPal. Proceeds from the sale of signs support GVHS programs and operations.
For an approximate street sign inventory (We try to keep track!) of available signs, use this link.
Golden Valley Historical Society’s November 14 Off-site Program:
To Banish Forever: A Secret Society and Ho-Chunk Removal in Minnesota
Left: Robert Pilot (Ho-Chunk), host of Native Roots Radio. Center: “To Banish Forever” book cover. Right: Cathy Coats, author
Hennepin History Museum (HHM) and six other community organizations including the Golden Valley Historical Society are hosting author Cathy Coats and Native Roots Radio host Robert Pilot (Ho-Chunk) who will present a book reading and discussion about the often-excluded history of the Ho-Chunk in Minnesota with an emphasis on Indigenous history in the Twin Cities West Metro area.
The program will be presented at The Trailhead, 1221 Theodore Wirth Parkway, Golden Valley, on Thursday, Nov. 14 at 6:00 pm. Be sure to arrive by 5:45 pm for snacks provided by the North American Traditional Indigenous Food System.
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Admission is free, with an optional pay-as-you-can donation. Pre-registration is required. Please use this link:
Event registration page
The Ho-Chunk people have endured a series of forced movements and discrimination in Minnesota. When the Ho-Chunk considered establishing a reservation near Lake Minnetonka in 1853, politicians claimed that their presence would compel settlers to abandon the area.
The Ho-Chunk were then pressed to seek new homelands. They eventually settled on some of the richest agricultural lands in the state near Mankato, Minnesota.
After the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862, a group of white men formed a secret society that advocated for completely removing Ho-Chunk people from Minnesota. Although the Ho-Chunk people did not participate in the war, the secret society sent armed men to surround their reservation. The secret society threatened to shoot anyone who crossed the reservation’s boundaries.
In her book, To Banish Forever: A Secret Society, the Ho-Chunk, and Ethnic Cleansing in Minnesota, Coats explores how white residents sought to expel Ho-Chunk people from the state and benefit from their land.
Cathy Coats is a Metadata Specialist for the University of Minnesota Libraries and was previously a cataloger at the St. Cloud State University Library. She is an award-winning researcher who received her Master of Arts in Public History from St. Cloud State University.
Robert Pilot is a citizen of the Ho-Chunk Nation and the host of Native Roots Radio in St. Paul, Minnesota. He is a retired teacher, a water protector, and an advocate for Native issues.
Community partners:
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Hennepin History Museum
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City of Golden Valley’s Diversity
Equity, and Inclusion Commission
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Golden Valley Community Foundation
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Golden Valley Historical Society
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The Loppet Foundation
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Minnesota Historical Society Press
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Valley Community Presbyterian Church
Golden Valley Historical Society Has Openings on its Board
Recent Board members William Ewald and Kyle Scott (left), current Board members Karla Rose and Nick Thorson (right).
The Golden Valley Historical Society (GVHS), currently celebrating its fiftieth year, has openings on its Board of Directors. It’s a great way to connect and give back, and for history lovers to volunteer and participate in preserving and sharing past, present, and future Golden Valley history.
The Board guides policy and operations of GVHS’s 1882 Historic Church and the Golden Valley History Museum, both located at 6731 Golden Valley Road. GVHS acquires and maintains a collection of artifacts, documents, and photographs of Golden Valley history. It also presents special events and public history programs in its Historic Church, an intimate venue that can be rented for weddings and events for up to 80 guests.
Board meetings are on the second Wednesday of the month at 6:30 pm. To learn more or express an interest, contact Emily Dietle at gvhistoricalsociety@gmail.com
You can also ask about becoming a museum greeter and volunteer occasionally on a Saturday from 11 am to 3 pm.
HISTORY PRESENTATION, BOOK SIGNING, MUSEUM DISPLAY
Join us for "The History and Legacy of Ewald Bros. Dairy" on October. 10th
Above: William Ewald, and images from Ewald Bros. Dairy's 97-year history. Below article copy: Ewald Bros. Dairy display, Golden Valley History Museum; and image from William Ewald's book
PRESENTATION
On Thursday, Oct. 10, the Golden Valley Historical Society (GVHS) will present “The History and Legacy of Ewald Bros. Dairy” at 7:00 pm in the GVHS Historic Church, 6731 Golden Valley Road. The speaker is William Ewald, a third-generation descendant of the iconic Ewald Bros. Dairy family tree. Admission is free. GVHS members and the general public are welcome.
William Ewald is the family historian and the foremost authority on the history of the Twin Cities dairy business. He is author of “Images of America: Ewald Bros. Dairy,” published by Arcadi Publishing, which
documents through a pictorial journey the nearly 100-year history of the company.
Founded in 1886 in Minneapolis, the Ewald Bros. Dairy was a significant player in the local dairy industry serving two out of every three consumers taking home milk delivery. The dairy was founded by pioneer Chris Ewald a 16-year-old Danish immigrant and established by his four siblings, known as the “Ewald brothers,” who set out to provide fresh, high-quality dairy products to the community.
Initially focused on milk production, Ewald Bros. Dairy expanded its offerings to include a variety of dairy products such as cream, butter, and cheese. Their commitment to quality products, local sourcing, and customer service helped them build a loyal and long-lasting customer base.
Widely recognized throughout the state for their billboards and frequent jingles on WCCO radio, Ewald’s established a firm grasp on the local dairy business and at its peak employed over 400 local employees.
Ewald’s ceased operations in 1983 after a nearly 97-year run in the business.
BOOK-SIGNING
Ewald will have copies of the book for sale ($20 donation) and he has agreed to sign them after the presentation for all who are interested. Between the family and publisher, 100% of all proceeds from the sale of “Images of America: Ewald Bros. Dairy,” are directed to the local Sister Kenny institute.
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MUSEUM DISPLAY
The Golden Valley History Museum (same building and address) has an Ewald Bros. Dairy display filled with historic items and memorabilia. The museum will be open prior to the presentation, from 6:00 – 7:00 pm, so that visitors can view the exhibit prior to attending “The History of the Ewald Bros. Dairy” presentation.
William Ewald was born in Golden Valley which, along with Minneapolis, is considered the early home of Ewald Bros Dairy and its vast dairy herds. William and his wife, Roxanne, are long-time GVHS members. Until recently, William served as both vice-president and acting-president of the GVHS board.
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William Ewald was born in Golden Valley which, along with Minneapolis, is considered the early home of Ewald Bros Dairy and its vast dairy herds. William and his wife, Roxanne, are long-time GVHS members. Until recently, William served as both vice-president and acting-president of the GVHS board.
CHECK BACK: MORE PARTICIPANTS AND ACTIVIES ARE BEING ADDED
Golden Valley Historical Society’s Golden Jubilee Community Celebration and Open House is Saturday, Sept. 14
Founded in 1974, the Golden Valley Historical Society (GVHS) is commemorating fifty years of uncovering, preserving, and sharing our community's vibrant past. Celebrate with us at our Golden Jubilee open house and discover the stories that have shaped Golden Valley through our community partners, museum exhibits, and historic church open house.
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GOLDEN JUBILEE COMMUNITY CELEBRATION AND OPEN HOUSE
Saturday, September 14, 2024
11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Golden Valley History Museum, 6731 Golden Valley Road, Golden Valley
The event will feature booths for wonderful local organizations and partners, musical performances, demonstrations, guided tours of the Golden Valley History Museum, visits to the 1882 Historic Church in the Valley, a one-day reduced-price ($15!) sale of vintage Golden Valley street signs, refreshments, and more.
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SCHEDULE HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE
​11:00 am Event begins
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11:30 am
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3:00 pm Event ends
Mayor Harmon, above; Will Samorey, right.
Welcome from GVHS and acknowledgment of recognition including GVHS Day Proclamation, Golden Valley Mayor Roslyn Harmon, City Council; MN Senate Resolution of Support, Sen. Ann Rest; MN House Resolution of Support, Rep. Mike Freiberg; Certificate of Recognition, Office of Gov. Tim Walz; Letter of Recognition, U.S. Senator Tina Smith; Official Congressional Record Entry, Office of U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar
​ PERFORMANCES WILL INCLUDE
​11:00 am & Violin performance by Will Samorey,
12 noon Golden Valley Orchestra concertmaster​
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1:30 pm Perpich Center for Arts Education,
readings by Literary Arts students
​ VISIT THE HISTORIC CHURCH IN THE VALLEY
​​Have you ever traveled Golden Valley Road and were intrigued about the “Historic Church in the Valley?” This is your opportunity to explore it! The original chapel was built in 1882 by early pioneers as a nondenominational church. In 1890, it was pulled by horses and mules almost a mile over rolling logs to its current location. The chapel currently hosts monthly history programs, weddings, memorial services, and vow renewals.
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Volunteers will be on hand to answer questions.
​ Our Town's Story - Golden Valley
​While visiting the Historic Church in the Valley, you’ll be able to sit in a pew and view “Our Town’s Story-Golden Valley,” a 33-minute documentary by CCX Media in collaboration with the Golden Valley Historical Society. (11 am – 3 pm)
​VISIT THE GOLDEN VALLEY MUSEUM
Open since Sept. 2018, the Golden Valley History Museum features an immersive exhibition, “Golden Valley: No Place Like Home,” that traces the history of Golden Valley
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The exhibition explores the former Golden Valley High School, the first Byerly’s Foods, Golden Valley
Garden Club, Ewald Brothers Dairy, Golden Valley Police and Fire Departments, and Golden Valley civil and human rights and leadership.
In 2020, this exhibition received an Award of Excellence from the American Association for State and Local History.
Museum guides will be available from 11 am – 3 pm.
​​TAKE HOME A VINTAGE GOLDEN VALLEY STREET SIGN
From Aquila and Avondale to Zane and Zealand, there will be 1,000 decommissioned Golden Valley street signs – some dating back to the 1940s - available for sale. Normally $25, they will have a reduced-price of $15 for one day only! (cash, check, or PayPal.) Follow the link below for an approximate inventory of available signs.
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https://drive.google.com/file/d/11eh7ZOSOsQSRdCrVFcGGd-grP93Yvghc/view?usp=sharing
Enter through the museum door.
​KEN HUBER'S VINTAGE RIDING TOYS FOR KIDS
Youngsters and the young at heart will enjoy a display of fabulous, restored antique and vintage riding toys in the parking lot - bikes, trikes, wagons, scooters, pedal cars, and Irish mails. They’re from the collection of Ken Huber, a historical society board member.
​ANTIQUE TOYS
Additional, special antique toys will be available for viewing in the Historic Church.
1929 MODEL A FORD
Ken Huber will also have his fully restored 1929 Model A Ford Tudor Sedan on hand, a vehicle that has seen almost as much history as the 142-year-old Historic Church in the Valley.
​OUTDOR TABLES/BOOTHS WILL INCLUDE
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CCX Media
Your Connected Community Experience for high-quality local news, high school sports, city meetings and events, and free media training and equipment for community use in Golden Valley, Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, Crystal, Maple Grove, New Hope, Osseo, Plymouth and Robbinsdale since 1982.
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Docomomo US/MN
Golden Valley is home to Minnesota’s chapter of this Midcentury Modern documentation and conservation organization.
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Ewald Dairy History
History of the local, iconic dairy. Book-signing by William Ewald, author of “Images of America-Ewald Bros. Dairy.” And there’s the Ewald display in the museum.
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Golden Valley Community Foundation
The organization that brings you Global Golden Valley, Small Sparks Microgrants, Sustainability Day, and GVCF Arts & Music Festival
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Golden Valley Garden Club
A network of gardeners that shares enthusiasm and knowledge of gardening to better the community and promote the conservation of natural resources.
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Golden Valley Girls Softball League
A premier slow-pitch softball league welcoming girls in grades 3-12 from all cities and all skill levels.
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Golden Valley Little League
Learn skills and make friends! Open to all youth ages 5-12 living in or attending school in Golden Valley.
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Golden Valley Open Space & Recreation Commission
Community members assist the city council with open space needs, parks and recreation programs, trail systems, and Brookview Golf Course.
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Golden Valley Community Service Commission
These volunteers assist at events to help raise money for identified human service needs in the community and advises the council on the allocation of funds.
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Just Deeds
Just Deeds is a public-private coalition that helps property owners find discriminatory covenants and discharge them from their property titles. The Coalition also provides education opportunities to help communities acknowledge this racist history and pursue reconciliation and anti-racist solutions.
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League of Women Voters-Golden Valley
Voting information from this local organization with over 75 years of empowering voters and defending democracy
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One Good Deed
This local, volunteer group founded by Michelle Christensen schedules monthly events that spread kindness, generate friendships, and grow community.
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Pollinator Demonstration Gardens – Dylan Casey
People for Pollinators will be on hand to talk about the sun and shade pollinator demonstration gardens created on the museum grounds by Eagle Scout candidate Dylan Casey.
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Perpich Center for Arts Education
Minnesota’s official arts education school, funded by the Legislature and located in Golden Valley, with a focus on theater, dance, literary arts, visual arts, and media arts.
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PRISM
Golden Valley’s organization for dignity-centered resources including Marketplace Food Shelf, Shop for Change Thrift Shop, Homelessness Prevention, and Celebrating Children.
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Sweet Potato Comfort Pie
Golden Valley’s Rose McGee is founder of this organization which is a country-wide catalyst for caring and building community. Rose is also a playwright, “Kumbayah: The Juneteenth Story,” and author of “Can’t Nobody Make a Sweet Potato Pie Like Our Mama!”
​FREE TREATS
Treats will include cake, cookies, lemonade, and coffee. Golden Valley Lunds & Byerlys will provide a Golden Jubilee 50th Anniversary Cake. This is enduring history as it is from the very first Byerly’s location, a source of Golden Valley pride. Be sure to see the Byerly’s display in the museum while you’re on site.
PARKING
With the parking lot occupied by booths and activities, allow a little time to park on surrounding public streets including Idaho, Hampshire, and Florida Avenues, as well as on Phoenix Street
WEATHER
If the weather is truly uncooperative, some outdoor booths representing community organizations may not be available for attendees to enjoy, but the museum and historic church would be available for visits and the vintage sign sale would also take place indoors.
SAVE THE DATE and a CALL FOR COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO PARTICIPATE
Make plans to join us on Saturday, Sept. 14 for Golden Valley Historical Society’s Golden Jubilee Community Celebration and Open House
This year marks a significant milestone for the Golden Valley Historical Society (GVHS) as we celebrate our 50th anniversary. Our mission is to find, preserve, and disseminate historical knowledge about the City of Golden Valley. To commemorate this occasion, we are hosting a big, special, inclusive, and fun community event!
“Save the date” and encourage local organization you are a part of to participate in this event to showcase how we all contribute to the history and vibrancy of our great community.
Golden Jubilee Community Celebration and Open House
Saturday, September 14, 2024 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Golden Valley History Museum
6731 Golden Valley Road, Golden Valley
The event will feature booths from a variety of local organizations, musical performances, demonstrations, guided tours of the Golden Valley History Museum, visits to our 1882 Historic Church in the Valley, a one-day reduced-price ($15!) sale of vintage Golden Valley street signs, refreshments, and more.
If you or someone you know represent a community organization interested in a free booth at the event, we would love to hear from you by Friday, August 16.
Golden Valley Historical Society
Celebrating Our 50th Year. 1974-2024.
763-308-5059
THURSDAY, MAY 9 PROGRAM
The Impact of Golden Valley’s John Mitchell and other Twin Cities Pioneering Black Executives of the 1970s
On Thursday, May 9, at 7pm, Anthony R. Scott, president of Minnesota’s Black Community Project, will give a presentation to the Golden Valley Historical Society on Golden Valley’s John Mitchell and four other pioneering Black executives of the1970’s.
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Mitchell was a treasured Golden Valley resident, the city’s first Black city council member, and driving force behind creating a Black History Month celebration in the city.
To celebrate its Golden Jubilee year, GVHS programs are highlighting the 1970s, when GVHS was founded, as well as looking forward toward the next fifty years.
In the 1970s, veteran aeronautical engineer John Mitchell was chosen to lead Honeywell’s equal opportunity efforts with the goal of getting members of the Black Community into responsible positions with the company.
Scott will highlight Mitchell and four additional Black executives who made a difference in then-termed Affirmative Action efforts fifty years ago. They are Jeanne Cooper, publisher of the Twin Cities Observer; Bill English, Control Data; Joe Johnson and Louis Moore, Multifoods, and Lafayette Jones, Pillsbury.
Anthony Scott is president of Scott Publications which re-issues magazines and books originally published by his father, the late Walter R Scott, Sr. during the pre- and post-Civil Rights eras. He is also president of Minnesota’s Black Community Project – a Minnesota non-profit organization that celebrates the accomplishments and contributions of African Americans in Minnesota.
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In 2020, Minnesota’s Black Community Project’s first book, Minnesota’s Black Community in the 21st Century, received Book of the Year Award from the Academy of Human Resource Development. This book was published by the Minnesota Historical Society Press.
Join us for this informative program at the GVHS Historic Church, 6731 Golden Valley Road, Golden Valley. It is free and open to the public.
Above: May 9 presenter Anthony R. Scott. Submitted photo. Left: John Mitchell, from a Golden Valley History Museum display
Larry Bakken, from the Mitchell Hamline Law School website.
Larry Bakken, former GVHS Board Member, Golden Valley Renaissance Man and Public Servant, Passes Away
Larry Bakken, a recent and proud member of the Golden Valley Historical Society board of directors, passed away on March 19. He may be the most brilliant and accomplished person to ever call Golden Valley his home. He will be missed.
Bakken was co-founder of Hamline University School of Law (now the Mitchell Hamline School of Law), a Fulbright Scholar, professor of international beknown, Golden Valley mayor and city council member, author, business owner, banker, magazine publisher, and member of countless boards and commissions.
His Celebration of Life is May 7 at Calvary Lutheran Church, Golden Valley. Please take the time to read about his impact on Golden Valley, Minnesota, and parts of the globe in the inspiring obituary below. The family has kindly requested that memorials be directed to GVHS.
https://www.startribune.com/obituaries/detail/0000484701/?fullname=larry-a-bakken
THURSDAY, April 11 PROGRAM
Planting the Seeds of Change: Golden Valley Garden Club’s 2024 Pollinator Pathways Initiative
On Thursday, April 11, Barb Ego, vice-president of the Golden Valley Garden Club, will present at the Golden Valley Historical Society (GVHS) what all the buzz is about the club’s Pollinator Pathways 2024 initiative.
A pollinator pathway, as described by the Canadian Wildlife Federation, is a pesticide-free corridor of native plants that provides nutrition and habitat for pollinators and helps them to disperse into new habitats.
The Garden Club will soon roll out its initiative to establish pollinator pathways in Golden Valley, starting with a small-model or pilot program involving Golden Valley residents' yards. “Our goal is to form connections,” Ego explains, “between the city’s existing green corridors, native buffer zones, and neighborhood pollinator-friendly pocket gardens.”
Envisioned as a public-private-corporate effort, a successful result would provide a healthier environment for pollinators, pets, and people for years to come. The City of Golden Valley and the Golden Valley Garden Club share the same vision for creating new pollinator and wildlife habitat. Residents of strategically targeted areas of the city will initially be invited to participate and can apply to receive (a limited number of) free native pollinator plants.
The 2024 initiative will plant the seeds of change. Newly planted pocket-sized gardens will then have the potential to serve as neighborhood demonstration plots which inspire and encourage other residents - and even businesses and organizations - to create additional pollinator-attracting gardens.
The program is at 7 pm in the GVHS Historic Church, 6731 Golden Valley Road. All are welcome; it is free and open to GVHS members and the public.
Yard sign for participants, above. Golden Valley Garden Club's Barb Ego, right
THURSDAY, MARCH 14 PROGRAM
As Golden Valley Historical Society turns 50, revisit the fashion, history, and culture of 1974 with Goldstein Museum of Design’s curator, Jean McElvain Ph.D.
As the Golden Valley Historical Society (GVHS) celebrates its Golden Jubilee in 2024, revisit the fashion, history, and culture of 1974 – the Society’s founding year - for a Thursday, March 14 program. Expect a fun and fitting look at what we were wearing 50 years ago by guest presenter Jean McElvain, Ph.D., of the University of Minnesota’s Goldstein Museum of Design (GMD).
She will return us to the fashion and design of the 1970s through images of objects in GMD's over 30,000-piece collection and explore how and why culture gravitated toward colorful excesses from mod miniskirts to polyester leisure suits.
The Goldstein Museum of Design is the only design museum in the Upper Midwest. As its curator, Dr. McElvain brings a deep understanding of many facets of 19th and 20th century design, identifying relationships between everything from fashion to architecture. She uses exhibition curation and design to tell stories and guide research.
The program is at 7 pm in the GVHS Historic Church, 6731 Golden Valley Road. It is free and open to GVHS members and the public.
Golden Valley Historical Society has openings on its board
Currently celebrating its 50th year, the Golden Valley Historical Society (GVHS) has openings on its board of directors. It’s a great way to volunteer and participate in preserving and sharing past, present, and future Golden Valley history.
The board guides policy on the operations of GVHS’s 1882 Historic Church and the Golden Valley History Museum which opened in 2018, both located at 6731 Golden Valley Road. GVHS acquires and maintains a collection of artifacts, documents, and photographs. It also presents special events as well as history programs for the public in its Historic Church.
Meetings are on the second Wednesday of the month, 6:30 pm, in the Historic Church. To learn more or express an interest, contact Emily Dietle at gvhistoricalsociety@gmail.com
PANEL DISCUSSION, Q&A
Women in Local Government: A Conversation With Golden Valley Leaders
On Thursday, Feb. 8, Golden Valley Historical Society (GVHS) invites you to “Women in Local Government: A Conversation with Golden Valley Leaders,” for an insightful evening of dialogue and community connection.
Gain valuable insights into the role of women in local government during this panel discussion followed by a Q & A. Golden Valley residents and local leaders Helen Bassett, Denise LaMere-Anderson, and Marti Micks will share their unique perspectives, experiences, and expertise on women in leadership roles.
The program is at 7 pm in the Society’s Historic Church, 6731 Golden Valley Road. It is free and open to Society members and the public.
Featured Panelists:
Helen Bassett
Helen has served on the Robbinsdale Area Schools Board of Education for 20 years and is the first Black woman to be voted its chairperson. She is a Government Affairs liaison for the Minnesota Department of Commerce. Helen is also the co-founder and managing director of the Minnesota School Board Directors of Color and Indigenous Fellowship.
Denise LaMere-Anderson
Denise is a Golden Valley city council member and serves as its liaison to the city’s Community Service Commission, Board of Zoning Appeals, and Housing and Redevelopment Authority. She is also a Golden Valley Historical Society board member and, in her “day job, Denise is the Chief Talent Officer for Taylor Corporation.
Martha (Marti) Micks
Marti is the president of the League of Women Voters of Golden Valley and past-president of League of Women Voters of Minnesota. She is a retired social studies teacher from the Osseo School District, served eight years on the Golden Valley City Council and Housing and Redevelopment Authority, and was a civilian management analyst for the U.S. Army in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
“This event promises to be an enlightening exploration of the impact and significance of women in local government,” said Emily Dietle, GVHS president. “Don't miss the opportunity to be part of the conversation and engage with our distinguished panelists and members of the audience.”
From the President
Looking Back, Looking Forward, and GVHS's 50-Year Golden Jubilee in 2024
January 1, 2024, is a time to celebrate accomplishments, acknowledge end-of-year transitions, and look ahead to projects, programs, and the celebration of an exciting milestone.
Looking back
Thank you to Larry Bakken and William Ewald who completed their service on our board of directors at the end of 2023. We’re grateful to have had each of them to advance our mission to find, preserve, and disseminate historical knowledge about the City of Golden Valley. These two and all volunteers are the key to our every success.
We had a great Third Annual Holiday Open House in December. Our number one goal was to welcome new guests. That goal was met as we saw happy, new faces and many who vowed to return with family and friends.
We completed a year-long self-assessment that resulted in a ten-year prioritized work plan to guide future planning and projects. Early successes in this first year included a new audio system for the Historic Church and a much-needed new roof for the building (aided greatly by a hailstorm).
Our programs highlighted prominent Minnesota African Americans, the history of the Dayton family, the “Just Deeds” project and racial covenants, 75 years of the local League of Women Voters, 75 years of Chester Bird VFW Post 523, the history of Theodore Wirth and Brookview golf courses, and the story of “Lisl” Close, one of Minnesota's best-known mid-century modern architects.
Looking forward
The year 2024 will mark the Golden Valley Historical Society's “50-Year Golden Jubilee”! Watch for announcements of upcoming programs and opportunities for reminiscences.
Note: We will not have a January program due to the busy schedules of speakers whom we will feature in future months. We hope to see you in February and at upcoming programs in the Historic Church.
We will continue to work on items on the ten-year prioritized work plan to fulfill our commitment to responsibly maintain GVHS and its resources.
Thank you to GVHS members and others who attend programs and visit the museum for your interest in preserving and presenting the history of Golden Valley. We look forward to seeing you in 2024! If you or someone you know is interested in GVHS volunteer opportunities or in joining the Board of Directors, please contact me at gvhistoricalsociety@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you!
Wishing a very Golden and Happy New Year to all!
-Emily Dietle, President, GVHS Board of Directors
Third Annual GVHS Holiday Open House is Saturday, Dec. 9
Join us on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023, for the Golden Valley Historical Society (GVHS) Holiday Open House. Visit the Golden Valley History Museum and Historic Church, both at 6731 Golden Valley Road, from 11am to 3pm, to enjoy festive holiday music, lots of history, and even purchase a vintage street sign. It’s for GVHS members, the public, and family members of all ages.
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VISIT THE HISTORIC CHURCH
Have you or anyone you know traveled Golden Valley Road and were intrigued about the “Little White Church in the Valley?” The Open House is your opportunity to explore it! The original chapel was built in 1882 by early pioneers as a nondenominational church. In 1890, it was pulled by horses and mules almost a mile over rolling logs to its current location. The chapel currently hosts monthly history programs, weddings, memorial services, and vow renewals. Step inside and take a look! Volunteers will be on hand to answer questions.
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Festive Holiday Music by “The Flute Loops”
11:30 am
GVHS's 142-year-old chapel will ring with holiday music by The Flute Loops. “We are a group of adult amateur flutists,” said member Diane Markovich, “who share a love for the flute, learning, and making and sharing music together.” Based in Chaska, The Flute Loops repertoire features classical, folk, jazz, pop, Broadway, sacred, and holiday music. This unique 15-year-old ensemble has performed for weddings, churches, Minnesota Arboretum events, parties, and senior residents.
The Flute Loops are Mary Hegre, Diane Markovich, Jeanne Roudabush, and Laurie Strand. Hear their latest recording, “The Festive Flute Loops,” here: Flute Loops website.
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“The History of All Things Christmas: How the Past Affects Today’s Christmas Celebrations”
1:00 pm
Christmas trees and gift-giving - how and when did these traditions begin? Local historian David Kuball will present an entertaining and timely talk titled, “The History of All Things Christmas: How the Past Affects Today’s Christmas Celebrations.”
You’ll get insights into the origins of popular traditions plus recent additions that may connect with your own holiday memories. Some Christmas traditions have surprising origins. “In fact, many of our Christmas traditions came from corporations that developed them as part of holiday advertising," David stated. There were periods when Christmas was very different from the holiday we celebrate today. In fact, he said, "there times when Christmas was unpopular, and I’ll share instances when it was actually banned.”
David Kuball is a long-time Golden Valley resident. He is active in the community and has been on the GVHS board of directors for seven years.
VISIT THE MUSEUM
The Golden Valley History Museum will be open for GVHS members and the public. And, vintage Golden Valley street signs will available for purchase. Volunteers will be on hand to answer questions.
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The Award-Winning Golden Valley History Museum
This is a great opportunity to tour the Museum. Open since Sept. 2018, the museum features an immersive exhibition that traces the history of Golden Valley from the ice age and pre-European contact to today.
The exhibition explores the former Golden Valley High School, the first Byerly’s Foods, Golden Valley Garden Club, Ewald Brothers Dairy, Golden Valley Police and Fire Departments, civil rights, human rights, and leadership.
In 2020, this exhibition – “Golden Valley: No Place Like Home” – received an Award of Excellence from the American Association for State and Local History.
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Take Home a Vintage Golden Valley Street Sign!
From Aquila and Avondale to Zane and Zealand, GVHS has over 1,000 city street signs – some dating back to the 1940s - available for sale. After the state required street signs to be larger and with a reflective surface, the city began replacing signs and GVHS became the repository of decommissioned signs beginning in 1997.
This just might be the perfect holiday gift for a college student’s dorm room, a man cave, or a nostalgic former resident. To view the collection and purchase a sign, enter through the Museum.
Signs are $25 each and can be purchased by cash, check, or PayPal. Proceeds from the sale of signs support GVHS programs and operations.
For an inventory of available signs: Street Sign Inventory
Antique Toys, Wagons, Buggies, Sleds
GVHS board member Ken Huber collects and restores a variety of old things; you may have waved to him and his dog, Linus while joyriding in his Model A Ford. He has a special interest in antique and vintage children’s riding toys: bikes, trikes, wagons, scooters, pedal cars, and Irish mails. A selection of his collection will be displayed throughout the Historic Church.
YOU’RE INVITED: NOV. 9 & 11 HISTORY TALKS
Educating and Empowering Voters, Protecting Democracy: The 75-Year Impact of the League of Women Voters of Golden Valley
In a special acknowledgement of Golden Valley history, Golden Valley Historical Society (GVHS) is partnering with the League of Women Voters of Golden Valley (LWV-GV) on a program titled, “Educating and Empowering Voters, Protecting Democracy: The 75-Year Impact of the League of Women Voters of Golden Valley.”
From League president Marti Micks and four other presenters representing different eras, learn how the history of City of Golden Valley and the League have always been intertwined. The program will offer information about the League’s long and storied history in Golden Valley, and a time for socializing (Happy 75th Birthday cake!) It’s free and open to the public.
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“For 75 years, our League has provided a wide variety of opportunities to become educated on issues, to build leadership skills, and to encourage involvement in civic life," Micks said. " It's a great story, one we'd love to share.”
The program is offered twice. Attend one or both.
Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023, 7 pm
Hosted by Golden Valley Historical Society
GVHS Historic Church, 6731 Golden Valley Road
Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023, 10 am (9:30 social time)
Hosted by League of Women Voters of Golden Valley
Brookview Community Center, 1st floor Valley Room
316 Brookview Pkwy S.
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Pictured, from the archives: Charter members of the League of Women Voters of Golden Valley at a long-ago League anniversary celebration event.
“The Chalet at Glenwood,” now Theodore Wirth, in the early 1920s. While part of the Minneapolis Parks system, the golf course is in Golden Valley. Vintage postcard courtesy of Nokohaha.com.
On Thursday, Oct. 12, the Golden Valley Historical Society (GVHS) will host a program on the history of golf at Theodore Wirth and Brookview, two Golden Valley courses with a long and fascinating history.
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Roxann Maxey will present “From Glenwood to Theodore Wirth,” the history of the first public course in Minnesota and second largest city-owned course in America. She is the Golf Operations Manager for Theodore Wirth Golf Course.
Ben Disch and Brett Johnson will present “Brookview Golf - Then and Now,” the rich history of Brookview, originally a private course and country club built in the 1920s by Archie Walker and his father, lumber magnate T.B. Walker. Disch is Brookview’s Operation Manager, Johnson is the Assistant Operations Manager.
The Thursday, Oct. 12 program is at 7:00 pm in the GVHS Historic Church, 6731 Golden Valley Road. Admission is free and open to the public.
Left: The cornerstone of George Dayton's first store in downtown Minnapolis. Right: Presenter David Kuball
On Thursday, Sept. 14, local history enthusiast David Kuball will present “The Daytons – A Family Business,” a Golden Valley Historical Society (GVHS) program. Kuball will explore the 140-year endeavors of the Dayton family and how they impacted the citizens of Minnesota.
The 7:00 pm presentation is in the GVHS Historic Church, 6731 Golden Valley Road. Admission is free. GVHS members and the public are welcome.
“There are many notable families and companies throughout Minnesota history, but one tends to stand out for its impact on the state,” Kuball said. “From helping farmers in debt, to bringing fashion to Minneapolis and beyond, and to providing leadership in the Twin Cities and state, the Dayton family history is compelling and rises to the top.”
Multiple generations of Daytons were active in serving the needs of Minnesotans – and of course making themselves wealthy. George Dayton moved from New York to Worthington, Minnesota in 1883 to help establish the Bank of Worthington. He eventually moved to Minneapolis to start a retail business that would famously and affectionately become known at Dayton’s.
While George got the family off to a strong start in Minnesota, it was the following generations who not only branched off into multiple businesses, but also impacted state politics.
David Kuball is a warm and engaging presenter with a love for history “which has been a hobby for most of my life,” he said. He was born in Faribault, MN and grew up on a nearby dairy farm with his parents and seven brothers and sisters. He has a Journalism degree from the University of Minnesota. “After failing to find a job with a newspaper,” David said, “I discovered that I had technical skills,” which led him to his current IT job with Optum. He is a long-time Golden Valley resident, active in the community, and has been on the GVHS board of directors for seven years.
Steve Boyd-Smith: “I have rarely seen an organization that is as self-aware, dedicated, and organized.”
LEFT: GVHS board and advisor at the final STEPS meeting on May 10, 2023. Top row: David Kuball, Jim Elert, Steve Schmidgall, Denise LaMere-Anderson, Teresa Martin. Front:
Don Anderson,
Mary McCormick, Crystal Boyd, Elsa Kendig, William Ewald. Not pictured: Larry Bakken, Ken Huber, Dave Lee.
By Steve Boyd-Smith
This GVHS update is by guest author Steve Boyd-Smith who recently led the Society through a year-long self-assessment. He is an independent museum professional currently helping communities reveal their stories through his company, Amplifier Experience Design. The St. Paul resident has over thirty years’ experience working with museums throughout the country.
In 2021, the Golden Valley Historical Society contracted with me to facilitate a year-long self-assessment of its entire operation. As an independent museum professional, I am pleased to report that GVHS is a solid organization, built over decades on strong foundations, and working actively to expand and advance the value of Golden Valley’s history to the community.
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The self-assessment was structured around the national STEPS (Standards and Excellence Program) workbook and community, under the umbrella of the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH). It points history organizations towards national standards in six areas spanning everything from governance to collections, interpretation to community engagement.
The State of Minnesota provided a grant of $10,000 from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the Minnesota Historical Society, a sign of capability and trust for both the program and the organization.
Getting through this process was no small feat for an all-volunteer organization. Board members met nine times, for 1.5 to 2.5 hours each month to step through a chapter of the workbook. This represented more than 190 hours of volunteer time, with “homework” between meetings likely more than doubling this figure. As this was above and beyond regular Board meetings and volunteer tasks, the commitment to seeing this through demonstrates the level of dedication and care GVHS inspires.
I have worked with museums of all types and sizes for over 30 years and have rarely seen an organization that is as self-aware, dedicated, and organized. The Society is clear on its responsibilities, has been working for many years with attention to accountability and quality, and inspires committed and skilled volunteers. The process prompted valuable discussions and also turned up a few unseen gaps, raising awareness that makes transformation possible. The willingness to learn and change is a particularly enviable attribute of GVHS.
At the end-of-process meeting, Kyle Scott, GVHS President, thanked board members “for their faithful and dedicated commitment to excellence” and also singled out Crystal Boyd, the Society’s volunteer collections curator, for writing the grant and serving as project manager.
History matters. Whether we are conscious of it or not, history can strengthen a sense of place and build community. GVHS understands that incomplete history can instead erode community. When we don’t see ourselves represented in or contributing to the story of a place, we are made to feel as if we don’t belong. GVHS comes out of the STEPS program with a prioritized workplan of short-and longer-term tasks, and a new energy for engaging with the community—those who live, work, shop, learn, or play here—to make sure that the stories it collects, preserves, and interprets are whole, honest, and true; that the organization continues to be well run; and that its volunteers, audiences, objects, and structures are well cared for.
You can be a part of Golden Valley history – protecting its past and planning for its future. The Golden Valley Historical Society (GVHS), which is dedicated to the preservation and celebration of Golden Valley history, has September openings on its board of directors. Terms begin September 2023 and vary from 1-3 years in length.
The Board guides policy on management of its Historic Church and Golden Valley History Museum, both located at 6731 Golden Valley Road; acquires and maintains its collection of artifacts, documents, and photographs; and offers public programs, forums, and discussions from September through May. The Board typically meets at the Historic Church on the second Wednesday of the month.
It’s a great way to serve, volunteer, and be a part of Golden Valley history. To learn more or express an interest, contact William Ewald, GVHS Board Vice-President by August 1st at william.ewald@emerson.com.
A visit to goldenvalleyhistoricalsociety.org will provide additional information about the Society.
Detailing a Past Era of Racial Covenants in Golden Valley's Glendale Addition and Other Developments
By Will Craig
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Will Craig is a Golden Valley Historical Society member, and a retired University of Minnesota staff member of the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs which helped launch the Mapping Prejudice project. He has a graduate degree in geography where John Borchert was his mentor. His PhD was on the use of public records to understand societal issues.
Left: The Borchert family in 1954: John, Bill, Jane, Diane (with Spotty the dog), Bob, and Dave. Photo submitted by the Borchert family. Right: The “Borchert home” in 2022 has new owners and its “Black Lives Matter” sign is a wonderful connection to the Borchert legacy. Photo by Will Craig.
Racial covenants were used across the country in the first half of the 20th Century. Covenants were intended to keep out all non-white people. They were imbedded in deeds and at times remained legal through subsequent sales. The Twin Cities were no exception to this nationwide trend. Neither was Golden Valley.
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The first racial covenant in Golden Valley was dated July 6, 1915. In 1938, the new Planning Commission required racially restrictive covenants as a condition of approval of the development of the West Tyrol Hills Addition. The City Council approved that requirement at its next meeting. By 1955 Golden Valley had over 1,600 properties with racial covenants.
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I focus on the Glendale Addition with its 80 covenants because it has an interesting history. It was also the home of my mentor, John R. Borchert. He moved to Golden Valley in 1950 as a new assistant professor of geography at the University of Minnesota. Borchert went on to become a member of the Metropolitan Planning Commission, a Regents Professor at the university, and an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences.
The Glendale Addition was created in 1946 with 130 lots spread across 11 blocks. Every deed in Glendale had the following racial covenant:
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“No person of any race other than the Caucasian race shall use or occupy any building or any lot, except that this covenant shall not prevent occupancy by domestic servants of a different race domiciled with an owner or tenant.”
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A clip of a 1947 deed (below) shows that text in Clause F as part of a list of restrictions that covered issues like building heights and setbacks, and minimum home construction costs. Golden Valley wasn’t unique in reflecting the racial bias of the time.
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A 1946 poll of Minnesotans found 60% thought African Americans should not be free to choose where they would live. And 68% thought non-white neighborhoods would hurt property values.
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Glendale’s developers were two local men trying to develop a piece of land that would appeal to post-war buyers. Dr. Arthur C. Kerkoff lived in Golden Valley and had a practice in the Medical Arts Building. Waldo E. Hardell lived in the Linden Hills area of Minneapolis and worked for the Sexton Insurance Company in downtown. Kerkhof was president and Hardell was secretary of Glendale Inc.
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Glendale lots began selling in July 1946. The last lot sold in May 1953. But something changed mid-stream. Glendale continued using the same deed form but altered it in a major way.
Beginning in February 1950, Clause F was crossed out. It was like Glendale Inc. put the deed form in a typewriter and crossed out Clause F by typing XXXX’s across all the text on the unsold deeds. John R. and Jane W. Borchert’s deed provides an example of that practice. (Above: an example of Clause F, and Borchert’s actual deed with it crossed out.)
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All 80 of the earlier deeds had intact racial covenants. Clause F was obliterated on the last 50 sales.It’s not clear what prompted the change. The 1948 Shelley v. Kraemer Supreme Court decision made the covenants unenforceable, but Glendale continued to use the same deed form for another year. Sales were sluggish. Glendale eliminated the racial covenant in the deeds in February 1950 and sales doubled that year.
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I’d like to think that John Borchert had something to do with that change. He was an urban geographer who understood markets. He was an extrovert who enjoyed discussing issues with people. Both Kerkhoff and Hardell were University alumni, accessible to Borchert. He would have pushed them to make that change and refresh their image.
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Glendale Inc. began deleting racial covenants in February 1950. John Borchert bought lot 14 of block 8 on February 20, 1950, one week after Glendale Inc. made the change. Ned Flanders, his university colleague, bought the lot next door one week later.
The tide had turned for Glendale and other subdivisions across the state. In 1953, the Minnesota Legislature prohibited the use of racial covenants.
“A Beautiful Home Place RESTRICTED Wisely,” from a Golden Valley Historical Society display at City Hall.
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Golden Valley subdivisions
with racial covenants existing
in the 1940s:
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Arcidge
Belmont
Delphian Heights
Delphian Heights 2nd Unit
Delphian Heights 3rd Unit
Glendale
Glenurban
Glenurban 2nd Addition
Glenwood
Golden Valley Gardens
Kavlis Cedardale
Kennedys South Tyrol Hills
Kennedys West Tyrol Hills
Lakewood Heights
Lakeview Heights, the First Addition
McNair Manor
Noble Grove
Spring Green
Tralee
Tyrol Hills
West Tyrol Hills
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John and Jane Borchert settled in and raised their family in Golden Valley where he became an active community citizen. He joined the Golden Valley Planning Commission in 1951, serving for a decade. This was the same Planning Commission that had required racial covenants 13 years earlier.
Borchert became chair of the commission in 1955. He always had a strong interest in public policy and how it played out on the ground. His 1998 Curriculum Vitae states: “Principal Interest: Geography applied to public
policies in land use and resource management.”
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Golden Valley was not alone in its use of racial covenants in the early 1900s. The ”Mapping Prejudice” project at the University of Minnesota identified over 24,000 parcels in Hennepin County with racial covenants like those in the Glendale Addition.
Currently the project is assisting other counties across the U.S. in exploring their own histories of racial prejudice. Appropriately, the Mapping Prejudice project is housed at the John R. Borchert Map Library at the University of Minnesota.
Today, Golden Valley is playing a lead role in making things better in Minnesota. A 2019 law made it possible for owners to “discharge” prejudicial language from their property records, but that is a complicated process.
Golden Valley city attorney Maria Cisneros organized the “Just Deeds” project with a network of individual lawyers, government offices, and real estate professionals that provide free legal and title services to help property owners find discriminatory covenants and discharge them from their property titles.
[For reference, the Glendale Addition is in southeastern Golden Valley, bounded by Olson Memorial Highway on the north, Glenwood Avenue on the south, Natchez Avenue on the west, and Ardmore Drive on the east.]
"This [Glendale] plat was approved and accepted by the Village Council of Golden Valley, Minnesota at a regular meeting thereof held this 15th day of October A.D. 1946.”
LEARN MORE
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Just Deeds
Mapping Prejudice
https://mappingprejudice.umn.edu/
John R. Borchert website
Left: Adjutant Tom Martin and Commander Craig Hartman of Golden Valley’s Chester Bird Post 523 American Legion. Photo by Jim Elert. Right: The America Legion’s first national convention was held November 1919 in Minneapolis. Credit: “Century of Service,” The American Legion.
On Thursday, May 11, a few weeks prior to Memorial Day, Commander Craig Hartman and Adjutant Tom Martin of Chester Bird Post 523 American Legion Post in Golden Valley will be GVHS’s guest presenters.
They will touch upon the 100-year history of the American Legion, the 75-year history of Chester Bird Post 523, Chester “Bird” Ptaszek (the man behind the name), a legacy of giving, and the Legion’s big plans for June.
The presentation is at 7pm in the Society’s Historic Church, 6731Golden Valley Road. It is open to Society members and the public.
“The core of Chester Bird’s mission,” Hartman said, “is to honor and always remember, to give back, and to uphold time-honored values. We’ll share some examples.”
Hartman’s and Martin’s informal presentation will include historical anecdotes from the Golden Valley
Legion’s first meeting in December 1945 (in the original Golden Valley Village Hall) to hosting a June 17, 2023 street dance and barbeque cookoff, a partnership with the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Foundation. The event will honor those in law enforcement, fire, medical, and all first responders. Proceeds will go to students pursuing degrees in law enforcement.
They will share the post’s rich history of service, charitable giving, and scholarships. Martin urges May 11 participants “to bring their own questions, stories, and remembrances” to share during the presentation and discussion.
Craig Hartman, a U.S. Navy veteran, has served as Legion commander for the last seven years. Tom Martin is the Adjutant, former Commander, and a U.S. Navy and Air Force veteran.
Carl Rowan, with President Lyndon Johnson, after being named director of the United States Information Agency (Photo: Black History Moments). Sen. Robert Lewis speaks at a Senate committee hearing (Photo: Minnesota Historical Society).
On Thursday, April 13, the Golden Valley Historical Society will welcome Jeremiah Ellis to speak about journalist, author, and government official Carl Rowan, and Dr. Robert Lewis, a veterinarian, educator, and Minnesota state Senator.
As prominent Minnesotans, and leaders in the African American community in the Twin Cities, both men - now deceased - had distinguished professional lives. Ellis will offer deeper insights and the context of the times that shaped their lives. Rowan was born in 1925, Lewis in 1931.
Carl Rowan received a master's degree in journalism from the University of Minnesota in 1948. He wrote for the African American newspapers Minneapolis Spokesman and St. Paul Recorder, and then The Minneapolis Tribune where he reported extensively on the civil rights movement.
He became a distinguished author and journalist who was published in over 100 newspapers.
Rowan was appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary of State by President John F. Kennedy, became U.S. Ambassador to Finland, and was appointed director of the United States Information Agency (USIA) by President Lyndon B. Johnson, making him the first African American to hold a seat on the National Security Council. He died in 2000.
Robert Lewis received a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Minnesota, and established a pioneering veterinary practice in St. Louis Park and later in Golden Valley where he also lived in later years.
He was a member of the St. Louis Park Board of Education and the State Board of Education. In 1972, he became the first African American to serve in the Minnesota State Senate. His passion was addressing the needs of senior citizens, the economically disadvantaged, Minnesotans with disabilities, those who were incarcerated, marginalized people, feminists, and victims of domestic violence.
Lewis also served on the board of the Minneapolis Urban League, where he was voted Man of the Year, and he was named Veterinarian of the Year by the Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association.
His promising legislative career came to an abrupt end when he died of a heart attack at 47 years of age.
Ellis will share the context of the times in which these men lived. “In some ways Rowan and Lewis’ stories reflect historic systems that shaped many African American lives,” Ellis says, “like race-based housing discrimination, and yet looking closely at each man can lead us to better appreciating the wide range
of Black experiences in Minnesota.”
He will also explore the women in Rowan’s and Lewis’s lives and how they were shaped and affected by the professional lives of these men, and he will talk about their mentors and why the system of mentorship was so vital for up-and-coming Black professionals in Minnesota.
Jeremiah Ellis is the Director of Partnership for Generation Next, a coalition of civic, business, and education leaders from across Minneapolis and St. Paul dedicated to closing achievement and opportunity gaps. He also is a commissioner for the St. Paul Public Heritage Preservation, and until recently he worked as the Arthur C. McWatt Senior Fellow for the Ramsey County Historical Society.
The Thursday, April 13 talk is at 7 pm in the Society’s Historic Church, 6731 Golden Valley Road. The program is free and open to Society members and the public.
GVHS presents a March 8 talk, exhibit premiere, and book signing by Jane King Hession on Minnesota's pioneering first modern architect
The Golden Valley Historical Society (GVHS), partnering with Brookview Golden Valley, is presenting a talk, exhibit premiere, and book signing event on Elizabeth “Lisl” Scheu Close (1912-2011), Minnesota’s first modern architect. Jane King Hession, author of the award-winning Elizabeth Scheu Close: A Life in Modern Architecture, will bring Lisl’s life and career - including her work in Golden Valley - to light on Wednesday, March 8, at 7 pm in the Bassett Creek Room at Brookview Golden Valley, 316 Brookview Pkwy S, Golden Valley. The event is free and open to the public.
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Wednesday, March 8 Talk
Hession’s talk and accompanying exhibit will examine the extraordinary life and prolific career of a pioneering woman in the field of architecture. With her husband Winston Close, Lisl founded the first architectural practice in the state dedicated to modern design. A specialist in residential architecture, she designed roughly 250 custom houses during her long career, the largest concentration of which stands in the University Grove neighborhood of Falcon Heights.
She also designed prefabricated houses for the Page & Hill company of Minnesota. More than 10,000 houses were produced from her designs. Among the many Close-designed buildings is the only ice arena she ever designed, which was built on a site in Golden Valley.
Although she forged a successful career, it wasn’t an easy road. She became an architect at a time when it was not common, or accepted, for a woman to do so, especially in her native Vienna, Austria. “But she negotiated every obstacle and, in the process,” Hession said, “became a role model for generations of women who would follow in her footsteps.”
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March 4-23 Exhibit
To complement the March 8 talk, Brookview Golden Valley is presenting the exhibit "Elizabeth Scheu Close: A Life in Modern Architecture” on the community center’s second floor, outside of the Basset Creek Room, from March 4th through the 23rd.
Hession originally curated this exhibition for the Goldstein Museum of Design at the University of Minnesota in March of 2020. “It went up just in time for the university––and the world––to shut down due to the pandemic,” she said. “As a result, to date it has never been shown and has been seen only by a handful of people.”
The exhibit traces Lisl’s upbringing in one of Europe’s earliest modern houses in Vienna, Austria, to her immigration to and education in America, to her sixty-year career as one of Minnesota’s leading modern architects.
Jane King Hession is a Minneapolis-based architectural writer, historian, and curator specializing in midcentury modernism. Born and raised in New York’s Hudson River Valley, she earned her Master of Architecture from the University of Minnesota and Bachelor of Arts degrees in English and Art History from SUNY Albany.
She is a past president of the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy and the Minneapolis Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians, and a founding partner of Modern House Productions. Hession is the author of five books including Ralph Rapson: Sixty Years of Modern Design, Frank Lloyd Wright in New York: The Plaza Years, and Elizabeth Scheu Close: A Life in Modern Architecture, which was a finalist for a 2021 Minnesota Book Award, and winner of the 2022 David Stanley Gebhard Award.
Book Signing
Copies of the book, Elizabeth Scheu Close: A Life in Modern Architecture, will be available for sale and signing by the author immediately following the March 8 presentation at Brookview.
This is the third in Golden Valley Historical Society’s three-part speaker series, "Voices in the Valley: Amplifying Underrepresented Histories of Golden Valley," made possible by Union Pacific Railroad’s Community Ties Giving Program. Note that this event takes place at an alternative venue and evening than most GVHS programs.
